For you Brachiopoders- Don’t try this at home please.

[LabRatKing]

Okay gang. Don’t ever do this. Brachs are so common here ( along with crinoid bits) I use them as aquarium gravel...

 

But, here’s what happens when you figure out how to acid prep Kewitz limestone to expose calcite and not loose morphology:

 

I finish these with a week long silicon oil soak to make them shine.

[Tidgy's Dad]

Nice.

Love the cardinal processes on some of those specimens at the bottom of the last picture. 

[LabRatKing]

Just now, Tidgy's Dad said:

Nice.

Love the cardinal processes on some of those specimens at the bottom of the last picture. 

Those are my windmills...have yet to find an intact specimen, but I’m headed to the site tomorrow to try again. Two years of biblical flooding and a recent daily freeze thaw should have some goodies exposed.

 

These are all surface grabs from along the Platte River road cuts in Nebraska.

[Mediospirifer]

Very nice! I love the details you've exposed.

 

Any cool pathologicals or epibionts in your collection? 

 

[LabRatKing]

11 minutes ago, Mediospirifer said:

Very nice! I love the details you've exposed.

 

Any cool pathologicals or epibionts in your collection? 

 

I wish I was qualified to answer this question. Truth is the brachs are so common here I gave up trying to grasp such terms. But, explain and I may be able to answer. In less than 12 hours, I’ll be ta the site and can dig requests! I admit that identity is a weak point. My specialty doesn’t leave fossils behind sadly.

[FossilNerd]

2 hours ago, LabRatKing said:

I wish I was qualified to answer this question. Truth is the brachs are so common here I gave up trying to grasp such terms. But, explain and I may be able to answer. In less than 12 hours, I’ll be ta the site and can dig requests! I admit that identity is a weak point. My specialty doesn’t leave fossils behind sadly.

I think I can help with the terms.  

 

An epibiont is an organism that lives on something else, but does not harmed the host (unlike a parasite). Think modern barnacles on a whale or algae growth on a sea turtle shell. In the case of the brachiopod, it could be an inarticulate brachiopod, crinoid holdfast, coral, tube worms, bryozoans, etc. 

 

The “pathologicals” that @Mediospirifer mentioned are brachiopods with development abnormalities.

 

BTW... Not a bad bunch of brachs! Say that three times fast! Ha!

[LabRatKing]

Oh! I can produce on that request. This site is what surfers call reef break, so it’s prolific but hammered all to heck. 
 

raw specimens to follow in a day or so.

[Mediospirifer]

2 hours ago, LabRatKing said:

I wish I was qualified to answer this question. Truth is the brachs are so common here I gave up trying to grasp such terms. But, explain and I may be able to answer. In less than 12 hours, I’ll be ta the site and can dig requests! I admit that identity is a weak point. My specialty doesn’t leave fossils behind sadly.

 

FossilNerd gave a good explanation. For specific examples, check out this thread: LINK.

 

There are some pretty wild variations out there!

 

[RJB]

 Im not much for brachs or corals but I too find the epibionts purty darn cool.  I just learned that word right here in this thread.  Learn something all the time on this forum.  and thanks for posting LabRatKing.

 

RB

[stats]

Cool!  Those look like the ones I find south of you in Kansas.  Is that Carboniferous or Permian?

 

Cheers,

RIch

 

[LabRatKing]

On 11/8/2020 at 7:23 AM, stats said:

Cool!  Those look like the ones I find south of you in Kansas.  Is that Carboniferous or Permian?

 

Cheers,

RIch

 

Late Pennsylvanian (?)

 

These are from the Kiewitz Shale and Eudora Shale (part of the Stoner Limestone Member)...pretty sure the same formations are in your area too.