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Here is a highly inflated 3-dimensional Homocystites sp that was found this past Saturday May 14 on a very cold rainy day. The only bright note to the weather was that the wet matrix made it a bit easier to see the fossils. This is from the Ordovician Verulam formation and was found in a new blast pile from the previous 7 days. The homocystites typically found is Homocystits anatiformis which is found in the Cobourg formation. This species is typically a little smaller and is under review as potentially being a different species. Homocystites has an ovate theca and a fairly long stem (most missing in this specimen). It has a distinct pattern of radiating ridges on the plates that are very geometric in shape. It was prepped in about 5 minutes using low PSI (10) and dolomite in the 200 to 325 mesh range. No airscribing was needed. There is no restoration or repairs. The specimen is 36 mm long with a 27 mm theca (body) It is 11 mm wide and about 5 mm extends out of the matrix . I am considering finishing off the prep by completely exposing the specimen 360 degrees around, essentially making it a free standing on its stem specimen. I have seen a few prepped this way over the years and they are focal points in people display collections. What do you folks think should I take the chance and go for it.

Here is an extremely rare association of a pretty much complete Ceraurus globulobatus trilobite and a ventral partial amecystite echinoderm from the Verulam formation of the Brechin area in Ontario , Canada. Over the next month or so I will be taking a number of forum members and clubs to this area to hunt. Hopefully there will be some nice finds that we can share. This specimen was found by splitting rock at the end of April 2016. We tend to find the best specimens at this locality by splitting rock. the shaley limestone does not weather well once exposed to the elements.The preservation observed is quite typical of the ceraurus from this locality. The exoskeleton is extremely thin and flakey. The preparation was done mostly with very low pressure (8-10 PSI) 320 mesh dolomite . Prep time was about 5 hours over quite a number of days. Some dilute vinac was used to help consolidate the exoskeleton which was just screaming to want to flake off. This is the only time I have ever found an amecystite associated with a complete ceraurus. They are both rare finds in their own right.