2022-09-17 ESCONI Field Trip to a Spoil Pile Near Danville, IL

[stats]

On September 17th, 2022, ESCONI held a field trip to a coal mine spoil pile near Danville, IL.  It was a fairly hot day with temperatures in the upper 80's.  However, it was a productive field trip. There had been quite a bit of work on the hill this summer and it was looking quite different from the spring.  The road to the top went around from the left instead of the right.  There weren't as many exposed fossils in "Red Dog" found this time, but concretions were readily available for collecting.  

 

There were a few Forum members present.  @deutscheben @connorp   I'm sure I'm forgetting a few, please announce yourself!

 

Here are some photos of the trip. Some of the photos were taken with a drone. I need to take some more photos of fossils, so stay tuned...  

 

I'll post concretions if/when they open. 

 

 

There was a bunch of  poison ivy all around outside of the hill.

 

Mushrooms were plentiful.

 

And, of course fossils!

 

 

 

Edited September 23, 2022 by stats

[connorp]

Here's a panorama I took from near the top.

 

 

Here are a couple my finds. I still have a number more to prep and photograph, plus a half bucket of concretions to freeze-thaw.

 

Asolanus camptotaenia

 

Mariopteris hispida

 

Syringodendron sp.

[Nimravis]

Looks like it was a great trip, I wish that I could have made it this time.

[deutscheben]

Thanks for posting this, @stats. I had a fantastic day out at the spoil pile, with some interesting finds, including a few I did not previously have in my collection. 

First off, here is my shot from the top of the hill. Flatland, my home! 
 

 

First is a nice “mixed plate” with Macroneuropteris, Sphenophyllum, Asolanus, and Lepidodendron/Synchysidendron.(part and counterpart)

 

 

Next is a neat 3-dimensional chunk of lycopsid bark. It bears a resemblance to either Lepidodendron or Synchysidendron. The pattern, which I believe is actually a sub-surface layer of the bark, is preserved on two sides, and then the small piece also pictured broke off and shows an imprint of what would have been the outer layer of the same tree. 
 

 

 

 

 

Next is an interesting piece, a fellow fossil hunter identified it as the pith or center of a cone such as Lepidostrobus.

 

 

For a different view, here is a partial  exterior of a Lepidostrobus. 
 

 

I also collected a few concretions and some other pieces I am still working on getting photographed. I am already excited to come back next year!

 

 

Edited September 25, 2022 by deutscheben

[stats]

Here are some specimen photos taken the day of the field trip by Andrew Young.  They include the name of the collector, some of which are forum members.

 

Cheers,

Rich

 

Diaphorodendron rimosum - Keith Robitschek

 

Lepidodendron sp. - David Carlson

 

Asolanus camptotaenia - Robert Mucha

 

Annularia inflata - David Carlson

 

Sigillaria sp. - Diane Bedrosian

 

Coprolite in concretion - Katie Mitsui

 

Lepidodendron bellii - Katie Mitsui

 

Cyathocarpus arborea - Connor Puritz

 

Mariopteris nervosa - Connor Puritz

 

Callipteridium neuropteroides - Rich Holm

 

Mariopteris hispida - Connor Puritz

 

Macrostachya communis - Lil Magnusson

 

Possible root structure - Becky Monroe

 

Macroneuropteris scheuchzerii - Lil Magnusson

 

Calamites undulatus - Becky Monroe

 

Edited October 1, 2022 by stats

[Harry Pristis]

Interesting!  I did my first open-water dive in a flooded stripmine outside of Danville.  It never occurred to me to look for fossils in the shale.  Live and learn.  A year later, I was grubbing for fossils in a Florida river bottom.

[Tales From the Shale]

Man you guys really got some excellent finds! I always loved Carboniferous bark textures from plants like Lepinodendron. Excellent stuff