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Crows Feet? I’ve seen these in limestones but not in dolostones. Plenty of bits and pieces. I think Favosites and molds of crinoid columinals. More crinoid molds and both brachiopod molds and bits and pieces. Very very crystalized. But fun challenge.

Yesterday I was able to take a trip to the Silurian Racine formation of Southern Wisconsin. This site was easier than others due to the clear stratification, and I was able to see some of the reef overlay and underlay. finds included: my first dolomitized crinoid calyx, a nice fez-looking coral, some Bumastus trilobits, and what looks like a Cornulites impression? I’m curious if anyone has thoughts on the circular impression with calcite growths in it- unsure if it‘s an imprint or just a gap with mineral growth. Included a fun extra picture of old and new critters paired together.

This past Saturday I was finally able to join ESCONI on one of their quarry field trips, this time to the Vulcan Manteno Quarry in Kankakee County, Illinois. After a relatively quick jaunt up I-57, I arrived at the quarry along with about 20 other enthusiasts, all clad in hard hats and neon safety vests. It is still an active quarry, although no mining was happening on that day, so the manager went over the rules with everyone- no climbing the rock piles, no getting too close to the high wall or the edge of the pit. Then we car-pooled down to the bottom of the quarry. The quarry exposes the Silurian Racine Dolomite Formation, and pile after pile of grey to orange colored rock was arranged on the quarry floor. It was hard to know where to start, so everyone wandered off to poke around and see what they could find. I didn't find much to begin, but after a little while I started noticing some interesting shapes, and within about an hour I had filled my bucket. I say "shapes", because I am not as familiar with this deposit as Mazon Creek, so my IDs for most of these only get as specific as "cephalopod" or "crinoid"- and in many cases more like "round organic-looking thing" . At the designated time everyone began heading back to the cars as a light drizzle came down- we only had about an hour and a half, but like I said, that was plenty of time to fill a 5 gallon bucket. It was an excellent trip, and I have to thank ESCONI and Vulcan for making it happen- I will definitely be signing up for the next one! My most interesting find is two associated partial impressions of echinoderms- the field trip leader suggested the one on the right was from Caryocrinites but he was not sure about the one on the left. I also found another small echinoderm piece, perhaps the base of a crinoid calyx?