Jump to content

hitekmastr

Recommended Posts

Carboniferous Ferns

of Pennsylvania

Nancy and I displayed some of our fern fossils from St. Clair at the Delaware Valley Paleontological Society Fossil Fair this weekend (Apr 6-7/2013) in Plymouth Meeting, PA. For the backgrounds, we used illustrations of Carboniferous swamps we bought online - there are several artists who illustrate paleozoic scenes.

Our most impressive fossil was a large piece covered with bright orange fern leaves. We also included Calamites bark and Annularia leaves, sphenophyllum (which are "non-fern shaped" leaves), and pieces that had multiple species (alethopteris, neuropteris, pecopteris, cyclopteris, etc.) and a distinctive fern seed. Some of our finds have as many as half a dozen species on one specimen. We greatly enjoy attending the DVPS meetings each month in Philadelphia, their field trips, and events. Here are some photos of our Fossil Fair display:

post-8709-0-34302400-1365353445_thumb.jpg post-8709-0-31111000-1365353555_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That is an absolutely INSPIRATIONAL DISPLAY! Thank You for Sharing!

Where did you access the posters behind the display?

Bev :)

The more I learn, I realize the less I know.

:wacko:
 
 

Go to my

Gallery for images of Fossil Jewelry, Sculpture & Crafts
 

Pinned Posts:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The display looks great in the photos. It must be really nice in person. Thanks for posting.

Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, also are remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so. - Douglas Adams, Last Chance to See

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well done, Michael.

Excellent displays.

Regards,

    Tim    -  VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

   MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png      PaleoPartner.png.30c01982e09b0cc0b7d9d6a7a21f56c6.png.a600039856933851eeea617ca3f2d15f.png     Postmaster1.jpg.900efa599049929531fa81981f028e24.jpg    VFOTM.png.f1b09c78bf88298b009b0da14ef44cf0.png  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

Well done Sir! Informative and lovely :)

"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

Actually kind of hard to believe that you only started your collecting last year!

Looking at the display, no one would ever guess that.

Regards,

    Tim    -  VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

   MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png      PaleoPartner.png.30c01982e09b0cc0b7d9d6a7a21f56c6.png.a600039856933851eeea617ca3f2d15f.png     Postmaster1.jpg.900efa599049929531fa81981f028e24.jpg    VFOTM.png.f1b09c78bf88298b009b0da14ef44cf0.png  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

That is an absolutely INSPIRATIONAL DISPLAY! Thank You for Sharing!

Where did you access the posters behind the display?

Bev :)

We got our posters from zazzle.com - there are other sources for Carboniferous and Devonian and other era illustrations online if you Google images. The posters are really vibrant and clear with amazing illustrations and details that really bring alive these lost ecosystems.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Actually kind of hard to believe that you only started your collecting last year!

Looking at the display, no one would ever guess that.

Regards,

We're amazed ourselves - when I was a teenager I wanted to be a Paleontologist, then zoologist, then became a journalist and wound up going into business, home computers and finally academia - then I got a master's in environmental studies in 2010 and one of my professors was Hermann Pfefferkorn the renowned paleobotanist and then we saw a fossil club trip in an email newsletter and made our first site visit to Red Hill and from then on we were hooked. We discovered St. Clair, Tully and Deer Lake and made those visits on our own and then I started reading "paleo" books including some very cool textbooks, and fossil ID books.

A year later we've got a room devoted to fossils (Nan calls it our "fossil museum") and experimenting with displays, planning our second season trips. This summer our plans are to revisit St. Clair to look for more fossil seeds and some "non-fern" leaf shapes (sphenopteris, Annularia, lepidophylloides, sphenophyllum for example). Nancy has waived our "non-hording" rule to allow us to collect as many trilobites as we find and that includes a return to Deer Lake to see if we can find some complete Dipleura instead of pieces, also that trip to 18 Mile Creek later this summer that we have promised/threatened.

Also a friend from Tully who is a local expert has invited us to do something there - Tully is our favorite site. And of course, I'm poking around the Lockatong to see what scarce finds there may be in the 4 or 5 locations near our home. Apparently in the fossil world, you can accomplish a lot in one year!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I saw your display on Saturday, it was set up very nice and also informative. I was particularly impressed with your seed fern. You have to have a good eye to even spot them. Shamalama's Devonian display was also very impressive.

I was surprised how few people there were compared to years before. I wonder if it had something to do with the nice weather or else the fact that the NY/NJ Gem and mineral show is next weekend.

"It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it."

Upton Sinclair

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I saw your display on Saturday, it was set up very nice and also informative. I was particularly impressed with your seed fern. You have to have a good eye to even spot them. Shamalama's Devonian display was also very impressive.

I was surprised how few people there were compared to years before. I wonder if it had something to do with the nice weather or else the fact that the NY/NJ Gem and mineral show is next weekend.

We actually have almost a dozen fern seeds including one Alethopteris (posted earlier on this forum) attached to the frond which we are told could be significant. Everyone says we have a "good eye" but I'll be honest - my wife has the "fossil eye!" She is incredible and seems to have a sixth sense for knowing what shale pieces to chisel open. Most of our finds did not come from random discoveries, but from focusing on small areas that seemed to have the right fossils, then cracking lots and lots and LOTS of shale pieces. The best specimens are those that come from cracking rocks because they were preserved from water and erosion or even oxidation.

This was my first fossil fair so I didn't know much about the attendance, but I think the event could benefit from more local marketing, getting on the TV news, Philadelphia Inquirer, maybe the radio and so forth - I have a marketing background so maybe I'll volunteer to be on the marketing/promotion committee next year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow, a dozen! Most people that collect at St Clair are lucky to have one. Your wife must have a good eye. We perrty much do the same thing. We try to find a location, clear it out as much as we can and dig up fresh shale to crake. And my wife always has the best finds too.

Not sure how the attendance was on this Sunday but Saturday is always the busier of the two days and I think it was even busier last year on a Sunday then it was this year on a Saturday.

"It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it."

Upton Sinclair

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I used a photo of your display as a sample of what attendees could see at Fossil Fair on the DVPS Facebook page. Indeed nice!

Lance

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mike, great display and well put together. Yours was one of the best at the show.

I saw your display on Saturday, it was set up very nice and also informative. I was particularly impressed with your seed fern. You have to have a good eye to even spot them. Shamalama's Devonian display was also very impressive.

I was surprised how few people there were compared to years before. I wonder if it had something to do with the nice weather or else the fact that the NY/NJ Gem and mineral show is next weekend.

Thanks Bob, Mine was thrown together this year as most of my fossils are packed away pending the start of renovations. I was surprised that there was so much rampant advertising for the NY/NJ show in philly while I saw little for our show (not even the banner along the turnpike as in past years!).

-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 McPhee

If I'm going to drive safely, I can't do geology. - John McPhee

Check out my Blog for more fossils I've found: http://viewsofthemahantango.blogspot.com/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I used a photo of your display as a sample of what attendees could see at Fossil Fair on the DVPS Facebook page. Indeed nice!

Lance

Cool. Next year I'll volunteer to help with marketing to see if we can boost attendance. I had my own marketing agency earlier in my career.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...