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Middle Cambrian Fossils of the Bright Angel Shale - 1


Arizona Chris

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Hello all,

 

As promised we are just starting to post the huge photo pictorial of our recent work in the Bright Angel Shale south of the Grand canyon in Arizona.  I have over a thousand images that go with this write up, however for now Ive posted the starting page and the first photo page - Key fossils.  Most paleontologist are led to believe that the Lower Middle Cambrian Bright Angel Shale can only be found in the depths of the Grand Canyon National Park, and therefore is not open to collecting for the general public. After much research spanning years pouring over old - and nearly unobtainable geologic maps, professional papers and Bulletins, we found that this is not the case. There are half a dozen small areas far outside the Canyon (south), and isolated outcrops in the Juniper Mountains in Northern Arizona. We spent over a year finding and evaluating these outcrops - when accessible, and found two in particular that were highly fossiliferous. Besides hordes of Cambrian trace fossils, we found a plentiful but low diversity of fauna similar to the Burgess Shale in British Columbia, and the Chengjiang Fauna in China. Phylums include at least half a dozen species of Trilobites, Hyolithids, inarticulate Brachiopods, a colonial hydrozoan like animal, and trace fossils from arthropods, mollusks, and annelids.

 

So here is the new photo pictorial page itself:

 

http://www.schursastrophotography.com/paleo/Fossilfotos-4a.html

 

And if you want to see the planned future pages, this will be the BAS jump off page:

 

http://www.schursastrophotography.com/paleo/Fossilfotos-4.html

 

Thanks for looking.  We have so much more to write up at this point, but the material is very exciting to us!

 

Arizona Chris

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Arizona Chris

Paleo Web Site:  http://schursastrophotography.com/fossiladventures.html

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Very exciting discoveries. Don't forget to post some of your unknowns and problematica here. Our members come up with good ID suggestions and great literature.

My goal is to leave no stone or fossil unturned.   

See my Arizona Paleontology Guide    link  The best single resource for Arizona paleontology anywhere.       

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Always interested to hear about new Cambrian localities... will be watching.

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Very nice blog. :) 

Thanks for posting. 
Regards,

    Tim    VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

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"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."
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Thanks guys!  Any identified specimens will certainly be posted on your gallery, and I appreciate all of you that helped in identifying  our mystery trilobite!  The phosphatized brachs will be difficult to identify, they are not preserved well.  They are hopefully the same as another site we found many more in southern Az , both Billingslella and Lungulids.

 

Arizona Chris

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Arizona Chris

Paleo Web Site:  http://schursastrophotography.com/fossiladventures.html

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The items labeled as cranidia are hypostomes.  That is why they are smaller than the associated Zacanthoides.  Also, trilobites have 'genal', not 'genial' spines.

 

 

IMG.thumb.jpg.29f26f01b47a252cd2bf2375090138a1.jpg

image.png.a84de26dad44fb03836a743755df237c.png

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Thanks, Ill make the appropriate corrections.  We have never ever found hypostomes before.  this is fantastic! ;)

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Arizona Chris

Paleo Web Site:  http://schursastrophotography.com/fossiladventures.html

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