A TFF Gathering in an Upstate New York Middle Devonian Paradise

[Cris]

Excellent trip report! I've had the pleasure of attending quite a few TFF member meet ups and, while the fossil hunting is great, the camaraderie from the people who attend is always the best (and most memorable) part. 

[smt126]

I agree Cris. It's always fun to meet up with people with a similar hobby that most others don't partake in. No matter your background, a day of hunting fossils can bring anyone together.

[Ludwigia]

@Jeffrey P  You really are quite the organizer of social events! Thanks for taking us along again. Wish I could have been there too.

[Monica]

It looks like you all had a fun day, and brought back lots of fantastic finds - I especially like Devin's itty bitty Greenops boothi - adorable!  Congratulations to all!

[Jeffrey P]

On 5/22/2017 at 10:51 PM, njfossilhunter said:

I had a great time and with some great people. Hope to do this again. Well this is my best find's of the day. Its  two Cephalopod's and I'm not sure of the species.  Maybe someone here can ID them for me.

 

The first one is nearly four inches long and how much more of the specimen is still under the matrix at the wider end  I don't know I did lose a flake of it at the front and about 1/8 of a inch at the very end ....other then that its a decent cephalopod.

 

 

 

The second one looks different from the first and its only 42mm long.

Hi Tony, Congratulations on those two fine nautiloid specimens. Pieces of nautiloids are common at Deep Springs Road, but intact, relatively complete specimens are much rarer, and they are notoriously difficult to collect because of the tendency of the matrix to crack across them when you try to remove them. I would probably call both of them Michelinoceras. Any nautiloid found in the Hamilton Group with a relatively smooth shell or fine ribbing falls into that category. Heavy ribbing would be Spyroceras like the example Dave's son found.

[Jeffrey P]

Congrats Dave on that complete Dipleura. Really nice specimen- and a rarity for that site. Your sons also scored some nice material. That little Greenops is quite adorable. 

[frankh8147]

That was a fun trip! It was great meeting everyone and congrats to everyone on their finds! As warned, collecting bigger rocks rather than the free matrix fossils I am accustomed to in new jersey, really makes the pile of fossils add up and I am still sorting through everything but here are my favorites so far: pic 1- Goniatite (?) Pic 2- trilobites Pic 3- odds and ends

[Fossildude19]

As stated previously, - it was a wonderful time, meeting everyone there. Many nice finds were made. I think everyone left pretty happy with their finds, despite a bit of a washout near the end of the day.

I would have liked to stay a few hours more, but the family weren't into getting drenched, or waiting around for me to meet my collection goals.  

 

Here are a few of my favorites:

 

 

My wife found this neat feeding\farming? trace fossil...(Asterosoma?):

 

 

and this unique piece of plant:

 

 

 

My bellerophontid gastropod, Ptomatis patulus :

 

 

       

 

 

And the trilobites:

 

               

 

 

 

   

 

 

and a prone Greenops boothi - not the best preservation, but cool, nonetheless.  

 

 

                    

 

 

Glad to have met everyone - we'll have to do it again! 

Regards, 

[PFOOLEY]

Nice to see you all.  

 

Great trip report, Jeffrey...you've been busy! 

[GordonC]

Great report on some serious fun in the Devonian.

Gordon

[JimB88]

great stuff guys and gals! Grats on the complete Diplura Dave, and the Bellerophont gastro Tim. Those two Michelinoceras are awesome!

On 5/22/2017 at 11:08 AM, Jeffrey P said:

Tim breaking rocks and making great finds- as usual!!!!

 

Who's this old guy though? Hehe (runs for it)

[Fossildude19]

1 hour ago, JimB88 said:

great stuff guys and gals! Grats on the complete Diplura Dave, and the Bellerophont gastro Tim. Those two Michelinoceras are awesome!

 

Who's this old guy though? Hehe (runs for it)

 

Nice! Who you callin old! 

  

[old bones]

Wow, what fun! Great finds and how nice to be able to get together with other TFF members. Thanks for all the pictures.

[Darktooth]

I am really glad see what everbody else

found as I didn't get to see everything before we left. Me and the boys have a lot more to show. I will try to post more pics soon.

[Fossildude19]

A few more of my finds:

 

[ynot]

Sometimes I wish I did not live so far away!

Nice finds and trip recounting.

[JimB88]

On 5/23/2017 at 10:56 PM, Fossildude19 said:

A few more of my finds:

 

 

Hey Tim is that a linguid inarticulate brachiopod in the lower left corner?

[Fossildude19]

6 minutes ago, JimB88 said:

 

Hey Tim is that a linguid inarticulate brachiopod in the lower left corner?

 

Yes sir, it is.  

 

[JimB88]

thats a cool find..those are rare in my neck of the woods.

[Jeffrey P]

Congratulations Frank on the finds of your first trip to Deep Springs Road. Looks like you obtained a nice variety of things from there. You made out especially  well in trilobite parts- both Greenops and Eldredgiops and I love the ribbing on that goniatite. Thanks for sharing.

[Jeffrey P]

Congratulations Tim. It appears you and your family made out real well again. That Greenops is especially fine and you've added to the species list at the site with that excellent Ptomatis patulus. That makes five species of gastropod for the site so far. Also love the lingulid brachiopod- sweet find and the piece of lycopod bark that Colleen found. Is that a rhinocarid on the extreme right? Your photos are excellent too.

[Wrangellian]

Thanks for the report, all. Impressive diversity and preservation, wish I could collect a spot like that but I'm at the opposite end of the continent. Be sure to collect spares for those less fortunate! (LOL)

Gives me an itch to get back up my local spot again to find similar but much younger stuff...

[Fossildude19]

On 5/24/2017 at 10:01 PM, Jeffrey P said:

 Is that a rhinocarid on the extreme right? Your photos are excellent too.

 

Jeff, 

It isn't. oddly enough. It is a straight hinged pelecypod.

Not sure what, as I cannot find mention of it in Karl Wilson's book, or his website. 

 

It appears to be somewhat similar to the Lower Devonian Pteriomorhpa Pelecypod, Paleopinna flabellum   (Palaeopinna? spelling?) 

There are definite growth lines which indicate bivalve to me.  

[doushantuo]

It look kinda like what Beushausen called Modiomorpha praecedens

Edit:totally wrong there ,but as somone once said: I stand by my mistakes

 

[frankh8147]

12 hours ago, Jeffrey P said:

Congratulations Frank on the finds of your first trip to Deep Springs Road. Looks like you obtained a nice variety of things from there. You made out especially  well in trilobite parts- both Greenops and Eldredgiops and I love the ribbing on that goniatite. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks Jeff and thanks again for the invite! It was great to see what everyone else found too - I had a feeling, based on the members who were digging, that some great specimens would come out of this trip but the diversity of fossils found is just amazing! Thanks again.