2022 I&M Canal Corridor Fossil Trip - August 27th and 28th, 2022

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The annual I&M Canal Corridor Fossil Trip was split between two weekends this year.  Saturday, August 13th and Sunday August 14th, 2022 were family and beginner days, while more experienced collectors had their opportunities on Saturday, August 27th and Sunday, August 28th, 2022.  From the look of what was found, the families barely made a dent in the supply of fossils.  In case you are not familiar with the history of the site, the Kodat/Benson farm is designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1997.

 

Statement of Significance (as of designation - September 25, 1997):
The Mazon Creek Fossil Beds are important in the history of U.S. geology. When they were discovered in the mid-19th century, the beds provided the best and earliest representations of the oldest plants and animals known. Sites where fragile fossils are common and well preserved (here in distinctive ironstone nodules) are exceedingly rare. The Mazon Creek beds continue to be a prolific source of fossils.

 

This trip is always well attended.  The family and dinner event (August 28th) included an informative lecture by Andrew Young and Dave Dolak about the geology, history, and the fossils found at the site.

 

There were quite a few opened concretions found on each day.  The finds ranged from a shark tooth, to a huge lungfish scale, and many of the spectacular ferns common throughout the Mazon Creek fossil deposit.

 

I saw many Fossil Forum people at the event.  Please post photos to this thread.  I gave most of my open pieces away, but will be adding any new fossils as my unopened concretions go through the freeze/thaw process.

 

Please add yourself, if I have missed you.  

@deutscheben @connorp @bigred97 @Roby 

 

Here are a few photos over the 4 days.

 

Edited August 31, 2022 by stats
addition

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Here are some of the fossils I found on the trip.  I gave away most of my open stuff, but here are a few.  I will post as concretions open up via freeze/thaw.

 

Cheers,

Rich

 

Edited August 31, 2022 by stats

[digit]

Looks like an awesome trip with lots of smiling faces. Most of those finds are nicer than anything I've been able to glean from the Mazon Creek concretions.

 

Hoping to see more from this trip add to this post.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[deutscheben]

Thanks for posting this, Rich. I was there on Saturday- it could not have been a more beautiful day! The river was clear and low, the company and food excellent and the finds plentiful.

 

 

I managed to collect about 5 gallons, and better shaped ones then last year. My father, who has joined me on trips and encouraged me over decades of fossil hunting, signed up too. And wouldn’t you know it, he had the consensus best find of the day, a jaw-droppingly enormous lungfish scale. 
 

 

He found it already split, but it is only slightly river-worn. When he showed it to me I could hardly believe it and I assured him that if he showed it to anyone else with a some familiarity with Mazon Creek fossils that they would be gobsmacked. I’m happy to say I was not wrong- I wish I would have recorded all of the superlatives that sprung from people’s mouths the rest of the evening when they saw it. 
 

I kept two already opened concretions for the day- both coprolites I believe, but quite different looking ones:

 

 

I was also happy to see plenty of wildlife, including toads, fish, crayfish, damselflies and insect nymphs. All in all, a really fantastic day and one I can’t wait to do again next year.

Edited September 1, 2022 by deutscheben

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More fossils from the trip.  Photos from Andrew Young.

 

Cheers,

Rich

 

Orthacanthus sp. freshwater shark tooth

 

Myriacantherpestes sp. millipede spine - found by Dave Dolak

 

Euphoberia sp. millipede. - found by Dave Dolak

[Nimravis]

Some great finds this year, love the lungfish scale.

[minnbuckeye]

I did not have the time to attend the event this year so am happy I can relive my experiences last year through your posts. Maybe next year again! 

 

Mike

[Mark Kmiecik]

13 hours ago, deutscheben said:

 

7 Centimeters? Holy fish, Batman!

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After the first cycle a few have started opening.  Here's a nice Macroneuropteris... before and after cleaning.  And, a nice grouping of Macroneuropteris pinnules.

 

Cheers,

Rich

 

 

Grouping of 3 pinnules.

 

[Nimravis]

Very nice pieces Rich. @stats

[Mark Kmiecik]

The M. scheuchzeri is super nice. And the group ain't bad either. 

[connorp]

It was a very good trip. I collected close to four buckets in two days, plus lots of nice open finds. Here are a couple.

 

Alethopteris serlii

 

Cyclopteris orbicularis

 

Neuropteris sp.

 

Neuropteris sp.

[connorp]

Here's another one I found open - the syncarid shrimp Acanthotelson stimpsoni. Would have been very nice if it wasn't so water worn.

This one is really big, definitely the biggest I've ever seen.

 

[stats]

Very nice!  And, huge!

 

Cheers,

Rich

 

[stats]

Here are a few new ones from the last week.

 

Cheers.

Rich

 

Macroneuropteris

 

Macroneuropteris orbicular pinnules

 

Crenulopteris mazoniana

 

Edited September 20, 2022 by stats

[Mark Kmiecik]

Beautiful M. scheuchzeri, all of them. And the C. mazoniana ain't too shoddy either! More coming soon I hope. 

[Nimravis]

Nice pieces Rich.

[stats]

8 hours ago, Mark Kmiecik said:

Beautiful M. scheuchzeri, all of them. And the C. mazoniana ain't too shoddy either! More coming soon I hope. 

Thanks, Mark!  Hopefully, they keep popping.

 

Cheers,

Rich

 

[stats]

8 hours ago, Nimravis said:

Nice pieces Rich.

Thanks, Ralph!

 

Did you see the Braceville post on the website?  I used your picture from the 1990's.  Looking for pictures from the 1980's and before.

https://www.esconi.org/esconi_earth_science_club/2022/09/mazon-monday-130-braceville-spoil-pile-fossil-paleontology-mazonmonday-mazoncreek-coal-braceville-il.html

 

Cheers,

Rich

 

[Nimravis]

@stats I did not see that, I will check now.

[stats]

Here are a couple more.  Still all Macroneuropteris...

 

Cheers,

Rich

 

[Nimravis]

Very pretty pieces Rich.

[deutscheben]

Love that one with the basal pinnules! 

[stats]

2 hours ago, Nimravis said:

Very pretty pieces Rich.

Thanks!

 

Cheers,

Rich

[stats]

1 hour ago, deutscheben said:

Love that one with the basal pinnules! 

Yeah, I like that one, too.  You don't get them very often.

 

Cheers,

Rich