dudeman Posted December 3, 2011 Share Posted December 3, 2011 I was out cleaning windows at one of my clients properties when I stumbled across this beast! Let first explain that the property has large limestone (I think?) rocks going around the edge of the property, these where placed there in the late 50's or early 60's. I climb over these rocks to get to some of the windows and it shames me to admit that I never noticed it before . But anyway, there I was cleaning windows when something got my attention...FOSSILS! So, I went to the owner and asked if I could remove a few, they said "sure, get rid of the junk!" I took what I could safely transport and said I would be back for the rest tomorrow and that was today. So, here are a few pics of my find, I will post more later, wifey needs to eat and I am getting a look as we speak . I used a yard stick for scale. Troy Nelson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dudeman Posted December 3, 2011 Author Share Posted December 3, 2011 Coming Dear.... Troy Nelson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dudeman Posted December 3, 2011 Author Share Posted December 3, 2011 I really mean it this time....Let's go get something too eat Sweety, have I told you how lovely you look this evening Troy Nelson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lloyd Posted December 3, 2011 Share Posted December 3, 2011 That is definitely the most horn coral I've ever seen in one place... just goes to show, one mans junk is anothers treasure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roz Posted December 3, 2011 Share Posted December 3, 2011 I really mean it this time....Let's go get something too eat Sweety, have I told you how lovely you look this evening Did it work? Very good fossil plate! Welcome to the forum! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missourian Posted December 3, 2011 Share Posted December 3, 2011 No matter how many I already have, I love collecting horn corals.... Context is critical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kehbe Posted December 3, 2011 Share Posted December 3, 2011 Wow, I found a few pieces that had what I thought was a lot of horn coral in it but nothing compared to these! Nice stuff and it's probably deceiving but the matrix looks fairly soft. The matrix mine are in is as hard as granite. It is very impressive to see such an abundant concentration of it in one place but are you going to try to remove any? Can you imagine what the reef looked like when that coral was alive! Again, Wow! Great score! It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change. Charles Darwin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indy Posted December 3, 2011 Share Posted December 3, 2011 Finding horn coral here in Missouri is common. However, I have never seen so many congregated on 1 plate KUDOS ...Thanks for posting Flash from the Past (Show Us Your Fossils)MAPS Fossil Show Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dudeman Posted December 3, 2011 Author Share Posted December 3, 2011 Did it work? Very good fossil plate! After a candle lit dinner, a few cocktails and a few "I'm sorry"'s :bow: tossed in...I think I will be allowed back in the house?!?!? The wifey said "I know you like your rocks!" (I have been happily married for 18 years, so no I did not correct her) I sure do love my wifey... Troy Nelson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kehbe Posted December 3, 2011 Share Posted December 3, 2011 The wifey said "I know you like your rocks!" (I have been happily married for 18 years, so no I did not correct her) ROFL!! It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change. Charles Darwin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dudeman Posted December 3, 2011 Author Share Posted December 3, 2011 Wow, I found a few pieces that had what I thought was a lot of horn coral in it but nothing compared to these! Nice stuff and it's probably deceiving but the matrix looks fairly soft. The matrix mine are in is as hard as granite. It is very impressive to see such an abundant concentration of it in one place but are you going to try to remove any? Can you imagine what the reef looked like when that coral was alive! Again, Wow! Great score! Thanks Kehbe, the host rock has layers of limestone/sandstone? and grey layers that contain fossils. I do not know if this layer is Dolomite(sp?)? But it appears to be pretty soft. I would like to preserve as many plates as possible, but there will be pieces that I can get the fossils out of. There are about ten rocks that have fossils, this was the only one with the fossil layer exposed and the only one I harvested fossils from. Each stone is 6' x 4' and about 2' - 3' tall containing about 4 - 5 fossil layers per rock. Here is a pic from my cell, the only thing I had for scale was my squeegee (sorry), the blade is 18". Troy Nelson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrangellian Posted December 3, 2011 Share Posted December 3, 2011 Lucky score! Try to keep as many on one plate as you can, I believe there is more value to the specimen when the spatial relationships are preserved (within reason). When I was a kid I found a chunk with a congregation of rare echinoids, and made the mistake of picking them all off one by one rather than trying to unearth the whole chunk intact. I'm still kicking myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dudeman Posted December 3, 2011 Author Share Posted December 3, 2011 Thanks everybody! @Indy, we find horn coral around here all the time as well. It is even pretty common to find rocks simular to this (only in a much smaller scale and maybe a couple of horns if your lucky). This is what caused me to name this topic...truly an eye popping find for me. :startle: I have a nice, but small collection of horns already but I have never seen anything like this before, just crazy numbers of horns all in one spot. Troy Nelson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kehbe Posted December 3, 2011 Share Posted December 3, 2011 Lucky score! Try to keep as many on one plate as you can, I believe there is more value to the specimen when the spatial relationships are preserved (within reason). When I was a kid I found a chunk with a congregation of rare echinoids, and made the mistake of picking them all off one by one rather than trying to unearth the whole chunk intact. I'm still kicking myself. I wondered about that Wrangellian. More info gleaned from "as is", definatly. Very good point! It looks better too! I was only curious about removing a few because if I had that many plates to 'play' with, I couldn't help myself, I would have to remove a few. It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change. Charles Darwin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dudeman Posted December 3, 2011 Author Share Posted December 3, 2011 Lucky score! Try to keep as many on one plate as you can, I believe there is more value to the specimen when the spatial relationships are preserved (within reason). When I was a kid I found a chunk with a congregation of rare echinoids, and made the mistake of picking them all off one by one rather than trying to unearth the whole chunk intact. I'm still kicking myself. Thanks Wrangellian, I plan to preserve as many of the plates as I can. So far I have 2 large plates that fit together. There was still a fair amount of fossils left on the rock, as I only had a putty knife, screwdriver (flathead) and hammer. I was not able to remove some fossils, they could not be removed without causing damage to the fossil or the host rock. I'm would rather leave it for others too enjoy, rather than damaging it. Troy Nelson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glen Warren Posted December 3, 2011 Share Posted December 3, 2011 You are a lucky person, in my area we do not have as assembledge like this. What formation is it from if you know? And do you know the species name? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dudeman Posted December 3, 2011 Author Share Posted December 3, 2011 (edited) I am happy too announce, one of these plates (a very nice one) along with a few ferns from Mazon Creek and one piece of amber with insects will be auctioned off here starting next week for the benifit of the forum. It will take a few days to set it up. Edited December 3, 2011 by dudeman Troy Nelson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dudeman Posted December 3, 2011 Author Share Posted December 3, 2011 I wondered about that Wrangellian. More info gleaned from "as is", definatly. Very good point! It looks better too! I was only curious about removing a few because if I had that many plates to 'play' with, I couldn't help myself, I would have to remove a few. I had so many loose ones, it will keep me busy for a while. Here are a few picks... Troy Nelson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vordigern Posted December 3, 2011 Share Posted December 3, 2011 So, here are a few pics of my find, I will post more later, wifey needs to eat and I am getting a look as we speak . I used a yard stick for scale. LOL, I have often gotten that "look" when I am deep in fossil mode, several times my wife has suggested I take my fossils on a date which is my indicator that its time to take the wife out for some pampering to show her how much I love fossils... I mean her, how much I love her Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimB88 Posted December 3, 2011 Share Posted December 3, 2011 If your from Janesville then they're definitely in Dolostone (and Middle Ordovician) Probably from the Platteville or the Galena. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dudeman Posted December 3, 2011 Author Share Posted December 3, 2011 If your from Janesville then they're definitely in Dolostone (and Middle Ordovician) Probably from the Platteville or the Galena. Thanks Jim, I just posted a piece on the "to benefit the forum" auction along with a few more if the $ are reached. Troy Nelson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caleb Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 How did I miss this thread? As JimB88 said, these are from the Ordovician. After looking over the plates carefully I spotted the hypostome of a Gabriceraurus type B. The presence of this places these rocks in the Platteville formation. Caleb Midwestpaleo.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lloyd Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 How did I miss this thread? As JimB88 said, these are from the Ordovician. After looking over the plates carefully I spotted the hypostome of a Gabriceraurus type B. The presence of this places these rocks in the Platteville formation. Well done finding this thread, and even better done being able to identify the formation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dudeman Posted December 7, 2011 Author Share Posted December 7, 2011 (edited) How did I miss this thread? As JimB88 said, these are from the Ordovician. After looking over the plates carefully I spotted the hypostome of a Gabriceraurus type B. The presence of this places these rocks in the Platteville formation. Thank you so much for the help Caleb, here are a few better pics of the piece in question. Again, thank you for you time on this. P.S. I can get lost for hours looking at any one of these piece... Edited December 7, 2011 by dudeman Troy Nelson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caleb Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Oops, I was wrong about the trilobite being a Gabriceraurus type B hypostome. With these better photos I can see the subtle dimples on the side which would make it a Ceraurinella scofieldi hypostome which is less common(still Platteville fm.). Caleb Midwestpaleo.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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