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Bear Gulch

The Lower Carboniferous (latest Mississippian) of Bear Gulch, Montana yields exceptionally preserved marine vertebrates and invertebrates in dolomitic micritic limestones (the Bear Gulch Limestone member). Four general palaeocommunities have been recognized, being nektonic, benthic, algal and terrestrial-dominated (Di Canzio 1978, Lund et al. 1993). The depositional environment was a low-latitude protected marine setting. Quality of fossil preservation ranges from scattered disarticulated skeletal elements to articulated material with fine details of venous system and skin pigments and soft tissue preservation in a number of invertebrates.
Caridosuctor populosum, 225 mm, a large complete coelacanth. Bear Gulch, Montana. 11 cm long complete palaeoniscid fish. Bear Gulch. Harpagofututor volsellorhinus,  160 mm male shark with claspers in micrite. Bear Gulch, Fergus County, Montana Bear Gulch shark teeth Lepidasterella montanensis, 13 cm diameter. Bear Gulch, Fergus County, Montana, USA.
Palaeolimulus longispinus, 60 mm, with well preserved limbs in micrite. Filamentous algae, productid brachiopod and nematodes. Sairocaris centurion, 145 mm. Heath Shale Formation. Bear Gulch Limestone. Bear Gulch, Fergus County, Montana, USA. Dithyrocaris, a complete 7 cm phyllocarid. Heath Shale Formation. Bear Gulch Limestone. Bear Gulch, Fergus County, Montana, USA. Perimecturus rapax,  64 mm in micrite. Bear Gulch, Fergus County, Montana, USA. Daidal acanthocercus, a complete 38 mm shrimp. Heath Shale Formation. Bear Gulch Limestone. Bear Gulch, Fergus County, Monta
Daidal acanthocercus, a complete 53 mm hoplocarid. Heath Shale Formation. Bear Gulch Limestone. Bear Gulch, Fergus County, Monta Aenigmacaris cornigerum, a complete 10 cm hoplocarid. Bear Gulch Limestone. Bear Gulch, Fergus County, Montan Bairdops beargulchensis Schram & Horner,  50 mm complete in micrite. Bear Gulch, Fergus County, Montana, USA. Schramine montanaensis Schram, seven individuals from 7 to 11 mm in ventral view. Bear Gulch, Fergus County Schramine montanaensis, Bear Gulch, Fergus Cou
Reticycloceras, 128 mm in micrite. Bear Gulch, Fergus County, Montana, USA. Reticycloceras, 128 mm in micrite. Bear Gulch, Fergus County, Montana, USA. Orthoceras, 128 mm in micrite. Bear Gulch, Fergus County, Montana, USA. Gordoniconus beargulchensis, 128 mm in micrite. Bear Gulch, Fergus County, Montana, USA. Anthracoceras beargulchensis with preservation of mandibles. 32 mm. Bear Gulch, Fergus County, Montana, USA.
A large coiled cephalopod (Tylonautilus?) encrusted with bryozoans and orbiculoid brachiopods, 7 cm diameter. DSC01869.jpg Arborispongia delicatula, with bivalves (Ptychopteria), 30 cm. Bear Gulch, Fergus County, Montana, USA. Bear Gulch polychaete annelid 8 cm. Bear Gulch nematode.
Conularia,  65 mm in micrite. Bear Gulch, Fergus County, Montana, USA. Bear Gulch sponge, 10 cm. Arborispongia delicatula Rigby, with bivalves, 30 cm. Bear Gulch, Fergus County, Montana, USA. Bear Gulch orbiculoid brachiopod, 13 mm. Bear Gulch orbiculoid brachiopod, 13 mm.