Jackson g Posted March 4, 2020 Share Posted March 4, 2020 The sun is exposed, snows melting, and many a birds chirping means it's nice enough to go scope out some Missouri Mississippian limestone! With the randomness of the weather this state gets, this is the first chance this year I've had to return to one of my favorite spots. This is one of many Burlington Formation exposures in Missouri. There are spots where the limestone consists of almost entirely crinoidal bits and pieces! Being the picky man I am, I mainly collect and prepare calyxs and brachs. Crinoids are king here, and will be by far the most common critter. They dominated the early shallow sea Missouri once was covered by. Its cool to see how many crinoidal bits some rock has just weathering away. There is about a good 12-16 feet (guesstimate) of the limestone currently exposed, much of remains underwater still. Eventually as time takes it toll, more pieces will weather, crumble, and eventually roll down hill. This area is constantly going above and under water. There is really no reliable time to hunt this spot, unless you know when water levels are low in the area. Rarely, one may find a nice crinoid calyx among the countless stems and other crinoid pieces. Usually they are pretty weathered like this one if they don't require any prep. Many of the calyxs found are just pieces, distorted, or crushed. It usually takes my eyes a hour or so before I can recognize calyxs quickly. I thought this chunk was cool. Its a heavily weathered calyx, with a small chunk of the stem at the base. I was shirtless today with it being the nice 60 degree weather. Seems Mr. Snake was enjoying it as well. That's all of the photos I got to take out at the lake. Finds coming soon when I'm home to take better pictures. I've only got a 30 minute drive from home, so here are the finds! I'll ID most of what I found later when I'm home with literature. I found a nice assortment of crinoidal calyxs, cups, plates, stems, and a few spines. Everything in the upper portion of the photo needs cleaned with some scribe/ abbrasive work. The rest should look good after I clean them with a pick, toothbrush, and warm soapy water. I also managed to pick up a nice rugose coral, a blastoid, a bryozoan, and a few brachiopods as well. March 3, 2020. My favorite find of the day And for those of you who like minerals, I found some nice calcite crystal as well. My favorite the honey color calcite Thanks for reading. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted March 4, 2020 Share Posted March 4, 2020 hog nose snake? Nice calyx, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted March 4, 2020 Share Posted March 4, 2020 Nerodia sp., possibly a Northern Watersnake. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackson g Posted March 4, 2020 Author Share Posted March 4, 2020 5 minutes ago, Al Dente said: Nerodia sp., possibly a Northern Watersnake. Yes indeed. May not be venomous, but I keep my distance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Amateur Paleontologist Posted March 4, 2020 Share Posted March 4, 2020 Very nice haul! Opalised fossils are the best: a wonderful mix between paleontology and mineralogy! Q. Where do dinosaurs study? A. At Khaan Academy!... My ResearchGate profile Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nimravis Posted March 4, 2020 Share Posted March 4, 2020 Nice finds- the snake has cloudy eyes, looks like it is about to molt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidgy's Dad Posted March 4, 2020 Share Posted March 4, 2020 Nice finds, very nice crinoids especially. Life's Good! Tortoise Friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goatinformationist Posted March 5, 2020 Share Posted March 5, 2020 What a great collection from this site. Love the calcite too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monica Posted March 5, 2020 Share Posted March 5, 2020 Nice crinoid calyces - I'd love to find one of those in my area! Congrats! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamalama Posted March 5, 2020 Share Posted March 5, 2020 Great finds! No real Mississippian exposures here in the NE so I'm jealous of your esposures. -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...
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