Finally Found The Holy Grail Of Mazon Creek Fossils

[RCFossils]

I thought I would share an exciting Mazon Creek fossil that I collected on March 1st of this year and just split open today.

This is an extremely rare legless amphibian named Phlegethontia longissima from Pit 11.

For a Mazon Creek fossil collector, this is about as good as it gets. Amphibians are extremely rare in the deposit and most collectors never find one.

I have been collecting these fossils for over thirty years and can finally check it off my bucket list.

It has been estimated that only one in five hundred thousand Mazon concretions will contain an amphibian. 

It needs a bit more cleaning and is fairly complete. The ribs, teeth and skin impressions are clear under magnification.

 

[RCFossils]

[RCFossils]

[Ropterus]

Fantastic find! Congratulations!

[CBOB]

WoW!  Absolutely spectacular!  Congrats on a very rare find!

[Nimravis]

Very nice find- congrats.

[FossilDudeCO]

Congrats! that is AWESOME!!!!

 

FOTM?

[caldigger]

2 dollars to start off the bidding.

You can retire from collecting now cause it don't get better than that.

[ynot]

Nice find!!

Congratulations!!

[Gizmo]

Truly remarkable!  Congrats! 

[PFOOLEY]

Oh wow!...congrats on a stupendous find!

[jpc]

Ok... that is a cool fossil.  

[Darktooth]

Congratulations on finding such a rare specimen!

[Jeffrey P]

An absolutely marvelous find! Big congrats. Thanks for sharing it. FOTM? 

[Fossildude19]

Fossil of the Month!

Amazing find Rob!    

Regards, 

[fossilized6s]

Wonderful piece, Rob. Congratulations! 

[RCFossils]

Thanks everyone for the kind words.

All the years of sore muscles, cuts, ticks and insect bites have paid off.

[doushantuo]

from another Carboniferous Lagerstatt:

That is an absolutely stunning and important find

[-Andy-]

Fossil of the month indeed.

 

Gratz on a showpiece find!

[Wrangellian]

That site never stops producing things new to me. Congrats!

[doushantuo]

 

Does anyone have this PDF for me ?

Can't deny that it totally belongs in this thread

 

[doushantuo]

this belongs in this thread(p.326 et seq):Pennsylvanic,Mazon

NB,about 23 MB.

Great plates in this one

I just realized that article is over a century old. Paleontology is timeless

[deutscheben]

Astonishing!!!  

What an incredible find, Rob, congratulations. As a fellow Mazon Creek hunter, your discoveries provide a real source of inspiration to get out and collect more. (Also, it looks like me and @Nimravis weren't the only fossil hunters out there on opening day- I hope your find marks an auspicious start to the season!)

[jcbshark]

Congrats on an INCREDIBLE find! It's great getting to check such a rare one off your list

[RJB]

Never heard of this fossil till now.  Purdy darn neato.    and thanks for the paper doushauntuo. 

 

RB