Paleozoic Fossil Hunting in South Korea (Especially Trilobite)

[Joon]

 

 

    Hi guys,

 

       This is my 1st post(Execpt introduction)!

I went to fossil hunting at June 5th and 6th to Gangwon-Do, Republic of Korea(South Korea). It was my 2nd geological exploration.

 

Location information :

 

1st site - Jangseong, Gangwon-Do, Republic of Korea(South Korea) = Jiggunsan Formation(Jigun Mountain Formation), Middle Ordovician

<Figure 2>

 

2nd site - Sesong, Yeongwol-Gun, Republic of Korea(South Korea) = Jiggunsan Formation(Jigun Mountain Formation), Middle Ordovician

<Figure 3, 4, 5>

 

 

 I rode a bike to get there about 110 km(Actually 50 km. Including returning distance is 110 km.) and there was a lot of bugs like flies or mosquitos etc. It was very hard journey but it was very nice too.

 

 

   This picture took at the first fossil site.(Actually, before arrive at the fossil site.) The first fossil site was easier to access than the second fossil site. \

 

  Actually, I couldn't find the second fossil site. I heard that veeeeery many fossils are there(Trilobites, Cephalopods, Gastropods, etc.). However, it was too hard to get there. Forest was too thick to access! So, I couldn't find the actual fossil site, but I found a pile of black shale. Probably it exposed the tip of the formation or crumbled and moved from the site. Anyway, I didn't have much time at that time to investigate arround there. I hope to go there again in order to investigate someday!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I collected 88 specimens there.(Except donation. I donated about 27 specimens to national museum.)

I could find a lot of trilobites and gastopods. I couldn't find a complete one, but I found sub-complete trilobites and its eye lens are completely preserved.

Also, I found complete ventral cephalon of trilobite. Its hypostome is very good conditon. I found this one at the 1st fossil site.

 And, I found a lot of trilobite hypostome at the 2nd fossil site too.

Left side - Excavated at 2nd fossil site

Middle side - Excavated at 1st fossil site

Right side - Excavated at other fossil site. It's plant fossil. I found them in a pile of coal muck. It's Gangwon-Do too.

 

 

 

 

* I'll update fossil images after this post. I resized whole, but I think that the data is not enough to upload whole images here.

 

 

[Darktooth]

Looking forward to seeing close-up pics!

[Miocene_Mason]

Awesome stuff, keep looking for more!

[piranha]

Here is an excellent paper on the Jigunsan Formation trilobites. 

 

Lee, D.C., & Choi, D.K. (1992)
Reappraisal of the Middle Ordovician trilobites from the Jigunsan Formation, Korea. 
Journal of the Geological Society of Korea 28(2)167-183.pdf

 

Kobayashi described the entire invertebrate fauna in this paper.  

Please send me a PM with your email address if you want a pdf.

 

Kobayashi, T. (1934)
The Cambro-Ordovician formations and faunas of South Chosen. Palaeontology. Part 1. Middle Ordovician Faunas. 
Journal of Faculty of Science, Imperial University of Tokyo, 3(8):329-519 

[FossilDAWG]

It takes some real dedication to bike 100 km to collect fossils!

 

Can you perhaps post some more close-up photos of some of the trilobites and gastropods?

 

Don C

[Pumpkinhead]

Welcome to the forum. Looking forward to seeing some close up pictures as well

[Joon]

   

   Okay, resizing is finished! It's about 173 pictures.(Oh, I forget to resizing more close-up picture by using mobile. It is about 20 more pictures I guess.)

And I couldn't take 13 specimens. I didn't have to take them. I really want to take picture the rest, but I'm in Toronto now. :'( lol.

 

I'll upload the rest 13 specimens on December. When I come back home to get the visa.

[Joon]

1 hour ago, piranha said:

Here is an excellent paper on the Jigunsan Formation trilobites. 

 

Lee, D.C., & Choi, D.K. (1992)
Reappraisal of the Middle Ordovician trilobites from the Jigunsan Formation, Korea. 
Journal of the Geological Society of Korea 28(2)167-183.pdf

 

Kobayashi described the entire invertebrate fauna in this paper.  

Please send me a PM with your email address if you want a pdf.

 

Kobayashi, T. (1934)
The Cambro-Ordovician formations and faunas of South Chosen. Palaeontology. Part 1. Middle Ordovician Faunas. 
Journal of Faculty of Science, Imperial University of Tokyo, 3(8):329-519 

Thank you! My e-mail address is chj09080@naver.com

 

If you don't mind, please send me other papers. I tried to read Kobayashi's paper and the other. Actually, I found Choi, D.K's one but I couldn't find Kobayashi's paper. Really thank you!

[ynot]

Welcome to TFF!

Looking forward to seeing what You have!

[Joon]

Thank you for looking my post everyone. Resizing is almost complete.

 Actually, pictures took by DSLR was finished a few minutes ago. But took by my Galaxy S8 and eye lens is not yet.

I'll post it until tomorrow. Thank you everyone!

[Monica]

Welcome to the forum, HoJoon!

 

And welcome to Toronto!!!  I'm one of your neighbours to the west, in Mississauga 

 

It sounds like you had a great fossil-collecting trip in Seoul - contratulations!!!

 

I, too, am looking forward to what you were able to collect...

 

By the way - do you have a visa to enter the US?  And do you have access to a car?  If so, then while you're here in Toronto you might want to cross the border into Hamburg, New York in order to look for fossils at Penn Dixie - I believe it costs $9 US to enter the site, and you can keep whatever you find.  My family and I are headed out there today - I'll probably post pictures of what we find so keep an eye out for that!

 

There are some places you can find fossils in the Toronto area, too - just keep an eye out whenever you're near a river or creek.  I've found lots of water-worn Ordovician fossils along Etobicoke Creek, Mimico Creek, and Humber River, and I imagine that if you find some exposures you'll be able to find fossils of better quality.

[RJB]

Wow!  110 KM's.   Seems like a great way to keep in shape.  Would love to see some close ups.

 

RB

[Joon]

46 minutes ago, Monica said:

Welcome to the forum, HoJoon!

 

And welcome to Toronto!!!  I'm one of your neighbours to the west, in Mississauga 

 

It sounds like you had a great fossil-collecting trip in Seoul - contratulations!!!

 

I, too, am looking forward to what you were able to collect...

 

By the way - do you have a visa to enter the US?  And do you have access to a car?  If so, then while you're here in Toronto you might want to cross the border into Hamburg, New York in order to look for fossils at Penn Dixie - I believe it costs $9 US to enter the site, and you can keep whatever you find.  My family and I are headed out there today - I'll probably post pictures of what we find so keep an eye out for that!

 

There are some places you can find fossils in the Toronto area, too - just keep an eye out whenever you're near a river or creek.  I've found lots of water-worn Ordovician fossils along Etobicoke Creek, Mimico Creek, and Humber River, and I imagine that if you find some exposures you'll be able to find fossils of better quality.

Thank you so much!

I'm staying Dentonia Park Ave, East York, Toronto. I'm just 19 years old. I have driver's license. But, you know I don't have the car xD.

 

I'm going to buy bicycle here too.(Cheap one.) And I'll try to find fossils!

 

Anyway, I don't have a visa to enter the US yet. I have just ETA to Canada. I'll get it at December.17.  I'm going to enroll University of Vermont on next January.

 

I really would like to go Penn-dixie someday!

I envy you! xD

 

 

Thank you!

 

 

[Joon]

 

   Hi, finally resizing is complete! :D It was hard to wait!  

 

   The diameter of Korean coin is 2.41 cm.

 

* Location information : Jigunsan Formation(Jigun Mountain Formation), Jangseong, Gangwon-Do, Korea(South Korea, Republic of Korea) 

 

* Age : Middle Ordovician

 

 

 

 

1. Basiliella typicalis (Kobayashi, 1934) pygidium.(I guess. Because there are pleural furrows.) We can see the axial rings.

 

 

 

 

2. Asaphid librigena part. We can see the eye. I took the below image by using my eyepiece. The eye lenses are preserved!

 

 

 

 

 3. Ichnofossil (Cruziana ?). At first, I didn't know what it is. I thought that it is a coral fossil. But one of the fossil shop owner(in Korea) told me it'll be ichnofossil. And one of my Estonia friend told me the same thing.

 

 

 

 

 4. Basiliella kawasakii Kobayashi, 1934

This is my FAVORITE one! The eye lenses are fantastic!

You can see the eye in the middle of the picture. And in the dirrection of 9 O'clock, there is another one.

 

 

 

[Joon]

 

 

5. Basiliella typicalis (Kobayashi, 1934)

Cranidium and lateral border mold. Some debris of thorax(12 o'clock)

 

 

6 - 1. Ptychopyge dongjeomensis DongChan Lee, 1980

        Basiliella typicalis (Kobayashi, 1934)

       Basiliella kawasakii Kobayashi, 1934

Cranidium, pygidium, librigena, thorax debris. Eye lenses are preserved. Below image is cast side.

Very small pygidium(Basiliella typicalis). Maybe meraspis or early holaspis period.

It's about 0.8mm. I guess the attached one is the glabella of Basiliella typicalis.

 

Small cranidium of Ptychopyge dongjeomensis.

 

Small cranidium of Basiliella kawasakii. You can see the glabella furrow.

 

Nice condition Asaphid eye lens.

 

6 - 2. Dolerobasilicus yokusensis (Kobayashi, 1934)

         Ptychopyge dongjeomensis DongChan Lee, 1980

         Basiliella typicalis (Kobayashi, 1934)

         Basiliella kawasakii Kobayashi, 1934

 

This one is mold side and other one. 6 o'clock to 9 o'clock in the middle of the image is the pygidium of Dolerobasilicus yokusensis.

 

The pygidium and cranidium of Ptychopyge dongjeomensis . Very small size.

 

6 - 3. Basiliella sp. librigena. Eye lenses are preserved!

         Pleura and librigena debris.

[Joon]

I uploaded pictures to other post. If you don't mind, please go and look around! Thank you!

[ynot]

Some very nice trilobite bits!

Thanks for sharing them.

PS  the eyes!

[jewelonly]

I very much enjoyed your report and pics!!  

[Joon]

 

 

 

7. Dolerobasilicus yokusensis (Kobayashi, 1934)

   Basiliella typicalis (Kobayashi, 1934)

   Basiliella kawasakii Kobayashi, 1934

 

 

Small but nice pygidium mold and cast.

 

 

This is the pygidium of D. yokusensis.

 

Nice Asaphid eye lens

 

Two B. typicalis cranidium.

 

 

8. Ptychopyge dongjeomensis DongChan Lee, 1980

   Basiliella kawasakii Kobayashi, 1934

   Orthis nipponica Kobayashi, 1934

 

Small but nice librigena and pygidium of P. dongjeomensis. The B. typicalis pygidium is in right side.

Above the pygidium of P. dongjeomensis(Left side) is Brachiopod(O. nipponica).

 

9. Basiliella typicalis (Kobayashi, 1934)

 

This is big pygidium of B. typicalis. If it was complete, it would be about 18 to 21cm.

 

10. Basiliella typicalis (Kobayashi, 1934)

 

This one is ordinary pygidium.

[piranha]

12 hours ago, HoJoon said:

If you don't mind, please send me other papers. I tried to read Kobayashi's paper and the other. Actually, I found Choi, D.K's one but I couldn't find Kobayashi's paper. Really thank you!

 

 

I sent a big batch of Kobayashi's Korean trilobite papers, over 1000 total pages.  Good luck with your research!   

 

 

 

[Joon]

1 minute ago, piranha said:

 

 

I sent a big batch of Kobayashi's Korean trilobite papers, over 1000 total pages.  Good luck with your research!   

 

 

 

I get the files a few seconds ago! Thank you!  I'll do my best! 

[piranha]

14 minutes ago, HoJoon said:

I get the files a few seconds ago! Thank you!  I'll do my best! 

 

 

Always happy to assist!  There are a few more bulletins by Kobayashi that I don't have yet.  I will move these up in my queue of publications that need to be scanned.  It could be a couple months before I get them, but I will make sure you get pdfs when they are finished.

 

 

[Joon]

 

 

 

11. Dolerobasilius yokusensis (Kobayashi, 1934)

      Basiliella kawasakii Kobayashi, 1934

 

 

This is B. kawasakii's pygidium.

 

This is D. yokusensis's pygidium part.

Asaphid pygidium and genal spine are there too.

 

 

 

12. B. typicalis (Kobayashi, 1934)

 

  This is ordinary pygidium.

 

13. B. typicalis (Kobayashi, 1934)

 

  This is ordinary pygidium too.

 

 

 14. B. kawasakii Kobayashi, 1934

 

 Ordinary B. kawasakii's pygidium.

 

 

15. B. kawasakii Kobayashi, 1934

 

  This is my one of the favorite specimen! It's almost complete mold. This specimen don't have just its cephalon.

[JohnBrewer]

Fantastic report and finds. What dedication to cycle that distance too especially on the way back with the added weight. I take my hat off to you 

[Joon]

 

 

         I didn't upload some specimens that too small and bad condition. Although except this few specimens, I have a lot of images to upload here. It's somewhat tired..

 

 

 16. Basiliella typicalis (Kobayashi, 1934)

 

This is ordinary pygidium.

 

 

17. B. kawasakii Kobayashi, 1934

      B. typicalis (Kobayashi, 1934)

  

This is ordinary B. kawasakii's librigena.

 

This is the other side of above specimen. There are two B. typicalis's pygidium. And Asaphid cranidium part. And other trilobite debris.

 

 

18. Lophospira pagoda Kobayashi, 1934

     Orthis nipponica Kobayashi, 1934

 

  This gastropod's condition is very good, though it is just part. And there is one small brachiopod part near gastropod.

 

Lophospira pagoda

 

Orthis nipponica   (in the middle of the image)

 

 

 

 

 

19. Basiliella kawasakii Kobayashi, 1934

     Dolerobasilicus yokusensis (Kobayashi, 1934)

 

 This is ordinary B. kawasakii's pygidium. But in 11 o'clock, there is an Asaphid Hypostome.

Below the hypostome, there is an D. yokusensis's pleura part.

 

 

 

 

20. Rafinesquina chosensis Kobayashi, 1934

      Crinoid (?)

      Ichnofossil (Burrow) (?)

 

 Two R. chosensis in this specimen. One is very small part, and the other is a bit good condition.

 

This one is a bit nice condition.

 

This is cardinal process and pedicle part of the R. chosensis.

 

I guess this one is crinoid. You can see the star shape in the middle of the hole.

 

I think this is ichnofossil(Burrow). It's completely round shape and any pedicles or stems in the hole.

 

 

 

 

2 hours ago, piranha said:

 

 

Always happy to assist!  There are a few more bulletins by Kobayashi that I don't have yet.  I will move these up in my queue of publications that need to be scanned.  It could be a couple months before I get them, but I will make sure you get pdfs when they are finished.

 

 

 

 I'm so looking forward to getting other papers. I'll waiting by reading papers what you send to me and studying English! Thank you so much!