Microfossils from The Devonian of NY State
In addition to macrofossils, the Devonian strata in New York State often, if not generally, contain microfossils. These are small fossils requiring magnification (10 - 100 X) for study, although many are notable to the naked eye if the observer knows what to look for. They are often dispersed at low abundance through out the rock. Occasionally some forms (notably cricoconarids) may be found concentrated on bedding planes in the rock. In rare instances the rock may be made up primarily of microfossils (as seen in the North Evans Limestone and the Genundewa Limestone of the Upper Devonian Genesee Formation).
A number of techniques can be used to recover microfossils. Often the mud or clay-like residue of well weathered rock can be washed and sieved to yield large numbers of microfossils of various type, most notably ostracods and cricoconarids. In the case of phosphatic (as opposed to calcareous) microfossils, such as conodonts and other vertebrate remains, dissolution of the matrix in dilute acetic acid is often possible.
The links below lead to examples of a number of different types of microfossils from the New York State Devonian:
Page last revised June 17, 2000