Please help a rookie identify his first fossils (devonian)

[matgerke]

Hello all, just tried fossil hunting for the first time, and found a few fossils that didnt crumble away when i touched them. I know they are not very exciting fossils, but any help identifying them would be much appreciated!

They were found in a shale pit near ithaca new york, in an area that i have read is middle devonian. All are quite small. A quarter is in one of the photos for scale.

Thank you!

Matt

[Fossil Claw]

pictures would help.

[ZiggieCie]

[matgerke]

Oops! Sorry. Apparently they were too big to upload. Trying again.

[matgerke]

...and these...

[Fossildude19]

Your first two images are trilobite parts.

First is a Greenops sp. pygidium, or tail shield.

Second is an imprint of an Eldredgeops sp. cephalon, or head shield.

Third is a brachiopod, most likely Rhipodomella penelope. The top of the shell is missing, or not well preserved at all.

Fourth is an Eldredgeops sp. trilobite cephalon.

Neat finds. Are these from Portland point?

Regards,

Edited January 3, 2016 by Fossildude19

[Auspex]

Very nice! I had expected them to have an oranger complexion, if they're form the VA/MD area.

[matgerke]

Thank you so much for the identifications, FossilDude19.

Yes, from Portland Point. I take it you have been there. I had a terrible time extracting the fossils without them disintegrating. Any suggestions for how approach crumbly shale without destroying the fossils?

Edited January 3, 2016 by matgerke

[Fossildude19]

Thank you so much for the identifications, FossilDude19.

Yes, from Portland Point. I take it you have been there. I had a terrible time extracting the fossils without them disintegrating. Any suggestions for how approach crumbly shale without destroying the fossils?

Please, call me Tim.

I have actually never been there, but a few on the Forum have.

I recognized the look of the fossils and the description of the crumbly shale near Ithaca.

I have no experience there, but Marley's Ghost is a frequent collector there - he may have some tips for you.

Try sending him a Private Message By going to his profile and clicking the send message button.

Neat finds.

Regards,

[Auspex]

Ah, New York. I thought you might have been collecting semi-locally.

[Pumpkinhead]

Those look really nice. I wish I could find trilobites like that, my collection seems to be of almost every Paleozoic marine group but that. Great finds

[married2rick]

Trilobites are my favorite. Every time someone post one I get a little excited!!

Welcome to The Fossil Forum Matt and thanks for sharing!

[kwilson]

The shale in the pit at Portland Point does weather fairly quickly. You best bet is to pick a spot and work down to "fresh" rock. Look where other people have done similar excavations as a clue to the particularly fossiliferous layers. And make sure you stay in front of the safety rope defining the allowed collecting area.

[Fossildude19]

Thank you so much for the identifications, FossilDude19.

Yes, from Portland Point. I take it you have been there. I had a terrible time extracting the fossils without them disintegrating. Any suggestions for how approach crumbly shale without destroying the fossils?

By the way, These are some good links to Sources for Identifying your finds:

LINK 1

LINK 2

Regards,

[MarleysGh0st]

I wasn't online yesterday, but now I've replied to Matt's PM. And I'll repeat my welcome to TFF and to Portland Point!

By the way, I agree with the earlier identifications of the fossils (all pretty common at Portland Point, although Greenops specimens, particularly complete ones, are much rarer than the Eldgredgeops) and with Karl's advice to use a hammer and chisel to pry up fresh slabs of shale, instead of looking for fossils among the loose and crumbly shale on the surface.

[matgerke]

Thanks to all for the welcome and the assistance!