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My first fossil hunt post.

Yesterday (May 29 2022), I went down to the Florissant Fossil Quarry in Florissant Colorado. Its about a 45 minute drive west of Colorado Springs. Its a very well know site partly because of the very well preserved fossils and relative abundance but also because of how easy it is. You pay a small fee and they give you the tools and you pick up shale and start splitting, that simple. You're guaranteed to find something if you try. If you are in the area I would definitely recommend stopping by, its just not really on the way to any popular stops. There is also the Florissant national monument, separate from the quarry, where you can see the massive petrified tree stumps and learn about the fossils in the formation. Attached is an image to show you, I did not take this picture since I didn't go to the monument this time. I had gone prior and really liked seeing this giant fossils.

It appears as if it is frowning. The "eyes" are sawblades that got stuck when people tried chopping it down over 100 years ago. You can't use a saw to cut a petrified tree this large though. There used to be many more but they were sold to people all over the world many years ago. Walt Disney even bought one for Disneyland.

 

6a0105371bb32c970b01b8d26338e2970c.thumb.jpg.66f75a72df681eedae1fd98177de5083.jpg

 

It was a very nice day at 65 F (18 C).

 

This is what the exposure looks like.

McYKh9QDjSVOSc2ziWnE2FVAvmTh5_XKMcTUJrmyPIwV8BPsfZerhrPwd6I_2xnbH-4js874hQC1v20_4TWdB_KEMvUrKe5utuME4iU48v7G9liSfI7_8d2Q9jryLRt_FGA4AAA2jrZbLG5K8YF2dw

 

You are not allowed to collect from the exposure itself, hence the rope blocking it off. You have to settle for the piles of shale shown in front, which still contain many fossils inside the paper thin shale.

 

The most common fossil besides unidentifiable plant material are leaves. Here are the ones I kept.

I believe the next three are of the genus Fagopsis, one of the more common ones. They are 5.7, 3, and 3 centimeters respectively. I measured down the stem, I'm not sure how to properly measure a leaf fossil. Do you measure the stem, the slant height, the circumference? No idea. :P

 

image.png.d845ff7dba54805077a0205b5847d769.png

image.png.d74811d73cd78c9c9bc73b512135fec3.png

image.png.2412cfa7841a946781c0c109a19bbe71.png

 

The next one is the largest one I found, a 7.7cm Willow leaf, family Salicaceae. I am terrible at leaf identification, and all the fossils I found this trip really. I looked through The Fossils Of Florissant book by Herbert Meyer, but still am not certain on many of my finds, so if anyone can identify them I'd appreciate it.

image.png.d111e7b60a9ef172a714a8f9368a9074.png

 

From the largest leaf to the smallest, this one is only 7mm long, it split cleanly so I have both sides of it. However some material stuck to both sides.

wxgDjFhR6lrsWZWiw3nBDD-zvGYffmUNRjKghD5NH7eJpHTjyFkL-Q7UUewweKgZT1o1U_fI6A6OMcgxmMjqSgErG7rl0VKdpD1wicJgwJkDWcdMHUpgZKZC3xczV_A0VJM0mAcMKyzx80TLmTvB8Aj6hzMityphrnbnR6Zx3stA3tWZCVxiTnuJynNyreOgkZpP_fg3ko4bgHZ5ATZGgM1xIJjsOPRaSIuJL3m2lp2U9fQ-xczwQN52ZVtrj1-7k0m7sOD3JZvnZBOdMmhI8If-_XtUkFsiQuGcJz-mhR4g

 

Here's some more leaves for you.

2.3cm

image.png.d32ace22fd34dcee0abd4c3539e94444.png

 

Koelreuteria allenii, also 2.3cm

image.png.b952907fe972b0acbff7f5373d62e87a.png

 

3.7cm for the longer one.

image.png.a1191791deb6145dce87c7daccd1286d.png

 

5cm

image.png.7ead7f55d154732d87e300a54184503f.png

 

Two and a half centimeters.

image.png.0a8f5522f79d7acaffd8b90e2fcad5ae.png

 

Three centimeters.

image.png.f172d17e900b0c7da1a3a0e01b4c9357.png

 

 

The next two seem like they would be easy to identify but I couldn't find a similar picture in Meyer's book.

The first one is 2.4cm long and the second, 1.5.

image.png.e23f437a3b0dcf95bab692a922ae46eb.png

image.png.d2f494558c79fb302a7745c1ad6b5d11.png

 

The detail that is persevered is incredible. It looks just as detailed as a leaf I could find in my front yard.

Here's a close up of the leaf above. The "circle" has a 10mm diameter.

image.png.64fe08ccd548dc244bff57c666a55f89.png

 

This one is a winged maple seed, likely Acer macginitiei and is 11mm long.

image.png.79be4ce2fcc24c7ba72a8d1dd6ae959f.png

 

A knot on some wood, only 5 mm long.

image.png.99c0e518d7f4e356b49b92d52b6a8845.png

 

Here are the insects.

Only 1.5mm long. The wings are barely visible.

image.png.a5b2eea1cd06293587b6c3c38628e843.png

 

This one looks like a fly, order Diptera. I have both sides, unfortunately the other one isn't very good. Its half a centimeter long.

image.png.88e7ef3164b31f237b7715d7a911dddf.png

image.png.866f9384b297cf0a1db3bfc0c682af96.png

 

This one is also a fly I'm guessing. Its 4mm long.

image.png.66217f9526bc2d2d0ac35ddab59986e2.png

 

An odd one, 5mm long.

image.png.3cedffcc8933fcee9f6bd526edc29dc6.png

 

An unknown larva. Its 0.4mm long. Florissant is one of the rare places where eyes can be preserved.

image.png.1fa659370db17585bfca261ac4dd7c8a.png

 

And last but not least are the four gastropods I found. They are very tiny but very interesting.

The first one is only 3mm wide. It was split open so I have the positive and negative.

image.png.42f86b0805598ef06a4c9c9a473b4513.pngimage.png.4c70775b98628aa3f8b17d15ec797c55.png

 

This one is only 2.5mm wide, possibly the best preserved out of the four though.

image.png.ef4af3fb6256dd858815cc56a5ca6645.png

 

The "large" one, 4mm long.

image.png.a2cb3cbfca5d07caafdac4dd40a81091.png

 

This one is also about 4mm long.

image.png.b071d1916dbc00492756d5758e0319c2.png

 

The first and fourth gastropods are a yellow color whereas the other two are a pearly white.

 

 

That's everything, I hope you enjoyed it.

Again, thanks if anyone could ID anything, and thanks for reading this far and looking at the photos. I truly appreciate it.

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“If fossils are not "boggling" your mind then you are simply not doing it right” -Ken (digit)

"No fossil is garbage, it´s just not completely preserved” -Franz (FranzBernhard)

"With hammer in hand, the open horizon of time, and dear friends by my side, what can we not accomplish together?" -Kane (Kane)

"We are in a way conquering time, reuniting members of a long lost family" -Quincy (Opabinia Blues)

"I loved reading the trip reports, I loved the sharing, I loved the educational aspect, I loved the humor. It felt like home. It still does" -Mike (Pagurus)

“The best deal I ever got was getting accepted as a member on The Fossil Forum. Not only got an invaluable pool of knowledge, but gained a loving family as well.” -Doren (caldigger)

"it really is nice, to visit the oasis that is TFF" -Tim (fossildude19)

"Life's Good! -Adam (Tidgy's Dad)

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Excellent finds! :)

Those snails are very interesting. 

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Life's Good!

Tortoise Friend.

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Great report and finds!   :) 

Thanks for sharing your trip with us!
 

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    Tim    -  VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

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"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."

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How about Sassafras? I believe it was found in the Eocene.

 

Love your finds. I had the opportunity to visit the quarry once. Unfortunately storms developed and ended our hunt within 30 minutes. But even such a short period provided many finds.

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Very nice finds, even if some of the IDs are uncertain you can clearly see the fossils, and they are great!

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Great finds. Thanks for sharing it with us.

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Mark.

 

Fossil hunting is easy -- they don't run away when you shoot at them!

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15 hours ago, Top Trilo said:

An unknown larva. Its 0.4mm long. Florissant is one of the rare places where eyes can be preserved.

And last but not least are the four gastropods I found. They are very tiny but very interesting.

The first one is only 3mm wide. It was split open so I have the positive and negative.

image.png.42f86b0805598ef06a4c9c9a473b4513.pngimage.png.4c70775b98628aa3f8b17d15ec797c55.png

 

This one is only 2.5mm wide, possibly the best preserved out of the four though.

image.png.ef4af3fb6256dd858815cc56a5ca6645.png

 

The "large" one, 4mm long.

image.png.a2cb3cbfca5d07caafdac4dd40a81091.png

 

This one is also about 4mm long.

image.png.b071d1916dbc00492756d5758e0319c2.png

 

The first and fourth gastropods are a yellow color whereas the other two are a pearly white.

 

 

That's everything, I hope you enjoyed it.

Again, thanks if anyone could ID anything, and thanks for reading this far and looking at the photos. I truly appreciate it.

 

Meyer's book lists 2 aquatic and 2 terrestrial gastropod genera. The holotype of one species of terrestrial gastropod appears to be lost and the other, Vitrea fagalis coils more than 7 times in one plane. 

 

According to Meyer, of the aquatic genera, Lymnaea has a high spired shell and Planorbis is whorled in 1 plane. There is only 1 species of Planorbis listed: Planorbis florissantensis Cockerell, 1906. According to GBIF, it looks like Planorbis florissantensis Cockerell, 1906 is now Gyraulus florissantensis (Cockerell, 1906). https://www.gbif.org/species/10601259

 

Based on the above information, I would guess that you have several specimens of Gyraulus florissantensis (Cockerell, 1906). 

 

 

Edited by Crusty_Crab
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On 5/30/2022 at 9:02 PM, Tidgy's Dad said:

Excellent finds! :)

Those snails are very interesting. 

Thank you Adam, I do find the snails very interesting as well, they're tiny though and hard to spot.

On 5/30/2022 at 10:15 PM, Fossildude19 said:

Great report and finds!   :) 

Thanks for sharing your trip with us!

Thanks Tim, I'm glad you enjoyed it.

On 5/30/2022 at 10:28 PM, Lone Hunter said:

This reminds me of a maple leaf, could it be Acer sp.?

image.png.e23f437a3b0dcf95bab692a922ae46eb.png

Thank you for your help, I had looked into maple since it was the first multi-pointed leaf (I'm sure there's a term for it) I could think of but I don't think it matches.

On 5/31/2022 at 7:55 AM, minnbuckeye said:

How about Sassafras? I believe it was found in the Eocene.

 

Love your finds. I had the opportunity to visit the quarry once. Unfortunately storms developed and ended our hunt within 30 minutes. But even such a short period provided many finds.

Thanks Mike, Sassafras seems likely, having the three points but all the images I could find are large leaves, these are less than an inch across. I know big leaves start small but I can't find a close enough image. Bummer you got your trip cut early but glad you found things. Its crazy how abundant the fossils are.

On 5/31/2022 at 8:42 AM, deutscheben said:

Very nice finds, even if some of the IDs are uncertain you can clearly see the fossils, and they are great!

Thank you, that's the nice thing about the Florissant Formation, the fossils are typically obvious, you never have to wonder with these 2D fossils if its a water worn fossil or just a fossil-shaped rock.

On 5/31/2022 at 10:16 AM, Nimravis said:

Very nice informative report and great finds and pictures.

Thanks Ralph, I really enjoy all of your trip reports so I'm glad you liked mine.

On 5/31/2022 at 12:06 PM, Mark Kmiecik said:

Great finds. Thanks for sharing it with us.

Thank you Mark, glad you liked it.

On 5/31/2022 at 12:33 PM, Crusty_Crab said:

Meyer's book lists 2 aquatic and 2 terrestrial gastropod genera. The holotype of one species of terrestrial gastropod appears to be lost and the other, Vitrea fagalis coils more than 7 times in one plane. 

 

According to Meyer, of the aquatic genera, Lymnaea has a high spired shell and Planorbis is whorled in 1 plane. There is only 1 species of Planorbis listed: Planorbis florissantensis Cockerell, 1906. According to GBIF, it looks like Planorbis florissantensis Cockerell, 1906 is now Gyraulus florissantensis (Cockerell, 1906). https://www.gbif.org/species/10601259

 

Based on the above information, I would guess that you have several specimens of Gyraulus florissantensis (Cockerell, 1906). 

Thank you so much for your help. I had only found one gastropod my first time there and it was identified as P. florissantensis so I thought they may be the same, since they certainly looked similar but I wasn't positive. 

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“If fossils are not "boggling" your mind then you are simply not doing it right” -Ken (digit)

"No fossil is garbage, it´s just not completely preserved” -Franz (FranzBernhard)

"With hammer in hand, the open horizon of time, and dear friends by my side, what can we not accomplish together?" -Kane (Kane)

"We are in a way conquering time, reuniting members of a long lost family" -Quincy (Opabinia Blues)

"I loved reading the trip reports, I loved the sharing, I loved the educational aspect, I loved the humor. It felt like home. It still does" -Mike (Pagurus)

“The best deal I ever got was getting accepted as a member on The Fossil Forum. Not only got an invaluable pool of knowledge, but gained a loving family as well.” -Doren (caldigger)

"it really is nice, to visit the oasis that is TFF" -Tim (fossildude19)

"Life's Good! -Adam (Tidgy's Dad)

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I forgot to add, some of the fossils seem pretty flakey, particularly the gastropods and a couple leaves, would you recommend coating the fossils in anything? At the quarry they hand you a piece of paper that says how to find fossils, contact info, etc and also to "paint the sides and bottom with Elmer's glue mixed with water-2 parts glue, 1 part water" I know TFF recommends not using Elmer's glue as it could color over time so would you do anything and if so what?

“If fossils are not "boggling" your mind then you are simply not doing it right” -Ken (digit)

"No fossil is garbage, it´s just not completely preserved” -Franz (FranzBernhard)

"With hammer in hand, the open horizon of time, and dear friends by my side, what can we not accomplish together?" -Kane (Kane)

"We are in a way conquering time, reuniting members of a long lost family" -Quincy (Opabinia Blues)

"I loved reading the trip reports, I loved the sharing, I loved the educational aspect, I loved the humor. It felt like home. It still does" -Mike (Pagurus)

“The best deal I ever got was getting accepted as a member on The Fossil Forum. Not only got an invaluable pool of knowledge, but gained a loving family as well.” -Doren (caldigger)

"it really is nice, to visit the oasis that is TFF" -Tim (fossildude19)

"Life's Good! -Adam (Tidgy's Dad)

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18 hours ago, Top Trilo said:

The next two seem like they would be easy to identify but I couldn't find a similar picture in Meyer's book.

image.png.e23f437a3b0dcf95bab692a922ae46eb.png

 

Compare with: Cardiospermum terminalis

image.thumb.png.cb155bff2184519149fca5ff954054ce.png

 

color figure from:

 

Smith, D.M. 2008. A comparison of plant-insect associations in the middle Eocene Green River Formation and the Upper Eocene Florissant Formation and their

climatic implications. In: Paleontology of the Upper Eocene Florissant Formation, Colorado. Geological Society of America Special Paper, 435:89-103  PDF LINK

 

 

gray scale figures from:

 

MacGinitie, H.D. 1953. Fossil Plants of the Florissant Beds, Colorado. Carnegie Institution of Washington Publication, 599:1-198

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image.png.a84de26dad44fb03836a743755df237c.png

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33 minutes ago, Top Trilo said:

I forgot to add, some of the fossils seem pretty flakey, particularly the gastropods and a couple leaves, would you recommend coating the fossils in anything? At the quarry they hand you a piece of paper that says how to find fossils, contact info, etc and also to "paint the sides and bottom with Elmer's glue mixed with water-2 parts glue, 1 part water" I know TFF recommends not using Elmer's glue as it could color over time so would you do anything and if so what?

I actually emailed Herb Meyer the same question. His response was that white glue would be one of the worst things to use. I asked about using B-72 dissolved in acetone and his response is that acetone caused immediate and severe warping on thin pieces. I tested that out myself on a scrap piece (5% B-72 in acetone) and I can confirm that is absolutely true. He recommended using physical stabilization, such as "cutting ethafoam nests for cradling specimens inside of boxes." They use cyanoacrylate for severe flaking, but that may not be ideal. I understand the drawback for cyanoacrylates is that they will yellow with age. 

 

My recommendation is to use physical stabilization as Dr. Meyer recommends. I would avoid adding anything on top unless its a dire necessity. I've used 20% B-72 in acetone to reattach large, thick pieces more successfully. In the future, I plan on experimenting with using B-72 dissolved in ethanol since ethanol is less volatile and will be less likely to warp thin pieces.  

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41 minutes ago, piranha said:

 

Compare with: Cardiospermum terminalis

image.thumb.png.cb155bff2184519149fca5ff954054ce.png

 

color figure from:

 

Smith, D.M. 2008. A comparison of plant-insect associations in the middle Eocene Green River Formation and the Upper Eocene Florissant Formation and their

climatic implications. In: Paleontology of the Upper Eocene Florissant Formation, Colorado. Geological Society of America Special Paper, 435:89-103  PDF LINK

 

 

gray scale figures from:

 

MacGinitie, H.D. 1953. Fossil Plants of the Florissant Beds, Colorado. Carnegie Institution of Washington Publication, 599:1-198

As always, thanks Scott I don't know how you do it but I'm very grateful, it looks like a very good match.

40 minutes ago, Crusty_Crab said:

I actually emailed Herb Meyer the same question. His response was that white glue would be one of the worst things to use. I asked about using B-72 dissolved in acetone and his response is that acetone caused immediate and severe warping on thin pieces. I tested that out myself on a scrap piece (5% B-72 in acetone) and I can confirm that is absolutely true. He recommended using physical stabilization, such as "cutting ethafoam nests for cradling specimens inside of boxes." They use cyanoacrylate for severe flaking, but that may not be ideal. I understand the drawback for cyanoacrylates is that they will yellow with age. 

 

My recommendation is to use physical stabilization as Dr. Meyer recommends. I would avoid adding anything on top unless its a dire necessity. I've used 20% B-72 in acetone to reattach large, thick pieces more successfully. In the future, I plan on experimenting with using B-72 dissolved in ethanol since ethanol is less volatile and will be less likely to warp thin pieces.  

Thanks for the information, its very helpful and I guess I won't coat it in anything.

“If fossils are not "boggling" your mind then you are simply not doing it right” -Ken (digit)

"No fossil is garbage, it´s just not completely preserved” -Franz (FranzBernhard)

"With hammer in hand, the open horizon of time, and dear friends by my side, what can we not accomplish together?" -Kane (Kane)

"We are in a way conquering time, reuniting members of a long lost family" -Quincy (Opabinia Blues)

"I loved reading the trip reports, I loved the sharing, I loved the educational aspect, I loved the humor. It felt like home. It still does" -Mike (Pagurus)

“The best deal I ever got was getting accepted as a member on The Fossil Forum. Not only got an invaluable pool of knowledge, but gained a loving family as well.” -Doren (caldigger)

"it really is nice, to visit the oasis that is TFF" -Tim (fossildude19)

"Life's Good! -Adam (Tidgy's Dad)

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While looking at some of the pieces under magnification I found something I had missed, an insect only 2mm long. It looks like some sort of Hymenoptera like a wasp or ant.

98404F48-2F56-4D1D-B27E-45086EEFE06D.thumb.jpeg.d58f6201231b4a894a8b24d5e7fdf07c.jpeg

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“If fossils are not "boggling" your mind then you are simply not doing it right” -Ken (digit)

"No fossil is garbage, it´s just not completely preserved” -Franz (FranzBernhard)

"With hammer in hand, the open horizon of time, and dear friends by my side, what can we not accomplish together?" -Kane (Kane)

"We are in a way conquering time, reuniting members of a long lost family" -Quincy (Opabinia Blues)

"I loved reading the trip reports, I loved the sharing, I loved the educational aspect, I loved the humor. It felt like home. It still does" -Mike (Pagurus)

“The best deal I ever got was getting accepted as a member on The Fossil Forum. Not only got an invaluable pool of knowledge, but gained a loving family as well.” -Doren (caldigger)

"it really is nice, to visit the oasis that is TFF" -Tim (fossildude19)

"Life's Good! -Adam (Tidgy's Dad)

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And another, this one 3mm with the antennae visible.

 

6834874F-CB73-4E12-8B30-324429BE4E9B.jpeg

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“If fossils are not "boggling" your mind then you are simply not doing it right” -Ken (digit)

"No fossil is garbage, it´s just not completely preserved” -Franz (FranzBernhard)

"With hammer in hand, the open horizon of time, and dear friends by my side, what can we not accomplish together?" -Kane (Kane)

"We are in a way conquering time, reuniting members of a long lost family" -Quincy (Opabinia Blues)

"I loved reading the trip reports, I loved the sharing, I loved the educational aspect, I loved the humor. It felt like home. It still does" -Mike (Pagurus)

“The best deal I ever got was getting accepted as a member on The Fossil Forum. Not only got an invaluable pool of knowledge, but gained a loving family as well.” -Doren (caldigger)

"it really is nice, to visit the oasis that is TFF" -Tim (fossildude19)

"Life's Good! -Adam (Tidgy's Dad)

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Great new finds! I've found a few seeds and other oddball things looking at my plant stuff like that. It always takes forever looking at the slabs with a magnifying lens. Then add a jeweler's loupe for any spotted items. Only 1 bug so far but keep looking!

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12 minutes ago, Sjfriend said:

Great new finds! I've found a few seeds and other oddball things looking at my plant stuff like that. It always takes forever looking at the slabs with a magnifying lens. Then add a jeweler's loupe for any spotted items. Only 1 bug so far but keep looking!

Thanks, it amazes me how much difference there is between similar fossil environments. Like the GRF and Florissant Formations, both are Eocene formations that preserve fossils from ancient lakes and are in a similar geographic area yet the fossils found in them are different. In the typical GRF site near Kemmerer, it seems fish are everywhere however at Florissant any vertebrate is rare.

“If fossils are not "boggling" your mind then you are simply not doing it right” -Ken (digit)

"No fossil is garbage, it´s just not completely preserved” -Franz (FranzBernhard)

"With hammer in hand, the open horizon of time, and dear friends by my side, what can we not accomplish together?" -Kane (Kane)

"We are in a way conquering time, reuniting members of a long lost family" -Quincy (Opabinia Blues)

"I loved reading the trip reports, I loved the sharing, I loved the educational aspect, I loved the humor. It felt like home. It still does" -Mike (Pagurus)

“The best deal I ever got was getting accepted as a member on The Fossil Forum. Not only got an invaluable pool of knowledge, but gained a loving family as well.” -Doren (caldigger)

"it really is nice, to visit the oasis that is TFF" -Tim (fossildude19)

"Life's Good! -Adam (Tidgy's Dad)

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I found possibly another, in poor condition though so it could just be pareidolia. To me it looks like a damselfly. There are two eyes on either side of the head. The body right before the head is wider than the rest of it however the greatest problem seems to be it’s only 4mm long. What do you guys think?

 

Edit: It looks like crane flies have a similar body lay out and they match the size much better, I'm still not positive though.

 

18D44E6A-BE37-409E-81C9-7C9CF5325788.thumb.jpeg.6d3af55278e75fa59f3e8bc49fc2e825.jpeg

Edited by Top Trilo

“If fossils are not "boggling" your mind then you are simply not doing it right” -Ken (digit)

"No fossil is garbage, it´s just not completely preserved” -Franz (FranzBernhard)

"With hammer in hand, the open horizon of time, and dear friends by my side, what can we not accomplish together?" -Kane (Kane)

"We are in a way conquering time, reuniting members of a long lost family" -Quincy (Opabinia Blues)

"I loved reading the trip reports, I loved the sharing, I loved the educational aspect, I loved the humor. It felt like home. It still does" -Mike (Pagurus)

“The best deal I ever got was getting accepted as a member on The Fossil Forum. Not only got an invaluable pool of knowledge, but gained a loving family as well.” -Doren (caldigger)

"it really is nice, to visit the oasis that is TFF" -Tim (fossildude19)

"Life's Good! -Adam (Tidgy's Dad)

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24 minutes ago, Top Trilo said:

Thanks, it amazes me how much difference there is between similar fossil environments. Like the GRF and Florissant Formations, both are Eocene formations that preserve fossils from ancient lakes and are in a similar geographic area yet the fossils found in them are different. In the typical GRF site near Kemmerer, it seems fish are everywhere however at Florissant any vertebrate is rare.

I have wondered about this myself. Keep in mind that although they are both in the Eocene, climates were vastly different. The Green River Formation is much older, according to my booklet from Fossil Butte National Monument, 52 million years ago, in the early Eocene. This is not too far removed from the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum. Average global temperatures were therefore higher (15-20 degrees C, https://ucmp.berkeley.edu/tertiary/eoc/greenriver.html). The evidence suggests the Green River Flora and Fauna were sub-tropical. 

 

In contrast, the Florissant Formation has been dated to around 34.07 million years ago, near the transition to the Oligocene. Average global temperatures were on a declining trend from the early Eocene. Additionally, the Florissant area would have been subject to uplift, part of the process that created the modern Rocky Mountains, resulting in higher elevations. The area seemed to be dominated by Redwood trees, which would suggest a more temperate climate.

 

In short, even though they are both classified as Eocene, there is around 18 million years of difference. For perspective, it would be like comparing the present day fauna to that of the Miocene. 

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11 minutes ago, Crusty_Crab said:

I have wondered about this myself. Keep in mind that although they are both in the Eocene, climates were vastly different. The Green River Formation is much older, according to my booklet from Fossil Butte National Monument, 52 million years ago, in the early Eocene. This is not too far removed from the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum. Average global temperatures were therefore higher (15-20 degrees C, https://ucmp.berkeley.edu/tertiary/eoc/greenriver.html). The evidence suggests the Green River Flora and Fauna were sub-tropical. 

 

In contrast, the Florissant Formation has been dated to around 34.07 million years ago, near the transition to the Oligocene. Average global temperatures were on a declining trend from the early Eocene. Additionally, the Florissant area would have been subject to uplift, part of the process that created the modern Rocky Mountains, resulting in higher elevations. The area seemed to be dominated by Redwood trees, which would suggest a more temperate climate.

 

In short, even though they are both classified as Eocene, there is around 18 million years of difference. For perspective, it would be like comparing the present day fauna to that of the Miocene. 

Yes, you are right, perhaps the Green River Formation isn't that similar to the Florissant Formation. Thanks for the info.

“If fossils are not "boggling" your mind then you are simply not doing it right” -Ken (digit)

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My Miocene Flora site makes me wonder what is going on as well. Lots of leaves with very fine detail but only 1 wasp in 8 years (though in excellent 3d!), 2 gastropod specimens (1 shell and 1 operculum) and the only vertebrate specimen so far is a slab of bird tracks (again, not complaining). Where are the rest of the insect/bug or vertebrate fossils? I'll keep looking and hoping!

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27 minutes ago, Sjfriend said:

My Miocene Flora site makes me wonder what is going on as well. Lots of leaves with very fine detail but only 1 wasp in 8 years (though in excellent 3d!), 2 gastropod specimens (1 shell and 1 operculum) and the only vertebrate specimen so far is a slab of bird tracks (again, not complaining). Where are the rest of the insect/bug or vertebrate fossils? I'll keep looking and hoping!

That is strange. Perhaps the northern latitude of Alaska is the reason for there being less bugs than in the continental US.

“If fossils are not "boggling" your mind then you are simply not doing it right” -Ken (digit)

"No fossil is garbage, it´s just not completely preserved” -Franz (FranzBernhard)

"With hammer in hand, the open horizon of time, and dear friends by my side, what can we not accomplish together?" -Kane (Kane)

"We are in a way conquering time, reuniting members of a long lost family" -Quincy (Opabinia Blues)

"I loved reading the trip reports, I loved the sharing, I loved the educational aspect, I loved the humor. It felt like home. It still does" -Mike (Pagurus)

“The best deal I ever got was getting accepted as a member on The Fossil Forum. Not only got an invaluable pool of knowledge, but gained a loving family as well.” -Doren (caldigger)

"it really is nice, to visit the oasis that is TFF" -Tim (fossildude19)

"Life's Good! -Adam (Tidgy's Dad)

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This is some awesome stuff! I don't generally touch these younger fossils but those are some really beautiful ones, this formation is amazing.

I also didn't know there were gastropods found there, very interesting!

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1 hour ago, Top Trilo said:

That is strange. Perhaps the northern latitude of Alaska is the reason for there being less bugs than in the continental US.

The Miocene flora points to warmer weather. Plus Alaska has PLENTY of bugs now :default_rofl:

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