Malcolmt Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 (edited) Well on May 18th I had a spectacular day hunting Eurypterids (I would think 6 complete ones ranks up there). I had the site to myself as it was a scorcher. The quarry was at 37 degrees celcius which is mid nineties. I was finding the usual bits and pieces but nothing spectacular. It was about 1:00 in the afternoon and I split open another layer about 2 inches below the quarry floor when to my surprise I saw a very detailed paddle and a head. This is a very good sign, when you find a paddle attached to a head you are generally going to find a really good eurypterid. I split of the rest of the top piece and sure enough, it was an essentially complete eurypterid about 6 inches in length. Now comes the good part . the next two plates I split off also had complete Eurypterids. I spent the next 3 hours getting the three of them out of the quarry floor. Unfortunately I did not bring my camera so I have no pictures of these three at the quarry. I did get the parts and counter parts to each home with me. The parts in the quarry floor essentially came out in intact blocks. The counterparts (tops) are in multiple pieces which have since been glued back together. When you find a eurptyerid you almost always get a part and counterpart that are both in about the same condition. The top generally does not come off in one piece but the bottom you have a much better chance of getting it out intact. Especially if you have a saw. (I do not own a saw) It is now about 4:00 and I am still continuing to split of plates and split rock. Well at 4:15 I split off a plate and see another head and paddle in the quarry floor. I split of more of the plate and the head with complete walking legs starts to appear of a second eurypterid. As I continue to carefully now split off the rest of the surrounding top plate a third eurypterid comes into view. Yes , it is a cluster of three approximaely 6 inch long eurypterids. Two dorsally oriented and one (a male, the central one in the cluster) ventral side up. At this ponit it is 4:45 and I need to pack up and go as I have about a two hour drive home in the Friday traffic. So I covered them with newspaper and then put rocks over them, trusting fate and the other collectors at this site , who are all stand up individuals. Yes I left three , great eurypterids in the quarry floor. I am a trusting sole......... Well I was back in the pouring rain a week later on May 25th (think deluge, did not stop raining all day and it was cold 58-60) Sure enough my rock cairn was still intact and after uncovering the three little guys / gals I find them in about two inches of water. Took a while to make a channel and broom out the water. Here is a picture of them in the quarry floor Fortunately a fossiling friend came up from New York state and was kind enough to cut around the grouping for me. I then spent a little over two hours in the wet and cold to pedestal totally around the grouping down to about 3 inches/ The grouping came out in 7 pieces and weighed about 60 pounds. By the time I left for the day I had spent 7 hours in the cold and rain but with the company of two other fossiling friends. One of them found his first complete Eurypterid in about two years. I have now glued it all back together at home and cut to a more manageable size. It is in a nice 20 pound rectangular block 10 inches by 6 inches by two inches at this point. (I do have a diamond cut off saw at home). The only problem with these eurypterids is that they take up a lot of space and they are not easy to get out of the quarry floor. I am not complaining as I am doing extremely well in my collecting of them (but I am persistent and work hard at it). However I still think l like collecting trilobites more. I suspect it probably is that I just like being out in the open and not in a pretty stark quarry setting. I was out about a week ago at a trilobite locality and found my most perfect flexicalymene senaria from Brechin, Ontario ever. I can't imagine a more perfect specimen. Once I get a chance I will take a proper picture and post. Glad to have the forum back online.... there was a definate void while it was down.... my thanks to all who worked on getting it back up and healthy again...... Edited June 5, 2012 by Malcolmt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raistlin Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 Oh wow that is fantstic. What a great find. Glad to hear you ended up with your find, sounds like some very stand up people around. I cannot wait to see some more photos. RobertSoutheast, MO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickNC Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 (edited) Those are amazing. Great finds. Can't believe nobody else took them. Edited June 4, 2012 by RickNC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 Great post, Malcolm! Your adventure has left me quite breathless! "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...
Malcolmt Posted June 4, 2012 Author Share Posted June 4, 2012 (edited) Robert, There is limited acess to this site and the individuals who frequent there tend to respect what they know someone else is actively working on. I currently know where there is a very good spot that someone was working on last week . As far as I am concerned that spot was broken open and worked on by someone else and I would not work that area in the coming weeks since I know he will be coming back soon. Edited June 4, 2012 by Malcolmt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piranha Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 Hi Malcolm, Congrats on all of the great eurypterids. Look forward to seeing the gem Flexi as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PetrolPete Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 Those look awesome. Hope they come out well. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raistlin Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 Robert, There is limited acess to this site and the individuals who frequent there tend to respect what they know someone else is actively working on. I currently know where there is a very good spot that someone was working on last week . As far as I am concerned that spot was broken open and worked on by someone else and I would not work that area in the coming weeks since I know he will be coming back soon. Well it sure sounds like a great site and great people. RobertSoutheast, MO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullsnake Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 Spectacular, Malcolm! Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimB88 Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 (edited) Wow! Let me send you my mailing address.... Edited June 4, 2012 by JimB88 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 Hi Malcolm, All I can say is, persistence pays off, even if it does weigh a ton . Very impressive! Not only the finds, but also the story itself and the honest characters involved. Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erose Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 Amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossiladdict Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 I agree, those are just spetacular! Very nice finds. Fossils are simply one of the coolest things on earth--discovering them is just marvelous! Makes you all giddy inside! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 (edited) Malcolmt, Thanks for posting this report. You are really getting those eurypterids! That is so awesome. Regards, Edited June 5, 2012 by Fossildude19 Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 __________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolmt Posted June 5, 2012 Author Share Posted June 5, 2012 Thanks for all the kind comments ... I am having a lot of fun finding these things and I have met some great new friends along the way... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamalama Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 If your worried about the size of all those euryptids and how much space they are taking up in your trilobite display, feel free to send some my way! -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 McPheeIf I'm going to drive safely, I can't do geology. - John McPheeCheck out my Blog for more fossils I've found: http://viewsofthemahantango.blogspot.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFossilHunter Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 AWESOME FINDS! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Fossil Hound Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 Wonderful fossils, thank you for sharing! Jon "Silence is Golden, but duct tape is Silver." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrangellian Posted June 8, 2012 Share Posted June 8, 2012 Hey Malcolm, those are spectacular... sure persistence pays off but there has to be a certain amount of knowledge and luck in the mix - luck that you live in an area that produces these and that you have access and that the other collectors are respectful - here I can't even leave an ammonite in a wheelbarrow on the other side of a pile without some twit coming by and taking it! (not a regular collector but probably a dirtbiker or dog walker I guess) Anyway, congrats and let's see a pic of the finished specimen! (and trilo) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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