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Found 24 results

  1. HI all, I found this while searching the Bond Formation Pennsylvanian road cut in Oglesby, Illinois. Any Ideas? Also, Here is a bonus pic of a Peripristis semicircularis I am prepping out. There are a few fossils I am working on right now, but I plan to make a post of my trip once things are cleaned up. Thanks for looking!
  2. Hey guys! It’s been a long time since I’ve been active on the Forum, but I have an exciting update - I just published my first paleontology paper on Christmas Eve! It’s a short paper documenting two shark species that are previously unreported from the LaSalle Limestone of northern Illinois (you guys may know it as the Oglesby roadcut!), Heslerodus divergens and Ossianodus sp. I’ve added the pdf of the paper here and here’s a link to it as well. Thanks to everyone here that helped give info about the site, especially @deutscheben! Gieser_et_al_2023_Kentiana_5.pdf ***Calling all LaSalle Limestone/Oglesby roadcut fossil hunters!*** If you have collected any shark or fish material from the Oglesby roadcut and would be willing to contribute to science and the growing knowledge of the (severely understudied) Paleozoic vertebrate diversity of Illinois, please contact me! Hobbyist fossil collectors have made some of the best finds in paleontology, and I would love to see what you all have collected from the site. This area’s fish diversity is much higher than is currently known to science and I would like to work on documenting it. Thanks! Email - rgieser2_AT_illinois.edu or you can just contact me on this site as well
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. At long last, I've found it! The near holy grail of Ctenacanthiform fossils!! I have been a bit perplexed at the small Ctenacanthiform tooth myself and @Tales From the Shale found on February 18th at a Bond Formation rock formation. dating to around 300 Million Years ago in Oglesby, Illinois. The tooth specimen is only 8mm in length and I almost overlooked it until I put it under a microscope and dissecting scope. I initially thought it was Gilkmanius. But the medial cusp of the tooth is too narrow and curved to be Gilkmanius. I also thought it could be Heslerodus, but the tooth didn't exactly match the shape of Heslerodus teeth. Last week I checked with my old college Geology Professor (an experienced fossil hunter of the Mazon Creek area) and emailed scientists from the American Museum of Natural History, New York and the University of Chicago, Illinois about what genus the specimen belongs. The following ID the scientists said was a reasonable assertion and my Geology Professor was in no doubt of it...It is an actual SAIVODUS STRIATUS TOOTH!!! The dead give away for the ID was apparently the Sigmoidal profile on the side of the tooth! This is the first truly confirmed record of Saivodus striatus from the Bond Formation that I'm aware of!!
  6. 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.
  7. Joseph Fossil

    Trip to Oglesby 2/18/2023

    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.
  8. I am planning a visit to the Oglesby site over the next few weeks. This will be my first trip where fossils aren't already eroded out of their matrix. Does anyone have any advice for me? Should I spend time attempting to break rock on site, or try to observe fossils already exposed? Are there any concerns with bringing tools to sites like this? Hammering rocks doesn't quite feel like surface collecting, and I would very much like to avoid getting into any trouble with any authorities. Let me know your thoughts. Im excited to give this a shot and will post any of my finds!
  9. I've visited the Pennsylvanian Bond formation in Oglesby Illinois a few times but have only found a few cladodont teeth so far! I find a decent bit of teeth from crusher plate chondrichyans like Deltodus, but I've also heard there have been some large cladodont teeth found in the area. I'm just curious what is the largest cladodont teeth found in Oglesby Illinois?
  10. During my trip to a Bond Formation Rock formation in Oglesby, Illinois on October 8th, 2022, one of the limestone blocks I found had a small reddish fossil sticking out on the side of the rock. It was about 2mm in length so pretty small. I thought it was interesting so I brought it back with the rest of the fossils collected that day. There was not a lot of room in my garage for the block so I put it outside on a supply bin for a while. The next couple of days, It rained ALOT. One day I remembered that the calcite in limestone dissolves in rain, so I went out that night to check on what could be revealed. I was pleasantly surprised at what I found! The rain had exposed more of the fossil to the surface. I believe it's a Chondrichthyan tooth or a piece of a brachiopod, but I'm not 100% sure so I was wondering anyone could give a proper ID for the specimen?
  11. The Lone Star Quarry in Oglesby, Illinois is now part of the adjacent Starved Rock and Matthiessen Park. A Fossil Park for Illinois by Roy Plotnick https://medium.com/@plotnick/a-fossil-park-for-illinois-4c2cb44af2e9 Matthiessen — and Starved Rock — just got a lot bigger (VIDEO) DNR increases parks by 55 percent after $11 million deal with cement company By Tom Collins http://www.newstrib.com/free/matthiessen-and-starved-rock-just-got-a-lot-bigger-video/article_203e37f8-d89a-11e8-9a7e-e72ef52ec0d6.html A web page about other fossil parks: Fossil Parks, myFossil https://www.myfossil.org/fossil-parks/ Yours, Paul H.
  12. Joseph Fossil

    Oglesby Fossil ID Part 3

    Not too long ago, I went fossil hunting with @Tales From the Shale and another friend at a Pennsylvanian roadcut in Oglesby, Illinois. We found a truly epic amount of fossils and I'm only now categorizing and trying to properly ID them. Here are a few I'm wondering if anyone would be able to ID? Some of the brachiopods I found there. This next one I am completely baffled as to what it could be? Maybe some part of a straight shelled nautiloid? I'm pretty sure this next one is a Chondrichthyan, but unsure on genus ID. Unknown Brachiopod about the size of a penny. Possible crusher plate about 2 mm. In length! Species ID unknown. Larger unknown brachipods. Possible penny sized worm imprints.
  13. Joseph Fossil

    Trip to Oglesby 10/08/2022

    A few 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. We worked for at least 5 to 6 hours, but it was worth it! This was one of the best fossil hauls I've had in a long time at that location! The true gem of that trip was this Cladodont tooth I discovered by sheer accident!!! The specimen may come from the Shark Gilkmanius, but I'm not too sure? The top part of the tooth might still be inside the rock. I found some of the largest crinoid stems I've ever recovered from this locality. Again, I'm not sure their genus identity?
  14. Tales From the Shale

    Oglesby 10/08/22

    This Saturday I went over to Oglesby again joined this time by fellow user @Joseph Fossil. We hunted for about six hours straight, the trip being the most productive I've had here. I showed him and his friend what to look for when searching for Chondricthyan teeth. Joe collected 2 Cladodont teeth, and we both walked out with two partial Petalodus specimens. Here's a very complete Echinaria. Neospirifir dunbari, they'll look nice when prepped and put back together. An Antiquatonia portlockianus Linoproductus cora A pair of Parajuresania nebrascensis Composita argentia: A few of these I found had their brachidiums intact. Chonetina flemingi: Found this by mistake while washing material at home. Petalodus ohioensis: Long have I searched for this fish, and here it is. Wilkingia terminalis: easily my favorite find from this location. It's like an ancient razor clam analogue. Always a pleasure to hunt with fellow forum members. Having the company can make the long drives not feel as so. He and I have made arrangements to hunt more of his homestate in the future. Edit: Images added for clarity on the *tooth* pictured below. Found in some rubble, within the shale layer of the locality. Some form of texture is visible from the top of the piece. Top down: From the side: Upside down + a brachiopod for comparison: It appears to be flat, with some depth in its shape taking the form of ridges on the face. There are what appear to be some form of serrations on the *top* end of the structure as pointed out above.
  15. Tales From the Shale

    Oglesby Highlights

    It's been a busy summer out here in Wisconsin, but fortunately I was able to make multiple trips out to Oglesby in Illinois. Here were some of the top finds. Perepristis semicircularis, found on my second trip. The chip on the top was from my unlucky Dremel stroke. The white dots on the left are not damage, but tooth coloration. My first and only connularid, of unknown affinity. I'm pleased to have this despite it being fragmentary. What I believe to be an ameura trilobite pygidium, nicely preserved. Composita argentia found a ton of these, but this rock contained a nice presentation of them. This nice complete large brachiopod. I'd give a name, but I've seen it called like three different names in other posts, so I'm not sure myself. A nice whole neospirifer, mostly whole anyways. Lastly something I wanted to show, it almost looks like a younger smaller version of those giant brachiopods like from image five. I have about 50 pounds of rock from Oglesby now, and most of that has yet to prepped, which my family is really happy about seeing in the garage I assure you.
  16. Tales From the Shale

    Oglesby Tooth?

    Found this in the Oglesby roadcut yesterday. Age: Pennsylvanian Formation: Bond I only partially revealed the object, it was much smaller initially.
  17. Tales From the Shale

    Oglesby Roadcut

    Went to Oglesby Illinois to explore a well known site last weekend. Took me awhile to partially scrub and organize these individual specimens. Some Composita brachiopods? Can't remember for sure. My favorite find (looks better in person) someone must have tried to bash it out of the rock, as it has damage from a hammer, when I had found it in the matrix. I think its a Neospirifer, and quite large at that. Shame it has that shell damage but still great regardless. And then finally these very common brachiopods named Echinoconchus. By far the largest brachiopods I've ever found, that last one was so large I was having difficulty framing it on the grid paper. The site is very overgrown there are a monstrous amount of insects, but I did just fine with bugspray and a dream. I also went after a rainstorm, the wet ground made it much easier to spot brachiopods around the area. A few more Neospirifers.
  18. 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
  19. Tales From the Shale

    Oglesby Trip

    Does anyone know of the specific location of roadcuts in Oglesby Illinois? I heard of a large productive one, but haven't been able to locate it specifically. Thanks
  20. On Sunday I took trip to a roadcut that I like to collect. This roadcut, about 75 minutes from my house exposes the Pennsylvanian LaSalle Member of the Bond Formation. I have been to this site numerous times, as have @deutscheben and @connorp. If you search using the word “Oglesby”, you will find numerous posts with some great stuff that comes out of this roadcut. Well back to the post. On Sunday the site still had too much snow cover to try and collect at this location, so I left. So today I had a choice, go to the Mazon Creek area since it was the official opening day for the collecting season or head out to Oglesby. I choose Oglesby and I was the only person there. I spent a few hour searching, cracking and collecting at the site. Found the usual suspects in brachiopods, collected some, left most for others. Found a slab of rock that had fallen off of the head wall a few years ago, but this thing I decided to break it up. I found numerous, what I believe are shark teeth, some I know for sure, others not too positive. Unfortunately, nothing was complete. If I would have broke it up a couple years ago, the biggest one might have been intact and complete, but who knows. Here are a couple pics the the site. Here are some pictures of fossils, as stated previously, I did not collect all of these.
  21. minnbuckeye

    Fun in Oglesby.

    Late August found me traveling to Mazon Creek for a wonderful hunt. See @RandyB's topic, Mazon Creek 8-28-21. The trip allowed a little free time to slip off and explore the road cut in Oglesby, Illinois. This is a very fossiliferous exposure and was enjoyable to explore. The fact I found shark teeth and crinoids makes me think this was a combination of Pennsylvanian La Salle Limestone unit 3 and unit 4. Even though my poor photos do not show it well, the brachiopods are very nice. But unfortunately, identification has been difficult. For those of you, like me, who enjoy geodized fossils, this formation is a great site to visit. Other brachiopods that I couldn't definitively identify. #1 #2 #3 #4 #5
  22. After seeing @connorp Fossil of the month entry that came from this location, I decided to stop out at this roadcut for a couple hours today. The weather was perfect, high 70’s and like almost every other trip, I had the place to myself. This cut exposes the Pennsylvanian LaSalle Limestone Member of the Bond Formation and never disappoints, that is if you are looking for brachiopods. Unfortunately, this time I did not find and shark teeth, like I did on my last two recent trips. I did find one of my largest Echinoconchus brachiopods that I have ever found. The other usual suspects were also found- Wilkingia terminalis Bivalve, and the following other brachiopods- Lindoproductus cora, Antiquatonia portlockiana, Composita argentia and Neospirifer, an inarticulate brachiopod. I also found a few pieces with nice crystallization.
  23. When I woke up this morning I look outside and saw that it was going to be a nice day in the low 40's and I decided to go out and do a little collecting before it gets really cold and the snow shuts everything down. So i figured why not do the 130 mile round trip to Oglesby, Illinois and collect a nice road cut that I have been to several times that exposes the Pennsylvanian LaSalle Limestone member of the Bond Formation. As with all of the other times that I visited, I was the only one at the site. I only spent about 1 1/2 hours here looking around. I did not collect a lot of fossils, but did pick up a few. If you like brachiopod hash plates, you can find some nice ones just sitting there waiting for someone to pick them up. You do not many weathered out fossils at this site since most of the rockfall is recent, but you can find Composita argentia laying around sometimes- these cool brachiopods pop out of that matrix when struck by a hammer or in natural falls. Here are some pics of the area, hash plates and some small pieces that I collected in the field. Fossils in the head wall- Fossils in the field- Part and Counterpart- Here are some of the pieces that I collected and photographed with a photo cube- Inarticulate Brachiopod- PeltalodusTooth portion- Unknown- Inarticulate brachiopod ? Composita argentia- More to follow-
  24. 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!
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