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11.8" Ordovician Kukersite Oil Shale w/ Bryozoan & Trilobite Fossils
This is an 11.8" wide plate of Upper Ordovician-aged bryozoan, brachiopod, and partial trilobite fossils in kukersite oil shale, collected from the Leningrad (St. Petersburg) region of northwestern Russia. The fossils have a white preservation that contrasts nicely against the lighter brown shale. Fossils can be found on both sides of the specimen.
Comes with a display stand
Comes with a display stand
About Kukersite Oil Shale
Kukersite is a distinctive marine oil shale found within the Baltic Oil Shale Basin, which extends across northeastern Estonia and into the Leningrad (St. Petersburg) region of northwestern Russia. Deposited during the Ordovician Period approximately 460 million years ago, kukersite is considered one of the world's richest and most economically important oil shales due to its exceptionally high organic content. Unlike most oil shales, the organic matter is composed predominantly of the fossilized remains of the microscopic organism Gloeocapsomorpha prisca, an ancient colonial cyanobacterium or algal-like microorganism that flourished in warm, shallow seas. The kukersite-bearing sequence consists of numerous laterally continuous shale beds interlayered with limestone, and it has been extensively mined in Estonia for over a century for the production of electricity and shale oil.
Although prized as an energy resource, kukersite is equally well known among fossil collectors because it preserves a diverse marine fauna from the Ordovician seas. Common fossils found within the shale and associated limestone layers include trilobites such as Asaphus and Illaenus, articulate brachiopods, bryozoans, ostracods, gastropods, nautiloid cephalopods, echinoderm fragments, and occasional graptolites. These fossils record a thriving shallow-marine ecosystem that surrounded the microbial mats responsible for the accumulation of the organic-rich sediment. The combination of abundant marine fossils and exceptionally preserved organic material makes kukersite one of the most scientifically significant oil shales in the world, providing valuable insights into both Ordovician marine life and the formation of organic-rich sedimentary deposits.
Kukersite is a distinctive marine oil shale found within the Baltic Oil Shale Basin, which extends across northeastern Estonia and into the Leningrad (St. Petersburg) region of northwestern Russia. Deposited during the Ordovician Period approximately 460 million years ago, kukersite is considered one of the world's richest and most economically important oil shales due to its exceptionally high organic content. Unlike most oil shales, the organic matter is composed predominantly of the fossilized remains of the microscopic organism Gloeocapsomorpha prisca, an ancient colonial cyanobacterium or algal-like microorganism that flourished in warm, shallow seas. The kukersite-bearing sequence consists of numerous laterally continuous shale beds interlayered with limestone, and it has been extensively mined in Estonia for over a century for the production of electricity and shale oil.
Although prized as an energy resource, kukersite is equally well known among fossil collectors because it preserves a diverse marine fauna from the Ordovician seas. Common fossils found within the shale and associated limestone layers include trilobites such as Asaphus and Illaenus, articulate brachiopods, bryozoans, ostracods, gastropods, nautiloid cephalopods, echinoderm fragments, and occasional graptolites. These fossils record a thriving shallow-marine ecosystem that surrounded the microbial mats responsible for the accumulation of the organic-rich sediment. The combination of abundant marine fossils and exceptionally preserved organic material makes kukersite one of the most scientifically significant oil shales in the world, providing valuable insights into both Ordovician marine life and the formation of organic-rich sedimentary deposits.
About Bryozoans
Bryozoans are microscopic aquatic invertebrates that live in colonies, forming skeletal structures similar to corals. Each skeletal structure has a form unique to each particular species. The individual byrozoans forming these colonies are filter feeders called zooids, straining nutrients from the surrounding water.
Bryozoans are microscopic aquatic invertebrates that live in colonies, forming skeletal structures similar to corals. Each skeletal structure has a form unique to each particular species. The individual byrozoans forming these colonies are filter feeders called zooids, straining nutrients from the surrounding water.
$175
SPECIES
Various Species
LOCATION
Leningrad (St. Petersburg) Region, Northwest Russia
FORMATION
Baltic Oil Shale Basin
SIZE
Entire Specimen: 11.8 x 7.1"
CATEGORY
ITEM
#368964
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