Wyoming Fossil Hunting Adventure--September 2017

[jpc]

5 hours ago, digit said:

 

What!  No pictures of pizza and beer?  

 

My few corrections/additions:

 

Lee rex weighs well more than 5000 pounds when collected.  Closer to 25K.  Prepped as it is now, it weighs 12,500 pounds, but that includes 3000 pounds of steel and maybe another 1000 of plaster and wood.  

The cute little ammonite I found that made my day is called Harisceras.  

Kemmerer is a coal town, not oil.  

 

But hey, these are forgivable mistakes.  

 

I don't know if Becky and I are among the nicest folks in Casper, but I am glad we fooled you into thinking so.  : )

 

I had a grand ole time showing Ken and Tammy around.  

 

    

 

[Sagebrush Steve]

Great report!  I just got back from my own 1700 mile road trip and you make me want to head out again immediately!

[Coco]

Hi,

 

Great trip ! Thanks for sharing.

 

Coco

[jcbshark]

Excellent report and pics as always Ken. Looks like you guys had a great time

[digit]

9 hours ago, jpc said:

What!  No pictures of pizza and beer?  

 

My few corrections/additions:

 

Lee rex weighs well more than 5000 pounds when collected.  Closer to 25K.  Prepped as it is now, it weighs 12,500 pounds, but that includes 3000 pounds of steel and maybe another 1000 of plaster and wood.  

The cute little ammonite I found that made my day is called Harisceras.  

Kemmerer is a coal town, not oil.  

 

But hey, these are forgivable mistakes.  

 

I don't know if Becky and I are among the nicest folks in Casper, but I am glad we fooled you into thinking so.  : )

 

I had a grand ole time showing Ken and Tammy around.  

 

    

 

 

Unlike the rest of the modern world who have smart phones for the sole purpose of taking photos of their meals and sharing them with the world (for some unknown reason) I prefer to eat my food rather than photograph it. I was good and hungry (and tired) after a day out in the field and photos were the last thing on my mind--though that pizza was a beautiful sight and well worth a photo. The craft beers tasted a lot better than they would have looked in a photo anyway.

 

I found a story about Lee rex online and went with that number though I thought I remember you mentioning it was a whole lot heavier than they stated in the article. It is a pretty cool specimen and hard to do justice with a point and shoot camera. I can't imagine the hours of prep time the volunteers put in to get it to where it is today--truly a labor of love.

 

Tammy had the camera at the time and didn't get a close-up photo of the lovely little Haisceras ammonite so if you can take a nice close-up with a hand for scale, feel free to add it to this topic so others can enjoy its beauty.

 

And, of course, Kemmerer is coal--we saw the coal-fired Naughton Power Plant just out of town with it's huge plumes of steam on a chilly morning. I saw too many oil fields on the way to Kemmerer and had oil on the brain. (Is there a pill for that?) I see online that one of the units at the plant was due to convert to natural gas but it looks like the unit is being shut down instead. That has to hurt a small town like Kemmerer and the smaller nearby communities of Diamondville and Frontier. There are world-class fossil quarries nearby but these could hardly provide anything but a few jobs to the local economy.

 

JP and Becky (despite their modesty) were really great company and I'm grateful for the time we were able to steal out of JP's schedule to show a couple of novices around to experience the wealth of fossils he has access to in his area. Quite a memorable trip (and, as you see) I have lots of photos (excepting the pizza) to remember the details of this trip for a good long time.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[Phevo]

Thanks for an extensive trip report it reminds me of the trip I did last year

 

 

 

 

[Shamalama]

Terrific report Ken, Thanks for the virtual trip that I couldn't make myself this year!

[caterpillar]

Thanks for sharing. Fossils hunting in WY without JP and Beky's cooking is not a great fossils hunting

[digit]

1 hour ago, Shamalama said:

Terrific report Ken, Thanks for the virtual trip that I couldn't make myself this year!

I'm happy if my trip reports help to motivate others to repeat portions of my trips for themselves. Thanks for the information on the Wamsutter site. Between you and JP I was sure I'd find this hidden treasure.

 

52 minutes ago, caterpillar said:

Thanks for sharing. Fossils hunting in WY without JP and Beky's cooking is not a great fossils hunting

Had I known you'd recommend Becky's cooking, I'd have asked her to craft up a sumptuous dinner. The tasty food at the Indian restaurant along with the great dinner conversation would be hard to top. I read with great interest JP's trip report from your time with him last year and knew we'd have a great time even on a much shorter trip.

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[digit]

I've setup my DSLR with the macro lens and spent a little time with my focus-stacking software (Helicon Focus 6) to try to take some decent detailed images of what appears to be a small carnivorous (theropod) dinosaur tooth. From the base of the crown (there is no root preserved) to the apex is approximately 17.5 mm. The oval dimensions of the base of the crown are 10.5 mm x 8.0 mm.

 

Here are reasonable size images from a few sides that hopefully may be enough to make this to family group (or lower). I have higher resolution images if there are particular details that might be important. There does appear to be some faint serrations but only at the very base on the inside curve edge (bottom left photo). There is a wear facet on one side of the apex (visible in top left photo) where it looks like it meshed with the opposing tooth. The edge with the faint serrations near the base also seems to have what appears to be a flattened facet but I cannot understand how there would be wear along this edge.

 

I'm hoping some of the dino dentition experts like @Troodon might catch wind of this post in the Fossil Hunting Trips section. If it attracts no comments on ID here, I'll repost it in the Fossil ID section.

 

EDIT: BTW, for the record this tooth comes from the Lance (Creek) Formation, Niobrara County, WY.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lance_Formation

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

 

   

 

   

 

 

[Troodon]

Looks like you had a great trip.  Your tooth is a fang tooth from Pachycephalosaurus most likely Pachycephalosaurus wyomingensis.  It's a excellent specimen, great find they are not a common occurrence, congratulations .

 

[jpc]

thanks for that ID troodon.  Yes, a rare find indeed.  

[digit]

I'm surprised (and happy) to hear that this is a distinctive enough tooth to assign an identity. I'm surprised to hear that a herbivorous species like this would have such carnivorous looking teeth but I guess it makes sense as one of the anterior 'fang' teeth (would 'incisor' be an appropriate term for this?) I guess I'll just have to bug JP to go back again sometime next year so I can find my first carnivore tooth. I think carnivores get more love because they are more fearsome looking and because there tend to be less of them than herbivores. JP mentioned that the tooth looked unusual to him when we were out in the field and if Pachycephalosaurus teeth are not particularly common, then that would be a great reason why an immediate ID did not spring to mind when he saw it. He actually mentioned that it was a good question for @Troodon (and he was right). I always say that you don't have to know everything but it helps to know those who do. If I had a signature line on the forum, that would probably be it.

 

Like many on this forum my passion for dinosaurs was fueled by many great dinosaur books I had as a kid (I wish those had been saved). The information in them is now nearly half a century out of date but they set in motion my interest for the "terrible lizards" and by extension all the things who inhabited this planet and left hidden evidence to those who know where to look. With my little plastic dinosaur toys I was familiar with the diversity of forms beyond the well known Tyrannosaurus, Brontosaurus, Triceratops, and Stegosaurus. I was fascinated by the rest of the cast of players like flashy Dimetrodon and the aquatic Ichthyosaurus and Plesiosaurus. I had a fascination with the (initially misplaced) spiked digits of Iguanodon. I loved armor and tail clubs of Ankylosaurus (though they were rimmed with large projecting spikes in my day). I also fondly remember Pachycephalosaurus with its thick domed skull. The reconstructions of the day (probably long out of vogue) had often made this species look rather chrome-domed. I have to say they reminded me tonsure (head shaving) practiced by medieval monks.

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[snolly50]

As always, your detailed narrative allowed me to vicariously live your adventure. Thanks, it was a treat.

[Kane]

Thanks, @digit - This was one of those trip reports that reading it was a lot like savouring the rich narrative details you provided - almost like we were there.  

[digit]

3 hours ago, Kane said:

Thanks, @digit - This was one of those trip reports that reading it was a lot like savouring the rich narrative details you provided - almost like we were there.  

I try to promote as immersive experience as possible. I do that by putting you to sleep with endless text and images and then using subliminal suggestion (I guess it works).

 

I've managed to do some more macro photography of some of the specimens collected on this trip.

 

Here is some close-up imagery of the cute little ammonite that Tammy found at the first site where we went hunting for baculites. JP says that this is Scaphites hippocrepis and that it is only missing the living chamber. I really like the fractal suture pattern on this one.

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

 

   

 

   

 

 

[digit]

Here are some more of the teeth we found at the site that produced the Pachycephalosaurus tooth. These are two minute crocodilian teeth that JP calls croc-o-gator (and goes no further at an attempt to identify). These have two distinct 'seams' (ridges--technically "carina") which for the crocodilian teeth found in the Peace River would indicate Alligator (versus Crocodile which has many more ridges). These teeth are quite a bit older than the ones I usually get to see at approximately 69-66 myo so I have no idea what gator-like species might have been found in the Lance (Creek) Formation. Are there any experts out there with the arcane knowledge of the crocodilian species of the Late Cretaceous who might hazard a guess as to the species?  I know that Alligator mississippiensis is thought to only extend back to the Miocene (~8 myo). The teeth are rather bulbous but I don't have any experience to know if something like Brachychampsa might be a possible genus--I think this genus is found in the Lance Formation.

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

 

 

 

 

[digit]

Here are a few more dino tooth fragments from this same site.

 

The first pair were identified in the field by JP as Triceratops teeth. These look to be very worn down and were likely shed teeth based on what extremely little I know about them (dino dentition is a whole new realm for me as we are certified dino-free down here in South Florida).

 

 

 

If I remember correctly, I believe JP said that these two worn teeth are from a hadrosaur which have some of the coolest looking and most unusual dinosaur teeth that I've ever seen. Do a Google image search for "hadrosaur teeth" and you'll see some of the coolest arrays of teeth that you could imagine. JP showed me a great specimen of a hadrosaur jaw from his personal collection that was quite spectacular. I can't imagine how many isolated teeth he's found before he discovered that awesome jaw. I'll be content with these little samples for now.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[Fossil-Hound]

@digit excellent report. Some really nice looking fish. I was just there last month. It's amazing how few people where there as you were towards the end of the season but you scored well. Nice Phareodus!

[Jesuslover340]

1 hour ago, digit said:

Here are some more of the teeth we found at the site that produced the Pachycephalosaurus tooth. These are two minute crocodilian teeth that JP calls croc-o-gator (and goes no further at an attempt to identify). These have two distinct 'seams' (ridges--technically "carina") which for the crocodilian teeth found in the Peace River would indicate Alligator (versus Crocodile which has many more ridges). These teeth are quite a bit older than the ones I usually get to see at approximately 69-66 myo so I have no idea what gator-like species might have been found in the Lance (Creek) Formation. Are there any experts out there with the arcane knowledge of the crocodilian species of the Late Cretaceous who might hazard a guess as to the species?  I know that Alligator mississippiensis is thought to only extend back to the Miocene (~8 myo). The teeth are rather bulbous but I don't have any experience to know if something like Brachychampsa might be a possible genus--I think this genus is found in the Lance Formation.

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

 

 

 

 

They could be alligatorid or crocodilian. See this link:

That being said, the Lance Formation seems to have fauna similar to that of the Hell Creek Formation, which has Borealosuchus, Brachychampsa, and Thoracasaurus. The teeth look a bit long for most Brachychampsa teeth, which are button-like, so you might look into the other two.

[Monica]

9 hours ago, digit said:

I try to promote as immersive experience as possible. I do that by putting you to sleep with endless text and images and then using subliminal suggestion (I guess it works).

 

I've managed to do some more macro photography of some of the specimens collected on this trip.

 

Here is some close-up imagery of the cute little ammonite that Tammy found at the first site where we went hunting for baculites. JP says that this is Scaphites hippocrepis and that it is only missing the living chamber. I really like the fractal suture pattern on this one.

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

 

   

 

   

 

 

 

WOW, WOW, WOW!!!  What a stunning little ammonite!!!  

 

Congrats to both you and Tammy on a successful hunting trip!

 

Monica

[digit]

Thanks. The September trip to Wyoming easily topped the results (but not the effort) of the August trip to Idaho. Everything beyond seeing/photographing the total solar eclipse on that trip was just gravy anyway but it does demonstrate the difference in success between using a rockhounding guidebook to select sites to visit verses meeting up with TFF members or using their insights to plan a fossil hunting trip.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[RJB]

You know you did purty good when you have to go buy another suitcase!  Great trip report and love all the insitu pics.  I especialy loved the concretion photos. 

 

RB

[digit]

Hah! We seem to collect suitcases and screwdrivers when we are on these trips. Our first visit to Kemmerer and the Green River Formation back in 2006 is what rekindled my passion for fossils. We wanted to see Grand Teton and Yellowstone for our anniversary (October) and found decent airfares into SLC from Florida. I checked for things to do along the route and discovered Kemmerer. We called/emailed several of the operations that would take you out to the fish quarries and they all said they were closed as of Labor Day. George Putnam was the only one who said it was weather dependent and we could go if conditions allowed. We spent two days splitting oil shale and (not being picky) came away with a large number of fishes (even partials were interesting back then). We filled the trunk of the rental car with boxes of slabs wrapped in paper. They had already taken the generator and stone saws away from the site so we couldn't trim our pieces to minimize size/weight. It had also recently rained so the rock was damp and heavy. When we got to Jackson, WY we found two red dusty roll-on suitcases on the top shelf of a K-Mart store in town that had no price so they sold us both for a total of $25. I've used those suitcases for dozens of trips since then and they've probably each carried a ton of rock since then. We spread out of of the samples on every horizontal space in our hotel in West Yellowstone, MT to let them dry out a bit. We helped by alternately cranking the heat (to bake them) and the A/C (to desiccate the room)--the room alternated between tropical rainforest with steamed up windows and arctic tundra.

 

Those two red roll-ons were each packed to 50.0 pounds for this last trip. I highly recommend you go to Amazon and search for "digital luggage scale". Pick up an inexpensive hand-held portable scale and pack it for your next trip. It saves unpacking/repacking your suitcases and spreading your dirty underwear all about the floor when trying to maneuver your suitcases to come in under the allowable weight when checking in. Best money (other than those two roll-ons) that I've spent on travel-related items.

 

We always seem to be going somewhere where we'll be doing some surface hunting for something (Mazon Creek nodules in Illinois, Opals in Coober Pedy, tumbler material out west in Idaho/Wyoming) and we always seem to forget to bring something to help pry things out of the ground. I have collected at least half a dozen screwdrivers from around the world--the most unusual collection of souvenirs.

 

 

Glad you enjoyed the in situ photos. I enjoy seeing things as they were found in other people's trip reports and try to provide the same "virtual hunting" experience in my reports. When I spot items hiding in the environment while surface hunting, I like to take a series of images from far to near to allow readers to try their skills at spotting what I saw.

 

I too had great fun whacking concretions to reveal the ammonites within. Now I'm either going to have to try prepping them out myself or I need to find someone on the forum who I can pay to reveal these little treasures where they've been waiting to be seen.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[Troodon]

19 hours ago, digit said:

I'm surprised (and happy) to hear that this is a distinctive enough tooth to assign an identity. I'm surprised to hear that a herbivorous species like this would have such carnivorous looking teeth but I guess it makes sense as one of the anterior 'fang' teeth (would 'incisor' be an appropriate term for this?) 

 

 

No it's not an incisor tooth. Paleontologist Thomas Carr refers to it as a canine tooth

 

 

14 hours ago, digit said:

Here are a few more dino tooth fragments from this same site.

 

The first pair were identified in the field by JP as Triceratops teeth. These look to be very worn down and were likely shed teeth based on what extremely little I know about them (dino dentition is a whole new realm for me as we are certified dino-free down here in South Florida).

 

 

 

If I remember correctly, I believe JP said that these two worn teeth are from a hadrosaur which have some of the coolest looking and most unusual dinosaur teeth that I've ever seen. Do a Google image search for "hadrosaur teeth" and you'll see some of the coolest arrays of teeth that you could imagine. JP showed me a great specimen of a hadrosaur jaw from his personal collection that was quite spectacular. I can't imagine how many isolated teeth he's found before he discovered that awesome jaw. I'll be content with these little samples for now.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

To be more accurate all these shed teeth are Ceratopsian indet. since we do not know what species in the Lance they are from.   Trike spitter is the common term used by everyone.