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I finally broke my Cincinnatian Trilobite curse!

Shamalama

By Shamalama
in Fossil Hunting Trips

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Shamalama Regular Member

Shamalama

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So, It's been a while since I've posted a trip report but I had some success this weekend with finding those elusive Cincinnattian trilobites that have flummoxed and avoided me for years. While on my way out to the St. Paul, IN quarry open house on Saturday, I stopped off at the St. Leon (South Gate Hill) roadcut in Indiana. I'd heard that there was a layer of "butter" shales that produced Flexicalymene trilobites. I've tried to locate it in the past with no luck but I decided to try again this time. I was successful! Thanks to some observation of another collector that was working the East side of the roadcut I figured what level I should be at on the West side. Then it came down to just looking really hard:

post-1408-0-15611200-1468879508_thumb.jpg post-1408-0-16168400-1468879509_thumb.jpg

Those are the first two of five total rollers that I found. They are waaaaaay tiny but I was happy to finally have found some on my own.

Then, on Sunday, I hit up a roadcut near Bedford, KY with fellow member Kentukiana Mike and I found a yuuuuge one:

post-1408-0-65809700-1468879543_thumb.jpgpost-1408-0-93018600-1468879509_thumb.jpg

The St. Paul quarry was pretty cool too. I didn't find any whole trilos but lots and lots of brachs and Eucalyptocrinus caylxes.

So I'm pretty happy with this trip between the Trilobites and other cool stuff I found. I'll have to post more detail later once I get pics.

Dave

-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/

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Uncle Siphuncle Regular Member

Uncle Siphuncle

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Congrats on achieving your personal milestone, Dave.

Grüße,

Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas

"To the motivated go the spoils."

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Fossildude19 Regular Member

Fossildude19

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Congratulations Dave! :)

Nice looking trilos for sure.
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  

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"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."
John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~   ><))))( *>  About Me      

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xonenine Regular Member

xonenine

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Nice trip report Dave , thanks :)

"Your serpent of Egypt is bred now of your mud by the operation of your sun; so is your crocodile." Lepidus

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JohnJ Regular Member

JohnJ

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Great field shots, Dave. Congrats.

The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true.  -  JJ

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FossilDAWG Regular Member

FossilDAWG

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Hey Dave,

I'm glad your drought has been broken. Those tiny little rollers definitely demand getting your nose real close to the ground.

Don

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Toddster Member

Toddster

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Nice! The Trilobite in my avatar is from Southgate hill from a trip earlier this year. My wife and I were at the St Paul open house, we didn't have the greatest luck I think we picked a bad place to start. I did manage to find a few cool calyx's and things. We left a bit early and went to St Leon, and checked out Brookville north. Those sites are amazing.

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Jeffrey P Regular Member

Jeffrey P

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Congratulations Dave. Those rollers look sweet. Would love to check out St. Leon someday. This just gives me more inspiration to do so. Thanks for posting. Would also like to see those crinoid calyxes sometime. Best wishes.

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Pagurus Regular Member

Pagurus

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Yay, Dave! Those tiny Flexicalymines are cute. I'm glad your trip was enjoyable and productive.

Mike

Start the day with a smile and get it over with.

 

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Shamalama Regular Member

Shamalama

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Thanks Everyone! I was very happy when I found all of those. I had to think about taking in situ pics before I picked the rollers up.

-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/

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erose Regular Member

erose

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Well done. I went years before finding a complete Cinci bug and at certain times I was getting out there a few times a year. Then it was like bam, bam, bam. You now have an eye and a search model and it will only get better.

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Wrangellian Regular Member

Wrangellian

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Congrats, Dave. Definitely looks like something you need to tune your eyes to.

Just how big is the yuuuge ( :P ) one?

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Shamalama Regular Member

Shamalama

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Well done. I went years before finding a complete Cinci bug and at certain times I was getting out there a few times a year. Then it was like bam, bam, bam. You now have an eye and a search model and it will only get better.

Thanks! I think it was you who helped me clue into the "Butter Shales" as a layer to look for them. I think I read it in a past post or trip report. :)

-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/

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Shamalama Regular Member

Shamalama

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Congrats, Dave. Definitely looks like something you need to tune your eyes to.

Just how big is the yuuuge ( :P ) one?

Think large grape or about the size of my thumb from the last knuckle to the tip. Soooo... an inch or so (2.5cm)?

-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/

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Raggedy Man Regular Member

Raggedy Man

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Was the St.Paul quarry packed with people? Are the caylexs you found complete with arms? There are 4 types crinoids found in that quarry. Complete trilobites are hard to find there. My wife and I have hunted there since 2013 and only found 6 complete trilobites in total.

...I'm back.

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