PRK Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 (edited) Being a total fossil nut, and having excellent locality info, my new bride and I took a wonderful 7000mile expedition around the entire western half of the US, to see where we might want to settle. We visited a half dozen world class fossil sites. Along the way to Omaha and the badlands i took another sidetrip to Florissant co., this was before all the rules and regulations were in place. And ever since have had a GREAT affinity for fossil insects. Luckily she also loved fossils, and although we never returned to florissant, some years later we located another excellent oligocene fossil insect locality. I will share pics with you later. It was summer when we were at florissant, the fossil laden paper shale lies in some beautiful country up in the Rocky Mountains. It didnt matter then, but I kick myself now for not taking a pic of that beautiful countryside,. and ive heard it is not uncommon to have 4-5 feet of snow for 5-6 months there in the wintertime. We camped out at night and ended up spending 5-6 days digging in the Florissant area, long enough to get to know a lot of the locals. BTW, does anyone know a David knapp? He worked at the monument during the summers, and was another fossil nut. A nice guy and very helpful. If so, I would very much like to rekindle our friendship. Upon my return home, LACMIP put some of my florissant collection on display, and among many other pieces, here are a few of my favorites. note the fresh water ostracod on the ovipositor of the parasitic wasp. Hornet. Parasitic wasp. Sequoia branches/ berries. Flower/Chinese hatbox Edited March 13, 2013 by PRK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 I love the Florissant area! A few years ago, I spent a couple weeks at "The Nature Place" (for an ornithological study program); the property abuts the national monument grounds, and I walked there most every day between classes. "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...
PRK Posted February 5, 2013 Author Share Posted February 5, 2013 (edited) Did you get any pictures of the area? Or insects? Edited February 5, 2013 by PRK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 Did you get any pictures of the area? Or insects? Neither, unfortunately. The trip was in pre-digital days (somewhere, in the wayback, there might survive some Kodachrome slides), and there was no collecting allowed at the monument (and no time was available to seek and secure private land owner permission, either). "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...
Kelleyack Posted February 18, 2013 Share Posted February 18, 2013 Love these! So beautiful! Thanks for posting them...I am hoping to get back there some day. This year we are going to go back to the Douglas Pass area and will probably not have time to go to Florissant. The quarry where they let you pay to find fossils is still pretty neat. There is a great interview from a few years ago about the site you might enjoy: http://www.cpr.org/article/legacy-archive-1156 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelleyack Posted February 19, 2013 Share Posted February 19, 2013 Crazy, isn't it and I literally found it in the first piece I picked up. You just never know. I could tell from the woman who was running the quarry that day that it was an unusual find, I'm glad they let me bring it home because I know that sometimes they hold onto things. How big is the spider you found? Was it at the site of the present day park? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missourian Posted February 19, 2013 Share Posted February 19, 2013 Those are beautiful. The ostracod is a nice touch. Context is critical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelleyack Posted February 19, 2013 Share Posted February 19, 2013 I would love to see pictures of other plants/insects you collected at Florissant! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrangellian Posted February 19, 2013 Share Posted February 19, 2013 Nice ones... Don't you wish you had that wedge-shaped piece missing from the corner of that conifer? I've got pieces like that too from sites up here.. *&^$# Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PRK Posted February 20, 2013 Author Share Posted February 20, 2013 Of course----but, beggars can't be choosers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_ed Posted February 20, 2013 Share Posted February 20, 2013 That no. 1 picture looks like one of these. Cheers Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyce Posted February 24, 2013 Share Posted February 24, 2013 They are fantastic! I love the flower!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PRK Posted March 9, 2013 Author Share Posted March 9, 2013 (edited) I almost lost this guy, one of my first nice finds while in Florissant, and I learned a hard lesson from him. When I found this lovely insect it was dry and coated with thick black organic.matter. And like most rock people I thought I'd be a wise guy and darken this beauty by licking it. To my horror, most of the organic matter stuck to my tounge, although luckily some did stay on the fossil, narrowly averting disaster. Just after doing this everyone around started laughing as they could see the form of the insect on my tounge. luckily I learned my lesson in the beginning of my Florissant endeavors. I haven't licked another rock to this day. This insect is just over an inch long Edited March 9, 2013 by PRK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 How'd it taste? "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...
PRK Posted March 9, 2013 Author Share Posted March 9, 2013 It was definitely past it's expiration date!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelleyack Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 Oooohhhh - I love that one! Do you have both halves of the fossil? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crinoid1 Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 A few years ago, my family and I were on a road trip through that area. My parents usually try to fit in some fossil collecting while we are on vacation. We spent half a day at the quarry there and found lots of cool things! We got a few little flies, a big robber fly, and a bunch of plants. The quarry is definitely worth stopping at if you are in the area. Awesome pictures. Those plants are especially beautiful. -Gabe I like crinoids...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herb Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 Those are some beautiful specimens. fyi though, I believe Florissant is dated Eocene. "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence"_ Carl Sagen No trees were killed in this posting......however, many innocent electrons were diverted from where they originally intended to go. " I think, therefore I collect fossils." _ Me "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."__S. Holmes "can't we all just get along?" Jack Nicholson from Mars Attacks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 By current accounts, it is in the uppermost of the Priabonian stage of the uppermost Eocene, having missed the start of the Oligocene by only about a million years. "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...
piranha Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 Actually both, late Eocene and early Oligocene fossils are described from Florissant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelleyack Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 I am not an expert at all but in The Fossils of Florissant book that I have it describes radiometric dates of 34.07 years indicating that the "fossils were deposited near the very close of the Eocene Epoch, which ended 33.8 million years ago." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herb Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 Give or take a week "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence"_ Carl Sagen No trees were killed in this posting......however, many innocent electrons were diverted from where they originally intended to go. " I think, therefore I collect fossils." _ Me "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."__S. Holmes "can't we all just get along?" Jack Nicholson from Mars Attacks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 Here is another Florissant friend. A weevil about 12 mm Now THAT is cool! (Not that everything else in this thread is not cool!) Thanks for posting this. Regards, 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...
Kelleyack Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 Here is another Florissant friend. I'm afraid my Florissant collection is long gone. But, I did run across another oligocene fossil insect/leaf locale about 20years later, ill show some in another thread! What a treat, for me!!!! I love fossil insects ! A weevil about 12 mm That is a neat one! Thanks for posting! I just finished reading The Fossils of Florissant, makes me really appreciate the great insects I was able to find there. Wish we could go back this summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelleyack Posted July 3, 2013 Share Posted July 3, 2013 Now that is incredible!!! Amazing find! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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