Malcolmt Posted May 1, 2017 Share Posted May 1, 2017 Well I went out collecting on Saturday which turned out to be a cold and windy day. Got there after a two hour drive at about 7:45. Was too cold overall with the windchill, ended up leaving about 2:30, usually stay till about 4:00. I was pretty disapponted on the day as I only brought 5 pieces of matrix home with me. My two regular collecting buddes had no better luck (perhaps even less) than I did. One of them even gave up at 11:00 which was very unusual. For me, a crappy disarcticulated isotelus about 2 inches long but it had a nice cephalon with perfect eyes. A starfish which now that I look at it under a bright light and scope is probably a species I have never found before and two cute little hash plates with a bunch of cephalons from Flexi and calyptalaux on them. What actually made my day now that I have finished prepping it is a split that I did that showed the outline of a trilobite. In the field under cloudy conditions I thought it was perhaps a flexicalymene (nothing to get excited about) although it was fairly large and prone. Here is what it looked like before any prep. You can see why I was not too excited, it is not much to look at. I should have recognized in the field that this was a ceraurus with some potential but being a dull cloudy day it went into the bucket with little thought as to it being anything good. Well at 10 minutes into the prep using dolomite <325 mesh abrasive in a Comco air abrasion unit at 30 PSI with a .018 nozzle it was obvious that it was a ceraurus and if the pygidium was there under all the matrix then probably a fairly nice one. Usually the ceraurus found at this location are not buried in the matrix and are very flaky. Here is the bug at 10 minutes of prep. Definitely starting to show some potential 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolmt Posted May 1, 2017 Author Share Posted May 1, 2017 Without further delay, here is the finished bug (2 views) What is a bit interesting is the amount of pyritization all over the bug that makes it look a bit unfinished. Debated with myself for a bit over whether or not to remove it. In the end I decided not to as it gives it a bit of character. The bug is complete except for the tip of the right genal spine and a bit of missing exoskeleton on the cephalon. Overall a quite nice bug measuring 52 mm long by 32 mm wide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolmt Posted May 1, 2017 Author Share Posted May 1, 2017 Here is the starfish unprepped not sure when I will get around to having a look at it. Normally we find stenasters at this location. I do not think this is a stenaster. This is the ventral orientation not the normal dorsal as we usually find them. Jump in if you want to take a stab at identification. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffrey P Posted May 1, 2017 Share Posted May 1, 2017 Congratulations, Malcolm on that Cerausus, exceptionally nice one, though it didn't appear so until you prepped it out. All the more impressive that you thought it worth collecting. Good luck on that starfish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted May 1, 2017 Share Posted May 1, 2017 Malcolm, I always enjoy stories like these. I usually come away from my trips not too excited by what I've found, and then find out I didn't do too badly at all, once I go through my finds. Great specimens! And great prep, as well. Regards, Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 __________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troodon Posted May 1, 2017 Share Posted May 1, 2017 Great story, great specimens and a wonderful prep job. All in all a good "cool" day of collecting.,. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spinosaurus Posted May 1, 2017 Share Posted May 1, 2017 its a great find! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossil-Hound Posted May 1, 2017 Share Posted May 1, 2017 @Malcolmt wow that is so awesome! I'm super jealous you live so close to all those neat locations. Perhaps someday I'll retire and move out to Ontario. Do or do not. There is no try. - Yoda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darktooth Posted May 1, 2017 Share Posted May 1, 2017 Great report and even greater finds! The starfish is cool, the trilo is awesome! Great prep job! I like Trilo-butts and I cannot lie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peat Burns Posted May 1, 2017 Share Posted May 1, 2017 Wow! Good eye, and great job! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted May 1, 2017 Share Posted May 1, 2017 Nice bug, Malcolm. And that starfish looks like it may turn out ok. Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilDudeCO Posted May 1, 2017 Share Posted May 1, 2017 WOW malcolm! Gorgeous bug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossiladdict Posted May 2, 2017 Share Posted May 2, 2017 Awesome to both of them! Fossils are simply one of the coolest things on earth--discovering them is just marvelous! Makes you all giddy inside! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted May 2, 2017 Share Posted May 2, 2017 What the others have said and looking forward to seeing the sea star when it is prepped. Darwin said: " Man sprang from monkeys." Will Rogers said: " Some of them didn't spring far enough." My Fossil collection - My Mineral collection My favorite thread on TFF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilDAWG Posted May 2, 2017 Share Posted May 2, 2017 That would count as a hugely successful day in my book! You might check out Promopaleaster as a possible ID for that starfish. Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimB88 Posted May 2, 2017 Share Posted May 2, 2017 Awesome bug and starfish Malcolm! Though I would say finding any trilo would make my day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JarrodB Posted May 2, 2017 Share Posted May 2, 2017 Very nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 Very cool report Malcolm. I love to see what other folks are finding and even better when they show prep pics with before and after pics. Nice fossils too! RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monica Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 Hi Malcolm! BEAUTIFUL trilobite!!! All I can say is - WOW!!! I can't wait to see what you do with that starfish... Thanks for sharing! Monica Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hrguy54 Posted May 4, 2017 Share Posted May 4, 2017 Great prep on the trilobite. A real beauty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erose Posted May 4, 2017 Share Posted May 4, 2017 Too nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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