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Here are some photos of the actual bivalve Lyrodesma that I've collected from the Kope mollusk beds of Carrollton, Kentucky. They are preserved in calcite in these beds and contain no significant phosphate. These teeth match closely the ridged pattern and shape of my phosphatic Mystery Fossil. Compare these hinge dentations to multi-place specimens of the Mystery Fossil . These photos help to support my Pelecypod Hinge Teeth Hypothesis for the identity of the Mystery Fossil.
Note that there might to be two species of Lyrodesma represented in these pictures, based on the hinge teeth. One species has 7 dentations, while the other has 9. It is more likely, I feel, that my Mystery Fossil, which is from the Arnheim Formation, rather than the Kope, is from the 7 tooth species. This is because I typically find 4 external molds (elements), which represent the center 5 dentations.
