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Another Permian fossil south of Manhattan, KS


trisk

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While driving from Topeka to Manhattan on the I-70 this week, we stopped at exit 316 (Deep Creek Rd) to look at exposed cliffs on the roadside north of I-70 there (Mineral Springs Rd). Immediately off the westbound exit ramp, we discovered a large parking lot surrounded by several enormous piles of rock. There were a huge variety of different fossil-bearing shales and limestones in them and the nearby cliffs, including some small but extremely rich pieces.

 

One of them has a lot of crinoid bits and some kind of long, thin pieces, along with a major inclusion I can't identify. You can see it on the bottom left in the first photo.

 

It's triangular and rounded and appears to be symmetrical, with a faint pattern on the surface of the central part. There appear to be two triangular indentations or openings on both sides of the central part. One small slit is visible on the exposed right side, it doesn't run all the way down. The general shape reminds me of a trilobite head but it doesn't have eye bumps and seems to be all one piece. I haven't been able to find anything that looks like this.

 

Also, what are the long, thin fragments?

 

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You have some bits of brachiopods as well as crinoids, and i agree those thin shapes could be brachiopod spines.

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"On ne voit bien que par le coeur, l'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux." (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry)

"We only well see with the heart, the essential is invisible for the eyes."

 

In memory of Doren

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