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Unknown Rare New York Trilobite Pygidium Undescribed??? Lichid?


Kurufossils

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Today on a hunt I found on of the most unusual trilobite pygidiums I've ever seen from new york and cannot find anything out there to compare it to. Unfortunately the site is imported material from an unknown quarry upstate so all I do know is that its from the Devonian of New York based on other material found there, unfortunately I cannot attach a formation to this one. Also its also fragile and a very partial piece thats unpreped, I think its a ventral display. This maybe a head scratcher so maybe the trilobite experts here can help weigh in on what this can possibly be.

Screenshot_20200510-232255_Gallery.jpg

Screenshot_20200510-232139_Gallery.jpg

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Heres a terrible but general sketch of the shape of the pygidium seen here, unable to find a comparison from new york myself.

20200510_234437.jpg

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I would like to see some light abrasion on this piece to reveal more. It does seem to share a similarity with the pygidium of at least two Silurian lichids. Are these covered in fine tubercles/pustules? And just to rule out the Silurian, what other fossils appeared with this piece that are distinctly Devonian? I'm somewhat skeptical of this being ventral as I would expect to see striations of the pygidial doublure. 

...How to Philosophize with a Hammer

 

 

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@Kane I wish I was able to do some myself but a hearing condition prevents me from doing any sort of prep like that unfortunately. Yeah, I'll try to zoom in and get better pictures of those but its tough with my phone but they are there. Also heres a phacops that was also found there and also heres a particular sponge found there that supposedly only preserves in a specific formation I was once told a long time ago, I wish I remembered the name cause it would help but maybe this or the other trilobite can help narrow things down. If needed I can post brachiopods and other material from there as well.

20200511_080842.jpg

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20200511_080822.jpg

20200511_080811.jpg

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Too bad you didn't live closer, or else I could offer to clean that one up a bit. :( 

This one is going to bug me! So far, I can wager a guess that these may be lower Devonian rocks on account of that phacopid, and that there is nothing I can readily compare in the Middle Devonian with that initial piece. Every piece of lichid is worthy of keeping and investigating! 

 

Just so we can get another pair of eyes clapped on this, I'll tag @GerryK, as this would be his "backyard." 

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...How to Philosophize with a Hammer

 

 

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The sponge looks like Hindia which is very abundant in the Lower Devonian Helderberg Group.

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@Kane I wish that would be nice, it sucks anything I find has to remain unprepared for the most part :( Yeah I've never come across any other lichids I could think of, I've seen a couple weird pygidiums I cannot compare there and but this was the first that was remotely extractable one and one of the strangest. 

 

Thanks I've been very unsure if this material was middle or lower devonian if devonian at all, its great to have an idea of the age now at least. 

 

Btw there maybe a very tiny small segment of the head/misc segment of  this or another one possibly on this piece, but I just can't get any clear photos with my phone. I'll try to see the best one I can get and attach it.

20200511_091935.jpg

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The little bumps and the black exoskeleton in this last picture makes this very, very similar to the Terataspis fragments I've found in the Bois Blanc Fm. I'm not saying it is a Terry, but it's a possibility to keep on the table for now!

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...How to Philosophize with a Hammer

 

 

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@Kane Wow if so that would be extremely ironic considering I was just talking to a friend last night about Terataspis and how you never see it, I'd lose my mind if so!

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:fingerscrossed:

I'm hoping it is! You'd be part of a very small and exclusive club!

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...How to Philosophize with a Hammer

 

 

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1 hour ago, Kane said:

:fingerscrossed:

I'm hoping it is! You'd be part of a very small and exclusive club!

 @Kane That would be incredible! Btw heres some pics of something else that could also be another interesting trilobite partial if it sheds any light 

Screenshot_20200511-133204_Magnifier.jpg

Screenshot_20200511-133228_Gallery.jpg

Screenshot_20200511-133208_Magnifier.jpg

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@Kane I think you maybe on to something now that I have the more or less age and this. do better comparisons I'm looking through my older material and found this.

 

Screenshot_20200511-135913_Gallery.jpg Screenshot_20200511-135918_Gallery.jpgScreenshot_20200511-135902_Magnifier.jpg

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Welcome to the club! 

:yay-smiley-1:

Unless one of our trilo experts has any objections, I daresay you have a Terataspis grandis glabella! I'm actually working on one now. 

IMG_7861.JPG

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...How to Philosophize with a Hammer

 

 

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39 minutes ago, Kane said:

Welcome to the club! :yay-smiley-1:Unless one of our trilo experts has any objections, I daresay you have a Terataspis grandis glabella! I'm actually working on one now. 

IMG_7861.JPG

I'll brb and have a quick heart attack, I've had a bunch of pieces all this time and finding more looking through old stuff  :DOH:

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@Kane thats a beautiful specimen wow! I think I've calmed down a bit haha, I'm just praying this piece isn't a worn one or I may have a second heart attack.

Screenshot_20200511-144559_Gallery.jpg   Screenshot_20200511-144555_Gallery.jpg

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Hard to say! When I brought home a 5 gallon bucket of parts, the more I scribed and abraded, the more I found. When I was in the field, I was certain of having found three glabella, which then turned out to be maybe five. Some pieces that looked smaller turned out to just keep going. 

 

Wherever you're pulling this material, get more! Any trace of black might mean a fragment. Any sort of pustule could also mean the same thing. 

 

I know I'm chomping at the bit to go back to my spot, but I need to wait for someone who has time and wheels!

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...How to Philosophize with a Hammer

 

 

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15 hours ago, Ryann10006 said:

Today on a hunt I found on of the most unusual trilobite pygidiums I've ever seen from new york and cannot find anything out there to compare it to. Unfortunately the site is imported material from an unknown quarry upstate so all I do know is that its from the Devonian of New York based on other material found there, unfortunately I cannot attach a formation to this one. Also its also fragile and a very partial piece thats unpreped, I think its a ventral display. This maybe a head scratcher so maybe the trilobite experts here can help weigh in on what this can possibly be.

Screenshot_20200510-232255_Gallery.jpg

Screenshot_20200510-232139_Gallery.jpg

My best guess is that you have a pygidiun of a Lower Devonian Odontochile. I've overlaid your specimen on top of a pygidium I collected and the match looks good.

Odonto-1.jpg

Odonto-2.jpg

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@Kane Man now I really wish I wish prep these, but I'm stoked with whatever I can find. Going back asap, but I certainly still have to check more of what I already have but I'm sure I passed over plenty more pieces. Same here todays one of the rare days I dont have wheels, my friend will beat me back first cause hes on his way now haha but I have the better eyes lol.

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@GerryK I see that definitely matches, I think now that I see this comparison I have similar pieces I can take out an examine. I'll post them here if they could possibly shed some more light.

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Just don't tell your friend what the black bits are! 

And if the pygidium you found is from the same material, it looks like you can add Odontochile to the list of surprises. 

If you find a few more intact pieces, it might be worth reaching out to someone to have them professionally prepared. 

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...How to Philosophize with a Hammer

 

 

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@Kane I cleaned the spot pretty well myself so it'll make his job more difficult at least haha. That's cool, idk if I'll ever find anything intact but who knows I'm even happy with the partials. 

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