1st & 2nd CNY Fossilhunt of 2023

[Darktooth]

Hello and Happy New Year to all of my Fossil Friends! Yesterday and today I put in my first 2 hunts of the year. The weather here has been mild and I almost went fishing instead. But the fossil gods were calling to me and I couldn't resist their siren song. I decided to visit a site that I haven't been to for awhile. I am sorry but a have made a New Years resolution to no longer name locations for the world to see. This is a site that I have gone a few times with minimal results. Mainly it is a rather large site and the rock is hard to work. But I knew the potential for nice finds were there. So, Yesterday I arrived in the afternoon, planning on putting in a few hours. I started off on a lower layer.  Now there is multiple layers of shale mixed with slate and limestone. The way this material fractures is rather strange. Which makes recovery of specimens rather tough. So while I found many cool things most where damaged in some way. Crinoids, brachiopods, bivalves, gastropods, nautiloids and trilo Cephalons were fairly common. Some were even pyritized. I must have been there for a couple hours before I decided to explore farther up the slope. I noticed a different color rock closer to the top, but there was really no where to stand. I grabbed a couple loose pieces and started seeing parts of corals and crinoids that were larger then any I have found before. Also partial trilo bits and pieces of Eldregoeps. I looked for a way to get to the very top of the slope and found a way that was not at first obvious. And then bingo! I found a small section that was easier to work and I immediately was rewarded. I started finding abundant amounts of horn coral, large crinoid segments and a nice slab with a horn coral with a trilo right next to it and possibly more. Then I removed a chunk of rock and uncovered a huge tabulate coral about the size of a dinner plate. Unfortunately this specimen was fragile and was broke into a million pieces. But I recovered some of the larger pieces. It started getting dark so I left for home with plants to go back this morning, which I did. Today was much of the same tons of corals but one horn coral was about the size of a grapefruit. This is definitely a different species than I am used to seeing. Most if not all need to be cleaned up and possibly prepped. So I plan on trying to clean up and get the mud off. I will post pics later this evening. 

It looks like this year has started off with a bang.

I hope it is a sign of things to come.

[Darktooth]

Well I didn't get far with the cleaning process, as my family and I went to see the 3 hour long Avatar movie. But I will post some in-situ pics. Most of these were from the lower layers except for the tabulate coral which came from the top. I forgot to mention that I did find a huge Conularid, but it got accidentally left behind.

[Darktooth]

A few more......

 

Edited January 2, 2023 by Darktooth

[Darktooth]

Here are some pics after I got home from last night. I am hoping someone can id the item in pic#3?

[Darktooth]

Here is some of the other finds.

[Jeffrey P]

Nice finds Dave. Looks like Middle Devonian Hamilton Group, but not a site I've been to yet, I think. Hope to see those after some prepping. 

[Darktooth]

13 minutes ago, Jeffrey P said:

Nice finds Dave. Looks like Middle Devonian Hamilton Group, but not a site I've been to yet, I think. Hope to see those after some prepping. 

Thanks Jeff, I hope I can get you and Tim out there some time. I think it would be a nice change of pace from DSR. Hope you and your family had a good time over the Holidays. I will be posting some more pics soon.

[Darktooth]

I false found this cool Gastropod. While it was still covered in mud I thought it was an extremely large Glyptomaria capillaries. After cleaning I realize I was wrong. This one is a first for me. I Believe it is Mourlonia itys.

[Darktooth]

Here are some of the coral with the mud cleaned off. The first two I can't tell what is going on. Shaped like horn coral but have a tabulated look on the outside. Unless it is covered by another organism?

[Darktooth]

Some Tabulate chunks....... and more I have to go through still in my bucket.