End Of Summer Hoards From Mimico Creek

[JUAN EMMANUEL]

Hello everyone!

At around at the end of August I started making frequent visits to Mimico creek in order to collect fossils before the next winter comes (hopefully it wouldn't be as cold like the previous one was), and also the other reason was because of the developments going on at the creek. I was fearing that they would eventually cover up all the exposures I know of.

I made my way through the woods and shrubby areas to reach certain exposures.

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Hmmm, whats this thing I came across? Is this poison ivy?

And here's my destination!

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Here are some of the fossils I've collected!! Trilos, cephalopods, and much more.

I found 2 endoceras specimens. One was preserved decomposing on the ocean floor and the other specimen was preserved as part shale and part dolostone.

This one is the decomposing specimen. It has bryozoans encrusting it and, most unusual, pelycopods that inserted themselves in it!

Front side:

Back side:

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The bryozoans encrusting it:

I wonder what this thing is at the bottom?? Could it be a type of bryozoan?

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Here are the pelycopods that inserted themselves in at one of the ends. I've identified them immediately as modiolopsises. I never knew they can actually attach themselves in a phragmocone like that...

Edited August 31, 2014 by JUAN EMMANUEL

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The two of the pelycopods together.

Edited August 31, 2014 by JUAN EMMANUEL

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Then here's the other endoceras specimen that part shale/dolostone. Half of it flakes away cuz it has shale parts, and the other half is harder and is encrusted with a crystalized coating.

The shale half:

The harder dolostone half:

The coating on the dolostone half:

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And also there were some trace fossils too.

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I also found 2 complete trilobites! All are flexicalymene granulosas.

On site:

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Ok, Im really tired now and it's now bedtime. I'll continue posting more stuff I've collected tomorrow. For now, enjoy!!

Oh, and tomorrow I'll share my first complete large treptoceras crebiseptum specimen!! Stay tuned!

Edited August 31, 2014 by JUAN EMMANUEL

[FossilDAWG]

You've got access to a great site there. I'm impressed with everything, but those trilobites are especially sweet. I wish I'd known about that site when I lived in Toronto back in the mid 1970s.

Don

[Auspex]

Very good finds; most interesting encrustations

I think your plant may be box elder, rather than poison ivy.

[JUAN EMMANUEL]

Thanks for the comments guys!

I'll now do the continuation. I'll resume showing the flexicalymene granulosas.

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Here are more photos of the 2 F. granulosas.

Edited September 1, 2014 by JUAN EMMANUEL

[JUAN EMMANUEL]

I might consider using an air abrasive to prep these. A needle to chisel out the matrix seems way to risky, cuz both specimens are prone.

I'll have to wait 'til I get the equipment or someone who has the tools to do it for me.

When they do get prepped they'll shine like gold

Edited September 1, 2014 by JUAN EMMANUEL

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I also came to an another exposure at the creek. This time I found some interesting cephalopods.

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This cephalopod is a treptoceras that I found exposed in the shale. It's also covered with Spatiopora bryozoan, completely. The specimen is also complete (Yay!).

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The spatiopora bryozoan:

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The whole thing:

Oh, and the coin is a nickel!

Edited September 1, 2014 by JUAN EMMANUEL

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There were also plenty of other fossils too at this second exposure. There were plenty of bryozoans. Here are some of them. I forgot what species they were though... I think it's Hallopora?

I smashed them in half to reveal the inside parts.

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I also came to a last exposure and this time this exposure is a wall of shale. I spotted a treptoceras sticking out horizontally and it turns out, to my amazement, that it's long!!

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I also realized that it is complete!! The phragmocone's end, the opening part, was a bit of a trouble to extract though because it just started crumbling in half.

Edited September 1, 2014 by JUAN EMMANUEL

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I don't know how long treptoceras can get, but this lengthy one is almost 40 cm long when I measured it back at home when I reassembled it again.

How did I know it was a treptoceras and not an endoceras? Here's the siphuncle from one of the phragmocone segments:

Edited September 1, 2014 by JUAN EMMANUEL

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I dug back at the spot where I obtained it and double checked that there were no more extended parts remaining. Turns out there were no more phragmocone parts left over and I have a complete phragmocone!

Edited September 1, 2014 by JUAN EMMANUEL

[JUAN EMMANUEL]

Well, I think that's it and hope you enjoyed! I'll be gluing back the treptoceras segments together again and post the complete and finished specimen.

Edited September 1, 2014 by JUAN EMMANUEL