Hey everyone, I thought that I would talk about trilobite anatomy.  I have been using some complicated terms, and I want to make sure that we are all on the same page.  So please watch the movie and enjoy!

A topic early last year in the Fossil Forum asked “What are your goals for 2015”. My response in that discussion was a desire to collect from the Duplin Formation in South Carolina to expand upon the species list within my Pliocene Project. Although I did not have the opportunity to bring those specific goals to fruition, I did add significantly to that list with unplanned collecting trips to two sites exposing the Golden Gate Member of the Tamiami Formation containing a number of species not found within the Pinecrest Member further north. However more so than any other unit that I sampled in 2015, was the unexpected opportunity to collect from several localities exposing the Lower Pleistocene (Gelasian) Caloosahatchee Formation. As I have previously reported the Caloosahatchee contains a mostly tropical fauna containing many endemic mollusks which lived within the flooded Everglades Basin following a 200,000 year sea level regression marking the end of the Pliocene Epoch.

My previous collecting endeavors in the Caloosahatchee had been restricted to the western portion of the Everglades/Big Cypress region and the trip that I attended in January 2015 organized by the Conservancy of Southwest Florida followed that trend with a visit to a quarry in Charlotte County (Fig. 1). The mine contained massive spoil piles of shell rich material excavated years ago that had undergone heavy weathering. As a result the large well preserved gastropods which the Caloosahatchee is known for were lacking although the weathering did reveal many of the smaller species not commonly looked for by most collectors.



Figure 1. Locality 1039. Charlotte County, Florida.

Throughout last year I conversed with several forum members and messaging with Dozer Operator (Thanks Jonathan!) finally led to a collecting trip to the eastern half of the everglades. Unlike the incredibly hot trip with FossilDAWG and jehussey the previous week, Tropical Storm Erika was moving offshore of the Florida peninsula ensuring a wet but more bearable day in the field. Navigating heavy rain squalls with the use of Jonathan’s weather phone app, we were able to miss most of the precipitation and visited among others that day two sites exposing the Caloosahatchee Formation. The first in Martin County east of Lake Okeechobee contained primarily Caloosahatchee material with some overlying Middle Pleistocene Bermont Formation from which I was able to score examples of the larger mollusks that the Caloosahatchee is known for while Jonathan collected some interesting vertebrate material probably originating out of the Bermont (Fig. 2). The second stop further south in Palm Beach County contained equal amounts of Caloosahatchee and Bermont sediments (Fig. 3).



Figure 2. Locality 1045. Martin County, Florida.



Figure 3. Locality 499. Palm Beach County, Florida.



Figure 4. Some gastropods from the Caloosahatchee Formation of South Florida.

Both sites particularly the latter, demonstrate the difficulty in identifying fossils within the Florida Plio-Pleistocene. Each of the shell bearing units in South Florida contain endemic species found only within designated deposits, however as seen in my Tamiami Gallery a number of molluscan species survived into recent times as well as some which persisted past the Upper Pliocene but becoming extinct later prior to the Holocene. Adding to the confusion are non-peer reviewed works which have taxonomically split new species based upon the unit and/or geographical region placing much emphasis on slight phenotypic variation. In the list below, I have attempted to be as accurate as possible in assigning species that belong in the Caloosahatchee, however short of in-situ collection there could be species particularly those collected from locality 499 that could have originated from the Bermont Formation. In addition, the below list also is the first that I have produced using marine invertebrate taxonomy as presented by the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) . This includes bivalve taxonomy proposed by Carter et. al., 2011 and gastropod taxonomy from numerous researchers. As shown in the list, not all of the gastropod families have been assigned to specific Orders and are waiting further study and DNA analysis. I will be applying the same classification to my other Plio-Pleistocene faunal lists as I update them in future posts.

Caloosahatchee species list 040416.pdf

References

Joseph G. Carter, Cristian R. Altaba, Laurie C. Anderson, Rafael Araujo, Alexander S. Biakov, Arthur E. Bogan, David C. Campbell, Matthew Campbell, Chen Jin-hua, John C. W. Cope, Graciela Delvene, Henk H. Dijkstra, Fang Zong-jie, Ronald N. Gardner, Vera A. Gavrilova, Irina A. Goncharova, Peter J. Harries, Joseph H. Hartman, Michael Hautmann, Walter R. Hoeh, Jorgen Hylleberg, Jiang Bao-yu, Paul Johnston, Lisa Kirkendale, Karl Kleemann, Jens Koppka, Jiřź Kříž, Deusana Machado, Nikolaus Malchus, Ana Márquez-Aliaga, Jean-Pierre Masse, Christopher A. McRoberts, Peter U. Middelfart, Simon Mitchell, Lidiya A. Nevesskaja, Sacit Özer, John Pojeta Jr., Inga V. Polubotko, Jose Maria Pons, Sergey Popov, Teresa Sánchez, André F. Sartori, Robert W. Scott, Irina I. Sey, Javier H. Signorelli, Vladimir V. Silantiev, Peter W. Skelton, Thomas Steuber, J. Bruce Waterhouse, G. Lynn Wingard and Thomas Yancey. 2011. A Synoptical Classification of the Bivalvia (Mollusca). Paleontological Contributions (4):1-47. 2011

Welcome to the first entry of my dino blog! I figured for the first entry I should do something exciting and personal to me, so I'm doing a face-off between my two favourite dinosaurs: masiakasaurus and noasaurus! These two dinos are roughly the same size and are the two smallest abelisaurids found so far. Before we get into the match-up, lets look at some stats and figures for the reptiles themselves.

First off we have masiakasaurus, a piscivorous dinosaur with long, outward jutting teeth designed to capture and make sure any fish caught can't escape. Its arms had to be strong in order for it to hold on to its wriggling and squirming prey, and it's fingers end with hooked claws that would latch onto any fish snatched from the riverbank. It was 5.6 feet long (2 metres) and definitely is a strong and deadly competitor.

Now we have noasaurus, an abelisaurid that closely resembles the maniraptorans, for the killing claw on nova's hands was originally thought to be based on it's foot, like a raptor. Noasaurus was an active hunter and could reach blisteringly fast speeds, presumably using similar hunting techniques to deinonychus and velociraptor- going for the soft, fleshy part throat of the animal. This abelisaur was 7.9 feet long (2.6 metres) and will definitely prove more than a match for masiakasaurus.

THE FIGHT:

This fight would probably only happen if noasaurus' hunting grounds started to clash with the section of the river masiakasaurus hunts by. As rivers generate a large amount of noise, noasaurus would definitely gain the advantage as it snuck up on masiaka, who would be facing the river, searching for prey. Noasaurus' first move would presumably to lunge from behind onto masiakasaurus' neck, attempting to get a killing strike in with the claw on it's hand. This move would likely push them both into the river (dinosaurs are pretty dumb, so noasaurus wouldn't have planned for that to happen!) where masiakasaurus would gain the advantage. It's outward jutting teeth would have to be strong to hold staring and thrashing prey, but they just weren't suited for attacking other dinosaurs. The hooked talons on it's hands, however... As masiakasaurus lacks hunting and attacking instinct, it would probably throw some wild slashes at the lightly built noasaurus, who would be struggling to keep it's snout above the water. Masiakasaurus would probably have experience from falling in to it's hunting grounds, and so would be prepared to get out. And as masiakasaurus would escape the confines of the water, the blood and gashes from the battle would attract some other aspiring aquatic predators. The poor, drowning noasaurus would presumably be finished by a crocodile of some sort or, once it drowned, scavenged by some smaller, predatory fish. So, in the end... MASIAKASAURUS WINS!

1- micropaleontology of a section in Iran (Arak) which described here. (in website gallery only images+microfacies- complete refrence is in the excel file)
2- some palynological works
_______________________________________
you probably fisrt should download the following:
- Map of the area: http://wikisend.com/download/391330/Map-final.jpg
- Excel file for the complete refrence(Farsi Refrence is more complete):
http://wikisend.com/download/421198/Microfacies_english.xlsx,
http://wikisend.com/download/760688/Microfacies_Farsi.xlsx
Notice that:
- pictures of thin sections are only samples and sure you can't get much information from there. in proper time i will put better images.
- whole content is only for educational purposes and also mistakes happens all the times
- Contents might get updated anytime

Some Background: I was already somewhat familiar with the idea that one had to have a license to collect certain fossils. As a child, I'd spent enough summer days at Kelly Rock Springs to find the occasional 'other fossil' in addition to the plethora of shark teeth usually found. These other fossils would get enjoyed for the afternoon and then left behind. I never found anything particularly impressive, I needed glasses but couldn't be bothered to wear them around water and thus really couldn't see anything. One day though, a friend of mine found a fantastic large tooth, mastodon or mammoth. Watching him relinquish that tooth to an adult collector with the proper license reinforced the necessity of having the appropriate licensing. Of course, at that time, I would have needed a parent to sign me up and they weren't overly interested. I couldn't blame them, they were busy.


Licensing and Legalities: I'm a chicken. I can't help but feel I should get that out of the way first. I spend hours reading before trying pretty much anything. The first thing I searched for was where to apply for a license to collect vertebrate fossils. I sent in my application and a short two weeks later received back my fossil collecting license. Here in Florida, the license is just for vertebrate fossils collected on state land. Collecting of human artifacts is prohibited. Shark teeth are thus far excluded from any licensing requirements. The license carries with it the obligation to report back all findings before renewing the license at the end of the year. Sixty days from the date of reporting, the fossil ownership reverts to me if the state decides they don't need the fossil.


Deciding where to hunt: This has been a tougher question. I will be taking my 5 year old daughter with me and feel uncomfortable taking her to some of the better fossil locations. Most of the good locations here in the state of Florida are in freshwater rivers which also happen to be the location of gators. That pretty much leaves us with beach collecting. If we join a club, perhaps one of the mine field trips which allow children. In the meantime, another option has availed itself.


Fossil hunting from the comfort of home: I'm trying not to make a nuisance of myself in the forums. I read until I think my brain is as full as it can get and then take a break. I try not to respond as I don't yet have anything of value to add to the conversation. Thanks to this forum, I realized that there aren't just regular sized fossils out there. There are tiny fossils too. In a fantastic stroke of luck, I realized that the micro-fossils I liked the best are from my home state. Better yet, the forum member collecting this material is from my hometown. How's that for convenience?


Starting out with tiny fossils: It was really difficult to resist just digging right into the bag and looking for fossils. I decided that this time I would start out organized. I ordered gem jars and tiny bags from a jewelry supply. I picked up some drug store magnifying glasses and decided to start sorting. Right away, I determined that the drug store magnifying glasses were rubbish. They made things larger, but, still blurry. I pity anyone who tries to read a newspaper with the brand I purchased. At the moment, I am picking out anything that looks sort of biological and then using my Epson V300 scanner to see if anything I've side-lined is actually a fossil. I will have to sort it all again as soon as I have a better way to view these tiny fossils.


Imaging and Identifying: I already own a DSLR, an older Canon Rebel. Unfortunately, I still only own the kit lens. As much as I would love to justify a macro lens, I think that I will start out with a Vivitar close-up lens kit. I'm hoping that with bright enough lighting I will be able to create images decent enough for identifying fossils easily. I would really like a microscope, but, the wide range of options in microscopes has left me undecided. So far, my best images have come from the Epson scanner. I'm hoping that the Vivitar lenses and better lighting will be enough to make the Canon equal to the task. I've already found quite a few neat little fossils, but, I know that my images of those fossils aren't good enough for more than loose identification.


In Conclusion: I'm twenty days into the fossil collecting hobby. I guess I shouldn't feel too bad that I don't have much of this figured out yet. I'm sure that most of this blog won't be particularly helpful to anyone. I'm mostly posting this so that a couple years from now when something hasn't worked out and I'm frustrated with the hobby I can look back and see that I'm a bit less of a dummy than I was when I started. <--- Yes, this run-on sentence is unforgivable, but, I am sick yet again and my 100+ fever is making me apathetic about grammar.

Today I went fossil hunting down to Denton, Texas. The weather was fairly nice with some wind. The outcome were some turrilite fragments, a ton of exogyra arietina (for selling), an echinoid, some Cetaceous/Jurassic sea floor, brachiopods and a clam.
Echinoid
Brachiopods
Some of many Exogyra Arietina

Turrilite

Cretaceous or Jurassic sea floor

Well back online and on the site again. Due to PC issues and crazy holiday shifts at work was away for about a month and half. figured I'd add a few pics of stuff gathered last few months.

My days on the Leedsichthys project at the Peterborough Museum.

As a volunteer in the geology department its like a dream come true.



Day 1 and 2: After being introduced and under the expert guidance of Nigel Larkin who is a natural sciences conservator specialising in the excavation, preparation conservation, curation, storage and display of geological, paleontological, archaeological and osteological specimens. We were shown techniques in how to stabilise the base of various sized clay matrixes that hold bones from the Leedsichthys that where originally found around 10 years ago. With Plaster of Paris jackets applied at the dig site when found and in order to keep the bones in place for future research.



And now the Peterborough Museum with funding is in a position to bring these pieces out of storage and continue to work on them in the hope of piecing them together at a later date.

My first two days on the project consisted in reducing the weight of a large clay matrix slab by a couple of inches in order to have sufficient room to apply a fair sized thickness of plaster of paris which would, in turn help to increase stability. Just to help the stability process we also added an acetone / paraloid mix in various strengths into the clay cracks which when dry also aided as a bonding agent for our first layer of plaster of paris.





Top tip for mixing paraloid / acetone mix: Tie your paraloid beads into a small piece of muslin and suspend in jam jar while ###### the lid on this helps with dissolving process of the beads.

So what you can actually see here is the reverse side of the find (the base) with the bones being held in place by the previous dig site jacket. When we are satisfied that the base is secure after our layers of plaster of paris and muslin we will then flip it over to take the old top jacket off to expose the bones in readiness for prepping them out of the clay matrix.









Layering the plaster of paris was like icing a cake using various sized knives in order to give it a smooth finish. You had to work it a reasonable steady pace as the mixture set very quickly also if possible not to let the new mixture touch the old top layer plaster jacket as this would hamper removing the top jacket.



There are several pieces of clay matrix slabs so we will perform this prepping technique to all of them.

Day 3: Back in the prepping laboratory at the Peterborough Museum to help finish off the plaster base on the largest clay matrix slab.

After a good clean up after us around the Lab (plaster of paris is a very messy business). It was decided to retrieve two larger jacketed slabs out of storage in order to look at them further and to assess our plan of action.

Now these slabs where quite heavy with added weight from the made to measure wooden palate structures underneath them that Nigel had made to increase stability so it was all hands on deck to move them into position and onto our prepping table. We have been taking photos as often as possible with each and every step of the way with this project and making notes of any written marks that may have been applied to the jackets at the dig site. More photos were taking of the cast before we decided to take the top cast off to expose clay matrix with the bones encased within.







There were lots of boney elements intertwined with the clay with no formal identity as such to what we are looking at as yet with this particular slab. So again under the guidance of Nigel Larkin we tentatevly removed some small fragments of wood with tweezers and scalpels that had adhered themselves to the bone and clay.



Nigel had outlined in precise detail how best to start the cleaning process using some acetone and air abrasives on the bones and how to remove foam material that is connected with the original plaster the cast when jacketed at the dig site. This will enable us to reapply fresh plaster of paris to enhance the stabilizing process as we work on and around the clay matrix. To which hopefully I’ll be taking part in on my next visit to the museum.


Day : 4 ( 13/10/2015)…Back at the Museum for a catch up with other volunteers to see what stage we are at and to learn any new techniques that have been applied for the restoration of the Leedsichthys.

With PPE applied i.e. face masks and gloves we started to remove the old foam and any old overlapping plastered muslin. Also with the aid of an extraction unit to catch any airborne dust particles from the foam as we used our scalpels.





When satisfied that a section of the outer clay was exposed with as much foam and debris removed as possible. It was then decided to add a 15 per cent acetone paraloid solution to the clay not only to help strengthen it but by also to act as an adhere for the plaster of paris to stick to.




With a combination of plaster of paris and muslin we worked our way around the outer edge of the clay slab applying the techniques I’ve just discussed.



That was me done for the day looking forward to my return visit.

Day 5 : 15/10/2015..I was lucky enough to help out at the Museum’s storage facility today to help stabilise a large clay slab with lots of Leedsichthys bone elemnets attached to it. This process did indeed take quite a bit of Plaster of paris and muslin to fill cavities that are around the base of the slab. But the work is vitally important as the clay is quite thin in places so we need a strong base in order to work some of the plaster of paris up the sides to support any overhanging clay matrix.








We estimate this should take at least two days to complete if I’m fortunate enough to resume with this I’ll keep you updated on how it’s going.

Day 6: 10/11/2015

If I apply the phrase “Absence makes the heart grow fonder “can I use this for today’s visit to the museum…erm…yes...definitely.
Especially as we had the pleasure of meeting Professor Jeff Liston who is a world expert when it comes to working with the Leedsichthys problematicus. Just before Jeff briefed us on what duties we would be carrying out today he dropped in the classic line ( jaw dropping time ) “ As you know we are working on the most complete Leedsichthys problematicus…in the World. “



Heres a you tube clip about Jeff Liston working on a

To date, I have found a few hundred shark teeth of assorted species and condition, around 100 belemnites and then various other items while screening for fossils at the GMR. This will be my first "trip report" blog on finds from all previous trips (June 2015-October 2015). These images are just the "best" finds within the things I've found at GMR to kick start the reporting I hope to do more timely and detailed with individual trip analysis. There will be several items/categories I am missing and will most likely mention in the future, especially the random "modern junk" I've come across in this creek.

I'm looking to plan a trip for shark teeth hunting possibly in Summerville, SC. Im currently in Pender County, NC, so Green Mile Run isnt out of the question. Any suggestions, locations or people who want to group up? Haven't had too much experience, but i've leant its the company that matters over what you find.

Tomorrow I will visit Mazon Creek area! I am so pumped.

An enormous bipedal dinosaur believed to be able to run up to 25 mph. Sue was the largest specimen ever found measuring 40 feet long and standing 13 feet tall. She was 28 years old when she died of unknown causes possibly an injury to her leg causing her to be unable to hunt her normal prey. Tyrannosaur weighed about 9 tons. While not as long as some of the other carnivores of its time Tyrannosaurus was a dangerous beast although some believed it to be a scavenger. They lived in North America from the Dakotas to New Mexico.

It was believed to have had feathers as a chick

A braincase of an adult specimen. It had a large section in its brain devoted to strategy

The growth rate of an average Tyrannosaurus Rex

Adult skull and the skull of an 11 year old juvenile

A track believed to be Tyrannosaurus

I went to Post Oak Creek and found a lot of teeth. The water was freezing and my feet were numb. I recommend going there if you live in Texas. Summer or Spring would be the best time to go. For me the water levels were high but I used a sifter and found some cool things.The results were 20 teeth and a lot of shells.

Alethopteris are quite common at Saint Clair location. But apparently there are at least 6 different species.

These are all from "Fossil Plants from the Anthracite Coal Fields of Eastern Pennsylvania."

A zip file that contains the PDF can be downloaded from http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us.

Here's a direct link.http://www.dcnr.stat...dcnr_016425.zip

Alethopteris ambigua

Alethopteris decurrens

Alethopteris friedelii

Alethopteris lonchitica

Alethopteris serlii

Alethopteris sullivantii

Sigmund Freud theorized that the act of collecting ties back to the time of our toilet training. Freud suggested that the loss of control and what went down the toilet was a traumatic occurrence to us human and thus in our subconscious we develop the desire to collect things as a mean to try to gain back not only control but “possessions” of that which were lost so many years ago.......

O.K. if I tried to rephrase what I just shared in a non-academic language is that we human collect because of the trauma we faced when we couldn’t control and keep our poo poo when we were toddlers - man that sounds pretty bizarre (in a funny and entertaining way - no disrespect to Mr. Freud) while at the same time stirred my brain into thinking really deep about the purpose, the psychology and even the philosophy behind our beloved hobbies of collecting, whether they be fossils, minerals, books, etc.

Thus in this blog, I will attempt to share my thought and theories that are my own take on this particular subject. Though I will have to say in advance before you read that this is in no way an attempt to be academic in nature - just pure ramblings for the purpose of my own amusement and if it turns out to be enlightening then all the better! So here it goes:

**switching on psychological rambling mode**

My perspective and belief is that collecting is an act that is stemmed from our human nature’s instinct that reacts towards “Fear” and “Uncertainty”, and there are quite several motives and psychology behind collecting that I believe support this notion:

Fear of Mortality

A collector collects due to a deep rooted fear of mortality and whether if you will be remembered or leave legacy after you have passed away. We can observe collectors of this type who often will go on to donate collections to public institutions or create museums to exhibit their collections. We as human (at least I believe most of us are anyway) desire to be remembered in some ways and thus our collection or what we have contributed will leave a mark in history and in essence immortalize us with our legacy which is our collections.

Fear of Being Alone

Some collectors start collecting as a mean to seek company of like-minded individuals who share similar passions or to experience acceptance as be part of a unique society, group and culture; for we human are social animals that instinctively seek group safety and social belongings or we become lost and terrified. This motive therefore, is also based on our fear instinct that has been implanted in our psyche.

Fear of Non-Existence

I think it’s probably sensible to assume that we all collect in order to know more about ourselves or to remind us of who we are, our interests, our loves, our passions and our nostalgic pasts. Thus the motive of collecting from this perspective is related to our fear instinct. For to remind of ourselves is to reinforce ourselves that we exist while at the same time reminding us of moments of happiness that make us feel alive - and those moments for collectors are the times we interact with and make ourselves surrounded by the objects of our obsessions. In addition we could say that, the act of building a collection creates a type of blueprint of our inner psyche and of a person’s life through the objects the collector acquired and cherished - the experiences the collector went through in his life. Therefore, the act of collecting is the act of painting a portrait of our life stories and our souls, through objects that speak about our love and fascinations. It reinforces our identity, our memories and our existence.

Fear of Uncertainty & Chaos

Collecting as a mean to create meaning to an otherwise seemingly chaotic world. We as collectors collect by gathering groups of objects that form cohesiveness or relationship between the pieces or to tell a certain story behind those naturally unrelated pieces and thereby forming meaning to the collection. Some collectors form collection in response to certain problems or sense of wonder of the chaos presented in front, and by building a collection the collector is able to tackle that problem. For example, a collector might face the question of “How can I represent the diversity of the Eocene mega fauna of North America?” (problem / chaos) and thus the collector embarks on a collecting quest to gather specimens that would build a complete collection of Eocene North American mega fauna specimens collection (solution / order). The act of collecting creates a collection that in essence, becomes the solution to the collectors dilemma. This, I would also say that is part of our deep rooted human psyche of fear of chaos and the unknown, and thus our instinct is to try to limit the chaos by creating orders (or illusions of order) to an otherwise chaotic world (in our perception at least) much in the same ways as how the early humans banded together, formed groups and created cultures or rituals to face the world’s problems or threats. Collectors on the other hands, tackle the chaos by creating order in the collection and in so doing the collector gains a semblance of power and control over disorganization and chaos.

Fear of the Absence of Aliveness

Collecting is without a doubt, a pleasurable pursuit for collector, whereas an audiophile takes pleasure in listening to music, food connoisseur indulges in the enjoyment food & wine, or art aficionado indulge in art appreciation and possession. We collectors induce our senses of aesthetics and pleasure from acquiring and creating collections of objects in order to feel enjoyment. In a way, this could be viewed as related to our fear instinct because we fear to not being able to feel the pleasurable pursuits in life. For we human feel alive when we experience such pleasures, whether the pleasures be from the indulgence of consumable & wearable objects or simply to possess and be surrounded by the things that give us joy like our collections.

Fear of Powerlessness

Collecting can be viewed as an act that I think came from our hunting instinct - to explore our sense of wonder of the unknown, to challenge the goals of acquisitions of hard-to-find objects; this in my view is in essence “the thrill of the hunt”. This particular collecting mindset is also based on our response to our fear instinct for when we hunt, we transform ourselves from being powerless prey to being powerful hunter and dominators - thus hunting (or in essence collecting) is an act to overcome our fear instinct while the “hunting” and while at the same time the journey of the hunt makes us feel alive. Also, when thinking about this motive I think it makes sense as we tend to see many collectors tend to be drawn to fossils of creatures of great power and ferocity or majestic beauty. For some collectors to possess such specimens make the collectors feel the power of those long dead creatures probably in similar manners in how hunters have trophies of their hunt to show their skills as hunters to overcome such beasts.

Now don’t these reasons and psychology of collecting sound much more appealing than Sigmund Freud’s potty training explanation? But, before some may think that “Collecting = Fear” may seem like a degrading notion at first glance, I present to you my next theory:

**switching on philosophical rambling mode**

Fear of Being just another Animal - Collecting to Transcend Humanity

Despite our instinctual fear that drives us to collect, the act of collecting is also an act of human transcendence and transformation. Some collect objects of power to symbolize the attaining of that power or the conquering of such powerful force that ultimately makes us feel more powerful than who we are without the collection. An act of collecting transform us into more powerful being (whether physically, socially, economically or spiritually): a person with no social distinction or significance can become conservators, scholars and even admired icons of historical significance. Collecting can transform the powerless into the powerful, the ignorant into a scholar, a hoarder into a curator and in many cases, turning common man into sage.

Our fear of mortality, uncertainty and instability of our universe makes us human so special and able to achieve our transcendence from mere creatures of survival instinct into creators, innovators, artists, philosophers or sages. Thus it is the shadow that allows us to appreciate the light; the fear of death that makes us cherish the beauty of life; the brutality of our darkest side that gives rise to the reactionary opposites that make us saints, protectors and self-less beings capable of great courage and heroism.

Therefore, even if the psychology of collecting comes down to “Our Fear of Mortality” (death with no legacy or inability to feel “alive”), “Our Fear of Non-Existence” (due to the lack of social presence, acceptance or without a group to belong); that very fear creates motives for us to have “Desire for Transcendence” into something more than what we are. Thus I would make the case that the act of collecting is both instinctual (as a reaction to our deep rooted fear of mortality & physical existence) and spiritual (as a path [and an enjoyable one!] towards transcendence of the human existence).

**switching off philosophical rambling mode**

My goodness after I just wrote all that, I just had an idea that the next time, when I meet people who think my collecting and obsession with eclectic objects are weird, bizarre or non-sensual, I can start quoting my philosophical ramblings that my collecting hobby allows me to transcend spiritually and start going into Zen mode - that’s should be entertaining to say the least, lol. Who would have thought our hobbies could be so spiritually stimulating.

Anyway that’s all for my rambling for today. Hope you enjoy the blog entry

Hello everyone!

I thought i'd just make the one blog for pretty much everything that i find or want to post, rather than different blogs for different types of specimens, as i'm not a particularly busy hunter. If ever i go on a fossil hunting trip, or uncover a fossil in my back garden, then i will probably post pictures on here, as well as anything else i feel you should know! Thanks for taking your time to read this utterly boring introductory post thing, and i hope to post soon!

Laters!

Dear Fossil Forum members!

This report deals with ammonoids from the former zone of Protrachyceras archelaus, which is our present Longobardian within the Ladinian stage of the marine Triassic timescale.

Fig.1

A beautiful view of the surging “rock waves” of the incoming tectonic thrust sheets. The valley between the two Mountains in the middle of the picture marks the tectonic border between the mainly Triassic Hallstatt Unit and the Tirolikum Unit of the Totengebirgs nappe (in the background).

History

Since the beginning of the geological research within the Northern Calcareous Alps of Austria in the middle of the 19th century, about 500 species of Triassic ammonoids have been described in great Monographs by Mojsisovics, Hauer, Diener and other early authors. The ammonoids described therein came from upper Anisian to uppermost Norian aged parts of the Hallstatt limestone in Austria.

Only in the lower to middle Ladinian period, a gap exists in the rich ammonoid record of these early researchers.

This gap was explained by them as an interruption of sedimentation in the Ladinian time or tectonically reduced Ladinian strata during the genesis of the Alps.

During these early days no one thought of a collecting gap because Ladinian ammonoid faunae were well described and known from several localities in the Southern Alps and the Bakony Mountains in Hungary.

In 1882 Mojsisovics pictured ammonoids of Anisian and Ladinian age in his monographic work “Die Cephalopoden der mediterranen Triasprovinz”.

The locations mentioned therein reach from the upper Anisian Schreyeralm limestone here in Austria to several Ladinian locations of the former Austrian provinces Südtirol, Lombardy and the kingdom of Hungary, which were also part of the former Austrian-Hungarian Monarchy at this time. Included in this work were also Scythian and Anisian ammonoids from Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Fig.2 Frontpage of Mojsisovics second great monograph from the year 1882.

“The detailed accurate descriptions and illustrations provided by Mojsisovics are unquestionably the greatest contribution by a single author towards appreciating the astonishing beauty and variety of Triassic ammonoids” (cit. E. T. TOZER).

Therefore every recent Triassic ammonoid researcher includes these old works in the standard literature of Triassic ammonoids. These old works were so to speak, a cornerstone for building the marine middle and upper Triassic timescale of our days.

Unfortunately the early stratigraphic scales of Mojsisovics had some mistakes. Originally the stratigraphic position of the “Norian” stage was set by him below the Carnian.

He used the term Norian for the time frame we today call Ladinian. Mojs. thought that most parts of today’s real Norian Hallstatt limestone of Austria were of the same age as real Ladinian strata in the Southern Alps. Some misinterpret location data, i.e. the wrong assumed position of the fineclastic Zlambach marls as base of the Hallstatt limestone led him to this wrong assumption.

It was the Austrian geologist Alexander Bittner, a contemporary of Mojsisovics, who introduced the term Ladinian into literature by recognizing the false assumptions of Mojsisovics. The name Ladinian was chosen by Bittner after the Ladinian folk of the Southern Alps/Dolomites. At this time this area was also part of the Austrian-Hungarian monarchy with its capital Vienna and it’s so called “Vienna school” of the palaeontology institutions there.

Probably this “miss take” of Mojsisovics led to some changed ammonoid zones within the Norian timescale, which last into the 20^th century.

It was the merit of the Canadian Triassic worker E.T. Tozer to correct this long lasting error by establish his own North American Triassic timescale, based only on North American, mainly Canadian Triassic ammonoid locations.

The pelagic (deeper marine) Triassic sedimentation in Austria starts with the uppermost Anisian Flexo-Ptychites beds/lenses of the Schreyeralm limestone. This is also the base of the Hallstatt formation. The next frequent ammonoid lenses/layers occur within uppermost Ladinian/lower Carnian strata in this formation. The lower to middle Ladinian time frame in between was not well documented with ammonoids by the early researchers of the 19^th century. At some historical locations the lower Ladinian part is/was given but was not really recognised by them.

Later, modern researchers used microfossils to determine the placement of large parts of the grey to violet limestone in the Hallstatt formation into the Ladinian. Within the 20^th century also scarce ammonoids were mentioned from these middle Ladinian strata.

Fig.3 Anisian Schreieralm limestone with cross sections of Flexoptychites sp.

Fig.4 Monophyllites sphaerophyllus (HAUER) from the Schreieralm limestone

In general, ammonoid locations are not frequently known within the Ladinian part of the Hallstatt limestone.

The most common fossils are Crinoid stem parts, Bivalves and Conodonts.

The limestone facies consists of red to grey, sometimes yellowish to grey coloured limestone which is locally interbedded with marls.

Also strongly condensed successions are common there and fossils also do not occur in continuous layers.

Comparable Ladinian ammonoid faunas are also well known from similar Hallstatt type limestone in Greece and Italy. They show similar ammonoid faunae of Ladinian to Carnian age.

In the Tethys realm the whole Ladinium is split into two subdivisions today.

Upper Ladinian = Longobardian,

Lower Ladinian = Fassanian,

The historical zone ammonite of the Longobardian is Protrachyceras archelaus (LAUBE).

Fig.5

Protrachyceras archelaus (LAUBE), in MOJSISOVICS “Die Cephalopoden der mediterranen Triasprovinz“ Wien 1882

Tafel XXXL, Fig. 1,

But Protrachyceras archelaus LAUBE do occur within a longer time span and is therefore not perfect for stratigraphic aims. The old archelaus zone of the Ladinian was therefore changed into several Longobardian and Fassanian ammonoid zones of today.

Within the Tethys realm the Longobardian is split into the ammonoid zones of:

Daxatina canadensis

Frankites regoledanus

Protrachyceras longobardicum

The Fassanian is split to the ammonoid zones of:

Eoprotrachyceras gredleri

Protrachyceras margaritosum

Eoprotrachyceras curionii

The ammonoids shown in this report come from a condensed fossil bed roughly inserted to the turquoise marked ammonoid zones of the timescale below.

Historical Ladinian locations

The condensed lower Carnian fossil lenses on the famous historical Feuerkogel show almost all a portion of the upper Ladinian at their base. This is also visible at other Lower Carnian locations within the Hallstatt limestone.

During the last years Proarcestes sp. from a new location are sometimes shown for sale in the internet. They are sometimes identified as Arcestes sp. from Norian strata. But it is Proarcestes, therefore its Norian age is definitely wrong.

I visited this new locality a few years ago. All locations there are of Ladinian age which is evidenced by Proarcestes cf. subtridentinus, Anolcites sp. and Epigymnites sp. This fauna is maybe slightly younger than the fauna shown later here in this report.

Fig.6 Some Epigymnites arthaberi (MOJS.) and Epigymnites moelleri (MOJS.) from the above mentioned location

The new location

Several years ago a friend and I were lucky to find a hitherto unknown middle Ladinian ammonoid location during a prospecting trip. At this location the normal limestone succession is penetrated by several fractures and tectonic influence across the normal layer direction is also visible there. The fossil layer itself, in which ammonoids were frequent, consists of a very strong condensed upper part of lower Longobardian age, indicated by Protrachyceras longobardicum (MOJS.), and a lower part of a slightly older age indicated by scarce last descendants of Ptychites cf. pauli MOJS. which show deeply incised second and third lateral saddles similar Aristoptychites or Arctoptychites.

Therefore the location is ranged by me to the transition of the ammonoid zones of Protrachyceras longobardicum and the underlying Eoprotrachyceras gredleri zone. Outside of the Tethys realm this is roughly comparable to the zones of Meginoceras meginae MC LEARN and Tuchodiceras poseidon (TOZER) of the North American timescale. Both zones are known from the Triassic of British Columbia in Canada too. Tozer, 1994, wrote that flat forms of Protrachyceras sikianum MC LEARN are comparable with Protrachyceras longobardicum (MOJS.) and the thicker morphs of Pt. sikianum MC LEARN with Pt. archelaus (LAUBE).

Fig.7

View of the lower, sometimes more greyish limestone part of the fossil layer. The chisel points to a Sturia cf. semiarata MOJS.

The furrows on the limestone block have their origin in the strong condensation of this limestone. One can recognize by this feature the underlying part of a condensed limestone (fossil) layer.

Fig.8

In contrast to the above shown picture, a view of the underside of the overlaying layer where craters/hollows are visible. These two features can be used for recognizing up and downside in strongly condensed limestone. This feature is independent from the Triassic age of the rock and occurs in condensed limestone of Jurassic age too.

The right hanging limestone block contains the fossil layer.

Fig.9

Protrachyceras longobardicum (MOJS). in situ. View from the underside. The upper half of the ammonoid was totally dissolved due to the extreme condensation of the uppermost limestone layer at this location.

In this location P. archelaus occurs very scarcely. It is no good indicator for stratigraphic aims here at all.

A normal collector can use the following features to insert ammonoids into the Ladinian timescale.

1. The frequent occurrence of Proarcestes sp. with a wavy end body chamber is a sign for Ladinian age.
   

1. All forms of Sturia sp. are restricted to the late Anisian and Ladinian.
   

1. The occurrence of real Ladinian Protrachyceras MOJS.
   

The following picture will show you the main differences between Protrachyceras, Trachyceras and Neoprotrachyceras.

Fig.10

In contrast to Trachyceras the venter furrow of real Protrachyceras MOJS. is bordered by nodes which show a single point per node. Protrachyceras are restricted to the Ladinian.

Real Trachyceras show “broader” nodes with two or three points a node bordering the venter furrow. Trachyceras is frequent in the Lower Carnian (Julian)

The genus Neoprotrachyceras KRYSTYN looks similar toTrachyceras but shows also just one point per node, sometimes changing up to two points per node within maturity. Neoprotrachyceras is restricted to the uppermost Lower Carnian and lowermost Upper Carnian (e.g. the genus Spirogmoceras SILBERLING in the Dilleri Zone of the North American Tuvalian)

For a newbie collector it is difficult to find some fossils in the Hallstatt limestone at all. To place them into the right ammonoid zone is sometimes the easier part of the exercise.

Fig.11

A weathered cross section of Proarcestes sp., visible at the limestone wall. Notice the bleached limestone surface in contrast to the colour of the fresh rock.

Fig.12

Talus block with visible cross sections of ammonoids and orthocone nautiloids

Natural picture size is 20cm. The edges of the fossils are deeply weathered in. This can be a sign that the fossils will probably split out well.

Small idiomorphic Biotite crystals up to one mm in size, fine Feldspar crystals and thin greenish tuffitic crusts around some ammonoids and limestone clasts indicate a distant simultaneous volcanic event, adjacent to the palaeo Hallstatt realm. This is the very first observation of volcanic fallout/washout within the Hallstatt limestone column.

Within other tectonic nappes in the Northern and Southern Calcareous Alps (Dolomites) volcanic (Tuffitic) ash layers are a frequent feature in Ladinian time. In the adjacent Tirolic nappe some volcanic/tuffitic events are evidenced near the base of the archelaus zone.

The middle Ladinian fauna listed below was found at this location.

Ammonoidea

cf. Beyrichites sp.

Eupinacoceras cf. damesi (MOJSISOVICS).

Epigymnites cf. ecki (MOJS.)

Epigymnites cf. breunneri (HAUER)

Epigymnites arthaberi (MOJS.)

Gymnites raphaelis TOMMASI

Megaphyllites obolus MOJS.

Monophyllites wengensis (KLIPSTEIN)

cf. Silenticeras sp.

Sturia cf. sansovinii MOJS.

Sturia semiarata MOJS.

Proarcestes ombonii TOMMASI

Proarcestes subtridentinus MOJS.

Proarcestes .sp.

Procladiscites sp.

Protrachyceras archelaus (LAUBE)

Protrachyceras longobardicum MOJS.

Protrachyceras sp.

Ptychites cf. pauli MOJS.

Ptychites cf. plusiae RENZ

Michelinoceras sp.

Atractites sp.

Syringoceras cf. longobardicus

Nautilus div. sp.

Bivalves

Daonella sp.

Peribositra sp.

Brachiopoda:

Discinisca sp.

Austriellula dilatata (SUESS)

Important ammonoid species of the archelaus zone

A beautiful, conspicuous faunal element of the archelaus zone is Protrachyceras longobardicum MOJS. the zone ammonoid of the Langobardicum Zone

This species shows its maximum roughly in the lower middle of the former archelaus zone and can be used well for stratigraphic aims. As mentioned earlier in this report compressed variants of Protrachyceras sikanianum MC LEARN are comparable to Pt. longobardicum MOJS. The thicker variants of Pt. sikanianum rather resemble Pt. archelaus LAUBE.

Fig. 13 Protachyceras longobardicum MOJS. with Proarcestes ombonii TOMMASI and Proarcestes cf. subtridentinus MOJS.

Fig. 14 Pt. cf. longobardicum, some juvenile Arcestes sp. and the brachiopod Austriellula dilatata.

Fig. 15 Epigymnites breunneri (HAUER) and Monophyllites wengensis (KLIPSTEIN)

Fig. 16 Epigymnites arthaberi MOJS. and Monophyllites wengensis (KLIPSTEIN)

Fig. 17 Gymnites raphaelis TOMMASI

Fig. 18Discinisca sp. Looks like a fossil Limpet gastropod (Patellidae) but in reality it is an inarticulate Brachiopoda

Fig. 19Sturia cf. semiarata together with Proarcestes cf. ombonii

The most frequent faunal element of the Ladinian within the Tethys realm is Proarcestes BRONN. This genus occurs with several species up to Carnian strata. In our location Proarcestes subtridentinus MOJS. and Proarcestes ombonii TOMMASI was often found. The second one can reach the dimension of a small ball.

Fig. 20 Proarcestes subtridentinus

Fig. 21 Monophyllites wengensis (KLIPSTEIN)

In the Hallstatt limestone this genus starts with the Anisian Monophyllites sphaerophyllus via the Ladinian M. wengensis up to the Carnian M. simonyi. Within the descendants of the Triassic Phylloceratida the ancestor of the Jurassic Ammonitida is supposed.

Fig. 22 Ptychites cf. pauli MOJS. This species of Ptychites show deeply incised second and third Lateral saddles. I think that this is a feature of allmost all "late" species of Ptychites.

Fig. 23 Ptychites cf. plusiae RENZ

Fig. 24 Sageceras walteri

I hope you have enjoyed this new report about the Ladinian strata of my favourite collecting area.

Again I thank, “Danke Roger”, Fossil forum member “Ludwigia” for correcting my “Austrian” English.

Kind regards

Andreas

Literature:

ALMA, F. H. (1926). Eine Fauna des Wettersteinkalkes bei Innsbruck. Annalen des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien, 40, 111-129.

BACHMANN, GH, JACOBSHAGEN, V (1974) Zur Fazies und Entstehung der Hallstätter Kalke von Epidauros (Anis bis Karn; Argolis, Griechenland). Z Deutsch Geol Ges, 125: 195-223

DIENER, C. 1900: Die triadische Cephalopoden-Fauna der Schiechlinghöhe bei Hallstatt. Beiträge zur Paläontologie Österreich-Ungarns und des Orient 13

v. HAUER, F. (1888). Die Cephalopoden des bosnischen Muschelkalkes von Han Bulog bei Sarajevo. KK Hof-und Staatsdruckerei.

von Hauer, F. (1888. KK Hof-und Staatsdruckerei.

KITTL, E., 1908, Beiträge zur Kenntnis der Triasbildungen der nordöstlichen

Dobrudscha. Denkschriften der mathematisch-naturwissenschaftlichen Klasse der

kaiserlichen: Akademie der Wissenschaften, v. 81, p. 445- 532

KRISTAN-TOLLMANN, E, KRYSTYN, L (1975) Die Mikrofauna der ladinisch-karnischen Hallstätter Kalke von Sakliblei (Taurus-Gebirge, Türkei). Sitzungsber. Österr. Akad. Wiss. Math. Naturwiss. Kl. Abt. I, 184 (8-10): 259-340

KRYSTYN, L. Zur Ammoniten und Conodonten-Stratigraphie der Hallstätter Obertrias(Salzkammergut, Österreich), Verh.Geol. B.-A., Wien 1973

KRYSTYN, L (1983) The Epidauros Section (Greece) – a contribution to the conodont standard zonation of the Ladinian and Lower Carnian of the Tethys Realm. Schriftenreihe Erdwiss. Komm. Österr. Akad. Wiss., 5: 231-258.

MOJSISOVICS, E. 1893: Die Cephalopoden der Hallstätter Kalke, Abhandlungen der Kaiserlich-Königlichen Geologischen Reichsanstalt, II Band, Wien 1893

MOJSISOVICS, E. 1896: Beiträge zur Kenntniss der obertriadischen Cephalopoden Faunen des Himalaya, Denkschriften der Kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften

Mathematisch–naturwissenschaftliche Classe, 63, 575–701. Wien 1896,

TOZER, E. T. 1994. Canadian Triassic ammonoid faunas. Geological Survey of Canada Bulletin, 467, 1–663.

MOJSISOVICS, E. V. 1879. Vorlaufige kurze Übersicht der Ammoniten-Gattungen

der mediterranen und juvavischen Trias. Verhandlungen der kaiserlich-

königlichen geologischen Reichsanstalt, 1879(7):133–143.

MOJSISOVICS, E. V. 1882. Die Cephalopoden der mediterranen Triasprovinz.

Abhandlungen der kaiserlich-königlischen geologischen Reichsanstalt, 10, 1–322.

NITTEL, P. (2006) Geo Alp, Vol.3, S93-145, Beiträge zur Stratigraphie und Mikropaläontologie der Mitteltrias der Innsbrucker Nordkette(Nördliche Kalkalpen Austria)

PISTOTNIK, U. 1973-74 Fazies und Tektonik der Hallstätter Zone

von Bad Ischl — Bad Aussee (Salzkammergut, Österreich)

RENZ, C. – 1931 Die Bulogkalke der Insel Hydra, Ostpeloponnes

RENZ, C. (1910): Die mesozoischen Faunen Griechenlands I. Die triadischen Faunen der Argolis, Palaeontographica 58, S. 1-103, Tab. 1-7, Fig. 15

RENZ, C. Neue griechische Trias Ammoniten aus den Verhandlungen der

Naturforschenden Ges. Basel. S. 218- 255, Tab. 6-8, Abb. l, Basel.

SALOPEK M. 1911,Über die Cephalopoden der mittleren Trias von Süddalmatien und Montenegro, Abhandlungen der .k.k geol. Reichsanstalt, Band 16, Heft 3

WEITSCHAT, W. & LEHMANN, U. Stratigraphy and ammonoids from the Middle Triassic Botneheia Formation (Daonella Shales) of Spitsbergen

With plates 1-6, 2 tables and 9 text-figures Mitt. Geol.-PaläonInst. Univ. Hamburg. Heft 54, S. 27-54

WENDT, J. (1970) Stratigraphische Kondensation in triadischen und jurassischen Cephalopodenkalken der Tethys. N. Jb. Geol. Paläont. Mh., 1970/7: 433-448

Hello to The Fossil Forum!

Lately I am starting a souvenir collection of Aetobatis fossils. It's slow going, but I am just beginning:) I do all my collecting trading or purchasing fossils, since I live in Hawaii, and am disabled so can't easily get out in the fossil fields.

When I was young I used to see the baby Spotted Eagle Rays swimming in the bay or out in the canal at Waikiki. They are adorable! I don't know how long this link will be good, but here is a short video I found on the net. Someone is selling live baby rays for aquariums. So cute!

http://www.adpost.com/my/pets/22650

I want to recommend 2 of some of my favorite fossil dealers for shopping for shark and ray fossils.

Buried Treasure Fossils: http://www.buriedtreasurefossils.com

Vast selection of shark and ray teeth from all over the world, you can spend hours just browsing these catalogs! Very informative as well as very good shopping!

Fossiliferous: E.R. Matheau-Raven:

http://www.fossiliferous.co.uk/

Very nice selection of all kinds of fossils, with a lot of unusual UK pieces.

I just ordered some Aetobatis teeth from both of these friendly and helpful dealers this morning. The teeth are fragments, but very good ones, fine examples of extinct Aetobatis. Some of the pieces are 1" long, I wonder how bit the rays were in life?

That's all for now, talk to you all soon:) Good luck fishing in stone my friends!

So im a little unsure where to start out, i guess im going to write this all down to try and gather my thoughts and update my progress, Im aiming to become competent enuf in fossil prep to be able to get a paid full time job in something im massivley intrested in. Currently ive got boxes and boxes of uk fossils, mostly ammonites. They all need prepping too. Seems the ideal place to start, but first i need the equitment. Check, well sort of ive got a compressor and a st pen tho its in storeage and about 300 miles away. When i did use it ive found it nearly impossible to clen anything up, so the next step is to get a TT pen orderd. money permitting i shuld have this by the end of this month.

On a slightly unrelated not......ive got all these ammonites and would happily trade them for other fossils so i can get some slightly diffrent things to prep. Secondly im in the UK , so anyone wanting to come over hear to hunt let me know as ive got some sweet spots whear ive found an icthysaur and ammonite about 18inches across. I will add pics some time but they are in storeage too at the moment.

Hello Everyone its been way to long since my last entry. I've been sharing on the Facebook page because its so easy to upload from my phone. But I will start back bogging...... I miss it

I found these cephalopods two weeks ago here in middle TN- Leipers Formation from what I'm told. I found it interesting how the shell casing seems to have been peeled back on both......

Lepidodendrons

Lepidophloios laricinus

Seed ferns (Cyclopteris, Neuropteris, Macroneuropteris, Mariopteris, Mixoneura, seed fern rachis impression, seed fern male fructification)

Bothrodendrons

Sigillaria

Calamites (Calamostachys, Macrostachya, Asterophyllites)

Cordaicarpus (Cordaites seed)

Dicranophyllum

Jurassic (Bothonian) petwood

Euproops danae

Trigonia Myophorella

to be continued...

These are some of the highlights from a trip to you-Dig in Delta Utah for my undergrad Historical Geology course at BYU-Idaho.

the pterosaurs saw what happened that day

a second Sun dropped from the sky

the pressure wave blasted those closest to haze

and wafted their ashes on high

then hundreds more pterosaurs lifeless and torn

took flight in a terrible dance

broken umbrellas tossed far by the storm

untethered kites left to mischance

thousands of pterosaurs fell like dead leaves

caught up in sudden tumultuous seas

waves smashed the pterosaurs huddled on land

waves buried eggs under layers of sand

the dark with mercy tried to hide these ravages in night

receding waters banked the once majestic bodies high

and now at last as all the worlds great forests come alight

they are transformed

as cinders reborn

they take their final flight