NJ Mary Ann Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 Went out behind the Beltzville Park dam a few weeks ago with the NJPS...we had to get a permit from the Army Corp of Engineering, but they were wonderful about it and very helpful. Came back with a trunk load of stuff, but just yesterday finally figured out how to use the macro setting on my camera!! So, here are a few pics - and for once, I know these are not just rocks!!! Picture 1 - I don't know the species yet but looks pretty Picture 2 - looks like an impression of a horn coral? Pic 3 - perhaps some kind of Stromatopora? Pic 4 - could this be an impression of a trilobite? Might be too hard to tell from this photo, I have to find a way to light it better. -Mary Ann ********* "There is nothing like geology; the pleasure of the first day's partridge shooting or first day's hunting cannot be compared to finding a fine group of fossil bones, which tell their story of former times with almost a living tongue." Charles Darwin, letter to his sister Catherine, 1834 ********* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest solius symbiosus Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 I think that last might be part of a valve of a brachiopod. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 Looks like you had a fun hunt! #2 looks to me to be a branching coral, and #3 is pretty similar to Hexagonaria coral ("Petoskey Stone", the state fossil of Michigan). "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest solius symbiosus Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 IDK Auspex, #3 does look like the mameleons(sp?) of a Stromotoporoid. Compare with this Ordovician example(some of you might remember this piece). NJ Mary Ann, can you get a close up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Nicholas Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 Great hunt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 IDK Auspex, #3 does look like the mameleons(sp?) of a Stromotoporoid. Compare with this Ordovician example(some of you might remember this piece).NJ Mary Ann, can you get a close up? I had blown the pic up, and noted a distinct columnar hexagon pattern, which suggested Hexagonaria. "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest solius symbiosus Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 ^^I didn't think of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFossilHunter Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 i doint think the third poicture is Hexagonaria coral . i am not sure what is it but i found tons of stuff like that in pa, doesnt look like Hexagonaria coral at all. never got to IDing it. gotta find out what it is. the 4th picture doesnt look like a trilobite but clearer pictures are needed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 Some sort of Polyzoan? KOF, Bill. Welcome to the forum, all new members www.ukfossils check it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFossilHunter Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 Mary Ann, you can also look for fossils by Pavilion II by the shore in Beltzville park... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest solius symbiosus Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 I'm fairly certain the last pic is part of a valve of a brachiopod. It is the area surrounding the sulcus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJ Mary Ann Posted July 25, 2008 Author Share Posted July 25, 2008 Mary Ann, you can also look for fossils by Pavilion II by the shore in Beltzville park... Wow, thanks, that would be fun on a hot summer day!! Can you find trilobites over there? That was why we went behind the dam, heard they'd been found there. Two folks in our group did find one, but not me We came home with about 40 pounds of rocks, mostly with brachiopods and such...lots of crinoids. I'm slowly breaking them down further to see if there is anything more interesting inside. -Mary Ann ********* "There is nothing like geology; the pleasure of the first day's partridge shooting or first day's hunting cannot be compared to finding a fine group of fossil bones, which tell their story of former times with almost a living tongue." Charles Darwin, letter to his sister Catherine, 1834 ********* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFossilHunter Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 Wow, thanks, that would be fun on a hot summer day!! Can you find trilobites over there? That was why we went behind the dam, heard they'd been found there. Two folks in our group did find one, but not me We came home with about 40 pounds of rocks, mostly with brachiopods and such...lots of crinoids. I'm slowly breaking them down further to see if there is anything more interesting inside. hey Mary Ann, knowing other things that are found there, i think trilobites can be found there too as i have found them associated with that fauna. But i haven't found any. in any case, beltzville park wouldn't be the best place to find trilobites. did you have to carry your 40 pounds of rocks? was that a long hike? i sometimes carry up to 175 lb or so but i am crazy. i guess you are infected with the fossil virus also. don't worry about not finding trilobites..they are not as elusive as you think....you'll find a bunch in time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJ Mary Ann Posted July 25, 2008 Author Share Posted July 25, 2008 hey Mary Ann,knowing other things that are found there, i think trilobites can be found there too as i have found them associated with that fauna. But i haven't found any. in any case, beltzville park wouldn't be the best place to find trilobites. did you have to carry your 40 pounds of rocks? was that a long hike? i sometimes carry up to 175 lb or so but i am crazy. i guess you are infected with the fossil virus also. don't worry about not finding trilobites..they are not as elusive as you think....you'll find a bunch in time Yes, I have a very amusing memory of calling a lunch break, and seeing my kids bolt off to the car, leaving me behind with the 40 pounds of rocks and all our rock equipment. It was actually a good bit more than 40 pounds, but I was highly motivated to thin it down a bit before lugging it all back to the car. (the kids did eventually, when they couldn't get to the food, come back to see what had happened to me, and help to carry the rocks the last half of the way Beltzville is only about an hour and a half from my house, which is why we went there. I don't think there are other trilobite sites nearby, are there? My youngest son, who is a real fossil addict, would dearly love to find a trilobite. -Mary Ann ********* "There is nothing like geology; the pleasure of the first day's partridge shooting or first day's hunting cannot be compared to finding a fine group of fossil bones, which tell their story of former times with almost a living tongue." Charles Darwin, letter to his sister Catherine, 1834 ********* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFossilHunter Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 Yes, I have a very amusing memory of calling a lunch break, and seeing my kids bolt off to the car, leaving me behind with the 40 pounds of rocks and all our rock equipment. It was actually a good bit more than 40 pounds, but I was highly motivated to thin it down a bit before lugging it all back to the car. (the kids did eventually, when they couldn't get to the food, come back to see what had happened to me, and help to carry the rocks the last half of the way Beltzville is only about an hour and a half from my house, which is why we went there. I don't think there are other trilobite sites nearby, are there? My youngest son, who is a real fossil addict, would dearly love to find a trilobite. of course there are places to find trilobites closer to you . do you know how many fossil sites PA has? if i were to guess I would say between 500 and 1000. the question is do we know where they are or not. where do you live? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJ Mary Ann Posted July 25, 2008 Author Share Posted July 25, 2008 of course there are places to find trilobites closer to you . do you know how many fossil sites PA has? if i were to guess I would say between 500 and 1000. the question is do we know where they are or not.where do you live? I live in Hunterdon County, NJ...about 40 minutes from the Delaware Water Gap at Rt 80, and about 25 minutes from where NJ Rt 78/22 crosses into PA. {rex} Sorry about that emoticon, but i just found it and had to try it out !!! -Mary Ann ********* "There is nothing like geology; the pleasure of the first day's partridge shooting or first day's hunting cannot be compared to finding a fine group of fossil bones, which tell their story of former times with almost a living tongue." Charles Darwin, letter to his sister Catherine, 1834 ********* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFossilHunter Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 I live in Hunterdon County, NJ...about 40 minutes from the Delaware Water Gap at Rt 80, and about 25 minutes from where NJ Rt 78/22 crosses into PA. {rex} Sorry about that emoticon, but i just found it and had to try it out !!! there are a bunch of sites in pa along rt 80...but yu are right they might be a little farther away.. i need to look at my files to see whats near you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyguy784 Posted July 31, 2008 Share Posted July 31, 2008 There is a spot that's about 5 miles from Beltzville Res. I've found at least a dozen nice partial Trilobites, tons of crinoid sections and corals. If you'd like to do a hunt together, let me know. I'd like to get back there. Just PM me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maryland Mike Posted August 1, 2008 Share Posted August 1, 2008 Although I think I can see some of the Hexagon shapes that suggests Hexagonaria to Auspex and Devonian is the right period for it, I have to agree with Solius that it probably is not. Compared to the Hexagonaria found in Michigan the cells are really small and usually in my experience, the centers of the cells tend to erode first. Carpe Diem, Carpe Somnium Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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