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Silurian Of Wisconsin


squalicorax

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Hey all,

In Milwaukee we have two places to hunt for fossils. The Devonian outcrops in a few spots in the state and is not very productive. The main bedrock around south eastern Wisconsin is Silurian Dolomite. The dolomite is locally fossiliferous and I haven't been to real outcrop of it yet.

Breaking up rip rap can be hit or miss.

Here is what im working with.

s0DLbl.jpg

pVe4Bl.jpg

Now not all those rocks contain trilobites, but if you know what type of rock to look for you can go down there for 20 minutes and come back with a few Calymene trilobites.

The Calymene, Wisconsin's state fossil, is the most common trilobite in these dolomite pieces.

Here is one i found today

ZH0Xal.jpg

When ever i bring my sledge hammer down there I am not afraid of the larger rocks the estwing cannot break open.

Here is an Encrinurus glabella, my second one.

FDuapl.jpg

I also found two unknown cephalons today

one maybe being a Bumastus or Sphaerexochus

HdXhkl.jpg

and one more

Not sure about an id on this one at all.

Maybe Dalmamites....

E2UWzl.jpg

thanks for the read

Edited by squalicorax
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My Flickr Page of My Collection: http://www.flickr.com/photos/79424101@N00/sets

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Great finds, Squalicorax! :)

Are you able to prep them out any further?:unsure:

Thanks for sharing with us.

Regards,

    Tim    -  VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

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"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."

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Very cool! I've always wondered about collecting the beach(and my sister's retaining wall ;) ), but wasn't sure if it was prohibited. I may have to check that out next time I'm in Milwaukee.

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Nice finds.

"It seems to me that the natural world is the greatest source of excitement; the greatest source of visual beauty; the greatest source of

intellectual interest. It is the greatest source of so much in life that makes life worth living."

-Sir David Attenborough

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nice finds. that is a great beachwalking opportunity you have there. i'd be taking a stroll on that beach pretty often. exercise and fossils as a bonus. excellent.

Today's the day!

Mel Fisher

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Nice finds, I collect similar material a little South of you in the Chicagoland area (Niagaran dolomite).

I have done a little searching around the Milwaukee area but as you said, there is very little exposure.

I have read that quite a bit of placoderm material has been found in the Devonian rocks around Milwaukee. Have you had any luck finding any?

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Nice Trilos! I found a Calymene down there once as a kid visiting my G-parents.

-Dave

__________________________________________________

Geologists on the whole are inconsistent drivers. When a roadcut presents itself, they tend to lurch and weave. To them, the roadcut is a portal, a fragment of a regional story, a proscenium arch that leads their imaginations into the earth and through the surrounding terrain. - John McPhee

If I'm going to drive safely, I can't do geology. - John McPhee

Check out my Blog for more fossils I've found: http://viewsofthemahantango.blogspot.com/

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Nice finds, I collect similar material a little South of you in the Chicagoland area (Niagaran dolomite).

I have done a little searching around the Milwaukee area but as you said, there is very little exposure.

I have read that quite a bit of placoderm material has been found in the Devonian rocks around Milwaukee. Have you had any luck finding any?

Hi RC.

The Greene Gallery on the UWM campus has many placoderm armor pieces on display and i am sure there are more in the basement. I havent had any luck locating placoderm armor myself.

My Flickr Page of My Collection: http://www.flickr.com/photos/79424101@N00/sets

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Hi RC.

The Greene Gallery on the UWM campus has many placoderm armor pieces on display and i am sure there are more in the basement. I havent had any luck locating placoderm armor myself.

I travel to Madison quite often....I'll have to check this out. Do they have a pretty good fossil display?

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Oh I meant University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. The fossil display is not all that incredible, its mostly local paleozoic fossils.

Thanks for the clarification. I fly into Milwaukee. Might check it out anyway. Fossils are good, regardless!

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great post! This is a new area of fossil hunting for me. I haven't had the opportunity to hunt for Trilo's, but would love the chance to one day. I think they are really neat looking. I've seen a lot of different species... thanks again for sharing.

History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.

~Sir Winston Churchill

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  • 11 months later...

I found a beautiful large Brachiopod in the out crop in Estabrook Park a couple of miles from Bradford Beach, but I have yet to find a trilobite. Would you say that Bradford Beach is my best bet to find a trilobite here in Milwaukee? Grant Park has a lot of wonderful plant fossils, but to my knowledge no trilobites there either.

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I found a beautiful large Brachiopod in the out crop in Estabrook Park a couple of miles from Bradford Beach, but I have yet to find a trilobite. Would you say that Bradford Beach is my best bet to find a trilobite here in Milwaukee? Grant Park has a lot of wonderful plant fossils, but to my knowledge no trilobites there either.

post some pictures and I will let you know.

My Flickr Page of My Collection: http://www.flickr.com/photos/79424101@N00/sets

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I'm going to upload some of the common fossils I've found at Grant Park in Milwaukee. It's a great place to fossil hunt because it's a very natural beach. Very rocky and week to week there are new rocks of all sizes that wash up. Diverse specimens but mostly plant life and shells.

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I'm still trying to figure out how to attach images directly here. I do not see an paperclip (attachment) icon in the toolbox above. What's the best way to upload a few images? Thanks :-).

Just figured it out.

Edited by aaronboydarts
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