Spring Collectng Trip And Maps

[crinus]

Last week I departed for the MAPS (Mid America Paleontological Society) fossil show, however the show was not till this past weekend. I had a week to kill off so I went fossil collecting.

My firs stop was the quarry at Paulding, Ohio. Our club had a field trip scheduled for that Saturday and that was my fist stop. I found 7 trilobites. Not all were perfect. Two are pictured below.

After that I went to southern Indiana. There is a crinoid spot that I like to visit. I generally do not go there often as it takes time for the exposure to weather and I did hit it hard last year. But, I had time so I stopped. I did not find anything out in the field but saw a lot of rock with potential, especially the ones with lumps on them. The truck got loaded with quite a few pieces. Three of the pieces are pictured below. I did a quick clean to see if anything was there and sure enough there are crinoids within the circles. Stay tuned for the finished products in the coming weeks. The rest of the rocks are out back weathering.

After that stop, I headed to Sulfur, IN to the roadcut along I 64. This spot is well known for blastoids but I was hoping for crinoids. Did not find crinoids but came out with some slabs of blastoids and a few pieces of the bryozoan Archimedes. Hope to clean these sometime soon.

After that I went to the famous creek at Floraville, IL but it had rained the night before and I did not want to chance getting stuck down at the end of the mud road. I did that once before and have learned my lesson. Since that did not pan out I decided to visit friends in the St. Louis area. As I was driving south along I 55, I noted a construction site with lots of red rock. The red rock meant Fern Glen formation and that meant the broyozoa Evactinopora. So I exited the freeway and found my way to the construction site. I wasn’t seeing anything for a while but soon came upon a “crinoid” stem. Had to see it up close and personal so off with the glasses and on to my knees. Low and behold it was NOT a crinoid stem but in fact a complete trilobite. A Mississippian trilobite no less. What a find!

I spent the next few hours looking for another trilobite but only came across 10-15 specimens of the bryozoa I had stopped for. Not a bad haul for a quick stop.

The next couple of days I spent visiting friends. I visited Balducci vineyards to pick up a case of their port for the wife. Very important to remember to bring something back for the wife. I also picked up a few bottles of their Norton. Then a stop at the local beer store for several cases of Shalafly Coffee Stout. Great beer for you beer drinkers.

On the way out of town I stopped at several roadcuts. St. Louis is a great area for roadcuts and there is always road construction going on and fresh new spots. I did hit a cut along Hwy M between I 55 and I44 and found these brachiopods. I hope someone out there recognizes these and can ID them for me. It is Ordovician and I think it is Decorah formation. Hope some one knows for sure.

So I headed up to Macomb, Ill arriving on Thursday afternoon. On Thursday the unofficial show opens at the Days Inn with a lot of individuals selling out of their hotel rooms. This is a good place to start as some of these dealers do not sell a the official show. There was an individual there selling a lot of unprepared Waldron Shale fossils. I picked up four flat full (like I need more stuff to clean). No pics.

The next day the official show started. If you have never been to the show it is quite interesting for first timers. If you go every year, it becomes same old, same old. Occasionally you do find some new stuff. I found these.

The first one is a a very rare crinoid from the Arkona Formation of Ontario Canada. I have a nice collection of crinoids from Arkona but this one was missing. And yes, it did set me back a bit.

Gennoeocrinus mourantae

Next came a nice specimen of an edrioasteroid.

Carnyella ulrichi

And finally I found this baby. It is commonly referred to as the “Y” animal. It is from the Mazon Creek area.

Escumasia roryi

I arrived home on Saturday and now it is back to all the construction projects I have going. I really need to finish these so I can get back to what I love. I really want to clean some of these ASAP.

crinus

[JohnJ]

A classic fossil road trip! Looking forward to the "after" photos.

[Auspex]

Thanks, crinus; great report!

I do have to say that the Gennoeocrinus you scored is a beautiful fossil

[Northern Sharks]

You've gotta love loading up the truck on your way to the fossil show. Great pieces and I'm also awaiting some "after" shots, especially the trilobite

[MikeD]

Nice haul!

[glacialerratic]

Great scores!

That Archimedes screw looks very nice. So does that trilobite.

Looking forward to seeing them cleaned up.

Tim

[Hawkeye]

Great stuff Crinus! Can't wait to see the trilobites prepped out.

[Fossildude19]

Awesome trip report, ... and great finds and Acquisitions! Congratulations! We are looking forward to the prepped specimens.

[glacialerratic]

BTW -- those Decorah brachs...

just a wild guess, but maybe Pianodema subaequata?

I JSTOR searched the Decorah Fm., and that's the only reference to a brachiopod in the stratigraphy I found.

...wild guess wrong. I found an illustration...

Tim

Edited March 30, 2010 by michigantim

[glacialerratic]

One more try.

No ID, but here's a better stratigraphic description of the Decorah in Iowa by unit with fauna found:

Decorah Fm. units 31 - 24

[pleecan]

Excellent report Joe. The Gennoeocrinus mourantae is just gorgeous... what a great find.

Peter

Edited March 31, 2010 by pleecan

[crinus]

After that I went to southern Indiana. There is a crinoid spot that I like to visit. I generally do not go there often as it takes time for the exposure to weather and I did hit it hard last year. But, I had time so I stopped. I did not find anything out in the field but saw a lot of rock with potential, especially the ones with lumps on them. The truck got loaded with quite a few pieces. Three of the pieces are pictured below. I did a quick clean to see if anything was there and sure enough there are crinoids within the circles. Stay tuned for the finished products in the coming weeks. The rest of the rocks are out back weathering.

Decided to do some prep work over the holiday weekend. Here is a view of the first specimen completely finished. I thought I would show the second specimen but I do have a bit more to do.

crinus

[Auspex]

Makes me feel like a kid; I remember how much in awe I was over fossils like this I only saw in books, and I still am!

[glacialerratic]

Those are really nice, Crinus!

I'm looking forward to seeing the others prepped out.

Great job!

Tim

[worthy 55]

Great post and some really cool fossils.

[Nandomas]

Last week I departed for the MAPS (Mid America Paleontological Society) fossil show, however the show was not till this past weekend. I had a week to kill off so I went fossil collecting.

My firs stop was the quarry at Paulding, Ohio. Our club had a field trip scheduled for that Saturday and that was my fist stop. I found 7 trilobites. Not all were perfect. Two are pictured below.

After that I went to southern Indiana. There is a crinoid spot that I like to visit. I generally do not go there often as it takes time for the exposure to weather and I did hit it hard last year. But, I had time so I stopped. I did not find anything out in the field but saw a lot of rock with potential, especially the ones with lumps on them. The truck got loaded with quite a few pieces. Three of the pieces are pictured below. I did a quick clean to see if anything was there and sure enough there are crinoids within the circles. Stay tuned for the finished products in the coming weeks. The rest of the rocks are out back weathering.

After that stop, I headed to Sulfur, IN to the roadcut along I 64. This spot is well known for blastoids but I was hoping for crinoids. Did not find crinoids but came out with some slabs of blastoids and a few pieces of the bryozoan Archimedes. Hope to clean these sometime soon.

After that I went to the famous creek at Floraville, IL but it had rained the night before and I did not want to chance getting stuck down at the end of the mud road. I did that once before and have learned my lesson. Since that did not pan out I decided to visit friends in the St. Louis area. As I was driving south along I 55, I noted a construction site with lots of red rock. The red rock meant Fern Glen formation and that meant the broyozoa Evactinopora. So I exited the freeway and found my way to the construction site. I wasn’t seeing anything for a while but soon came upon a “crinoid” stem. Had to see it up close and personal so off with the glasses and on to my knees. Low and behold it was NOT a crinoid stem but in fact a complete trilobite. A Mississippian trilobite no less. What a find!

I spent the next few hours looking for another trilobite but only came across 10-15 specimens of the bryozoa I had stopped for. Not a bad haul for a quick stop.

The next couple of days I spent visiting friends. I visited Balducci vineyards to pick up a case of their port for the wife. Very important to remember to bring something back for the wife. I also picked up a few bottles of their Norton. Then a stop at the local beer store for several cases of Shalafly Coffee Stout. Great beer for you beer drinkers.

On the way out of town I stopped at several roadcuts. St. Louis is a great area for roadcuts and there is always road construction going on and fresh new spots. I did hit a cut along Hwy M between I 55 and I44 and found these brachiopods. I hope someone out there recognizes these and can ID them for me. It is Ordovician and I think it is Decorah formation. Hope some one knows for sure.

So I headed up to Macomb, Ill arriving on Thursday afternoon. On Thursday the unofficial show opens at the Days Inn with a lot of individuals selling out of their hotel rooms. This is a good place to start as some of these dealers do not sell a the official show. There was an individual there selling a lot of unprepared Waldron Shale fossils. I picked up four flat full (like I need more stuff to clean). No pics.

The next day the official show started. If you have never been to the show it is quite interesting for first timers. If you go every year, it becomes same old, same old. Occasionally you do find some new stuff. I found these.

The first one is a a very rare crinoid from the Arkona Formation of Ontario Canada. I have a nice collection of crinoids from Arkona but this one was missing. And yes, it did set me back a bit.

Gennoeocrinus mourantae

Next came a nice specimen of an edrioasteroid.

Carnyella ulrichi

And finally I found this baby. It is commonly referred to as the “Y” animal. It is from the Mazon Creek area.

Escumasia roryi

I arrived home on Saturday and now it is back to all the construction projects I have going. I really need to finish these so I can get back to what I love. I really want to clean some of these ASAP.

crinus

Great finds, Crinus :)

Finally I was able to find this post I read last year... all those fossils are whetting my appetite, expecially the bryozoa and the edrioasteroids.

I should like to look for those Bryozoa... any suggestion?

Thanks

Edited March 5, 2011 by Nandomas

[crinus]

Great finds, Crinus :)

Finally I was able to find this post I read last year... all those fossils are whetting my appetite, expecially the bryozoa and the edrioasteroids.

I should like to look for those Bryozoa... any suggestion?

Thanks

Are you speaking of the Evactinopora?? It was a construction site along I55 just outside of St. Louis.

I am planning on repeating this trip this year. I will probably hit Indiana and then head to St. Louis and maybe Springfield MO area before heading up to MAPS. My plans are not finalized as I am not sure of my work schedule, not that I generally let that ruin any collecting trips.

crinus

[Nandomas]

Are you speaking of the Evactinopora?? It was a construction site along I55 just outside of St. Louis.

I am planning on repeating this trip this year. I will probably hit Indiana and then head to St. Louis and maybe Springfield MO area before heading up to MAPS. My plans are not finalized as I am not sure of my work schedule, not that I generally let that ruin any collecting trips.

crinus

Thanks for the answer

Yes, I am speaking of Evactinopora. If you like, let me know your plans, it could be my wife and I can join you for a while if the weather will be clement

Edited March 6, 2011 by Nandomas