Fossil Hunting Trip on the shores of Lake Michigan, Illinois December/5/2022

[Joseph Fossil]

On Monday I went on a little trip to one of my top secret places to fossil hunt on the shores of Lake Michigan. It's a small beach in Northeastern Cook County, Illinois which I've always found lots of Silurian aged fossils. 

 

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This trip was no different!!

 

https://silurian-reef.fieldmuseum.org/narrative/392

 

I found a large amount of small but pretty interesting Silurian fossils which demonstrate the diversity of reef supported aquatic life in the Chicago land area 444 to 419 million year ago during the Silurian era!

 

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Edited December 8, 2022 by Joseph Fossil

[Joseph Fossil]

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Edited December 8, 2022 by Joseph Fossil
Number photos

[Ludwigia]

Pretty waterworn stuff, but nevertheless, good proof of the various reef fauna which existed at the time.

[Tidgy's Dad]

I do like some of the corals in particular. 

[Joseph Fossil]

1 hour ago, Tidgy's Dad said:

I do like some of the corals in particular. 

 

@Tidgy's Dad Thank you! Do you what genus of coral it it? Some Kinda looks like Rugose coral but not 100% sure!

[Joseph Fossil]

1 hour ago, Ludwigia said:

Pretty waterworn stuff, but nevertheless, good proof of the various reef fauna which existed at the time.

 

@Ludwigia Awesome! I definitely can identify some crinoids and brachiopods, but is there any cephalopods, gastropods, or trilobites here - it's a bit hard to tell for some of the more waterworn specimens?

[Joseph Fossil]

 

I have no idea what these specimens are? Would anyone be able to ID them?

 

2 hours ago, Joseph Fossil said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

@Fossildude19 @Tidgy's Dad @Ludwigia Got any ideas as what these specimens are?

[Tidgy's Dad]

No, couldn't tell you the species of coral, I'm afraid. 

If you number the photos it will make it easier for people to tell you what they might be. 

[Joseph Fossil]

6 minutes ago, Tidgy's Dad said:

No, couldn't tell you the species of coral, I'm afraid. 

If you number the photos it will make it easier for people to tell you what they might be. 

 

@Tidgy's Dad Good idea!!!

[Joseph Fossil]

13 minutes ago, Tidgy's Dad said:

No, couldn't tell you the species of coral, I'm afraid. 

If you number the photos it will make it easier for people to tell you what they might be. 

 

@Tidgy's Dad Just numbered the photos! I would like IDs for the specimens in series photos 2-3, 7-9, 19-20, 21-22, 23-24, 25-27, 34-35, 36-37, 38-39, 40-41, and 42-43!!

[Tidgy's Dad]

Well, let me start the ball rolling. 

42 and 43 is the impression left by a crinoid stem section when the actual fossil has eroded away, so an external mold. 

The next two are seemingly internal casts of the same type of thing. 

[Mark Kmiecik]

Most of it won't be identifiable down to species. If you search north of there in the area between Kenosha and Racine you will find better preserved and larger specimens.

[Ludwigia]

9 hours ago, Joseph Fossil said:

I would like IDs for the specimens in series photos 2-3, 7-9, 19-20, 21-22, 23-24, 25-27, 34-35, 36-37, 38-39, 40-41, and 42-43!!

 

I won't bother going into detail here, since it's not possible to get any ids below the order level due to the poor and partial preservation. Suffice to say that most of them are coral and crinoid with a few question marks which just may be either brachiopod, bivalve, bryozoan or trilobite bits, but they're too indistinct for me to tell.

[Tidgy's Dad]

I think 34,35 is a fragment of brachiopod shell. 

[EMP]

I agree that most look like crinoid stems and tabulate corals. 21/22 looks like an ostracode, which is neat. 5 has a superficial resemblance to a spiriferid brachiopod. 36/37 is the hinge line of a brachiopod. Cool stuff!