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Help identifying possible organisms from nodules of Pit 11, Mazon Creek


Joseph Fossil

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Starting in 2021, I've been going fossil hunting around the Mazon Creek area in Grundy County, Illinois. The site I visit the most so far is the fairly large Mazonia-Braidwood State Fish and Wildlife Area and at first, I would barley find anything. Then after visiting Monster Lake and another secret location in the area, I started finding more fossils. However, most are around 2-7 cm. In length and I'm still having difficulty getting IDs for them? Would anyone be able to help ID them?

 

 

I think this could be some sort of Chondrichthyan or a lobe finned fish?

 

IMG_1423.thumb.jpg.7e648b194d0806bc0cd9d2b6efb9ca37.jpg

 

 

 

Maybe part of a dragonfly wing or a plant?

 

IMG_1435.thumb.jpg.03d172d45133f95aba2ca1bc8fc306d6.jpg

 

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Plant fossil - Genera unknown currently?

 

IMG_1437.thumb.jpg.7cb6541ecc422a272563bb4343736afe.jpg

 

 

 

 

I don't know what this could be?

 

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The specimen here looks almost like a plant fossil.

 

IMG_1440.thumb.jpg.0c30cb7440bb84eeee0d0bf72cc3f30c.jpg

 

 

 

Worm fossil - genera unknown currently.

 

IMG_1438.thumb.jpg.cc0dad4f731f47d398b96b8d0110ac13.jpg

 

 

 

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Second item looks like carbonized plant material.

The plant looks like Annularia sp.

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These ones I collected more recently, around September.

 

IMG_1465.thumb.jpg.863cb965210f285020f33a7abfdce0c2.jpg

 

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This specimen might be a species of worm, but not sure about what genera it could be?

 

IMG_1468.thumb.jpg.1815cc243e7c6209a385bf33b6b120d4.jpg

 

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Photos with better lighting and focus would be helpful. 

From the first batch:

1. Mineral stain? Poorly preserved Macroneuropteris? Need better lighting.

2. Coalified wood stem.

3. Small portion of poorly preserved Annularia sphenophylloides? Need better lighting and focus.

4. Mineral stain. Possibly an Essexella asherae. Need better lighting and focus.

5. Just a pattern in the matrix. This one may still have something in another layer.

6. It does look a lot like a Didontogaster cordylina. Need much better lighting and much better focus to be sure.

 

Second batch:

1. Bits and pieces of a poorly preserved Macroneuropteris.

2. Could be something. Looks like plant material. Poorly preserved.

 

September batch:

1. Could be Codontheca. Need lighting and focus.

2. Need lightning and focus.

3. Need lightning and focus.

4. No worm here. There may be something in another layer.

5. Looks like assorted debris.

6. Possibly Essexella asherae. Need better L & F.

7. Don't see anything here.

8. Could be a Myalinella meeki. Need better L & F.

9. Looks like plant material? Need lots more light!

 

The area you're hunting is public. You have to get WAAAAAY off the beaten track to connect with better specimens. What you're picking up is what more experienced hunters have left behind because they didn't want to carry the extra weight back to their vehicles. There are superb fossils to be found there, but if you're not swearing loudly at the underbrush, the bugs, and the heat you're not out far enough to connect with the good stuff.

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Mark.

 

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

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On 11/3/2022 at 3:36 PM, Mark Kmiecik said:

Photos with better lighting and focus would be helpful. 

From the first batch:

1. Mineral stain? Poorly preserved Macroneuropteris? Need better lighting.

2. Coalified wood stem.

3. Small portion of poorly preserved Annularia sphenophylloides? Need better lighting and focus.

4. Mineral stain. Possibly an Essexella asherae. Need better lighting and focus.

5. Just a pattern in the matrix. This one may still have something in another layer.

6. It does look a lot like a Didontogaster cordylina. Need much better lighting and much better focus to be sure.

 

Second batch:

1. Bits and pieces of a poorly preserved Macroneuropteris.

2. Could be something. Looks like plant material. Poorly preserved.

 

September batch:

1. Could be Codontheca. Need lighting and focus.

2. Need lightning and focus.

3. Need lightning and focus.

4. No worm here. There may be something in another layer.

5. Looks like assorted debris.

6. Possibly Essexella asherae. Need better L & F.

7. Don't see anything here.

8. Could be a Myalinella meeki. Need better L & F.

9. Looks like plant material? Need lots more light!

 

The area you're hunting is public. You have to get WAAAAAY off the beaten track to connect with better specimens. What you're picking up is what more experienced hunters have left behind because they didn't want to carry the extra weight back to their vehicles. There are superb fossils to be found there, but if you're not swearing loudly at the underbrush, the bugs, and the heat you're not out far enough to connect with the good stuff.

 

@Mark Kmiecik Thank for the IDs and the advice on where to look (and getting better lighting and focus...I know and your right, I photographed these with an iPhone and have been meaning to get one of those professional lens to attach to my iPhone to get better photos and to get a good lamp). Also sorry for the late reply, I've been busy working on a report about large chondrichthyan diversity in Illinois during the Mississippian and Pennsylvanian of the Carboniferous!!!

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Here are also some more specimens I forgot to post that I would like an ID for?

 

Possible Lobe fined fish specimen, maybe even the top portion of a Bandringa rostrum, but more likely a lobe fined fish but unsure which genera?

 

IMG_1706.thumb.jpg.de444b79a59b91c3e1f32f03a8c193ae.jpg

 

IMG_1707.thumb.jpg.7ad1d7fce7d39bb8316584df552b1342.jpg

 

Definitely a plant, again I don't know which genera it belongs (and yes I will admit this one could have used better lighting and focus)

 

IMG_1709.thumb.jpg.ae1638308a50c2ac5feb476ea754af86.jpg

 

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Maybe plant fossil or a fossilized worm specimen? I current do not know?

 

IMG_1710.thumb.jpg.38ad50eba4d23345e516e8febe08b02d.jpg

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Here are some more nodule rocks (some I've posted before but wanted to get better focus (and hopefully better lighting)) so maybe making a proper ID for them would be more likely. 

 

IMG_1838.thumb.jpg.09c2770524fe83a561650c21d3b4e41d.jpg

 

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17 hours ago, Joseph Fossil said:

Here are some more nodule rocks (some I've posted before but wanted to get better focus (and hopefully better lighting)) so maybe making a proper ID for them would be more likely. 

 

 

 

 

 

IMG_1840.thumb.jpg.4670a9739ba68945599c9ad6ee297df1.jpg

 

 

 

 

IMG_1850.thumb.jpg.56d5fb5512fb411ea139d667fba55f31.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The two above may contain a fossil, but they are not clear or complete enough for me to say more. I do not see anything preserved in any of the other ones you posted. 

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