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Some Ordovician collecting near Maysville, KY


connorp

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A couple weeks ago during a collecting trip down to the Cincinnati area, I spent half a day collecting at the big roadcut near Maysville, KY. It's really hard to describe just how big this roadcut is. Pictures don't do it justice, but here's one anyways. For reference, the pine trees are probably 3 meters tall or so.

 

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I spent all my time collecting in the Fairview Formation. In the picture above, the contact between the Fairview and the underlying Kope Formation occurs near the first bench. The contact with the overlying Bellevue Limestone is just above the third bench. It really helps to study literature on this site before visiting, it's very overwhelming and it's harder to have success without knowing what to look for.

 

I didn't collect too much but was happy with my finds.

 

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Plectorthis fissicosta

 

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A variety of bryozoans, including the blade-shaped Escharopora falciformis towards the bottom

 

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The dumbbell-shaped burrow Diplocraterion

 

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The rare bryozoan Graptodictya perelegans

 

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The most exciting find was the rare trilobite Ceraurus milleranus. Unfortunately it's weathered and I'm not confident that much more is hiding under the matrix, but I'll probably have it prepped at some point to be sure. To the upper left is a Ceraurus hypostome, not sure if it's from this individual or not.

 

In the future I'd like to dedicate a whole day to this site. I've visited twice so far and still barely explored any of it. If you ever have the chance, definitely check it out.

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Nice finds and I agree with you on the size of this roadcut, it is huge. I only visited it once and like you, did not spend much time there.

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Oh wow, that looks like a place you could dedicate a whole day to.

Every single fossil you see is a miracle set in stone, and should be treated as such.

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I bet you could dedicate a whole week there!  Thanks for posting!  Heading down that way in a couple days.  I need to visit this place someday!

 

Cheers,

Rich

 

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Great stuff.  I really like the top plate,

 

Many (too many,,,) years ago I was lucky enough to have a 2-hr break on a biz trip to Cincinnati, and was able to collect some superb brachs (Strophomenid) and a 10-inch crinoid stem from a RR track cut near the river.  The preservation is identical.  Same formation, I wonder?

 

I could spend a week. as others have noted, at your outcrop there!

'Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.'

George Santayana

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On 5/24/2022 at 9:34 PM, Tidgy's Dad said:

I love the Graptodictya. 

Boy, ya gotta spell-check that one...

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'Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.'

George Santayana

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