A little Ordovician collecting at South Gate Hill in St. Leon, Indiana

[Nimravis]

Here is my trip report to South Gate Hill, also known as St.Leon, this is the town that the roadcut is located. This is a very large and pretty road cut that has exposures on both sides. You could have 75 people out here collecting and you would not feel crowded. The exposed formations at this location, starting from the top down are as follows:

Lower Whitewater

The entire Liberty

The entire Waynesville

Upper Arnheim

 

 As with the trip report that I made yesterday on the Garr Hill location in Brookville, Indiana, it will take me multiple posts to show this area, the fossils found while collecting, loose fossils that I took home as well as the Hash plates that I also brought home.

 

After getting rain in the afternoon on Friday, at Garr Hill, I knew that I had to get an early start at this location, because the forecast was calling for rain at about 11 am. I was out of the hotel in Lawrenceburg, Indiana and about 20 minutes later I was at South Gate and started collecting around 6:30 am. I was the only person on site and around 10 am another car arrived and two collectors stayed on the opposite road cut for about 1 hour and left when the rain arrived. 

 

I spent all of my time,  4 1/2 hours, in the Liberty Shale, also called the Butter Shale. This is the location that, if patient and crawling on your hand and knees you can find trilobites. Also found with these rollers are my favorite brachiopod, Zygospira. I know that Tony @Peat Burns likes these little guys and has one as his avatar on the Forum. I like these brach's because they are so perfect and colorful, see pic below. I pick up everyone i find because on some occasions you may find a Flexicalymene right near it.

 

 

 

Here are a few pictures of the area-

 

 

 

 

Here are pictures of fossils that I saw in the field, many, but not all were collected. None of these will be identified, but I do my best in the portion that shows the loose fossils that I collected. I always have a problem with these ID’s, so if you see an issue and feel like correcting, please do so.

 

 

 

 

[Nimravis]

[Nimravis]

[Peat Burns]

LOVE those clams!  Another great trip report, Ralph.  I'm afraid I may be commenting before you're done with the report 

[Nimravis]

Here are loose fossils that I collected.

 

BRACHIOPODS-

 

Strophomena:

 

 

 

Zygospira:

 

 

 

Eochonetes clarksvillensis

 

 

 

Misc. Brachiopods:

 

 

 

GASTROPODS-

 

Paupospira:

 

 

 

Cyclonema:

 

 

 

Monoplacophrans:

 

 

Phragmelites dyeri ??

 

 

 

Strophomena brachiopod with the attached inarticulate brachiopod, Petrocrania scabiosa, as well as the encrusting coral, Protaraea richmondensis.

 

 

 

 

PELYCOPODS-

 

Ambonychia:

 

 

 

STRAIGHT SHELLED NAUTILOIDS-

 

 

CORAL-

 

 Grewingkia

 

 

 

TRILOBITES-

 

Isotelus Parts:

 

 

 

Partial Flexicalymene:

 

 

 

Complete Flexicalymene:

 

 

 

 

These little pieces have a lot going on-

 

 

 

 

[Nimravis]

Here are pics of the hash plates that I brought home, I really like the hash plates from this location, and the fossils really stand out.

 

 

 

After 5 hours of collecting, a storm rolled in and I made it back to the car as the rain began to fall.

 

 

I then drove the 4 ½ hours home, the good part about returning home is that I cross time zones and pick up an hour.

 

Hope you enjoyed these posts.

[Nimravis]

11 minutes ago, Peat Burns said:

LOVE those clams!  Another great trip report, Ralph.  I'm afraid I may be commenting before you're done with the report 

Thanks and you did, lol, it is complete now Tony.

[GeschWhat]

What great finds! It reminds me of the type of fossils I would find at the old brickyards here in St. Paul when I was a kid. Nothing much there anymore (and you need a permit). It has been so picked over. As soon as this heatwave is over, I need to go hunting with @minnbuckeye. 

[fossilnut]

Wonderful trip report and pictures. Love the "flower" crinoid. The sediment really makes it pop. In high school in Cincinnatti Ohio I loved collecting Zygospiria brachs. Thanks

[Jeffrey P]

Great report and photos. Congratulations on an amazing haul. I visited St. Leon for the first time last year and was totally awestruck by the place, one I would put on a very short list of premier fossil collecting sites in this country. It is without a doubt brachiopod heaven, though the other fossils, especially the Flexi rollers, are cool too.  Hope to get back there before too long. One time at this site, given the biodiversity, is clearly not enough. Thanks for sharing. 

[minnbuckeye]

No surprise, another great report, even nicer specimens. I  have struck out at St Leon on flexi's after two visits. I will one day succeed, I hope.

 

 

48 minutes ago, GeschWhat said:

As soon as this heatwave is over, I need to go hunting with @minnbuckeye. 

Let me butt in here, @GeschWhat, Have NOT forgotten. I just returned from an Ohio/ Kentucky visit. When the first cold front goes through, save that day. I will be in touch.

[FossilDAWG]

Very nice report!

There is no doubt that St Leon is one of the premier Ordovician sites in the country.  The "butter shale" layer gets the most attention, because of the (relative) abundance of the tiny enrolled Flexicalymene.  I'll admit that's where I spend most of my time when I visit on my way between Georgia and Ontario.  However, there is a lot to this outcrop that usually gets overlooked.  The Waynesville below the Liberty beds (= "butter shale") produces a wide variety of brachiopods, cephalopods, bryozoans, some larger Flexicalymene, and so on.  The Saluda at the top of the outcrop can produce large colonial corals and some unusual coiled cephalopods.  All in all it is a great section highlighting the best of the Cincinnatian Ordovician.

 

Don

[Monica]

Another great trip report, Ralph!  I love seeing your finds!

 

I think my favourite of this bunch is this Strophomena with epibionts:

[Nimravis]

@Monica , @FossilDAWG , @minnbuckeye , @Jeffrey P , @fossilnut , @GeschWhat thanks for the nice comments.

[Tidgy's Dad]

3 hours ago, Monica said:

Another great trip report, Ralph!  I love seeing your finds!

 

I think my favourite of this bunch is this Strophomena with epibionts:

As is usually the case, I agree with Monica. This is my fave, too. 

Marvelous report with such a plethora of really wonderful photos and finds. 

[Nimravis]

57 minutes ago, Tidgy's Dad said:

As is usually the case, I agree with Monica. This is my fave, too. 

Marvelous report with such a plethora of really wonderful photos and finds. 

Thanks Adam.

[Wrangellian]

8 hours ago, Tidgy's Dad said:

As is usually the case, I agree with Monica. This is my fave, too. 

Marvelous report with such a plethora of really wonderful photos and finds. 

A brachiopod on a brachiopod (along with some attractive coral) what's not to like? 

That piece jumped out at me too, but they're all great. I'll probably never make it to that site but it is definitely on the short list of "would if I could".

 

[RuMert]

18 hours ago, Nimravis said:

Strophomena brachiopod with the attached inarticulate brachiopod, Petrocrania scabiosa, as well as the encrusting coral, Protaraea richmondensis.

Complex stuff

Lots of trilobites and nice preservation again

 

[Nimravis]

4 hours ago, Wrangellian said:

A brachiopod on a brachiopod (along with some attractive coral) what's not to like? 

That piece jumped out at me too, but they're all great. I'll probably never make it to that site but it is definitely on the short list of "would if I could".

 

You would love the road cuts in the surrounding area, I told Adam @Tidgy's Dad he would never want to leave.

[Tidgy's Dad]

2 hours ago, Nimravis said:

You would love the road cuts in the surrounding area, I told Adam @Tidgy's Dad he would never want to leave.

I'd be torn between staying at the first roadcut for ever and immediately rushing off to the next one! 

[FossilNerd]

 
 

Awesome stuff Ralph! St. Leon is one of the places I plan to finally make a day trip to. If I can ever get these kids back in school/daycare... Stupid virus! By all accounts it is a wonder to behold! 

[Mark Kmiecik]

Great report. Thank you.

[Bobby Rico]

Great post again Ralph. It is very clear you do put a lot of work into your hunting thread. This is very much appreciated by all I believe. I really wanted to say my favourite was also the stunning cabinet piece of Strophomena with epibionts but I have go with the hash plates the are Bobby dazzlers.
 

Thanks for sharing Bobby 

[Nimravis]

@FossilNerd , @Mark Kmiecik and @Bobby Rico thanks for the nice comments, and Bobby you are correct, I spend as much time trying to reduce picture size, take pics, organize / identify and prepare the report as I do collecting.

[Coco]

Nice "living trilobite" !

 

Coco