FranzBernhard Posted November 22, 2019 Share Posted November 22, 2019 400 Million years in 4 hours The small-scale geology of Austria makes it possible to observe and collect invertebrate marine fossils from a time span of nearly 400 Million years (Ma) within a few hours and at a distance of only about 10 km: - 395 Ma old Devonian (Eifelian) corals - Ölberg - 80 Ma old Cretaceous (Campanian) rudists – St. Bartholomä - 12 Ma old Miocene (Serravallian/Sarmatian) gastropods - Waldhof I did this special hunting trip west of Graz at October 22, 2019 as a "feasibility study". The youngest and oldest fossils can simply be picked from the ground (or photographed); the “middle-agers” require some searching; I succeeded to find a few good specimens within one hour. Weather was perfect with nearly 25°C (!). Simplified geological map of Styria with the visited area west of Graz (red rectangle). Geological map of the visited area (1:50.000), composed of two adjoining map sheets. Red numbers denote visited fossil sites (and their age in Million years). Note the fossil sign in the blue formation in the upper middle of the map. This is the upper Devonian Steinberg-formation with goniatites. These fossils are not abundant, though, so I have never explored this hill… Topo map of the area. Red numbers denote fossil sites, A and B are sites of landscape pics. Just to show off some landscape: View from point “A” in Steinberg towards west. K = Kreuzegg mountain (570 m, Campanian St. Bartholomä-formation) at a distance of ca. 5 km. A = Plateau-like Amering mountain (2187 m, high-grade metamorphic rocks) at a distance of ca. 40 km. View from point “B” at Kreuzegg mountain towards north to southeast. Pano composed of 4 individual pics, spanning about 140°. Labeled mountains and hills in the background are: S = Schöckl (1445 m, Devonian epimetamorphic limestone) at a distance of ca. 20 km. P = Plabutsch mountain (754 m, namesake of the fossil-rich Eifelian Plabutsch-formation) and B = Buchkogel mountain (656 m), both at distance of ca. 10 km and located immediately to the west of Graz. Ölberg and Waldhof sites are between P and B, but not visible. Note the about 1000 m high, largely deforested mountains at the left side of the pano (Mühlberg, Pleschkogel etc., lower Devonian, dolomitic Flösserkogel-formation). The severe deforestation of these hills is due to a strong storm in 2008 (“Paula”). Continued... 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FranzBernhard Posted November 22, 2019 Author Share Posted November 22, 2019 This report is just to show off what you can see and find within a very short time, (mostly) only the most abundant fossils are shown. Ölberg- 395 Million years I have already presented the common fossils of the Eifelian Plabutsch-formation in these two topics: Plabutsch-formation 1 and Plabutsch-formation 2 A guide to the Ölberg site is here (external site, in German): Ölberg - Plabutsch-formation During this trip, I took just a few pics of the abundant Favosites; these are just lying around. Parking at Ölberg. Forest road with boulders of Favosites (A, at Ölberg. Large boulder “A”, entirely composed of Favosites, the most abundant fossil of the Plabutsch-formation. Size of block is about 40 cm; I placed it on this tree stump this spring... Small boulder “B”, composed of Favosites, size is about 25 cm. I took this block with me, but maybe I will bring it back… Continued... 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FranzBernhard Posted November 22, 2019 Author Share Posted November 22, 2019 Waldhof - 12 Million years I have not presented this formation before on TFF. The Rollsdorf-formation (= “Schichten von Waldhof”) is lower Sarmatian/Serravallian in age and composed of various coarse to very fine grained clastic rocks (gravel to clay). It contains a few thin coal seams (see Bk = lignite on the geo map), and some beds contain abundant fossils, mainly gastropods. I have not discovered the visited site myself, I followed a paper from 2001, and the fossils of this formation are known since 1897. I have visited the site one times before, in September 2017. For a report of this first trip, with many pics and literature, see (external site, in German): Waldhof - September 2017 It’s a typical mudflat-fauna and some papers say, the Sarmatian sea was brackisch, some papers say, it was not. However, the fauna is quite similar to the intertidal fauna around St. Josef, but about 3 Million years younger. The most abundant species are considered to be the same: Granulolabium bicinctum Terebralia bidendata Vitta picta But they do not totally look the same: These younger Granulolabium have more pronounced knobs than the older ones; and the Vitta are generally larger and are more similar to each other than the older ones around St. Josef. For comparison see: Vitta picta - St. Josef And there are also some extra, quite abundant species at Waldhof: Very small mud snails like Hydrobia and Rissoa. Enough theory! Lets go: On the way, still near the parking spot. Where is the fossil site? Again: WHERE IS THE FOSSIL SITE!!!??? Be patient, here it is, just two steps away! It’s a very, very small creek with some exposures in the creek itself and some at the banks. Some fossils were already lying there: Situation as found, you can see some Granulolabium and, a total surprise, a muricid was also waiting for me just to be picked up. These are not super-rare, but I have not found any during my last visit. A little digging in the banks with a screw driver promptly resulted in a nice matrix specimen with a Vitta picta. Height of red object is 12 cm. Recovered matrix specimens. Enough is enough! Continued... 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FranzBernhard Posted November 22, 2019 Author Share Posted November 22, 2019 Specimens from Waldhof after cleaning and minimal prep: This name is mentioned in the paper from 2001. St. Bartholomä - 80 Million years The Campanian St. Bartholomä-formation is the “hard” formation – hard to pick up good specimens. I had about 1 hour left and decided to try my luck at the spot of my very last good find east of Kalchberg: St. Bartholomä - Point 25 - 09/24/2019 I dug in the scree below the “Knödelbrekzie” for about 1 hour, as usual with bare hands. The result was quite good, I found about 5 Ok rudist specimens during that time. Dig site after 1 hour of digging. To the left the waste pile, in the middle the specimens. At the upper right the outcrop of “Knödelbrekzie” at a distance of about 2.5 m. “Rat hole” after my digging with the fossils I took with me. The best hippuritid specimen of this day. Its just a fragment, but it has exposed pillars at both ends: In conclusion, it was possibly to collect the most abundant marine fossils west of Graz (395, 80 and 15 Million years old) within a little less than 4 hours. Sure, you have to know, where to go… Thanks for all your interest and patience! Franz Bernhard 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidgy's Dad Posted November 22, 2019 Share Posted November 22, 2019 Amazing. An interesting experiment and a fruitful one. Some of the photographs are stunning. I love that huge Favosites too. 2 Life's Good! Tortoise Friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phevo Posted November 22, 2019 Share Posted November 22, 2019 Thanks for the trip report Southern Germany is amazing for it's abundancy in different Sites and ages Have you tried cutting and polishing any of those favosites? Best Regards 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuMert Posted November 22, 2019 Share Posted November 22, 2019 Nice to find 3 time periods in 10km range with such picturesque atmosphere. Fossil hunting at its finest. 1 My sites & reports Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted November 22, 2019 Share Posted November 22, 2019 Great thread! Thanks for showing us all this Franz! 1 Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FranzBernhard Posted November 23, 2019 Author Share Posted November 23, 2019 @Tidgy's Dad, @Phevo, @RuMert, @Ludwigia. Thanks so much for all your kind words and all your appreciation! Yes, I am a lucky fossil guy . 11 hours ago, Phevo said: Have you tried cutting and polishing any of those favosites? Yes. Here is one from Ölberg: You will find 3 more polished Favosites in this thread (end of page 1 and page 2), and also some other polished fossils from the Plabutsch-formation: Contrast is usually very poor, very rarely specimen get somewhat "colorfull" like this one: Franz Bernhard 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caldigger Posted November 23, 2019 Share Posted November 23, 2019 I can almost see Julie Andrews spinning around on this hilltop! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monica Posted November 23, 2019 Share Posted November 23, 2019 Nice fossils, Franz! Your gastropods are especially beautiful 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monica Posted November 23, 2019 Share Posted November 23, 2019 1 minute ago, caldigger said: I can almost see Julie Andrews spinning around on this hilltop! The hills are alive...with the sound of Franz digging for fossils 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidgy's Dad Posted November 23, 2019 Share Posted November 23, 2019 2 hours ago, caldigger said: I can almost see Julie Andrews spinning around on this hilltop! She'd better spin slowly, she is 84 after all. Life's Good! Tortoise Friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caldigger Posted November 24, 2019 Share Posted November 24, 2019 11 hours ago, Tidgy's Dad said: She'd better spin slowly, she is 84 after all. You're right, we don't want Maria breaking a hip or something! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andreas Posted November 24, 2019 Share Posted November 24, 2019 On 23.11.2019 at 1:18 PM, caldigger said: I can almost see Julie Andrews spinning around on this hilltop! Julie was spinning around on the other side of the Alps I exactly know the meadow where she did. It is near of my favorite hunting grounds on the "Mons Tuval"(name giving location for the Upper Triassic, Tuvalian stage) but I guess she never expected to dance/spinn her into a fossil forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamalama Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 Thanks for the great fossil trip report! It is very rare to be able to hit three productive sites from three different eras so close together. But then the melange of the Alps does provide opportunities. I especially like the Vitta picta gastropod as that is wonderfully decorated. I like the blue-green polished Favosites/Stromatoporid as well. 1 -Dave __________________________________________________ Geologists on the whole are inconsistent drivers. When a roadcut presents itself, they tend to lurch and weave. To them, the roadcut is a portal, a fragment of a regional story, a proscenium arch that leads their imaginations into the earth and through the surrounding terrain. - John McPheeIf I'm going to drive safely, I can't do geology. - John McPheeCheck out my Blog for more fossils I've found: http://viewsofthemahantango.blogspot.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fifbrindacier Posted November 26, 2019 Share Posted November 26, 2019 On 22/11/2019 at 3:46 PM, FranzBernhard said: Specimens from Waldhof after cleaning and minimal prep: This name is mentioned in the paper from 2001. St. Bartholomä - 80 Million years The Campanian St. Bartholomä-formation is the “hard” formation – hard to pick up good specimens. I had about 1 hour left and decided to try my luck at the spot of my very last good find east of Kalchberg: St. Bartholomä - Point 25 - 09/24/2019 I dug in the scree below the “Knödelbrekzie” for about 1 hour, as usual with bare hands. The result was quite good, I found about 5 Ok rudist specimens during that time. Dig site after 1 hour of digging. To the left the waste pile, in the middle the specimens. At the upper right the outcrop of “Knödelbrekzie” at a distance of about 2.5 m. “Rat hole” after my digging with the fossils I took with me. The best hippuritid specimen of this day. Its just a fragment, but it has exposed pillars at both ends: In conclusion, it was possibly to collect the most abundant marine fossils west of Graz (395, 80 and 15 Million years old) within a little less than 4 hours. Sure, you have to know, where to go… Thanks for all your interest and patience! Franz Bernhard I love those gastropods 2 "On ne voit bien que par le coeur, l'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux." (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry) "We only well see with the heart, the essential is invisible for the eyes." In memory of Doren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fifbrindacier Posted November 26, 2019 Share Posted November 26, 2019 On 23/11/2019 at 7:48 AM, FranzBernhard said: @Tidgy's Dad, @Phevo, @RuMert, @Ludwigia. Thanks so much for all your kind words and all your appreciation! Yes, I am a lucky fossil guy . Yes. Here is one from Ölberg: You will find 3 more polished Favosites in this thread (end of page 1 and page 2), and also some other polished fossils from the Plabutsch-formation: Contrast is usually very poor, very rarely specimen get somewhat "colorfull" like this one: Franz Bernhard Nice colors ! 1 "On ne voit bien que par le coeur, l'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux." (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry) "We only well see with the heart, the essential is invisible for the eyes." In memory of Doren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FranzBernhard Posted November 26, 2019 Author Share Posted November 26, 2019 @Monica, @Shamalama, @fifbrindacier, thank you very much for all your kind words. Yes, I knew it, there are some gastropod-lovers out there . Franz Bernhard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Tahan Posted November 27, 2019 Share Posted November 27, 2019 Love your posts franz. So thorough. I should really get my exploration groove going again...maybe one more trip before winter takes permanent hold. I get inspired by your quality research and results 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted November 27, 2019 Share Posted November 27, 2019 What a fun trip. Thanks for taking us along. I love the colors preserved in some of the gastropods. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FranzBernhard Posted December 6, 2019 Author Share Posted December 6, 2019 On 27.11.2019 at 12:08 PM, Al Tahan said: Love your posts franz. So thorough. Thanks for your kind words! On 27.11.2019 at 12:08 PM, Al Tahan said: maybe one more trip before winter takes permanent hold. Yeah, I am eagerly waiting for your next trip report. So different to my hunting and I am always learning something new from your trips. On 27.11.2019 at 6:37 PM, jpc said: I love the colors preserved in some of the gastropods. Ah, another gastropod lover . Thanks also for your kind words! Franz Bernhard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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