Some minor finds in the Dundee

[Kane]

There is nothing quite like a good hike wending around the river through the Carolinian forest ecosystem as the black-eyed susans and goldenrod stand proudly as the mayapples wither, and enormous puffballs appear while chipmunks and squirrels scamper about to hide their finds before winter comes. My goal was to return to an area that looked promising, mostly composed of rounded deposits from when the river was much higher some 7-10,000 years ago. The limestones in this area vary in terms of composition and state of preservation, as well as the deposition of marine critters: some stones will crumble into chips that are filled with large clusters of very tiny brachiopods, while others will have small crinoid columnals, long worm burrows, rugose corals, large-ribbed spirifers (some with very long "wings"), and even the occasional trilobite pygidium. Today's trip did involve getting a bit dirty and sifting through moss, frightening at least one salamander, a few garden snakes, springtails, woodlice, and an arachnophobe's nightmare's worth of large and interesting spiders. 

 

As a formation, Dundee is not particularly exciting, and one may feel a bit spoiled in collecting in other formations in the Devonian. Still, it is where I live, and the limestone seems to be the landscaping material of choice around here  

 

First up is a fairly well preserved tabulate coral, "front and back."

[Kane]

Next up is a fairly busy, moss-stained piece with its highlights being tabulate corals and a big brachiopod. There's also a few smaller brachs, a bryozoan branch and maybe a few other things - a lot going on here! I'll have to get out the digital microscope and get some more detailed closeups.

[Kane]

And finally another two pieces dominated by brachs. I also found a few more bivalves, and a pathetic little trilobite pygidium - but where there is one there is more. I also pocketed some very tiny brachs that weathered out.

 

I would have taken more pictures in situ, but I was in a lot of leafy shade with only the dappling of sunlight. This little cluster of images I've posted does not do justice to the full diversity of the Dundee formation.

[njfossilhunter]

Cool fossils.......

[doushantuo]

Very drab pieces of Paleozoic rocks with unassuming,typical fauna.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In short:awesome to the nth power

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Darktooth]

Very interesting finds!