| Fusulinids from the Lower Permian Darwin Canyon Formation (Panamint Springs Member) of the Owens Valley Group. The elongated and oval to circular specimens represent two species of fusulinids, an extinct single-celled organism that secreted a distinctive wheat-shaped shell with an intricate internal geometric structure. The elongated shapes are longitudinal sections of the genus Parafusulina sp., while the oval and circular shapes are actually cross-sections of both Parafusulina sp. and Schwagerina sp.-- specimens that through erosion have been essentially "sawed" in half, revealing the internal structure from an end-on perspective. |