Ongoing Ordovician of Ontario Adventure

[Kane]

I managed a five hour solo hunt today prior to what will be a 12+ hour dig tomorrow. Being surrounded by frustrating Devonian material, I sometimes forget how exciting the Ordovician can be! But, as they say, "pictures or it didn't happen."

 

First up, a weathered and bleached Ceraurus. 

 

 

[Kane]

It's always a treat to run into Ectenaspis, although this is just a pygidium. Possibly a headless Calyptaulax, and a tail-less yet quite large Gabriceraurus.

[Kane]

 

A lovely Pleurocystites.

A small and headless Isotelus and Ceraurus imprint. Left it in the field. 

The cranidium of the diminutive lichid, Hemiarges. Or, possibly an Erratencrinus. I won't know for sure until I prep it out.

[Kane]

On a huge block and no saw to assist. 

 

A buried Flexicalymene, a Gabriceraurus with tail tucked in, and an effaced Flexicalyme. With only hammer, chisel, patience, and dogged determination, only the Gabriceraurus (?) was extracted safely... in two pieces.

 

[Kane]

The find of the day goes to this Gabriceraurus. Although missing an eye, a bit of the axis, and the tip of the right pygidial spine, this one will be very puffy and 3D once prepped.

 

Now that I've done my recon of the site, tomorrow is the serious splitting from dawn until dusk.

[Tidgy's Dad]

Beautiful finds. 

I absolutely adore that Pleurocystites! 

Edited May 28, 2022 by Tidgy's Dad

[Tidgy's Dad]

And good luck for tomorrow. 

[Kane]

Thanks, Adam! That reminds me I need to snap some photos of the brachs, too -- there are acres of them on very packed, high energy rock faces.

[Jeffrey P]

Some very cool looking trilobites there, Kane. Congrats. Your Ordovician time was obviously well spent. Thanks for sharing. Can't wait to see what a full day of collecting produces. 

[connorp]

That cystoid is beautiful!

[Kane]

Busting rock since sunrise, I eventually… ran out of rock! Or, more accurately, I ran out of splittable rock that wasn’t just burrows or dead zones. The finds were a bit less fabulous than yesterday’s on account of material shortage. Still, an honest effort was put in.

First thing in the morning, the pygidium of an Ectenaspis juvenile says hello.

 

[Kane]

I promised a brach photo.  

I couldn’t take photos of all the fossils I encountered as the way was too treacherous to bring the ipad, which I left with my backpack at a central spot.

[Kane]

A few pygidia of Erratencrinus were found (just this one pictured), and a pygidium of possibly a Calyptaulax or Sceptaspis. Complete specimens eluded me. Also, a heartbreaker Ceraurus — weathered out impression and bit of shell only. I probably encountered about six in that sad condition this trip on the rock surfaces.

[Kane]

A Bumastoides and a Thaleops, the first in poor condition, the second headless.

[Kane]

Two prone Flexicalyme, safely extracted from a large, dense block.

[Kane]

A Calyptaulax cephalon and a nice Ceraurus. A second Ceraurus was found, but did not survive extraction.  

[Kane]

My find of the day is a new species for the collection: Cyphoproetus wilsonae.

 

And now the day is done. Time to pack my things and prepare for the train ride tomorrow morning. I hope my bags hold up with all the rock I’m bringing back.

 

There are a few other pieces I’ll photograph once I get home.

[Tidgy's Dad]

And congratulations on the Cyphoproetus wilsonae. 

Very interesting report all round. 

Though it makes me quite exhausted thinking of the physical labour that all this entailed.