Rediscovering New York: Ordovician Adventures

[Al Tahan]

Hey everyone,
 

Haven’t posted much about my recent activities so this is a summary of a few things I’ve been up to the past month or so. I had a lot of goals in 2020 with regards to exploring more of the Ordovician rocks in New York. I am very interested in the Ordovician due to the formations and groups represented. The Trenton group, Lorraine group (has whetstone gulf fm and Pulaski fm) have been of great interest to me because I live in Central New York and these rocks are actually very close to me. Last year I did some exploring and it worked out pretty well. I found a great fishing stream with the Pulaski and whetstone exposed. I also found some exposures of Utica shale that I know are promising. I was also able to get permission from a land owner In November to visit a location with the Trenton exposed but I wasn’t able to actually go there till this year. 

 

I am going to share my experience with 2 different rock groups I visited recently on several different field days in April and May. The Trenton group and the Lorraine group. 

 

1. Lorraine group, Whetstone gulf exposures northwestern New York 
2. Beechers beds. Lorraine group, Frankfort shale
3. Trenton group exposure. Recent permission. 

 

 

The Whetstone gulf formation is probably familiar to many people who are obsessed with New York trilobites, especially the pyritized trilobites. Other than pyritized Triarthrus some may not know about the other fauna found in the Whetstone. Also...nobody is really looking either. Reasons being difficulties getting to the exposures, proximity to state parks and state forests, nobody lives near there so travel is required, private property issues, and LOTS of walking is required. North of Rome, New York around the northern and eastern edges of the tug hill plateau are several enormous gorges with breathtaking exposures. Depending on how ambitious you want to be there seems to be plenty of exposure to see. 

 

The whetstone has been regarded as an impossibility complex system with 100s, even 1000s of faunal zones (perhaps a hyperbole or the musings of a frustrated paleontologist!). The fossils that have been found in the whetstone aren’t Fully documented and more work is needed. There are Eurypterids (parts only, super rare) and rare trilobites that have been recorded to be found that are not easy to find information about today. It’s like chasing a ghost trying to even find photos of these fossils. 

 

Rudolf Ruedemann wrote a magnificent publication on the Utica and Lorraine formations of New York (1925). Since then his work remains, to me, the best source regarding these formations. 
 

Here is a few plates from that. Interesting stuff. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

Some of the names have changed...

Last year I found a calymenid pygidium in some Pulaski formation “drift”. I didn’t hike far enough to reach the whetstone that day so “seeing” the whetstone and exploring is a 2020 goal. 
 

Some of the possibilities.....I didn’t find these. These are just examples of a few nice arthropods from the Whetstone. 

A complete Homotelus stegops from the Whetstone gulf formation. I guess these are very rare
 

A legitimate specimen of some Eurypterid body segments. Whetstone material. Exceedingly rare.
 

Continued.....

[Al Tahan]

Possibilities continued....

I didn’t find this. I got this picture from a website that sells fossils. 

This is also Whetstone material. Cryptolithis is a really bizzare trilobite!! Also pretty rare. 
 

Continued.....onto my actual excursions

[Al Tahan]

On May 2nd 2020 I went to Washington county park and the toutman gulf nature trail near Lorraine, New York

 

Both locations are public access and parks so you cannot dig for fossils there. If I saw something on the surface I would have grabbed it but I really didn’t see anything. I also didn’t see much in exposures I got up close to. 

 

I did a lot of walking....a lot. Amazing views, not many fossils around. Occasional fragments, no arthropods. 
 

 

 

 

The whetstone is a tough one.....these fossil horizons are isolated. It’s a whole lotta nothing in most places it seems. Tom Whiteley did some work on the whetstone and I guess there are some faunal zones around. I love the unknown....discovery awaits. I’m not done with the whetstone. Just getting started actually

 

 

Update: I wrote this trip report before my most recent trip searching the whetstone gulf formation. I will do an update at the end of this or in a separate post. I won’t digress. 
 

Up next a quick trip to Beechers beds...

[Al Tahan]

Speaking of whetstone I did get to collect at the famed Beechers beds. The owner did a few of these pay to dig scenarios but there are limits on how many digs take place a year. It’s definitely not for everyone....digging is required. It is well documented on the Internet that it is in Oneida county so that’s all I will say. There has been reported poaching in the past...very unfortunate. 
 

 

This image above is from Ruedemanns 1925 publication. This demonstrates nicely what seems to be going on in the black river valley and Utica basin aka Mohawk valley. Notice the Frankfort is thickest in the Utica basin and thins towards the north west (black river valley) and south east (lower Mohawk) 

 

Beechers location is actually considered Frankfort while the so called “Martin quarry” is whetstone. This information is demonstrated nicely in the stratigraphic sections above and it’s also discussed a lot in the “beyond Beechers” Publication on the pyritized Triarthrus....graptolites place these deposits in the same geologic time (caradocian age). Again.....the Lorraine group is very complex and not really 100% sorted out. Geologic maps place the location of beechers right near the boundary of the Utica shale and whetstone gulf.....chew on that. The Frankfort fm is only found on geologic maps south of Utica...keep chewing lol. I have visited 2 Frankfort fm locations and it’s a very very barren brown silty shale with some mudstone looking layers as well....very monotonous sequence with little variation. Ruedemanns observations of the Frankfort seem to match what I have observed. Clearly there is a mistake somewhere. Im guessing the geologic maps should have a thin band of Frankfort in the area of beechers. I assume the Frankfort is thin beechers and it’s depositional environment/location is different enough to produce the dark grey/black shale seen there. Basically the Frankfort south of Utica was prolly more “nearshore” than similar age deposits to the northwest that produced the darker shale sequences. 

 

Ok enough ramble about stratigraphy. Here are a few pictures. 
 

Basic photo of stratigraphy. This is the only photo of the site I feel comfortable posting. It’s really neat stuff. 
 

Continued.....

[Al Tahan]

Specimen 1.5 cm in length. Sorry no scale! 

specimen Just under 1cm in length. 

I found these 2 complete Triarthrus eatoni trilobites while working down the section to reach the beechers bed. Sometimes they are pyritized outside the famed beechers bed and sometimes they are not. I am really a fan of these because now I will have examples of different preservation from that locality. 

 

pyritized trilobites!

These are the only good pics of got of some good bugs. I’ll share their final prep later in the year once they are done. 

 

It was a great Ordovician experience being there. So much history and so many amazing trilobites! I’m really interested in this slice of time in New York. It seems like there is more to discover in the whetstone and that’s an attractive thought. I’ll be playing with this formation a lot more in 2020. 

 

 

Next is the Trenton group locale...

[grandpa]

  Boy it sure is good to get out (virtually) hunting again.  Thanks Al, and keep it coming!

[Al Tahan]

Ok so I got lucky. Sometimes you have to go fishing for luck to get lucky if you know what I mean? If you don’t try you won’t get your big break right? That’s sorta the case with this middle Ordovician location In herkimer county that I got permission to go to and collect. I got extremely lucky and actually found out who the owner with some clever usage of a phone app and then google....then some calls...then more calls....and finally...being as polite as humanly possibly....speaking to the owner of the land and getting permission to collect at the stream. 

 

Not only is this place great for paleontology it’s also loaded with structural geology. At one end of the property the bedrock is essentially “horizontal” and on the other end there is a significant dip in the bedding planes. This would be a really great mapping project and extrapolate what may have occurred at regional scales when compared to geologic maps. There was apparently some faulting in the area so there is basement bedrock found just a few miles away. Also, these Ordovician deposits are interpreted as turbidity flows which would beg the question of “in what direction?” This is where measuring in situ specimens could offer some interesting data. I have already seen some in situ specimens I could have measured. From all the papers I had access to it seems like it’s been while since structural data was collected so it can’t hurt to add to the data. With that being said....I have only visited this location a couple times. I would like to more but I will use my permission sparingly as to not overstay my welcome....the owner is nice and I will be contacting again soon to make sure my future visits are permissible. When you have something good you have to be careful not to lose it!

 

Anyway. 

 

Here are a few finds that have come from this stream. Gorgeous trilobites

 

Gravicalymene is considered an obscure trilobite and not common. This formation seems to have them. 
 

here is a Gravicalymene with a Triarthrus  missing its cephalon. Still a beautiful association. 
 

Another gravicalymene 

 

this one might be Flexicalymene seneria. More typical calymenid found in the Trenton. 
 

The rest is in the counterpart. With a good prep this will be an excellent specimen. 
 

The counterpart has some of the trilobite in it so same story here. Time for me to finally get this dream lab up and running. 
 

This is the only complete Triarthrus so far. Not quite as common as the calymenid trilobites. I really like this one. Nice sturdy exoskeleton. 
 

Continued.....It gets better

[Al Tahan]

Onto the big boys....Isotelus
 

I’ve found 4 pygidiums I think so far. It’s crazy when you are finding pieces of these

huge trilobites around. 
 

I also found a few of these....cephalon molts missing cheeks. 

 

I can’t believe I didn’t measure this “Complete” Isotelus orientation in situ. It would have been a great piece of data (datum for purists lol). Hindsight is 20/20 of course....

The cephalons split terribly here....eyes In The counterpart always. Just the nature of the bedrock. 
 

 

With all these fragments of isotelus showing up I knew something articulated would show up eventually.........

[Al Tahan]

My favorite and easily the most memorable trilobite I will ever find. It will be hard for me to top this story/fossil combo lol.

 

There is a story here.....

 

 

Moments after the discovery.....

 

 

the counterpart....note it still has part of the trilobite attached. 

 

I actually found the most impressive trilobite I’ve ever found on a trip a few weeks ago. Essentially a complete isotelus!! I literally couldn’t believe what I found. Easily my favorite trilobite find EVER. 

 

I took the counterpart....which still had part of the isotelus attached and wrapped it in my sweatshirt and put that in my backpack. I had to take a single trip just for the counterpart because it was so big. 

 

The heartbreak comes when I pack up to leave......I was so excited to get home and glue my specimen back together, I somehow in my excitement left my backpack next to my car...not in my car....and drove off. It wasn’t till I finished the 40min drive home did I realize what I did.....in disbelief I immediately turned around and went after it!!! “It’s gotta be there” “I know exactly where it is” “I’ll be fine once I get it” “I was alone all day, no way it gets taken”......all these lines running through my head. 

 

I arrive back at the steam and my backpack with my very important isotelus counterpart is gone. Complete shock, disbelief and absolute devastation took place. “How?? Why? Who?” I’ve never been so upset with myself over something. “How can I get it back!?!” There was suddenly a sound of some 4 wheelers.....my heart sank. Someone grabbed it thinking I abandoned it or just took it to take it. I was able to intersect with the riders on the trail and they were empty handed.....they even gave me their phone number if they heard anything. That checks out. I spoke to the farmer on the road...nice guy. He saw a bunch of kids riding all day. I was totally out of luck.....

 

I can replace money, I can replace most possessions, I can replace a backpack. I could NOT replace those missing parts of my trilobite. Terrible grief and regret ruined my mood for days afterwards. My first epic, rare trilobite and I completely blew it :/....how can I recover? I even lost sleep over this. I vowed to not go back to that stream for a couple months just out of spite. I was angry. 

 

Flash forward 1 week. So much for the spite lol....I went back trying to cheer myself up with maybe another big trilobite? Was worth a shot...I was miserable all week.  I wasn’t finding much....I started to feel upset cause I realized it won’t be easy to find another.

 

I found a nice Gravicalymene, Triarthrus combo (pic above) which was nice. I was super happy....but I kept having a hard time celebrating....I really wanted my isotelus back...so I started walking. Idk what I thought I was going to find but I just needed to look around a little.
 

THEN...THERE IT WAS!!!! 
 

This is not how I found my bag. Everything was IN the stream. My counterpart was in 2 pieces in the stream with my super important parts missing. 

 

I took my time...scoured the whole area near the bookbag. In found the larger piece soon after I found the bookbag but there was a small thin “chip” I really needed to complete the fossil in a pleasing way. 
 

 

I finally found it. I gave up once and collected for a bit and came back to look more before I left. I figured it had to be close by somewhere....I got so lucky!!! I literally found it when it was near the end of my stay for the day. I was about to accept the loss. I can’t tell you the burden and weight that was lifted off my soul....I was literally dead inside for 7 days after I lost my backpack. I know it’s dramatic but I really love paleontology and I have a passion for this that is a borderline obsession. I bet some people on the forum can relate lol.

 

Continued....the conclusion coming up.

 

[Al Tahan]

Here is a transformation as I added pieces in. I’m very lucky.

 

When the time comes I will get the professionally prepared. There is a lot of exoskeleton from the cephalon and thorax in the counterpart and would enhance the specimen a lot. 

 

I look forward to exploring more of the Trenton group and I would love to try out some other formations from the Trenton group. Each formation from the Trenton has a little bit of something different to offer. No guts no glory!......make the call.....Get permission.......it’s worth a shot!

 

 

This concludes this report of my recent Ordovician adventures. Rediscovering New York one outcrop at a time!!! 
 

 

Thanks for Reading, 

 

Al

[Peat Burns]

[Tidgy's Dad]

I felt your pain reading the story of the Isotelus. 

How amazing it had such a happy ending. 

Lovely specimens all round but I love those Gravicalymene. 

[RuMert]

Fantastic read as always. I was going to compliment on the pyritised trilobites, but it turned out to be much more

The pain of valuable fossils left behind is probably familiar to every fossil hunter, but surely not to that extent, and with a happy ending too

[Wrangellian]

Wow... Congratulations on recovering the pieces! Bet you added a few grey hairs (or will get them sooner) but it was worth it, right?

I had an ammonite stolen out of a wheelbarrow once, on one of the first few trips I made to my local site, and felt pretty peeved, but those are a dime a dozen compared to things like what you've got!

[Coco]

Hi,

 

Luck in your misfortune. You have to be persistent, it pays !

 

Coco

[Ludwigia]

@Al Tahan Thanks again for another finely detailed and revealing report. I really admire your persistence and determination to get to the bottom of things. Those are important traits for anyone who wishes to do some serious research and exploration. I believe they also led you back to your backpack and the Isotelus bits. You have some great finds there as a result of your efforts. Congrats!

[FossilNerd]

Great report as always Al. I love the detail and explanations that you put into them.  

 

I’m so glad that you found your backpack again, and recovered the fragments from the creek! Your persistence and determination paid off in a big way.

 

For me, a lot of my fossils have a story that go with them, and the memory is just as important as the fossil itself. It can turn even the most common specimen into a treasured find. This is one that you will never forget and I suspect will hold a place of honor in your collection. Congrats!

[Kane]

Good planning, good preparations, and good results (and with a good ending by the sounds of that Isotelus story). Looking forward to reading and seeing more of your prospecting adventures in the Whetstone Fm particularly. 

[Monica]

Unbelievable finds!!! 

 

You've found an amazing assortment of Ordovician trilobites, Al - congratulations and thanks for showing us!!!

[aek]

Beautiful finds! Good work.

[Malcolmt]

Most excellent reporting for those of us still not venturing out into the real world.

[Jeffrey P]

The geological background and your research makes this piece a very informative read. Enjoyed it thoroughly. Next best thing to being there. Wait a minute. Deja vu. I was there when you found the Isoteles. You couldn't have looked more excited. Congratulations again and I'm so glad you were able to recover the entire thing. Mine is still out there waiting for me.

[Huntonia]

On 5/12/2020 at 5:25 PM, Al Tahan said:

 

I love this flexi, are you going to get this one prepped? 

On 5/12/2020 at 6:08 PM, Al Tahan said:

 

Glad you found that piece! Makes a huge difference. Thanks for all the photos I've enjoyed them, it's reminded me just how many cool trilobites there are in New York  some more things to put on the bucket list for sure. 

[Al Tahan]

On 5/12/2020 at 8:04 PM, grandpa said:

  Boy it sure is good to get out (virtually) hunting again.  Thanks Al, and keep it coming!

Thanks! Glad You enjoyed 

 

On 5/12/2020 at 9:20 PM, Tidgy's Dad said:

I felt your pain reading the story of the Isotelus. 

How amazing it had such a happy ending. 

Lovely specimens all round but I love those Gravicalymene. 

Thanks! There aren’t too many regrets I have in life...glad this didn’t make the list 

 

21 hours ago, RuMert said:

Fantastic read as always. I was going to compliment on the pyritised trilobites, but it turned out to be much more

The pain of valuable fossils left behind is probably familiar to every fossil hunter, but surely not to that extent, and with a happy ending too

Thanks for the kind words  

 

21 hours ago, Wrangellian said:

Wow... Congratulations on recovering the pieces! Bet you added a few grey hairs (or will get them sooner) but it was worth it, right?

I had an ammonite stolen out of a wheelbarrow once, on one of the first few trips I made to my local site, and felt pretty peeved, but those are a dime a dozen compared to things like what you've got!

Thanks. Any lost fossil is a sad story....and yes....added some grey hair sure haha 

 

20 hours ago, Coco said:

Hi,

 

Luck in your misfortune. You have to be persistent, it pays !

 

Coco

Lucky for sure....how can one be so unluckily lucky? Lol

18 hours ago, Ludwigia said:

@Al Tahan Thanks again for another finely detailed and revealing report. I really admire your persistence and determination to get to the bottom of things. Those are important traits for anyone who wishes to do some serious research and exploration. I believe they also led you back to your backpack and the Isotelus bits. You have some great finds there as a result of your efforts. Congrats!

Thank you ....field research is my absolute favorite aspect of geology and paleontology. During my bachelors I was obsessed 

 

[Al Tahan]

16 hours ago, FossilNerd said:

Great report as always Al. I love the detail and explanations that you put into them.  

 

I’m so glad that you found your backpack again, and recovered the fragments from the creek! Your persistence and determination paid off in a big way.

 

For me, a lot of my fossils have a story that go with them, and the memory is just as important as the fossil itself. It can turn even the most common specimen into a treasured find. This is one that you will never forget and I suspect will hold a place of honor in your collection. Congrats!

Thanks!! I agree, I have a story with many fossils but this one sure beats most lol. 
 

16 hours ago, Kane said:

Good planning, good preparations, and good results (and with a good ending by the sounds of that Isotelus story). Looking forward to reading and seeing more of your prospecting adventures in the Whetstone Fm particularly. 

Thanks Kane!! Stay tuned. I made another trip to a different gorge and it was quite the adventure 

12 hours ago, Monica said:

Unbelievable finds!!! 

 

You've found an amazing assortment of Ordovician trilobites, Al - congratulations and thanks for showing us!!!

Thanks Monica  

4 hours ago, aek said:

Beautiful finds! Good work.

Thanks!

3 hours ago, Malcolmt said:

Most excellent reporting for those of us still not venturing out into the real world.

Thank you Malcom for the kind words. Hopefully most of us can get out soon enough 

1 hour ago, Jeffrey P said:

The geological background and your research makes this piece a very informative read. Enjoyed it thoroughly. Next best thing to being there. Wait a minute. Deja vu. I was there when you found the Isoteles. You couldn't have looked more excited. Congratulations again and I'm so glad you were able to recover the entire thing. Mine is still out there waiting for me.

Haha that sure was a good day in the field Jeff! You found a really nice plate yourself 

 

1 hour ago, Huntonia said:

I love this flexi, are you going to get this one prepped? 

Glad you found that piece! Makes a huge difference. Thanks for all the photos I've enjoyed them, it's reminded me just how many cool trilobites there are in New York  some more things to put on the bucket list for sure. 

Yes I plan on getting some equipment this year....it keeps getting pushed back but I am confident in getting enough gear to do basic prep in 2020. New York is so good...like best in the world good. If only private land ownership wasn’t a thing. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like if New York ended up in a desert like Morocco. Imagine the exposures!

 

Getting those isotelus pieces back really really made my specimen a looker that’s for sure!