Backyard Trip

[Missourian]

On 5/27/2014 at 7:42 PM, Plantguy said:

Cool stratigraphy posts and fantastic plants!!! Regards, Chris

 

Thanks. Here is another one found along the way:

 

 

This is rose verbena (Glandularia canadensis). It has proven to be quite elusive. I almost missed it among the weeds.

[Plantguy]

Thanks. Here is another one found along the way:

3493-rose-verbena.jpg

This is rose verbena (Glandularia canadensis). It has proven to be quite elusive. I almost missed it among the weeds.

Ah, that's another beauty! Used to have lots of verbena growing in the yard to attract butterflies but not lately.

Have you run into any fossil plant material in your roaming around this year? Regards, Chris

[Missourian]

On 5/29/2014 at 9:45 PM, Plantguy said:

Ah, that's another beauty! Used to have lots of verbena growing in the yard to attract butterflies but not lately.

Have you run into any fossil plant material in your roaming around this year? Regards, Chris

 

I haven't found any 'traditional' Pennsylvanian plants yet this year, but I did collect some phylloid algae back in March:

 

http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/45054-an-afternoon-with-sponges-and-algae-pennsylvanian/?p=488322

[Precambrian Man]

Very nice documentation of geology, photo #1,ominous sky to be sure!!, photo # 9 were these blocks/slabs layed out in that order by man and machine? or do they lie in a natural state? and have they been tooled to the somewhat symetrical appearance they now exhibit?

If i was a king or an emporor or a ruler of great civilizations! and wanted to build a megalithic structure/monument,those blocks/slabs would be the exact type material i would use. thanks

[Missourian]

On 5/30/2014 at 4:11 AM, PRECAMBRIAN MAN said:

photo # 9 were these blocks/slabs layed out in that order by man and machine? or do they lie in a natural state? and have they been tooled to the somewhat symetrical appearance they now exhibit?

 

Those are natural. Regional tectonic stresses caused the rock to break in parallel fractures, a.k.a. joints.

[Missourian]

Some 'Pennsylvanian' plants found along the way....

 

 

 

[PFOOLEY]

Just curious...have you been in your backyard in the last year?

It's spring! I need to see the photographs of your wonderland.

[Missourian]

On 5/19/2015 at 8:23 PM, PFOOLEY said:

Just curious...have you been in your backyard in the last year?

It's spring! I need to see the photographs of your wonderland.

 

I've been out and about quite a bit, but I haven't found any new fossils or strata.

 

I do have plenty of new spring-themed photos lying around.

[PFOOLEY]

[TNCollector]

Your photography is great! I have a nice camera but no talent to go with it.

[Missourian]

On 6/16/2016 at 4:10 PM, TNCollector said:

Your photography is great! I have a nice camera but no talent to go with it.

 

Thanks!

[Missourian]

On 6/16/2016 at 2:26 PM, PFOOLEY said:

 

I do have a couple springtime photos lying around....

[Missourian]

A few days ago, I almost thought I found a new fossil site. At a creek crossing along the bike path (previously shown here http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/25424-backyard-trip/page-27#entry495147 ), I spotted a large chunk of shale sitting at the edge of the water. Plant fossils were visible on the surface, so I broke it up into several pieces to get at some fresh material:

 

 

I didn't have a hammer with me, so a chunk of limestone had to do. Anyway, some strap-like leaves were nicely exposed:

 

 

I believe these are Cordaites.

 

This chunk has a variety of plant types:

 

 

Cordaites again:

 

 

And some degraded ferns, possibly Pecopteris:

 

[Missourian]

This specimen looks more like Calamites, or some other type of stem fragment:

 

 

I was excited to find the fern frond fragment. Although it wasn't the best of quality, it did indicate a diverse variety of plant material. (More commonly, only Cordaites is present.) Plus, such a large chunk of delicate shale couldn't have come from very far. Perhaps there is an outcrop a bit further upstream? Not so fast. Because this shale becomes unstable when exposed to air, it probably didn't erode from a bank outcrop. More likely, it may have been plucked from the water-logged bottom of the creek bed during recent flooding. The top of the Chanute shale is the most likely source, which is just below the Paola limestone visible here:

 

 

The shale probably came from the bottom of the pool in the background. Speaking of flooding....

 

 

Impassable during high water? No doubt.

[Missourian]

Speaking of Springtime photos, some blooms from around the 'backyard'....

 

Crown vetch (Securigera varia). Originally used to control erosion along roadsides, these introduced plants seem to be spreading everywhere:

 

 

Roundleaf ragwort (Packera obovata):

 

 

Prairie wild rose (Rosa arkansana). This happens to be the same plant shown three years ago here http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/25424-backyard-trip/page-24#entry424710 :

 

 

Ohio spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis):

 

 

Also shown three years ago ( http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/25424-backyard-trip/?p=409042 , second image) is this nearby outcrop of Argentine limestone:

 

[Virgilian]

On ‎6‎/‎4‎/‎2012 at 0:38 AM, Missourian said:

More recently, I returned to an old favorite, which a few miles further from home. This road cut contains a long sweep of Argentine. It has treated me well on occasion.

A zone in the upper part of the Argentine contains many productid brachiopods. Most conspicuous are Juresania, Echinaria, and Antiquatonia. The sheer number of fossils, in part, causes the limestone to crumble into chunks that litter the base of the outcrop:

 

Most remarkable of all is this Dictyonema graptolite:

 

Just happened to run across this particular post; having great fun lately going through some of Missourian's older field trip posts. I'm more familiar with the younger Late Pennsylvanian rocks in Kansas--mainly from the Shawnee and Wabaunsee Groups that lie stratigraphically above the Kansas City Group.

 

An observation here: If that specimen is indeed a graptolite, it couldn't have come from the Upper Pennsylvanian Argentine Limestone. Graptolites went extinct during the preceeding Mississippian Period, of course.

[masonboro37]

I really enjoyed your trip report, pictures and great specimens! The formation exposures are beautiful. I love the Chanute gastropods and thanks so much for sharing the trip.

 

Libby

[Missourian]

13 hours ago, Virgilian said:

 

Just happened to run across this particular post; having great fun lately going through some of Missourian's older field trip posts. I'm more familiar with the younger Late Pennsylvanian rocks in Kansas--mainly from the Shawnee and Wabaunsee Groups that lie stratigraphically above the Kansas City Group.

 

Thanks. I've had limited experience with the Virgilian (Shawnee Group only, so far). My favorite unit is the Beil Limestone.

 

Plus, I'm amazed by the vast numbers of fusulinids in these beds; they are sparse in the Missourian.

 

13 hours ago, Virgilian said:

An observation here: If that specimen is indeed a graptolite, it couldn't have come from the Upper Pennsylvanian Argentine Limestone. Graptolites went extinct during the preceeding Mississippian Period, of course.

 

It may not be Dictyonema, but I'm pretty sure it is a graptolite in the order Dendroidea. I don't know what else it could be. I am sure it came from the Upper Pennsylvanian. Perhaps this one didn't get the extinction memo.

 

[Missourian]

13 hours ago, masonboro37 said:

I really enjoyed your trip report, pictures and great specimens! The formation exposures are beautiful. I love the Chanute gastropods and thanks so much for sharing the trip.

 

Thank you. That gastropod site is a favorite of KC hunters.

 

And yes, the outcrops are often beautiful. I admire them even when I don't find any fossils.

[Missourian]

Fossils in the 'backyard' tend to be few and far between. However, if I'm in the moods to collect trace fossil, there are a few gravel bars along one of the creeks that are worth checking out:

 

 

The fragment are mostly from marine sandstone lenses in the Island Creek Shale:

 

 

This grazing trace caught my eye:

 

 

I call these 'wave runners', as they seem to have followed the dips of sand ripples.

 

The source outcrop is not too far upstream:

 

[Plantguy]

What a fantastic trace! Makes me want to not go to the movies tomorrow and go hunting instead! thanks for the shots! 

 

Regards, Chris 

[Missourian]

On 12/16/2017 at 6:46 PM, Plantguy said:

What a fantastic trace! Makes me want to not go to the movies tomorrow and go hunting instead! thanks for the shots!

 

Thanks.

 

Here's another one from the same gravel bar:

 

[oldtimer]

What do you believe made these "traces"

[Missourian]

4 hours ago, oldtimer said:

What do you believe made these "traces"

 

I've heard that worms may be responsible for these sinuous traces. Mollusks and arthropods are also possibilities.

[oldtimer]

I figured that may be the case however I am inexperienced and wanted to make sure.  We have found similar traces around our area.