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Sometimes it could be accurately said a fossil hunting trips most intriguing finds are discovered after bringing the fossils home. That's exactly what happened after my Sunday/August/19/2023 trip with @Tales From the Shale at some Late Pennsylvanian rock formations in Illinois. Lots of brachiopod, bryozoan, and pretty awesome Chondricthyan teeth were found on this trip. But it was at home that I accidentally uncovered a pretty remarkable find I would like help getting a Proper ID for. On Wednesday around 10:00PM EST, I decided to break open with a pretty large hammer some of the large rocks I collected to get rid of excess materials around the fossils. When I got to a brachiopod encrusted rock, I decided to split it down the middle to avoid damaging the top. As a precaution (which I'm super grateful now I still do) I always check the fragments with a flashlight to see if I missed something. This time, I checked extra hard and discovered a very fragmentary cladodont tooth tip!!! I was glad I found it, but kinda kicking myself knowing I may have accidentally smashed to bits the rest of the tooth (the tooth was not even remotely visible on the rock's surface and was hidden in the middle of the rock itself). Fortunately, I searched the surrounding fragments and found the rest of the tooth! I looked at and measured the cladodont tooth fragments more the next morning!! The tooth specimen is definitely from a pretty large Ctenacanthiform Shark! I think (based on the number of lateral cusps) it could be from a large Gilkmanius, but I'm not 100% sure!! What do you guys think? @connorp @deutscheben @Tales From the Shale What do you think?

On Sunday/August/19/2023, myself and @Tales From the Shale went fossil hunting at some Late Pennsylvanian rock formations in Illinois! It was a pretty productive trip! We found lots of brachiopod fossils and an awesome amount of Chondrichthyian fossils! There are some fossils though that I'm a bit confused on their exact ID and I would like help identifying them? I put and photographed some of these specimens under a microscope and dissecting scope to help with species/genera identification. Here are the various and pretty awesome specimens from the trip I would like help Identifying: Unknown Specimen 1 (A Posible and partial Ctenacanthiform tooth) Unknown Specimen 2 (A Peripristis tooth but not 100% sure of exact species ID) Unknown specimen 3 (I think either Deltodus or another type of Petalodontid) Unknown specimen 4 (@Tales From the Shale helped me identify it as a bryozoan, but I forgot what type/genera he said it was (though he said it was pretty rare), I found at least 2 specimens of this type on this trip) Unknown Specimen 5 (Found on the same piece of matrix rock as Unknown Specimen 4, I'm not 100% sure what it is) Unknown Specimen 6 (some other type of bryozoan, I have no idea what could be it's exact ID) Unknown Specimen 7 (Found on the same piece of matrix rock as Unknown Specimen 6, some other type of bryozoan but I have no idea what could be it's exact ID) Unknown Specimen 8 (some other type of bryozoan, I have no idea what could be it's exact ID) Unknown Specimen 9 (A Possible small Petalodus tooth) Unknown Specimen 10 (A Possible small Deltodus tooth)

Hello everyone, A couple of weeks ago I had the chance to visit a more distant fossil locality - an opportunity that I took to collect some Paleozoic fossils among the scenic Appalachians of eastern West Virginia. Heading out west, I planned to visit a new exposure of the Needmore Shale that I suspected had the potential to produce some nice trilobite specimens. Unfortunately, upon arriving at the locality rain was coming down in droves, effectively ending any chance of prospecting the locality. Hoping to escape the rain, I made my way farther south toward the well known Lost River road cut in the vicinity of Wardensville, West Virginia. As I had hoped I did manage to escape the rain, and I was left with a few hours to search for some Devonian fossils among the fissile green shale. I had only been to the Lost River locality once before late last year, and I had managed to secure the trilobites which had proven rather elusive in the more fossiliferous rocks of the Mahantango. The rain, which did seem to have swept through the area shortly before I arrived, had turned the fine rock dust that coated the talus piles into slippery mud. Above the treacherous talus piles, a large vertical exposure of the Needmore Shale held trilobites and a variety of other shallow marine fauna that had once inhabited a Devonian reef. Here are the finds from both trips I have taken to the Lost River locality: A few small brachiopods from the locality. Unlike other Paleozoic localities I have had the opportunity to visit, brachiopods do not seem to be extremely common at the road cut. I only came across them occasionally, with most being so small they were hard to identify without the aid of a magnifiying glass. A spiral gastropod preserved in iron oxide that contrasts quite nicely with the dark green matrix. On the most recent trip I found the two above specimens exposed on the surface of the shale. They seem like they could be the central lobe of trilobite pygidiums with the other two sections having weathered away. Any insight into what these might be would be greatly appreciated . Rugose coral The specimen above is intriguing. The roundish shape seems to suggest a fossil, though it could very well have a geological origin. I apologize for the poor photographs of the above specimen, but it was incredibly difficult to get the camera to focus on it properly. When I came across this fossil whilst splitting shale, I was quite confident that I had come across a trilobite due to the black calcitic appearance and the 'ribbing' that seemed to define the fossil. Yet after extracting and cleaning the fossil, it does not resemble a trilobite and is very faint even after the shale dust was removed. Any suggestions as to what it might be would be very welcome . Some assorted Dipleura ribs. Some trilobite ribs, likely either belonging to Dipleura or Eldredgeops rana. Eldredgeops rana pygidium preserved in a light yellow color. Enrolled Eldredgeops rana consisting of the body with a partial cephalon (first two images) and the pygidium on the reverse side (last image). The trilobite is flattened, which may be a result of the tectonic forces acting on the rock during the uplift of the Appalachian mountains. Another Eldredgeops rana specimen with considerable relief from the surrounding matrix. This specimen was found in association with a few others, though if it possessed a cephalon it was lost among the chips of shale. A prone Eldredgeops rana molt found on the first outing to the road cut. Positive and negative of an Eldredgeops rana molt. Thanks for taking a look!

Here are some more specimens which I quite frankly am scratching my head as to their identify! I'm also wondering if anyone can give a Proper ID for them? Unknown Specimen 1: Unknown Specimen 2: Unknown Specimen 3:

On Sunday, I finally went again the Mazon Creek and later a Bond Formation rock formation of Pennsylvanian age, around 300 Million Years ago, in Braidwood, Illinois and Oglesby, Illinois with three friends after some scheduling adjustments. The trip was awesome and we collected a pretty impressive fossil haul. At Mazon Creek, We mainly hunted for fossils around the shores of local power plant cooling pond (which despite apparently having water temperatures that day of 100 degrees Celsius, still had a decent amount of birds resting on-top). We saw also a large rock pile on the other side of the lake, which we tried to get to on foot, but after an hour of walking decided to head back and try our luck next time. We then went to Oglesby. I'm still cleaning most of the Mazon Creek fossils, so for now I'll be showing my and my friends findings from the Oglesby site. It was pretty hot and got a little cut up on the rocks, but the fossil haul collected was awesome!!! Small jumping spider we found at the Oglesby site. A piece of either coral or Brachiopod one of my friends found in Oglesby. Anyone got an ID for this specimen? Pretty Impressive Crinoid Stems collected as part of the day's Oglesby fossil haul!!! But this next specimen is probably one of my favorites from this recent fossil haul. It's a partial Ctenacanthiform tooth tip (Possibly Gilkmanius sp.) on a limestone slab with some brachiopod fossils also attached (of which I put it recently under a dissecting scope). Based on the thickness and size of the tooth, the shark it came from must of been a pretty decent sized animal when alive!!! A pretty descent Neospirifer brachiopod specimen!!! This next specimen was truly an unexpected find for myself as I've seen a Ctenacanthiform tooth from the bond like this in person before (most I've collected and heard about are of a black coloration where this is a mixture of black, grey, and brown). I must say it's very beautiful and definitely from a Ctenacanthiform shark!!! But I'm curious as to what Ctenacanthiform species it could've come from? Any thoughts on its ID you guys?

Hi everyone! 3-part excursion in the Cretaceous (Aptian) of Central Bulgaria, ~50Kms West of Veliko Tarnovo. 1st one reconnaissance with my girl on 18th of March. We did not stay a lot, poor finds mostly brachs and some echies. 2nd one, 24th-26th of March with friends. The majority of the finds are from this date. 3rd and last on 27th of May with one friend. The Urgonian complex of Bulgaria is a huge formation that extends many Kms around the cities of Veliko Tarnovo, Sevlievo and Lovech uninterrupted. The first findings were published during the Communist time, when lots of construction took place (road and rail infrastructure, a couple of huge water reservoirs, mining activity). If we would have to say something that stands out there and probably is known to people outside Bulgaria, it's well preserved regular echinoids. Many of you might have seen some being sold in Facebook groups for echinoids or some marketplaces. However, the Aptian Urgonian complex is not just echinoids; there is a huge variety of brachiopods preserved with their original "nacre". Even if you are not into them, trust me there you will start gathering them like cherries. Here we are parked on the first visit. The weather was pretty nice, ideal for such an excursion. Here is the main outcrop, on the second visit. I am nowhere in this picture; you see bad habit of not taking in situ. I will start with the brachs and leave the echies for another day since I am still cleaning them with KOH. On the other hand, the brachs were cleaned easily with ultrasound bath. Tried to group them in families, I am not even sure I am correct but anyway here we go: Terebratulidae: (The pictures are wrongly inverted, so the front side of the 1st on the upper row matches the last one on the lower row). Plate 1 Plate 2 Plate 3 Plate 4 Plate 5 From this picture and onwards, each side is a separate picture Plate 6 Plate 7 Plate 8 Here I believe they are Tetrarhynchiidae And a large one with amazing colours I decided to keep on original matrix for the main showcase. This one is still not cleaned. @Tidgy's Dad This post is for you!

For some time, I have been wanting to check out some of the lesser known formations that exist in my local area. The Devonian Mahantango Formation and the Needmore Shale are undoubtedly fun to explore and yield some beautifully preserved specimens - something that can be seen in a number of posts on this forum - but I still had the itch to collect from something a bit more obscure. That opportunity presented itself in the Ordovician limestones that expose intermittently in western northern Virginia. A small body of literature exists describing these formations and analyzing their fauna, particularly the silicified trilobites they are best known for, but they do not seem to be nearly as thoroughly explored as nearby Devonian formations. Armed with my trusty Estwing, an overly chipped chisel, and the hope of uncovering some silicified trilobites, I headed over to one of the better known Ordovician exposures in the Virginia area. This particular exposure is quite large and unique due to the different formations it exposes. The road cut begins beside a small stream (in which limestones can also be found) and is composed of large, white largely unfossiliferous limestone. This limestone represents either the New Market Formation or the Lower Lincolnshire limestone. As one moves rightward along the exposure, the white limestones continue for some time before grading into significantly darker limestones. These, which are part of the Upper Lincolnshire limestone, have been interpreted to represent the Taconic orogeny which took place in the Appalachian region during the latter part of the Ordovician period. The dark Upper Lincolnshire continues for an appreciable distance as one travels right until it eventually transitions to the Edinburg limestone. The Edinburg limestone, which is composed of alternating beds of limestone and shale, also represents a period of rather intense deposition caused by erosion of the mountains that had formed during the Taconic orogeny. The Edinburg limestone at the exposure appears white to dusky grey due to weathering, but, interestingly enough, when it is chipped, the true jet black coloration of the limestone is revealed. The sequence continues past the bounds of the road cut that I explored, with an exposure of the Martinsburg Formation - which is yet younger than the Edinburg formation - exposing not far from the road cut. Here are a few pictures I took of the road cut. Unfortunately I did not have a chance to take more pictures, and I am not exactly sure as to the specific formations each photograph depicts. I briefly explored the Upper and Lower Lincolnshire limestones, but I did not find much with regards to fossil content. Most of my exploration was focused on the layers of the Edinburg limestone, which I had heard were the most productive with regards to silicified trilobites. Unfortunately, I do not believe that I recovered any silicified trilobites from the exposure. However, I did manage to find some silicified brachiopods in varying states of preservation and a number of other interesting fossils that I have not been able to identify. Now, let's delve into some of the finds . Brachiopod 1: Brachiopod 2: Brachiopod 3: Brachiopod 4: Brachiopod 5: Brachiopod 6: This particular brachiopod previously had more of the (silica?) coating, though I believe I inadvertently removed it by treating the specimen with concentrated vinegar. I would not want this to happen to any other specimens, but Brachiopod 3 and some of the others would certainly look very nice if some more of the limestone/mineral coating could be removed. Would there be a way to do this without physical preparation techniques (I do not possess the proper equipment for this and even if I did, I would be afraid of ruining the fragile specimens)? Brachiopod 7: This was one of the best preserved brachiopods that I found, which was quite ironic since it happened to be exposed to the elements right on the surface of the limestone. The photographs are not the best and I can certainly take more if they are needed. Brachiopod 8: Brachiopod 10: There were more brachiopods uncovered... but I think that is enough for one post. Now for some interesting microfossil hashplates that I decided to keep. Hash 1: Under the Microscope: Hash 2: Hash 4 Here I have included some photographs of some specimens that I have not been able to readily identify. Any help in identifying what organisms they are and even what genus/species they could be would be greatly appreciated! Below each one I have included a tentative guess as to what each fossil is. Unknown 1: I believe that this may be a weathered brachiopod viewed from the inside of the shell. Unknown 2: An interesting feature of the limestone or perhaps a preserve fragment of an arthropod/trilobite carapace? Unknown 3: I would guess that this piece would have the same origin as the specimen pictured directly above. Unknown 4: Same as the previous two unknowns? Unknown 5: One of the larger and more interesting specimens that I found at the exposure. I am not at all sure what it is, though I would guess that it might be part of a graptolite or bryozoan. I'd be very curious to hear what others think about this specimen in particular. Unknown 6: Not at all sure what this is. To me it looks like it is a fossil, but it could very well be a mineral stain of some sort. Unknown 7: Upon first cleaning this specimen I thought that it might be a very weathered brachiopod. However, after inspection under the microscope it seems to me that it might simply be a mineral deposit or a geological feature. Unknown 8: An interesting piece of detritus found on the plate containing Unknown 5. Unknown 9: I would imagine that this is either an encrusting bryozoan, a sponge, or a fragment of trilobite cephalon. Unknown 10: Unfortunately I do not have a larger, better picture of this specimen. I will try to take another photograph of this one. I do believe that this might be some sort of fenestrate bryozoan. Although most of the specimens were smaller than those I am used to collecting, I was glad to have some interesting mysteries and to have the Ordovician represented in my collection. All of the micro photographs that I took were taken using a Celestron Microcapture Pro Microscope, which has been working phenomenally to view even some of the smallest fossils. I hope that you enjoy reading this post and I want to extend my gratitude in advance to any who help with identification of the specimens! (Edit: Not sure why these photographs keep appearing at the bottom of the post. Does anyone know how to fix this?)

Found at the famous Caesar Creek spillway, which exposes the Liberty and Whitewater formations. Thinking Grewingkia canadensis for the horn coral. The brachiopod is not a spiriferid, and is too round for Vinlandostrophia. Four ridges (pictured) suggest Lepidocyclus perlamellosa/Hiscobeccus capax for the calcified brachiopod. And ideas what the circled encrusting bryozoan may be (circled red)? It is not patterned like Escharopora falsiformis--the zooids cells have no pattern, more like Aspidopora sp. Feel free to contest my identification; I am always looking to improve. What are your thoughts?

It's been a couple of weeks but it's taken me this long to take all the photos of my fossil finds from my trip to Oklahoma with the Paleontological Society of Austin! Our yearly trek to find Silurian, Devonian and Ordovician finds (not much of that in Texas!) was a great success again, thanks to our OK friends! Since it's just over a 6 hour drive for me, I went up early on Friday to hit a couple of "non field trip" spots before our "real" field trip on Saturday and Sunday. I had heard about a Permian site that I was excited to check out. It's a weird barren moonscape in the middle of a field. It was a bit warm.....and the sun radiating up from the baked clay was....intense. Fortunately a cold front was on the way so I kept reminding myself that the 90's of this Friday would recede into memory. But yeah...it was hot. There were bone bits everywhere....everywhere! But they were pretty crunched up. I didn't find much more than a few not-well preserved vertebrae, some okay bone bits, a few nice little amphib teeth and a couple of quite nice unbroken orthocanthus teeth. Tiny tiny ones, because all the big ones break easily. While I didn't find a lot of quality stuff initially, I did haul out about 60lbs of matrix so I can look through at my leisure at home! I learned a valuable lesson though...take two smaller buckets rather than one large bucket. It's a LOT easier to haul out two 30 lbs instead of one big haul a quarter mile over rough terrain! A little amphibian tooth: EDIT:...I thought these were Amphib teeth, but apparently....they are Orthocanthus Shark coprolites! hahahhha They are 1/4 inch each What is most amazing about these fossils is the color of the preservation. Astounding reds, yellows and purples. The little Orthocanthus shark teeth that were mostly complete. The Permian "moonscape": I decided to hit one other site before I headed to Ada where we were all meeting. It was the Ordivician site that I found a lovely Oklahomacystis echinoderm last year. The cold front had moved in and the temperature dropped almost 20 degrees and was just LOVELY hunting! I didn't find any more Oklahomacystis and wasn't finding much except a few nice brachiopods, but then I saw a crinoid calyx piece upside down (all I saw was the edges but I recognized it as crinoid) picked it up and got a nice surprise!! Too bad it's not the whole thing and just one segment, but I'll take what I get! It's a beauty...the geometric patterning is amazing. It is a Pleurocystites echinoderm. It's 1 1/4 inch wide. Early on Saturday, the whole group goes to Yellow Bluff which is a huge area above a creek and up a hillside. It's a great site with a plethora of fauna. It is completely possible to spend an ENTIRE day there! But first we had to drive through the pasture and the cows! They were nice cows. Yellow Bluff - It is primarily Silurian with a cap of Devonian at the very top of the hill. It is Henryshouse formation (which I keep wanting to call Harryhousen.... hahahha - that's for any of you old school animation lovers out there) And not only were the fossils abundant, so were the Missouri Primroses! A few nice finds in the field- A Gastropod Platyceras, Crinoid cup - I think this might be Ollulocrinus? A pink Brachiopod! Here's that pink brach again: I found a couple of Trilos, nothing quite good (last year I found the best one!!) but I did find one large one which still has lots of matrix on it, an interesting half a one, split vertically, not horizontally and then some others not very well preserved. This is an odd bit of crinoid : not sure what it is: So aside from the above pics of the in situ pieces, my only other really good find was this brachiopod Dictyonella. It was originally thought to have a bryozoan growing on it, but turns out it is actually the pattern of the brachiopod! There was also this cool bryozoan which I thought was a horn coral when I picked it up, only realizing it was bryzoan as I photographed it! It's 1 1/2 inches in size! But I did bring home a bucket of matrix and am having fun going through it, so will post some of those at a later time. Oh, and there were scorpions out and about enjoying the cool weather too. Hopefully no scorps in my bucket of matrix..... if so, now they are Texas Scorps. So Sunday was Black Cat Mountain Day. If you are not familiar with the trilobites from Black Cat Mountain...you are in for a google treat. Of course, finding the rare trilobites is.....rare. But there are plenty of other amazing things to find at Bob's quarry! The Quarry is Devonian with Haragan and Bois D'Arc Formations. But the trilobites are of course, the favorite. While I love the rollers the best (not sure why, I just do) I actually found better "open" ones this time than rollers! All of these are about an inch long. Paciphacops sp. Kainops sp. and not sure what this one is...probably Kainops and a surprising find of a (sadly not complete, but more complete than the typical) Huntoniatonia huntonensis Usually you just find the pygidiums...they are ALL OVER THE PLACE and they get HUGE. The biggest pygidium I found was 2" x 2"...just the trilobutt! It would have been a monster trilo. But the brachiopods are almost as amazing as the trilos. My favorite is this Howollella (I think) covered in Beekite: This is a big silicified Anastrophia (1 inch) An interesting Meristella with some crystals Orthostrophia and a neat coral which I think is Syringaxon perhaps? And one of my favorites to find - straight shelled cephalopods. This by far the most intact one I found. They are usually only three or four chambers but can get to be almost an inch in diameter. This one is 5 inches long And finally , my other favorite find from Black Cat Mountain.....a beautiful bryozoan ring:

I've been going through again more of the fossils I found with @Tales From the Shale on February 18, 2023 at a Pennsylvanian age, around 300 Million Years ago, rock formation in Oglesby Illinois. Their mostly small but I'm a bit curious on their species identities. I hope these specimens could be identified.

Please tell me what brachiopods are on this sample from Chortkiv district, Ternopil region of Ukraine? Devonian age. Large ones look like a spiriferid. Scale - 11 cm along the long dimension. Thank you!

My winter has been spent thinning and organizing some of my fossil formation collections. The Platteville Formation has been one of my favorites as it produces that occasional spectacular trilobite. My biggest problem has been with some brachiopod identification. Thankfully, @Tidgy's Dad,s Ordovician post has made it relatively easy with the more common brachiopods. Finding great sources for the Platteville is hard. Many of the specimens shown today are MUCH smaller than the normal brachs from this formation. All are numbered and my measuring device is worn and didn't show through too well, so I added sizes. 1 is Campylorthis like but not the same as my others. 2 is similar to Hesperorthis but the valve appears too round. 3, 4, and 11 are plump Strophomena like brachiopods with the height maximum midway, not toward the back as my other Strophomena are. 5 is a confusing Strophomena like brachiopod. It is deeply concave, not showing up well on this photo. It is opposite of the Oepikina which is convex. But their hinge lines are similar. Rafinesquina was a guess but no listing of it in the Platteville. 9 is very ornate! 12 reminds me of Zygospira but can not find mention of it in the Platteville. I considered Rostricellula but a sulcus is not present. 13 is deeply concave, not captured well in the picture.

Hello everyone, it's been a while since I've been a while since I've been out to collect fossils but yesterday I finally got to enjoy some time collecting and had some interesting finds I thought I'd share. Yesterday morning I got to meet up with @Jeffrey P who showed me his vast and beautiful collection of fossils before we went to collect two locations nearby in Eastern NY. The first location we visited was the Glenerie Limestone, a very interesting location due to the diversity of organisms found there and the unique preservation which results in many silicified shells a number of which are completely out of matrix. This was my second time collecting at this location and as it had just been snowing and everything melted, there was a lot of nice freshly washed out material to pick through. By far the most abundant fossils here are brachiopods and of those, the most common is probably Leptocoelia flabellites, I collected a few of these and some appear on the larger matrix pieces with other fossils but they're really common so only a few were kept: Meristella sp. are also pretty abundant, I picked up a few that I thought had nicer preservation, or were complete as those are not as common at this site These are the shells of two spiriferid, I collected a number of these last time, the most common ones are Acrospirifer sp. and Howella sp. I believe but I do not know how to differentiate between the two This piece of matrix had some particularly nice spiriferids, one was pretty big for the site and another on the side of the piece has really nice preservation of some of the finse structure on the outside of the shell. I also found a Rensselaeria sp. Terebtatulid brachiopod, my second from the location, this one has more of it preserved although it is quite distorted and with little of the shell material but I still kept it as I like these Devonian Terebtatulids and they are not as common. Here's a tiny complete brachiopods I picked up, not sure about the ID yet, the detail preserved on such a small shell is actually pretty nice but the camera doesn't show it that well. Two of the brachiopods found appear to be inarticulate brachiopods, although I'm not sure if it's possible to put an ID to either of them, the first is preserved as an impression, I did look at some of the internal anatomy of lower Devonian inarticulate brachiopods and this does look a lot like Craniops sp. but I don't know if I could call it that without further evidence The other has some shell material but it's small and not completely exposed so I am not sure if it can be identified or even if it is an inarticulate brachiopod And some miscellaneous brachiopods I haven't yet Identified: Here's another item that confused me, it appears to be a brachiopod from the overall shape, as it is flat on one side and is in the shape of a semicircle, but if it is a brachiopod it has some kind of unusual epibiont on it with an unusual structure unlike anything else I've seen, does anyone know what this may be? Other than brachiopods, gastropods are also fairly abundant at the site, last time I was here I found a couple but nothing too special. This time, I don't know if it was the freshly washed out material, a better pattern recognition or just pure luck I found a lot, of different sizes and different quality. I was very happy to find these they're really interesting and I love the way they are preserved here, here is most of them: most of not all of them are Platystoma sp. I believe. And finally, I also found a coral, the first time I was at the site I found a tabulate coral which @Jeffrey P told me is the first he'd seen ever from this site, and this time I found a solitary rugose coral. Unfortunately it is cracked as it was laying on the surface, exposed to the elements but I was able to safely get it home and I'm currently trying to stabilize it with some glue, hopefully it will remain intact. I believe it might belong to the species Enterolasma strictum. After Glenerie we stopped at a site not far away which was in the Middle Devonian, lower Hamilton Group, part of the Marcellus Shale, also a very interesting site which was new to me, and we had some nice finds there too which I will post later once I get them photographed. Thanks for looking! Misha

A few days ago I went on a fossil hunt with @Tales From the Shale and another friend to a rock formation of Pennsylvanian age, around 300 Million Years old, in Oglesby, Illinois. We also went to a second site in the Mazon Creek area in Braceville, Illinois. Today I decided to put some of the specimens I found under a dissecting scope to see them better and potentially get a proper ID for them. Here is a little Crinoid specimen (I think it may be the top part) Here is a nodule I found at the Mazon Creek site. @Tales From the Shale Identified the specimen as possible fossilized plant seeds.

Two days ago I went with @Tales From the Shale and another friend on a fossil hunting trip to a Bond Formation Roadcut in Oglesby, Illinois with rocks dating around 307-303 Million years ago, to the Pennsylvanian section of the Carboniferous era. Hadn't been back to the site since October 2022 and it was good to be back! I was pleasantly surprised at the lack of snow. But it was clear it only melted very recently judging by the arm sized icicles and the mud. (Quick advice for anyone planning to go fossil hunting at this time in Oglesby: bring snow boots to balance yourself on the rocks and mud, they will be a life saver). Found the usual brachiopods and crinoid bits at first, but then I found a 5cm long crinoid stem (the most intact one I've found so far from the area). I don't know currently what species it belongs to. We worked for two hours at the site before heading to another site in Braceville before heading back to Chicago. Today, I looked at some of the specimens I found and realized I found a lot more than I initially expected. Definitely enjoyed finding the large brachiopods (the second one I believe is a large Linoproductus). Found some Bryozoan (species unknown), the first I've discovered in Oglesby. Found a small but still pretty cool Cladodont shark tooth around 1-2cm in length. Currently don't know the species yet. Another cool Brachiopod (I think it's a Punctospirifer species). Also found some Petalodus teeth, Trilobite pieces, and bits of Peripristis. I'll post those and more detailed images of the others when I have access to my college's microscopes later this week.

Hi, @Dimitris and i are tryiarête join Adam, alias @Tidgy's Dad numerous times. We sent him a parcel and it came back with the mention "Refused by the recipient", that doesn't look like him at all. We sent him messages via the forum, i sent him a SMS and a vocal message on his phone but, so far, there's no answers. His last visit to the forum was the 27th of January. Does someone had more recent contact with him ?