A quickie Platte River road cut run

[LabRatKing]

Managed to get out of my cage for a bit today and went to the only publicly accessible site near me.

 

 

 

 

[LabRatKing]

Right off the bat, the goodness appears thanks to a nice freeze thaw cycle, flooding, and torrential rains every so often 

[LabRatKing]

One of the first finds proved to be the literal best specimen I have seen from this site! More on it later!

[LabRatKing]

As usual, takes a minute to adjust to finding stuff that has eroded out. This is a surface only, no dig site.

[LabRatKing]

So after fighting the invasive cedars to get to the various exposures, I decided to leave some for others. Once again no trilobite or shark bits, but...

 

 

[LabRatKing]

Nice thing is most specimens clean up easy with just water and a toothbrush!

 

 

[LabRatKing]

Here’s some of the best finds:

[LabRatKing]

But here’s the true gem: a Hustedia 99.9% intact! UPDATE: Positive ID as Hustedia mormoni

 

[LabRatKing]

Here's a key to some of the finds:

 

A. Bryozoan Cyclotrypa

B. Mortality Plate - Unknown- However appears to be Ostocods- layer found conspecific with "C" Side note, this is a very common find, but I have yet to find the source layer.

C. Mortality plate - Fusulinids - Side note, this is a very common find, but I have yet to find the source layer.

D. Brachiopod - Neochonetes sp. likely granulifer(Owen) and a cast of

E. Brachyopod - Composita subtilita (Hall) (3 specimens) however may be trilobata (Dunbar and Condra) I have a heckuva time telling the two apart.

F. Crinoid Columnal

 

There is also lots of brachiopods from Neospirifer and Pulchratia (a complete specimen being my White Whale), Pseudozaphrentoides and Lophophyllum corals (none pictured from this trip as I don't bother picking them up anymore.)

 

In the earlier images you can see bits of the Bryozoans Fenestella, Rhombopora, and Septopora, of which I have much better specimens for other trips here. 

[jpc]

NIce

 

[sixgill pete]

That little H. mormoni is gorgeous.

[LabRatKing]

18 hours ago, sixgill pete said:

That little H. mormoni is gorgeous.

Yeah! I have never found one this pristine before. Funny part is just a sliver of it was visible sticking out from an erosion bank, it is getting a custom, albeit tiny display base and case.

[jeannie55]

Really nice fossils. 

[Monica]

That is a stunning Hustedia mormoni - congratulations!

 

@Tidgy's Dad may want to have a look at the brachiopods 

[Tidgy's Dad]

1 hour ago, Monica said:

That is a stunning Hustedia mormoni - congratulations!

 

@Tidgy's Dad may want to have a look at the brachiopods 

Thanks again, Monica! 

This thread I hadn't seen. 

Yes, a really lovely example of Hustedia mormoni.

I have some from Kansas, but not as pretty as that one. 

Nice hunting, @LabRatKing

[LabRatKing]

Was an great find to be sure. Is the only specimen of That species I have found at this site intact. Usually it’s just small fragments or mediocre impressions. Was pure luck as less than 3mm were exposed in the soil- I almost didn’t see it.