Went On My First Fossil Hunt!

[Crazyjake]

Ever since I was youngster I've been fascinated with paleontology. I always thought thought the act of going out and hunting for fossils was far fetched... That I would spend hours and hours of searching and come back with nothing. Recently however I did some research on the topic and discovered that oceanic fossils are actually quit abundant and easy to find. After stumbling upon this new information I quickly purchased a rock pick and cold tempered chisel and gathered all the equipment I would need for my first fossil hunt - something I'd dreamed of for as long as I can remember.

Last week my father and I set out to explore an area near Fenton which I heard was filled with loads of fossils and I must say that it was the most fun I've had in a long time. While my goal of finding a trilobite was a bust we found a lot of other cool stuff in an area of exposed rock along the Merremac river. Among the things were found were plenty of crinoids, brachiopods, horn coral, and bryozoa, a well preserved Archimedes screw, and, my personal favorite, a perfectly preserved gastropod (snail shell) about 1 inch in diameter. I also chiseled out a perfect spherical concretion which, as I understand, is essentially a fossilized meteor. There are also some rounder shaped things... I have no clue what they are.

If anyone has any tips on how to clean up these fossils to make them look more presentable than they already are, please share (for I am clueless on how to do such things). Also if anyone has some recommendations on great place to hunt in the St. Louis area I'd like to hear them. I hear the Fern Glenn site is pretty good so I might try that next.

On a side note... This fossil hunting... It's like an addiction... Now that I've had my first hunt I need more! I'm craving more fossil hunts! If I don't go another one soon I think I'm going to go crazy!

-Jake

Edited July 22, 2014 by Crazyjake

[Crazyjake]

Edited July 22, 2014 by Crazyjake

[Crazyjake]

Crinoids

[Crazyjake]

A rather large and deformed crinoid.

[Crazyjake]

Some well preserved crinoids

Edited July 22, 2014 by Crazyjake

[Crazyjake]

Even more crinoids

[Crazyjake]

A piece of horn coral

Edited July 22, 2014 by Crazyjake

[Crazyjake]

A nice chunk of bryozoa

[Crazyjake]

The Archimedes screw. About 1 1/2 inches.

Edited July 22, 2014 by Crazyjake

[Crazyjake]

The gastropod!

[Crazyjake]

And I have no clue what these are!

[RyanNREMTP]

Sadly there is no cure for this addiction other then to keep hunting.

[vertman]

Congratulations on your first hunt and your finds! The fossils in the last 3 images may be crinoid bits and parts as well.

[Bullsnake]

Great first finds!

Congratulations, and you think you'll go crazy now...wait until winter when the exposures are covered with ice and snow!

[RyanNREMTP]

Great thing about Texas is that doesn't happen. At least not around here.

[Bullsnake]

Oh yeah...there are those that like to remind us/rub it in!

[RyanNREMTP]

Yeah but I'll take some snow every year compared to the oven we live in during the 9 months of summer here.

[Xiphactinus]

Nice finds from the Warsaw formation. That stuff is HARD. I'd say your prep is done. Just enjoy them as is!

[Paleoworld-101]

Great stuff, very good for a first hunt indeed. Love the crinoid slabs and the gastropod.

Also this assemblage of fossil fauna is incredibly similar to what i find around Sydney.

[Auspex]

You're on the road now! Trilobites won't be far behind

I have to ask for clarification on this:

...a perfect spherical concretion which, as I understand, is essentially a fossilized meteor...

[Crazyjake]

As I understand it, when a piece of iron gets imbedded into surrounding sandstone layers of minerals begin to form around it creating a perfect sphere, similar to how a mollusk forms a pearl. Some sources say that those concretions may have been formed from tiny fragments of meteorites that got imbedded into the sandstone. Was this wishful thinking?

[Auspex]

I doubt that it has an extraterrestrial origin; most concretions form around an organic nucleus.

[Ludwigia]

Sorry to say that I agree with Auspex, but the rest of your finds are just fantastic for a first foray into the unknown. A few more bursts of enthusiam and you're guaranteed a trilobite! Those bits that you can't identify are all various parts of crinoids, probably from up towards or in the crown. What you've got mostly is from the stalk.

[Precambrian Man]

Very cool ! , like the screw... congrats!

[Crazyjake]

Thanks for the identification, guys! From earth or not it still makes for a nice display piece. Fits right into a baseball holder