Paleontology and geologyWarm, shallow seas covered Kentucky, depositing carbonate sediments under conditions similar to those in tropical areas today. Bryozoans, brachiopods, and crinoids dominated the abundant and diverse marine communities living in the sea. Other Ordovician fossils include conodonts, trilobites, bivalves, sponges, and unusual echinoderms such as edrioasteroids. Widespread, thin volcanic ashes and layers contorted and disturbed by earthquakes are evidence of distant mountain building in the northern Appalachians. The Ordovician ended with a drop in sea level as glaciers formed in polar regions, drawing water from the seas. This drop in sea level left more land exposed and resulted in greater erosion of older rocks around Kentucky. |