Eurypterid Hunting With Gary And Bill

[Malcolmt]

Havn't posted anything on eurypterids in a bit, thought you might all be tired of seeing the good fortune that I have had collecting as of late.

As I do on many Fridays I headed out to the Eurypterid locality. As it seems to have been doing every Friday as of late it was raining when I left my house, but they were calling for high of 80 and partial clouds for the bulk of the day.

I know you are going to think life is unfair but I found this little gem 5 minutes after arriving,

It was literally on about the 5th or 6th bedding plate that I split off the quarry floor. As you can see from the pictures of the bug still in the quarry floor the ground was still wet from the rain. The counterpart to this came off in three pieces but was all intact and looked just as you can see in the half that is in the quarry floor. I did a quick field glue of the top (3 pieces) with Wellbond to ensure that it made the trip home (or not....... more about that later) Now the hard work begins, I spent the next two hours pedestalling the rock around the section that the eurypterid was on.

Here is a closer up picture of the bug (e. lacustris)

Nice little bug with both paddles, and the balancing leg and two walking legs on the left side. As with many from this locality the tail is found curved back towards the head. Had it not been curled it would have been 19 cm or about 7 1/2 inches in length. Slightly smaller than I typically find.

I knew already that Pleecan from the forum was going to be there around noon so I left it pedestalled in the floor till he got there. Without showing him the the spot I asked him if he could cut a tail for me out of the quarry floor. I think he was pleasently surprised when he got his saw over to my dig area and found that the tail was attached to the rest of the bug. I am starting to think Pleecan must be getting a bit frustrated he only seems to be using his saw to cut out my finds. (Actually Pleecan has found more eurypterids this year year than ever but they are the beautiful smaller ones (e. remipes) that do not require the rock saw. He has posted some of his spectacular finds on the forum recently)

Anyway 6 saw cuts later and I have this gem out in two pieces. Because of how the rock naturally cracks and planes most eurypterids do not come out in one piece but they do glue back together very cleanly.

Actually the best surprise for the day was that two collectors from NewYork (Gary) and New Jersey (Bill) showed up about 9:30. I had met both of them before a few months ago when the New York Paleontological Society made a trip up to the quarry. They both got hooked on eurypterid hunting last trip. Bill had found one last time Gary had not. Gary brought his son along this time.

As it turns out Bill had a great day on Friday, he found 2 almost complete eurypterids... now he is really hooked. (Again Pleecan was kind enough to power up his trusty Makita)

Anyway the weather turned out great, lots of good conversation with three great collectors. Unfortunately we almost lost Pleecan when he decided to take a tumble down the side of a cliff face, he was carrying two cans of pop at the time, which did not survive the ordeal, Actually they took the brunt of the fall from what I could see as one of the cans was sliced to shreds by the razor sharp rock of this local. We were fortunate Pleecan was not badly hurt, we might have had to put him down there and then if he was because we would have had a hard time getting him back up the cliff. By the way Peter you owe me a can of Doctor Pepper..........

Unfortunately Gary and his son only found fragments of eurypterids for their efforts. I couldn't let him go back to the states empty handed for a second time. I think we found a good home for the counterpart to this little guy with Gary. He seemed pleased. Gary indicated that he was going to join the Forum when he got home. Maybe he will post a picture of his bug once he gets it home as I did not take a picture.

They were going to spend the night in Canada and then look along the shores of Lake Erie on Saturday. Hope Gary posts on the forum about the rest of his trip to Canada.

All in all a very enjoyable day.

P.S. IF any of you are making the trip up this way PM me, I am usually able to make the Friday trip to hunt eurypterids and can make the necessary arrangements to get access.

Edited August 18, 2012 by Malcolmt

[Raistlin]

Glad to hear you had a great day out.

Wow those things are so cool looking. I would so love to get up that way to look for one. What an amazing specimen.

Oh and Dr. Pepper is the drink to have, well unless it is hot and you are in the field then you should drink cold water. But Dr. Pepper does rock (well you know what I mean).

[Malcolmt]

I am envious of those isotelus posted on here from Missouri, just the luck of where you happen to live and how far you are willing to travel.....

[Raistlin]

Yeah I have to find a site like that myself. I think they are a bit more north of me. I might have to do a weekend trip in a year or so.

Finding time off of work would not be a problem, having the money and finding time for my family in there as well is another story. Personally I would love to travel around collecting all over. Maybe when my son is grown and I have money to spend.

who am I kidding the money part is doubtful.

Really though some day I do plan to load up a car with my tools and do some collecting in other sites.

[Ludwigia]

Speaking of luck. You're not doing bad yourself! That's a great little critter there! So graceful! Thanks for telling the story and take care of our accident prone photographer . I'd still like to see him alive in October.

[TMNH]

Sound like a fun trip- I love that eurypterid!!! I'd love to make the trip out myself someday...maybe next year.

[Vordigern]

that isone beautiful bug, great find!!!

[Bullsnake]

I never tire of seeing your good fortune, Malcolm! I don't recall seeing one with the tail curled either. Cool bugs, and keep up the good work! I hope Pleecan is well, too!

[Malcolmt]

Truth be known I was starting to get a bit self concious about the number of complete eurypterids I have found this year so I sort of stopped making any posts about them. The majority that I have seen collected here have had the curved tail segment. Of the ones I have collected about half have the curve. I prefer them fully extended myself , just think it makes them look more impressive.

[Raistlin]

LOL I will take any of your curled tailed bugs off your hands if you prefer

I am with Bullsnake on always loving seeing what you bring in next.

[Malcolmt]

I have wondered if the the curling of the tail may be similar in nature to the process in which the necks of certain dinosaurs are generally found curled back because of the decomposition process (rigor effect). I have been told that virtually all the eurypterids found at this location are moults so I am not sure what process would cause a moult to twist backwards. This particular find was very three dimentional and intact. I have often wondered if the intact ones that display three dimensionality are in fact ones that died in place and in fact are not moults. The ones I am calling 3 dimentional have in fact a body that has preserved between the plates that generally falls out when you split the rock (albeit highly compressed). When you look at the fossil that drops out one side is dorsal and the other ventral. The part and counterpart are also one dorsal and one ventral. I have only found 3 like this so far. The most common way the eurypterids are preserved is that both the part and counterpart are either both Dorsal or both Ventral.

Here is the 3d part that fell out of this eurypterid when the plate was split.

Very interesting to me that most of the eurypterids preserve just as a film but that you also find a few that show 3 dimentionality. Sam Ciurca did make passing mention to having found just one like this in his magazine style booklet on Eurypterids "Eurypterids Iiilustrated". Sam has commented that the curving of the abdomen and tail is just an artifact of the current flow at the time of deposition. Respectfully I am having a hard time coming to grips with that as the total explanation. If I could find enough of these perhaps a pattern would evolve. But as of right now I have 2 (complete specimens that are 3 dimentional) that curve to the right and one that curves to the left, but the majority of my finds complete and incomplete are essentially straight with no curve. The complete non-3D finds are about 50/50. Interestingly none of the complete finds that I have found that are straight have shown this 3 dimensionality. The 3d one that Sam shows in his booklet is also curved.

Edited August 20, 2012 by Malcolmt

[jpc]

Great little find ... and nice trip report. Someday, I as well, wouild love to make it out there fior a eurypterid hunt.

[Shamalama]

The curved tails point to Curley's Gold.

[trilobiteruss]

Wow, looks like you all had a blast!

[pleecan]

Wonderful report Malcolm.... just came back from 5 day weekend . My right leg is a bit banged up some battle cuts and scrapes ( will survive) .... I believe an angel guided the trajectory of the fall.... I could have been seriously injured had I veered 1 foot margin to left during the fall into a mini gorge filled with sharp jagged dolomite plates. I consider my self very lucky.

Thank you Roger and Bullsnake for your good wishes.

Malcolm: will email you Gary and Bills email when I return to work tomorrow.

[Ludwigia]

Wonderful report Malcolm.... just came back from 5 day weekend . My right leg is a bit banged up some battle cuts and scrapes ( will survive) .... I believe an angel guided the trajectory of the fall.... I could have been seriously injured had I veered 1 foot margin to left during the fall into a mini gorge filled with sharp jagged dolomite plates. I consider my self very lucky.

Thank you Roger and Bullsnake for your good wishes.

Malcolm: will email you Gary and Bills email when I return to work tomorrow.

I still wish you a good recovery!

[Terry Dactyll]

Very nice specimen.... Thanks for sharing and glad your ok Peter....Be careful out there...

[Coco]

Hi,

I am happy you was very lucky. The situation would have been able to be much graver. Always think of the security when we hunt fossils.

Coco

[pleecan]

I still wish you a good recovery!

Thanks Roger!

[pleecan]

Peter, If there isn't at least a little blood letting going on; you aren't trying hard enough to find Eurypterids!

Just don't over do it. Good collecting weather is coming soon. Get healing and Happy Hunting!

Thanks for the good wishes John!

[pleecan]

Very nice specimen.... Thanks for sharing and glad your ok Peter....Be careful out there...

Very nice specimen.... Thanks for sharing and glad your ok Peter....Be careful out there...

Thanks for the well wishes Steve!

[pleecan]

Hi,

I am happy you was very lucky. The situation would have been able to be much graver. Always think of the security when we hunt fossils.

Coco

Thanks Coco! The rocks are very sharp.... the cans of pop that I was holding broke my fall ... one can was crushed and flatten and the metal shredded... yes one needs to be careful in a quarry...

[t-tree]

These Eurypterid fossils look great and i would love to find one,Pleecan i'm glad your fall was not serious i had a minor fall myself a few weeks ago and as i landed my glasses shot off and i needed someone with good eyesight to find them!i was winded with only my pride a bit dented :-)

Cheers John

[pleecan]

These Eurypterid fossils look great and i would love to find one,Pleecan i'm glad your fall was not serious i had a minor fall myself a few weeks ago and as i landed my glasses shot off and i needed someone with good eyesight to find them!i was winded with only my pride a bit dented :-)

Cheers John

Thanks John for the well wishes... I am recovered and the wounds have scabbed over .... sharp dolomite shards are almost like obsidian glass and razor sharp like knives......

PL