Kato Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 It's been a long time since I've written a trip report. Not that I wasn't hiking, I was hiking like mad and finding stuff. Just didn't get around to documenting in the latter part of 2020. Too much craziness. A couple of days ago, I went in search of an extremely elusive shale formation, that contains some of the loveliest ferns I have seen. My records show I specifically planned 13 hikes last year trying to find another exposure. That was over 100 miles of fruitless searching. Zero. Zilch. Well, two days ago I found another small exposure. Scenic photos of the journey follow starting with walking uphill on an Ordovician rock bed The Ordovician transitioned into this Silurian bed with Devonian formations rising above it on the left Although fairly stumble-free walking this was relatively steep. That day I ascended 2,800 ft with my big pack full of tools, food and drinks. A nice shattered chert nodule in the Devonian. Just to show not everything has fierce thorns here, some 'Cushion Buckwheat' 8 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kato Posted January 17 Author Share Posted January 17 Getting into the high country and near to topping out Under a Mississippian formation overhang' Lots of crinoids, even some calyxes! 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kato Posted January 17 Author Share Posted January 17 Finally! The elusive formation found and some plant fossils discovered. All the following fossils were found at various levels in the Pennsylvanian Gobbler formation. Following specimens may have plants on both sides. Colors due to iron rich environment and some nearby, timely, igneous intrusions allowing for interesting preservation. Cordaite specimen 1 front side. Is that elliptical missing part evidence of some insect predation Cordaite specimen 1 back side. 5 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kato Posted January 17 Author Share Posted January 17 Cordaite specimen 2 front side Cordaite specimen 2 back side. A small fern also showing. 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kato Posted January 17 Author Share Posted January 17 Fern panel 1 Fern panel 2...I am ever so tempted to try and pry off the right side. Also, afraid of ruining this. Fern panel 3 Lastly, a small fern. 13 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ludwigia Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 Nice finds! Looks like it was worth the climb. And gorgeous scenery! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kato Posted January 17 Author Share Posted January 17 I only had 45 minutes in this new shale field and the day was hinting at waning. Decided to descend via a dry wash I had not explored before. It seemed the most direct route...this specimen caught my eye I decided to spend 10-15 minutes just poking around and then a few feet uphill and in the bushes I found these specimens. I'll call them too close to the ocean because it seems like a flood flattened the plants and left some shells behind. Maybe a sea surge? Not yet evident in these photos are, I believe, some calamites, cordaites, a fern leaf and some shells. I'm going to need the pros to offer some suggestions. 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kato Posted January 17 Author Share Posted January 17 One of the specimens... Front view. I 'think' I see a calamite down towards the bottom...can't really tell if I'm seeing more calamites or cordaites in the rest of this panel (except the top left seems very much like a calamite) Massive compression of many layers Just a zoom onto that front panel 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kato Posted January 17 Author Share Posted January 17 A shell on the front panel (off to the left of the plants) 5 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kato Posted January 17 Author Share Posted January 17 Back panel view Shell on the far left. Mix of plants. Not as dense in plant matter. Seems there may also be a shell and a fern leaf next to the calamite on the right side? Zoom on that calamite to show fern leaf(bottom left) and potential shell (upper right) 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kato Posted January 18 Author Share Posted January 18 Lastly, just below that crazy mix of land and sea, I kicked this little specimen. I want to think it is of the sea but it may in actuality be nothing but an interesting looking rock. Sponge? This one is about 2" (50mm) wide and 3/4" (20mm) thick. It has a cupped bottom and is circular when viewed from above. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Wrangellian Posted January 18 Share Posted January 18 Interesting stuff! Did you find any of the crinoids you mentioned and get pics if so? Or have you shown them before? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PFOOLEY Posted January 18 Share Posted January 18 @Kato your landscape photos are really great...it is a beautiful playground you've got there. As for that fern material you are collecting...wow!...you snagged some gorgeous specimens...nice work. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FranzBernhard Posted January 18 Share Posted January 18 Persistence paid off again!! Thanks for sharing scenery and lovely fossils. Its so different from my ground. Keep the good work going! Franz Bernhard 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kato Posted January 18 Author Share Posted January 18 13 hours ago, Ludwigia said: Nice finds! Looks like it was worth the climb. And gorgeous scenery! Thank you. If one looks the 'boring' desert is a gorgeous place and full of surprises. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kato Posted January 18 Author Share Posted January 18 9 hours ago, Wrangellian said: Interesting stuff! Did you find any of the crinoids you mentioned and get pics if so? Or have you shown them before? @Wrangellian I didn't take any Mississippian crinoid photos this particular trip. In the Fossil ID section, I did post some 'are these calyxes' questions recently as I had actually never found any prior to then. Within the last 2 weeks I've found eight. Not Fossil of the Month, drool-worthy, but my eyes are getting trained to find them. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ludwigia Posted January 18 Share Posted January 18 14 hours ago, Kato said: I'll call them too close to the ocean because it seems like a flood flattened the plants and left some shells behind. Maybe a sea surge? The strong presence of iron in the sediment suggests this may have been a lagunal deposit. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kato Posted January 19 Author Share Posted January 19 I had some additional pieces of the lagoonal specimens soaking in water and I finally rinsed them off. Front layered panel Back side of that panel showing some possible worm burrows Zoom 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kato Posted January 19 Author Share Posted January 19 Many layers of plants and more possible worm burrows The back of that panel. Perhaps showing some liesegang on the bottom I like this one because it shows the plant layering 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kato Posted January 19 Author Share Posted January 19 Small panel with a solitary shell imprint and more mineral banding towards the top @Tidgy's Dad would you be able to help narrow these down for me? Lower Pennsylvanian formations. 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tidgy's Dad Posted January 19 Share Posted January 19 I'm not sure, but I don't think they're brachiopods. I think a bivalve along the lines of Cardiola is more likely. Lovely plants, by the way. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DPS Ammonite Posted January 19 Share Posted January 19 On 1/17/2021 at 5:03 PM, Kato said: Lastly, just below that crazy mix of land and sea, I kicked this little specimen. I want to think it is of the sea but it may in actuality be nothing but an interesting looking rock. Sponge? This one is about 2" (50mm) wide and 3/4" (20mm) thick. It has a cupped bottom and is circular when viewed from above. What age is this? I looks like a sponge. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DPS Ammonite Posted January 19 Share Posted January 19 (edited) 2 hours ago, Kato said: Small panel with a solitary shell imprint and more mineral banding towards the top @Tidgy's Dad would you be able to help narrow these down for me? Lower Pennsylvanian formations. Consider Aviculopecten. Probably not a Cardiola since they are from the Silurian and Devonian. Edited January 19 by DPS Ammonite 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kato Posted January 19 Author Share Posted January 19 35 minutes ago, Tidgy's Dad said: I'm not sure, but I don't think they're brachiopods. I think a bivalve along the lines of Cardiola is more likely. Lovely plants, by the way. @Tidgy's Dad Thank you. I greatly neglected to mention all the bivalves range in size from 10mm-20mm. The last one being 20mm max in one dimension. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kato Posted January 19 Author Share Posted January 19 19 minutes ago, DPS Ammonite said: What age is this? I looks like a sponge. @DPS Ammonite Locally, the Pennsylvanian is broken into 3 formations as shown. I have to guess approximately where I was in the Gobbler Formation. My guess is in the Des Moinesian series perhaps bounding to the Missourian. I also thought sponge when I saw it though papers written on the area by Pray and others list sponges as strangely absent from the Pennsylvanian. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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