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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?

To really start the summer off well, I went recently to a Bond Formation rock formation of Pennsylvanian age, around 300 Million Years ago, in Oglesby Illinois with a few friends. The trip was overall good, though I almost fell off the rocks a couple times. It was a bit hot but overall I think I got a decent amount of fossils for the day. I found a decent amount of Crinoid stem fossils, of which here are a few of them: Found lots of what I think are Chondricthyian teeth (Chomatodus, Gilkmanius, etc.). But I would like help identifying them!!! Unknown Specimen 1

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.

Been meaning to post these photos a while back but got caught up with preparing for Spring Break. Here's some more fossils myself, @Tales From the Shale, and another friend found a few weeks ago at a Pennsylvanian age, around 300 Million Years ago, rock formation in Oglesby Illinois. I hope these specimens could be Identified properly. I have no idea what this specimen could be? Some brachiopod and possible Chomodus sp. bits I would like a proper ID for. Possible brachiopod? Possible brachiopod or shell crushing chondrichthyan tooth? I don't know what this is (maybe a part of a Ctenacanthiform tooth or part of a shell crushing chondrichthyan tooth)? Brachiopod specimen I would like a proper ID of.

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.

While on my way to a family reunion in Michigan, I detoured a little south of Chicago to avoid traffic, take a break from driving, and explore a road cut in Oglesby, Illinois. Poison ivy is more than present at this location and I found plenty of it. I am still itching 2 weeks after visiting this site. But my finds make up for it. I was disappointed that no teeth were discovered this trip. Do they occur in a particular level of the Bond Formation???? Anyways, here are some of my finds. Brachiopods are the predominant fossil in the La Salle. So much that a piece of matrix often contains multiple specimens. Now my identification ability of Pennsylvanian fossils is marginal. So take the guesses I made with a grain of salt. Please point out any corrections needed!!!!!!! Thanks. I was tickled when my hammer popped open this large Linoproductus, revealing the inner surface of both the pedal and brachial valve. Other Linoproductus: And another large specimen: On to other species: Up next is Parajuresania nebrascensis. They look similar to Linoproductus but with definite differences. Parajuresania is smaller, has stronger growth lines, and many more spines than Linoproductus. Finally, my favorite to photograph. As can be seen, Composita vary greatly in size. There are two species mentioned in the Bond Formation, but I found only the wider and rounder C. argentina. My final group of pictures involve a piece of matrix that I split open, revealing a few goodies. First off, My hammer cut off the top of this brachiopod in the matrix, revealing a crystal filled interior!! Very beautiful in person!! But something else was showing on the other side. It took quite a bit of work with my Dremel to reveal what it was. Thats cool enough, but there is more. An inarticulate brachiopod, Orbiculoidea missouriensis was attached to the Conularia. To make it even better, on the other side of the specimen was another Orbiculoiea attached!! What a surprising rock!! I have been typing too long. I need to go scratch instead. So I hope my trip to the Bond /La Salle/Pennsylvanian was interesting. Mike

Last fall the state of Illinois purchased over 2,600 acres near the town of Oglesby from Lone Star Industries, including former quarries, with the goal of making it into state park land. It is near the site of the popular Starved Rock and Matthiessen State Parks, and the state said it would take a few years to assess and prepare the site before it would be open to the public. http://www.newstrib.com/free/matthiessen-and-starved-rock-just-got-a-lot-bigger-video/article_203e37f8-d89a-11e8-9a7e-e72ef52ec0d6.html The quarry exposes the highly fossiliferous LaSalle Limestone, as well as a black shale that produces fossils too, so a number of scientists and fossil enthusiasts proposed that a portion of the new protected land should be made into a public fossil park- here is their proposal: https://www.esconi.org/files/proposal-for-a-fossil-park-at-the-former-lone-star-quarry-site-final.pdf Now a state legislator representing the area has introduced a bill to do just that- the synopsis reads: "Amends the Department of Natural Resources (Conservation) Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that the Department of Natural Resources shall designate a portion of the former Lone Star Quarry site near Oglesby as a fossil park to allow for the collection of fossils. Provides that Department by rule may designate which portion of the land shall constitute the fossil park and any requirements for admittance or permits for entry into the fossil park. Provides that the Department may collaborate with any State university to establish educational opportunities or events at the fossil park." Hopefully this will become a law and this park can join the famous Mazonia-Braidwood as Illinois's second park for fossil collecting. If you are an Illinois resident, please contact your state representative and tell them to sign on as co-sponsor or support this bill!

Let me preface this report by saying that I would never usually post something with this much text, however, I see this as a sort of introduction to other members of this site. Most of you are probably unfamiliar with me, so I will provide a little bit of backstory. Before I get stated, I would like to just thank everyone involved with TheFossilForum, be they moderators or just enthusiasts, for kick starting what I have come to think of as my new hobby/passion. I should say, if you are looking for any rare or eye-popping specimens, you have come to the wrong place. Aside from that, please enjoy the following report on my first true fossil hunt. A couple of weeks ago, I accompanied my brother and one of this friends on a trip up to the very well-known Starved Rock State Park. After reading about the area and looking it over on maps, I decided that I would attempt to look for some fossils while we were nearby. In the days leading up to our trip, I did my best to study old ISGS field trip guidebooks from the LaSalle area, as well as someone’s paper written on a roadcut in the same area. I also used this site (http://ebeltz.net/fieldtrips/lasalle.html) to get information on the region’s geology, in fact, this webpage is where I first read about the cut. Macon County, where I live, doesn’t have a whole lot to offer anyone interested in fossils. Ice Age glaciers have leveled and reset much of the landscape as recently as 20,000 years ago, leaving abandoned coal mines as the only place to view exposed bedrock (which have all probably been sealed off anyway). Although interesting things can be found in nearby fields and streams, the fossils I find in the best shape are typically nothing to write home about. With my interest in paleontology/geology having popped up in only the last couple of years, I hadn’t until recently thought about going on any sort of fossil hunt, therefore, I jumped at the chance. So, after we got off I-39 at Oglesby, I had my brother drop me off at the side of the road, while they continued on toward to the Dells at Matthiessen State Park. After about 30 seconds of looking over the twelve foot high cut, I noticed a small brachiopod sitting on one of the ledges. I picked up the specimen of what I would later come to identify as Composita and stuffed it in my pocket. It was a great feeling, like finding a chipped arrowhead times ten. I quickly found a few other specimens, I believe they were also Composita. Even with a good start, I didn’t have too many more fossils in that great of shape when we left for Starved Rock. The trip was well worth it, however, even if only for the experience. I only spent around an hour and a half at the roadcut that Saturday, so I knew I would have to return and give it another go. With fall classes about to begin, I wanted to try and get back up to LaSalle County before school resumes dominating my schedule. Staring at my mostly so-so finds from that day was only adding to my anticipation. So, a week after that fateful Saturday, I decided that I would be going on a solo trip up to Oglesby, leaving the next morning. I left the house at eight and got to my first stop just under two hours later. Before leaving, I had seen only one picture of this cut, so I had no idea what to expect. I figured the typical mid-summer Illinois problems like ticks, mosquitos and thick vegetation would all be present, so I brought spray and long pants. Vegetation and ticks? No problem at all. My old friend the mosquito was there, but along with him were the most horrific flies I have ever encountered. I have no idea what they were, but they must have bitten me 40 times on my face alone. Just awful, I’m covered in bites. All unpleasantness aside, I had a great time. It was my first true fossil hunt, and it will certainly be a very memorable one. As soon as I crossed the ditch in front of the cut, I noticed a wide variety of fossils cemented to an adjacent boulder. It is at this point in the report that I shamefully admit to taking just one close-up photo that day, my bad. I did, however, take a few pictures of my finds after I got back. I saw a few of the Pennsylvanian classics while I was up there: Linoproductus, Juresania, Composita, Antiquatonia, Echinaria, Punctospirifer.