Jump to content

Search the Community

Showing results for tags 'Echinoids'.

  • Search By Tags

    Type tags separated by commas.
    Tags should be keywords or key phrases. e.g. otodus, megalodon, shark tooth, miocene, bone valley formation, usa, florida.
  • Search By Author

Content Type


Forums

  • Fossil Discussion
    • Fossil ID
    • Fossil Hunting Trips
    • General Fossil Discussion
    • Partners in Paleontology - Member Contributions to Science
    • Fossil of the Month
    • Questions & Answers
    • Member Collections
    • A Trip to the Museum
    • Paleo Re-creations
    • Collecting Gear
    • Fossil Preparation
    • Is It Real? How to Recognize Fossil Fabrications
    • Member-to-Member Fossil Trades
    • Fossil News
  • Community News
    • Member Introductions
    • Member of the Month
    • Members' News & Diversions
  • General Category
    • Rocks & Minerals
    • Geology

Categories

  • Annelids
  • Arthropods
    • Crustaceans
    • Insects
    • Trilobites
    • Other Arthropods
  • Brachiopods
  • Cnidarians (Corals, Jellyfish, Conulariids )
    • Corals
    • Jellyfish, Conulariids, etc.
  • Echinoderms
    • Crinoids & Blastoids
    • Echinoids
    • Other Echinoderms
    • Starfish and Brittlestars
  • Forams
  • Graptolites
  • Molluscs
    • Bivalves
    • Cephalopods (Ammonites, Belemnites, Nautiloids)
    • Gastropods
    • Other Molluscs
  • Sponges
  • Bryozoans
  • Other Invertebrates
  • Ichnofossils
  • Plants
  • Chordata
    • Amphibians & Reptiles
    • Birds
    • Dinosaurs
    • Fishes
    • Mammals
    • Sharks & Rays
    • Other Chordates
  • *Pseudofossils ( Inorganic objects , markings, or impressions that resemble fossils.)

Blogs

  • Anson's Blog
  • Mudding Around
  • Nicholas' Blog
  • dinosaur50's Blog
  • Traviscounty's Blog
  • Seldom's Blog
  • tracer's tidbits
  • Sacredsin's Blog
  • fossilfacetheprospector's Blog
  • jax world
  • echinoman's Blog
  • Ammonoidea
  • Traviscounty's Blog
  • brsr0131's Blog
  • brsr0131's Blog
  • Adventures with a Paddle
  • Caveat emptor
  • -------
  • Fig Rocks' Blog
  • placoderms
  • mosasaurs
  • ozzyrules244's Blog
  • Terry Dactyll's Blog
  • Sir Knightia's Blog
  • MaHa's Blog
  • shakinchevy2008's Blog
  • Stratio's Blog
  • ROOKMANDON's Blog
  • Phoenixflood's Blog
  • Brett Breakin' Rocks' Blog
  • Seattleguy's Blog
  • jkfoam's Blog
  • Erwan's Blog
  • Erwan's Blog
  • marksfossils' Blog
  • ibanda89's Blog
  • Liberty's Blog
  • Liberty's Blog
  • Lindsey's Blog
  • Back of Beyond
  • Ameenah's Blog
  • St. Johns River Shark Teeth/Florida
  • gordon's Blog
  • West4me's Blog
  • West4me's Blog
  • Pennsylvania Perspectives
  • michigantim's Blog
  • michigantim's Blog
  • lauraharp's Blog
  • lauraharp's Blog
  • micropterus101's Blog
  • micropterus101's Blog
  • GPeach129's Blog
  • Olenellus' Blog
  • nicciann's Blog
  • nicciann's Blog
  • Deep-Thinker's Blog
  • Deep-Thinker's Blog
  • bear-dog's Blog
  • javidal's Blog
  • Digging America
  • John Sun's Blog
  • John Sun's Blog
  • Ravsiden's Blog
  • Jurassic park
  • The Hunt for Fossils
  • The Fury's Grand Blog
  • julie's ??
  • Hunt'n 'odonts!
  • falcondob's Blog
  • Monkeyfuss' Blog
  • cyndy's Blog
  • pattyf's Blog
  • pattyf's Blog
  • chrisf's Blog
  • chrisf's Blog
  • nola's Blog
  • mercyrcfans88's Blog
  • Emily's PRI Adventure
  • trilobite guy's Blog
  • barnes' Blog
  • xenacanthus' Blog
  • myfossiltrips.blogspot.com
  • HeritageFossils' Blog
  • Fossilefinder's Blog
  • Fossilefinder's Blog
  • maybe a nest fossil?
  • farfarawy's Blog
  • Microfossil Mania!
  • blogs_blog_99
  • Southern Comfort
  • Emily's MotE Adventure
  • Eli's Blog
  • andreas' Blog
  • Recent Collecting Trips
  • retired blog
  • andreas' Blog test
  • fossilman7's Blog
  • Piranha Blog
  • xonenine's blog
  • xonenine's Blog
  • Fossil collecting and SAFETY
  • Detrius
  • pangeaman's Blog
  • pangeaman's Blog
  • pangeaman's Blog
  • Jocky's Blog
  • Jocky's Blog
  • Kehbe's Kwips
  • RomanK's Blog
  • Prehistoric Planet Trilogy
  • mikeymig's Blog
  • Western NY Explorer's Blog
  • Regg Cato's Blog
  • VisionXray23's Blog
  • Carcharodontosaurus' Blog
  • What is the largest dragonfly fossil? What are the top contenders?
  • Test Blog
  • jsnrice's blog
  • Lise MacFadden's Poetry Blog
  • BluffCountryFossils Adventure Blog
  • meadow's Blog
  • Makeing The Unlikley Happen
  • KansasFossilHunter's Blog
  • DarrenElliot's Blog
  • Hihimanu Hale
  • jesus' Blog
  • A Mesozoic Mosaic
  • Dinosaur comic
  • Zookeeperfossils
  • Cameronballislife31's Blog
  • My Blog
  • TomKoss' Blog
  • A guide to calcanea and astragali
  • Group Blog Test
  • Paleo Rantings of a Blockhead
  • Dead Dino is Art
  • The Amber Blog
  • Stocksdale's Blog
  • PaleoWilliam's Blog
  • TyrannosaurusRex's Facts
  • The Community Post
  • The Paleo-Tourist
  • Lyndon D Agate Johnson's Blog
  • BRobinson7's Blog
  • Eastern NC Trip Reports
  • Toofuntahh's Blog
  • Pterodactyl's Blog
  • A Beginner's Foray into Fossiling
  • Micropaleontology blog
  • Pondering on Dinosaurs
  • Fossil Preparation Blog
  • On Dinosaurs and Media
  • cheney416's fossil story
  • jpc
  • A Novice Geologist
  • Red-Headed Red-Neck Rock-Hound w/ My Trusty HellHound Cerberus
  • Red Headed
  • Paleo-Profiles
  • Walt's Blog
  • Between A Rock And A Hard Place
  • Rudist digging at "Point 25", St. Bartholomä, Styria, Austria (Campanian, Gosau-group)
  • Prognathodon saturator 101
  • Books I have enjoyed
  • Ladonia Texas Fossil Park
  • Trip Reports
  • Glendive Montana dinosaur bone Hell’s Creek
  • Test
  • Stratigraphic Succession of Chesapecten

Find results in...

Find results that contain...


Date Created

  • Start

    End


Last Updated

  • Start

    End


Filter by number of...

  1. Hello, I'm seeing that a lot of these sea biscuits are found on the beaches of North Carolina due to dredging. I tried on Facebook to trade or buy some, but that did'nt work out. Had a seller on online auction site but he wouldnt send them to Europe. Is there anyone interested in selling or trading some with me? I would have mix of European echinoids for trade, for instance. Greetings Walter
  2. I finally went over to a slow-moving construction site that has been in process for weeks, if not longer. With little hope due to a lot of bigger rocks being hauled off, I walked along the elevated slopes of plowed dirt and smaller rocks that remained. To my surprise, I found some nice Fort Worth formation echinoids (holaster and macraster sp) and some small ammonites of the mortoniceras sp. I also found a very well fed nautiloid, I’m nicknaming Fat Boy Lloyd (you know, respectfully like he’s a rapper). It weighed in at 5 lb 10 ounces! I thinks it’s paracymatoceras species given the visible lines that are very close together. I also found what I think is a nicely ornate trigonia clam. Tarrant county, Texas.
  3. Shellseeker

    Haile Quarry, March 3rd

    I added a couple of threads on Activities connected with FPS field trip to Hallie Quarries in the vicinity of Newberry, Florida. I have some photos of the Quarry to provide a sense of what it was like and some additional finds. The Quarry I visited is just one of many at this location. and the one I was in... huge. A wall in the distance, heavy movers to stay far away from, a "tiny" FPS member searching the low wall ahead. I am walking around this mountain of rock on my left , searching for fossils that may have fallen down the cliff face. I am very careful the few times I attempt to climb the cliff face reaching for a fossil just a little too far away... There can be great rewards... Gorgeous, and and there are lots of potential shell, and echinoids in this semi hard rock, I have a rock hammer and trowel. Can I possible get this out in one piece.. I have already broken others or found that they were already broken before my arrival. So I decided not, and just walked on with a photo and a memory. As I continued around the mountain, I came to this site , took a step forward, and quickly stepped back . A sinkhole about 4 feet across, and with a single glance inside I saw it was at least 25 feet deep. This one is not particularly large. The Quarry has lost a number of large earth movers in sinkholes. This is where I recall signing the waiver stating that I am totally responsible for any of the various dumb things I might do while hunting for fossils and hold the Quarry owners blameless for any/all damages to my body. Roger Portell was our guide and Advisor and we moved a couple of times to locations that might provide different fossils. The last stop was supposed to contained marine (shark teeth) and mammal fossils. As we stepped out of our vehicles, Roger showed us another sinkhole, advised us to be careful , and described recoveries of mammal bones and teeth from this area decades past. I was fortunate to find one of those teeth, described in this TFF thread. https://www.thefossilforum.com/topic/139986-love-the-surprises/#comment-1479029 It was laying on the ground 5 feet to the left of this sinkhole. Sometimes I am just blessed in the right place at the right time. Here are some other finds of the day, with what ever I currently know about them... 1) M. americanum , a Sea Biscuit, approximately 4 inches in width, encased in matrix. 2) What I refer to as Jingle shells, and a small Echinoid...On the Echinoid, I have to wash, brush , scrap off some of that concrete like matrix to figure out what it is.... 3) A couple of Oysters... there few shells free floating from the concrete like matrix like these. 4) More shells, this time in Matrix 5) Did I mention Endocasts ? All over the place.... Sometimes hard to differentiate from shells. 5a) This one reminds me of a cowrie.... but not like any modern or even fossil ones that I have seen... I had previously found exactly like this one in a bone valley creek.. Would like to Identify.. Hope you enjoyed the trip. Comments always appreciated.
  4. Shaun-DFW Fossils

    First “prepped” echinoids

    I am new (12-14 months) to hunting for fossils and even newer to trying my hand at prep work. I have zero tools and I’ve mostly dabbled with a few air scribes doing volunteer work cleaning dino bones at southwestern Adventist university, who has a massive collection. But my friend let me practice with his air abrasive tool, which I had not used before. I was pretty happy to get these three hemiaster whitei echinoids prepped after finding them in Fort Worth. He advised me to hold the tool at least an inch away and do slow horizontal back and forth motions to blast away the tiny particles of matrix (and a few larger chunks) I had to free up. I managed to not chip any of them, thankfully! I will be trying my hand at some larger macrasters next. One of them still needs just a little work near the bottom.
  5. Hi everyone, I just went exploring at the beaches of Daly City and found some cool fossil sand dollars. Any idea on species? I’m not too sure the time range but I do know the Merced formation is nearby! Thanks
  6. Another hundred or so prestine hemiaster and heteraster echinoids, some foldy and rough shape oxytropidoceras of various sizes, and my first complete engonoceras ammonite. I almost forgot the hamite. I like the cylindrical shapes of the gastropods, too. Not bad for 1.5 hours on a cold day. South Tarrant County, Texas.
  7. So at the Florida barge Canal, you can find echinoids supposedly. I actually found a forum post on this site from 2019 where someone found some. And one other forum post. If you have been to this location, I would appreciate help with finding where exactly I'm supposed to dig. We parked on the south side of the bridge. We walked to the right down to the gate and then found the Florida trail. There were no gravel piles dig in. We tried digging right next to the water. And we tried digging on the trail in a hole where it seemed like others dug maybe a couple years ago. All we found was sand. Are we supposed to just dig until we find an echinoid🤣 maybe someone with experience in general knows more than me and could help even if you havent been to htis site🥲 thanks~
  8. I really thought I had done a post on my latest finds - but apparently I have not! So here are my "new" additions to the All the Echies of Texas collection! Happily, one is a bucket list find - a Lower Cretaceous Glen Rose formation Tetragramma tenerum. I had two Tetragrammas on my echinoid bucket list and this one is now in my collection! Still looking for that T. taffi..... EDIT: See below because I think I just realized I DID find my T. taffi!!!!!! Tetragramma tenerum Comal County A find from up North Texas, in Fort Worth, was this one which I had THOUGHT was a Tetragramma streeruwitzi because I THOUGHT the formation I found it in was Duck Creek from the Washita formation and now, just now, going back to check the map and location, I realized I was in the Goodland Formation which is Frederickburg and NOT Washita, so what I had thought was a T. streeruwitzi....is most likely actually a Tetragramma taffi!!!! MY OTHER BUCKET LIST TETRA!! Now I am for sure going to get it cleaned up! I was planning on it, but just hadn't gotten around to it...so to the prepper you will go my little friend! And back in Central Texas, in the Comanche Peak formation - a little bit busted up Globator parryi, but you can at least see the "cheerio" rings on the test And while not a new one to my collection, at least a little bit better one than my first - a Goniopygus whitneyi from the Upper Glen Rose formation So the total list is: Macraster - texanus, elegens and washitaensis Heteraster - mexicanus, obliquetus and texanus Phymosoma texanum Goniopygus - zitelli, whitneyi and sp. Leptosalenia - mexicana, volana and texana and possible sp. Pliotoxaster - whitei and comanchei Hyposalenia phillipsae Pygopyrina hancockensis Holaster simplex Tetragramma texanum, tenerum and taffi!! Loriolia - rosana and possibly whitei (if that is considered a viable species) Polydiadema travisensis Anorthopygus texanus Heterosalenia sp. Paraorthopsis comalensis Coenholectypus - planatus and ovatus Pseudodiadema aguilera Plagiochasma texanum Goniophorus scotti Hemiaster - calvini and bexari Washitaster sp. Diplodetus americanus Echinothurid sp. plates Balanocidarid spines Globator whitneyi and parryi Pedinopsis engerrandi Not Cretaceous Eocene Protoscutella mississippiensis Pennsylvanian Archeocidaris plates and spines Pronechinus plates and spines
  9. Lone Hunter

    Pennsylvanian fossils part 2

    Some of these fossils are so tiny it's really hard to get clear pictures, like #12, these are scattered in several places not much bigger than fishing line, guessing echinoid spines? #7 undecided if these are brachiopods or maybe lungfish teeth? #8 looks like a battle ground, deconstructed echinoid and parts of crinoids? Not sure what to make of all that
  10. This is my last post for the foreseeable future and want to get an ID on all of these. Found this last summer after big flood churned up creek in Eagle Ford formation, it's not unusual to find imported erosion control rocks with crinoid stems but they're usually big and heavy and harder than concrete so when i saw this small one I grabbed it. I plopped it down on dog bed and took one practice pic (about 10" long #1) then when I picked it up it started to fall apart and I realized it was still wet, never completely cured, still had soft clay. I'm not familiar with rocks out west is this normally how fossils are found there? How did this rock manage to get dug up, loaded, travel at least 50 miles then get dumped and never dry out or get smashed to peices? Pic #2 is what remained after removing all soft parts and drying. Anyway it was a mini fossil hunting trip all in one rock and just wish everything wasn't so tiny! #3 was the prettiest but can't tell if it's a brachiopod or not. #4 Marginfera? #5 brachiopod? #6 columnal I thought would be easy to ID but no. #9 Composita sp? #10 unknown gastropod and crinoid stems. #11 another Composita? I'll do a second post with the rest it's too many pictures.
  11. Lone Hunter

    Are y'all's echinoids calcified?

    Feel like a duh moment maybe coming, I just realized at least some of my irregular echinoids are calcified. Is this common in Texas? Has anyone sliced one? I'm really curious what they look like naked and thinking of tumbling these ugly ones just to see. Are the structures I'm seeing in the calcite actually part of the echinoid or mineral inclusions?
  12. I went to an “easy walking” spot to enact my own play called The Rockcracker while my daughter went to see The Nutcracker. This Goodland formation spot is a guaranteed echinoid grab every time. I have a bunch of flawless hemiaster whitei echinoids and a small number of heterasters, plus perhaps the smallest ammonite I have and a few nice gastropods.
  13. I went to my favorite Fort Worth formation spot near my house (Johnson County) and came home with a nice Christmas present to myself, 6 macraster echinoids, 2 of which are nearly perfect and are now amongst the best I have. They’re also huge, I am naming one Absolute Unit and the other The Rock. Also a rough looking holaster and a bunch of smaller mortoniceras ammonites. Check out the curvy fold in one of them. Poor dude went flaccid right when he hit the bottom of the ocean. Lol..I decided to flip a huge rock I’ve walked by many times (natural for me as a snake chaser) and I’m glad I did, I found a robust 2 inch wide x 8 inch diameter mortoniceras attached within the rock. It’s beyond my ability to easily free it, but I will get it done with some help. Nice calcite on the outside where I broke away some matrix. one of the morts is a mess (the one with the green algae on one side), it’s beautiful but I’ll have to make a decision about leaving it as is or cutting it to the point where it’s complete on both sides.
  14. It has been about a year since I posted any new Echinoid finds! And not for lack of hunting! I guess I am at that point where I've found all the "basics" and am heading into "rarer" territory. I am happy to say after SO LONG....I had a bumper couple of months and found no less that 5 new (to me) echinoids! The first one was on a little creek hunt with my friend Matthew after we had both been vending at the Hill Country Fossil and Mineral Expo. The Expo was put on by the Texas Through Time Museum in Hillsboro. A great little show highlighting Texas Fossils but included some gem and mineral sellers too. The Expo didn't start till noon on Sunday, so we went early to a small creek and found some great ammonites and large Macraster echies, but I was happy to find a Washitaster! It's pretty waterworn, but that's okay. Found a nice, if slightly crushed Macraster texana, a defintely better one than I already had. The end of this day was one of the most spectacular sunsets I've seen in a long while. Texas Big Sky is amazing sometimes: Next was on the way to Glen Rose Tx FossilMania show - which if you are ever in Texas over the Halloween weekend....you should come! It's great fun! Vendors, Door Prizes, Lectures, Silent Auction, Displays, etc.....plus the kids tend to come in costume and it's really fun. And Mr. Farris usually brings his helium shark and chases people around the room..... But I digress....back to the fossil hunting. I scouted out some areas that I hoped were Comanche Peak formation because I was TRYING to find a Tetragramma taffi.....a big regular echinoid that has eluded me so far. But instead of the T taffi I found something equally as exciting to me! A Pedinopsis! It's a scrappy one...not very pretty, but hey, I'll take it...and I did. Actually I think Pedinopsis is now called Dumblea...not sure why. But yay!! New Fossil! The following weekend (first weekend in November) was the THIRD Fossil Show I was part of and if you have not been to the Paleontological Society of Austin's Fossil Fest, you are MISSING OUT. I've been a member of PSoA for a few years now but this was the first year I got to go to Fossil Fest and I was astounded.....so many incredible displays, interactive games for kids, lectures, vendors, and more! It was truly one of the best weekends I've ever had. Here are a few pictures: Our Dancing Tricera-selfie-tops My display: UT Display I got a lovely little echie from my friend Erich who was kind enough to gift this little Goniopygus sp. to me! After all the excitement of the "Triple Crown" of fossil shows, I was ready to do a little local fossil hunting and was beyond excited to finally find a bit of Corsicana formation and found the following awesome echies!! edited for correct ID: Echinoid Hemiaster bexari Edited for Correct ID : Echinoid Diplodetus (Plesiaster) americanus And my absolute favorite find of all of them....a Codiopsis stephensoni! It's scrappy, but I'm going to have it prepped a bit. So, a great time was had by all, especially me. And YAY...NEW ECHIES OF TEXAS!!
  15. Adrian.LaRo

    Linthia Hovelacquei

    Linthia Hovelacquei Eoceno Ypresiense

    © A.L.R

  16. I probably like echinoids more than some people do..I found these in Fort Worth formation, Grayson, and strangely one of them came from a creek at the woodbine/eagleford border in arlington, but I’m told it’s not likely to have originated from that formation. I have a crate full of little echinoids not shown here, these are my biggest ones. One of my best macrasters seems to have little spines stuck to the bottom. Maybe that’s something else?
  17. From the album: Texas Albian (Cretaceous)

    Loriola rosana resting on top of a (Lopha sp.?) shell Albian (Upper Glen rose fm) Texas
  18. Johnson county, TX creek finds from yesterday afternoon. Unexplored section of a creek that has been productive for me with every visit. The mortoniceras arringtoni and drakei are in great shape on both sides (most of them) and only 2 of the macrasters are compressed or missing a chunk.
  19. For whatever reason, I used to completely dismiss the Austin chalk as a formation of any interest. I viewed it almost through the same lens that I view the Edwards formation, as if it was some barren uninteresting hinderance that gets in the way of cooler formations. Accidentally finding a large Parapuzosia ammonite in it once changed that a bit, but for the most part I still ignored it... Turns out I was just looking in the wrong places, and had very little understanding of its members. @LSCHNELLE recently explained a lot of it better to me, and so equipped with new knowledge I decided to try and discover a member of the Austin Chalk I've been wondering about for a while now, which I always falsely assumed was its own formation. I found myself deep in a Travis county creek, following very specific instructions I had read on an old thesis from the 80's I found online. To avoid being too long winded - nothing stood out to me as different in the geology, so I think that the vertebrate rich member I was seeking still eludes me. Yet, I wouldn't say I was skunked, because I found some very interesting invertebrates that even a simpleton like myself can appreciate My first find had me cheering and jumping, partly because of how just picture perfect the insitu was, but mostly because it was just an aesthetic looking echinoid I haven't seen before. Here it sat below, as I originally saw it: Fortunately, what's left in the matrix I believe is still in great detail. It's just on a smaller-than-it-looks exposed portion where the wear took a toll, as you will see at the end when I show more photos. For another hour and half beyond this, I was just sloshing my way through the water, very slowly, admiring the highly fossiliferous limestone as I went. Usually when I scout a new spot, it ends up being more exploring than actual hunting, and yesterday was no different. Close to my turn around spot, I for whatever reason took strong notice of inconspicuous looking pebble lying loose on its own. Picking it upon a whim, I was surprised to see it was another echinoid of the same type I found earlier, albeit in worse condition. Pictures all at the end. Walking back was a serene vibe with few fossils - I was distracted by the new greenery that's been blooming lately. When I got back to where I found the first echinoid, I decided to poke around a bit more, and was surprised to find two ammonites - one large (Mortoniceras?) which I removed, and a much smaller ammonite as well. Results below! No vertebrates but these were well worth it! @JamieLynn put together a phenomenal guide of the inverts by formation that we can find in our central texas stratas, but I wasn't able to find these echinoids in it. I'm aware they need prep, but if you know what they are already please chip in! Results below: Echinoid #1: Echinoid #2 - While it's in worse shape than even the first, I think the substantial attached matrix has protected a lot of it. We'll find out when it preps! Larger ammonite I removed - glue will come to the rescue here. I'm rather sure that the inner coils are preserved under that! Smaller ammonite below: This was just one day sandwiched into what is so far a very busy weekend for me on the paleo front - lots of exploring, and also some good work brewing on two interesting, older vertebrate finds. I'll update this post when i eventually manage to get these echinoids cleaned - the hard limestone they're in will be tough for hand tools - perhaps this is my signal to finally buy a scribe
  20. Today was my first chance to get a couple of hours outside since we had a heavy rain. I went to a favorite local creek and walked the exact same paths I took a few weeks ago, but with the algae getting washed away and more erosion, I had my hands full. My 3rd shoe clam since I started hunting less than a year ago, my biggest holaster, and some nice mortoniceras ammonites. I believe the formation is Fort Worth formation but it may be Grayson/duck creek, it’s all close by. Johnson county, TX
  21. Yesterday, Pita and I found an amazing spot. We pulled into a shopping center so I could pick up some cleats (for fossil hunting steep, marly slopes), and I noticed a small patch of limestone next to the curb. We parked by it so I can poke at it for a minute or two before going in, and Pita, never one to be bored while I look at rocks, walked into the tree line nearby. A sudden noise of amazement brought me over to where she was, just a few paces away, and our jaws dropped. Below us was an incredibly massive drop, easily more than 100 feet. A creek was at the bottom, birthed on the spot by springs. This little canyon was so unexpected and hidden that you would have no idea it's there until you're on top of it, like we found ourselves then. We wanted to find our way down, so we bushwhacked for a while, snuck around some questionable tents in the woods, and after ample muck, green briar, and frigid cold, we were met with the face. Huge walls of untouched comanche peak limestone, from the upper albian stage of the Cretaceous period. Neither of us were prepared for a fossil hunt, so we just had the day clothes we were going to go shopping in. I had to wrap myself in a blanket from the car to stay warm. The comanche peak formation is known for echinoids, namely Heteraster, Phymosoma, and Tetragramma or Leptosalenia if you're lucky. It's also rife with bivalves and gastropods, and sometime the ammonite Oxytropidoceras. Unlike the Glen Rose below it and Walnut + Edwards formation that bound it, I have never heard of vertebrate material being found in the Comanche Peak fm. A search here on the forum also yielded no results, so I thought it fit to make this trip report to document what seems to be a rare occurrence, because vertebrate material we found (humble as it may be). The first "keeper" find was actually a Pycnodont tooth, found in a rich pocket of Gryphaea oysters. (Below) I also found some of the usual keepers more characteristic of the comanche peak, including the Phymosoma below and a few Heteraster specimens below. Phymosoma One of a few Heteraster Big (Tapes?) bivalve The most surprising find of the day came near the end, when Pita spotted a shark vertebra in the limestone above. It was high up, so pardon the blurry photo. And so concluded a pleasant, athletic visit to the Comanche Peak formation, at a spot brand new to me (and to I think anyone... I seriously doubt this spot will get found, and it it's found, the physical exertion to access it through all the rocks we had to climb and bush we had to smack away would probably scare off most ) I would love to see reference to y'all's lower cretaceous vertebrate finds below, especially if it's from the Comanche Peak! As always, happy hunting.
  22. Yesterday, Pita and I found an amazing spot. We pulled into a shopping center so I could pick up some cleats (for fossil hunting steep, marly slopes), and I noticed a small patch of limestone next to the curb. We parked by it so I can poke at it for a minute or two before going in, and Pita, never one to be bored while I look at rocks, walked into the tree line nearby. A sudden noise of amazement brought me over to where she was, just a few paces away, and our jaws dropped. Below us was an incredibly massive drop, easily more than 100 feet. A creek was at the bottom, birthed on the spot by springs. This little canyon was so unexpected and hidden that you would have no idea it's there until you're on top of it, like we found ourselves then. We wanted to find our way down, so we bushwhacked for a while, snuck around some questionable tents in the woods, and after ample muck, green briar, and frigid cold, we were met with the face. Huge walls of untouched comanche peak limestone, from the upper albian stage of the Cretaceous period. Neither of us were prepared for a fossil hunt, so we just had the day clothes we were going to go shopping in. I had to wrap myself in a blanket from the car to stay warm. The comanche peak formation is known for echinoids, namely Heteraster, Phymosoma, and Tetragramma or Leptosalenia if you're lucky. It's also rife with bivalves and gastropods, and sometime the ammonite Oxytropidoceras. Unlike the Glen Rose below it and Walnut + Edwards formation that bound it, I have never heard of vertebrate material being found in the Comanche Peak fm. A search here on the forum also yielded no results, so I thought it fit to make this trip report to document what seems to be a rare occurrence, because vertebrate material we found (humble as it may be). The first "keeper" find was actually a Pycnodont tooth, found in a rich pocket of Gryphaea oysters. (Below) I also found some of the usual keepers more characteristic of the comanche peak, including the Phymosoma below and a few Heteraster specimens below. Phymosoma One of a few Heteraster Big (Tapes?) bivalve The most surprising find of the day came near the end, when Pita spotted a shark vertebra in the limestone above. It was high up, so pardon the blurry photo. And so concluded a pleasant, athletic visit to the Comanche Peak formation, at a spot brand new to me (and to I think anyone... I seriously doubt this spot will get found, and it it's found, the physical exertion to access it through all the rocks we had to climb and bush we had to smack away would probably scare off most ) I would love to see reference to y'all's lower cretaceous vertebrate finds below, especially if it's from the Comanche Peak! As always, happy hunting.
  23. On Wednesday, I got a text from @LSCHNELLE of an incredible discovery he made. I rushed off with in a multiple hour drive to assist his dig, ultimately spending two days working together on his find until we were both exhausted. He'll tell that epic, still unfolding story when he's ready The last day of that dig though, I made it home well into the night, looking like a swamp monster covered in plaster and mud. I took a brief shower, woke up the next morning bright and early with plaster still in my hair, and loaded the car buzzing with energy. Pita and I were to drive out west to see the solar eclipse, putting ourselves right in it's path. The Texas hill country can be a wild place- broad swathes of limestone canyonlands and valleys, full of interesting extant wildlife and millions of years of early Cretaceous gems. It was a beautiful way to see a rare astronomical event. Some phone pics of the event below. The blacked-out photos are how the eclipse appeared through the special eclipse glasses (essentially pieces of X-ray paper in a frame) Dung beetles were rolling horse manure everywhere we went Herpetofauna of course. Usually while I'm hunting, Pita frolicks about looking for local herps On the way back home the next day I spotted a roadcut that I was willing to try. I've tried small roadcuts a couple times before, and I've always been skunked. We hoped our odds would be different. Mapped as upper-glen rose limestone, I didn't have high hopes, since I knew the really productive Glen rose member was the lower unit. Little did I know I was actually about to embark on a sea urchin bonanza of my wildest dreams. From nearly off the bat, Loriola? showed up in force: Other fossils showed up as well, such as this: Algal fruiting body? There were also some larger Tetragramma bits lying around here and there Early on, I saw a beautiful complete Coenholectypus gracing the exposure too. This will be a nice prep project: at home: So, a good show from the upper glen rose, a lovely weekend of solar eclipses, rolling hills, unusual animals and amazing fossils concluded! Wishing y'all good times in the field, Jared
  24. Holidays in Charente Maritime France 2023.The Pointe du Chay with my friend Alexandre, (a real local expert!) to guide me first hunt in the pointe du Chay.
×
×
  • Create New...