Northern Sharks Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 Over the last 2 weekends, I made a couple of trips to the closest quarry to me. It doesn't hurt that it also happens to be a fantastic site for ordovician fossils. Some of my better finds are shown here. First is a nice sized piece of bryozoan (Athrophragma???). Second is a small slab with a few edrioasteroids and a crinoid holdfast. Third is a cluster of a dozen or so small edrios. Next is a slab with several crinoid parts and at least 1 complete with calyx and arms. Next is just a close up of the crinoid. Next is my favorite find from yesterday, a virtually complete trilobite. I believe it is a Bumastus sp. I brushed some loose shale off the top of a slab and there it was. It doesn't need much work done to it, and I'll be happy displaying it as is. Finally, representing Team Canada in the fossil olympics, is a crinoid, Cupulocrinus humilis. There is a nice calyx and arms and beside it is a good looking negative from another specimen. Thanks again to Crinus for the prep work..and the cutting...and the tips...and the questions answered. Enjoy There's no limit to what you can accomplish when you're supposed to be doing something else Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gatorman Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 Nice Crinoid! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack the Collector Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 Look like they are all keepers!I have to vote for Cupulocrinus humilis as my favorite.Team Canada when that said it brings back memories of 1972 and Paul Henderson scoring the goal that beat the Russians. We are all merely curators for the next generation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 "10", "10", "8.8" (Russian Judge), "10".... "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...
Northern Sharks Posted August 18, 2008 Author Share Posted August 18, 2008 Look like they are all keepers!I have to vote for Cupulocrinus humilis as my favorite.Team Canada when that said it brings back memories of 1972 and Paul Henderson scoring the goal that beat the Russians. The newspaper from the day I was born -Sep 30 1972, just after the series ended. I also collect hockey and baseball memorabilia There's no limit to what you can accomplish when you're supposed to be doing something else Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ordovicious Posted August 19, 2008 Share Posted August 19, 2008 I've been tring to find a crinoid that well preserved! I can find stems galore--with a calyx or two--but never any thing like yours. Did you have to split a lot to find it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northern Sharks Posted August 19, 2008 Author Share Posted August 19, 2008 The prepped one was on a rock, facing out into the quarry. It was just a question of looking in the right place at the right time. Crinus had been at the quarry the day before and there are a couple of others regulars and all missed it. It wasn't hard to spot, I just got lucky. The unprepped one with the long stem was the result of splitting a section off a much bigger rock that had several stems scattered over its surface. Next I guess I have to find a nice cystoid, also in the same quarry. It's not great, but here's a before picture There's no limit to what you can accomplish when you're supposed to be doing something else Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Siphuncle Posted August 19, 2008 Share Posted August 19, 2008 Nice echinoderms, eh? Grüße, Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas "To the motivated go the spoils." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack the Collector Posted August 19, 2008 Share Posted August 19, 2008 Northern Sharks,What is the ratio of specfic types of fossil coming out of this quarry?Are Crinoid crowns found very often? As for 1972,I was sitting in the gym at school in Red Deer,Alberta.The dismissed class and set up the 3 TV's in the gym so we could all watch.When Henderson scored I thought the roof would fall in from all the loud jubilation. We are all merely curators for the next generation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northern Sharks Posted August 20, 2008 Author Share Posted August 20, 2008 Crinus could probably answer better than I could, but he's off on another hunt right now. He's been coming to this quarry for years and says it's probably the best Ordovician hunting in the world. Personally, in my last 3 trips, I came away with the 2 crinoids, 2 more or less complete trilobites (the Bumastus and a huge Isotelus) lots of small brachs, a couple of possible conularids, edrios, bryozoans, gastropods. All you could want basically. There are several species of crinoids to be found there and if you are thorough, you should come away with something nice. The brachs are the most common fossil there, there are several different species but they are everywhere. You could spend a week there and never get bored. There's no limit to what you can accomplish when you're supposed to be doing something else Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kauffy Posted August 20, 2008 Share Posted August 20, 2008 awesome stuff, that crinoid is beautiful! "Turn the fear of the unknown into the excitment of possibility!"We dont stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest solius symbiosus Posted August 20, 2008 Share Posted August 20, 2008 Nice stuff! It kind of looks like there is a neg of a second crinoid that stayed with the host rock when you split the one out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Nicholas Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 Crinoid... *drool* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crinus Posted August 26, 2008 Share Posted August 26, 2008 Northern Sharks,What is the ratio of specfic types of fossil coming out of this quarry?Are Crinoid crowns found very often?Crinus could probably answer better than I could, but he's off on another hunt right now. He's been coming to this quarry for years and says it's probably the best Ordovician hunting in the world. Personally, in my last 3 trips, I came away with the 2 crinoids, 2 more or less complete trilobites (the Bumastus and a huge Isotelus) lots of small brachs, a couple of possible conularids, edrios, bryozoans, gastropods. All you could want basically. There are several species of crinoids to be found there and if you are thorough, you should come away with something nice. The brachs are the most common fossil there, there are several different species but they are everywhere. You could spend a week there and never get bored. Hi everybody, I'm back. NS is correct in quoting me that I considered this to be the finest Ordovicain quarry in the world but I haven't been to many to compare. Brachiopods are definitely the most abundant fossil at this site. Almost all are on matrix. It is very rare to find a loose brachiopod. So if you want a brach, you have to take rock with it. Bryozoans are also common. Echinoderms are probably somewhere between common and rare depending on the species. Don't think that they are lying about everywhere but it is not unusual to find a complete crinoid at this locality. It is rare to find just the calyx. Most specimens are complete crowns. Trilobites are much rarer. For NS to find a couple in two trips is rare. I have many, but I have made hundreds of trips to this quarry. I would venture to guess that if NS makes a few more trips he will end up with his cystoid. The quarry sounds great, but I wound not go rushing to the great white north. At this quarry, timeing is everything. You need a fresh blast and then lots of rain the day before (or some time after the blast) and you will have a good day of collecting. No rain, then bring a broom and sweep the rocks. It will help, but not like the rain. Splitting at this quarry is rare but can be done. You would only split if the surface has been throughly looked over. Most of the fossils are just lying about on the blast pile. If the conditions are right, and you are the only collector in the quarry, you should come out of the quarry with a minimum of 10 crinoid crowns. I guess it is time for me to share with everyone my web site. Over 50% of the fossils on the site are from this quarry. I have been hesitatant to share this site with everyone because of my greatest fear that someone will visit the quarry and do something stupid and get the quarry closed. Another quarry near this site was closed about 5 years ago because of the GREED and stupidity of another collector. That quarry was even better than this site. This quarry almost closed few years back when a club showed up and parked in the way of the quarry operators. From that day on, we have not been allowed to drive into the quarry. You have to park on the road and walk in. This also means you have to carry out all of you finds back up the steep ramp and to the road. When I get a chance I will post my web site address under the appropriate category. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ordovician Posted August 26, 2008 Share Posted August 26, 2008 I agreed with Crinus! There's not many good quarries as your! I don't blame you love that quarry! Crinoids is common where I look for but whole or head is very rare! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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