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More Pennsylvanian conodonts


KCMOfossil

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Here are a few more conodonts I found today.  I had no luck in getting any out of the matrix, so I took some in situ pictures.  Like the one I posted yesterday, these are all from the Stark Shale Member, Kansas City Group, Pennsylvanian Subsystem.  They range in size from 1-2 mm or so.

 

Russ

spike.jpg.a0368b31dde07bcf77ca9221fc0b2f22.jpg

5a39942a48837_hairbrush.thumb.jpg.e44fe79af0e03a47fa587373074df94a.jpg5a39945818258_longshagall.thumb.jpg.48497744c48071b51ef8f4aad255298a.jpg

 

Below is a closeup of the specimen above.

5a39946c0eb7c_longshagcloseup.thumb.jpg.0ea33572a48a6311c591a9754a68b149.jpg5a39949129d12_longlowall.thumb.jpg.cfc85dd910d22a36d2030b6379eff98a.jpg

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Very nice!

“...whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been and are being evolved.” ~ Charles Darwin

Happy hunting,

Mason

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On 12/19/2017 at 5:41 PM, ynot said:

I would leave them in the matrix.

I'm certainly enjoying them just the way they are.  I read somewhere on TFF (it was @Bullsnake)of someone saving conodonts on small squares of matrix.  That seems like a good solution.  I may try some acetic acid or hydrogen peroxide too at some point.  

 

Russ

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nice conodonts

 

"Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence"_ Carl Sagen

No trees were killed in this posting......however, many innocent electrons were diverted from where they originally intended to go.

" I think, therefore I collect fossils." _ Me

"When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."__S. Holmes

"can't we all just get along?" Jack Nicholson from Mars Attacks

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Very nice! :wub:

 

I'd leave them as they are.

 

If they're in shale, I wouldn't expect much from acetic acid. That works better on carbonate matrix (limestone). Peroxide likely will help break up the matrix, but those are beautiful as they are. Trying to extract them further could easily break them.

 

Enjoy, and good luck with further hunting!

 

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Thanks, Chris.  Now that I know more what to look for, I'm finding that they are abundant in this shale.

 

Russ

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Nice finds. I think you have:

 

1.  Ligonodina (or perhaps Hibbardella)

2. Idiognathodus

3, 4. Hindeodella

5. Hindeodella

Context is critical.

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It may also be worthwhile to check the dark gray shale immediately above the platy stuff, as well as some of the thin shales in the lower Winterset. Examples:

 

Winterset-deep-water-shales.thumb.jpg.10a97530bc53ab299e63e5db8266d782.jpg

 

Stark-Winterset-deep-marine.thumb.jpg.1c9a17eadd1940fd9df5cfe2434ca7b2.jpg

 

If a proper method is found, it may be possible to collect conodonts in larger numbers from this softer shale. I've been meaning to try this at some point....

 

Plus, the Hushpuckney, Quivira, Muncie Creek, and Eudora shales are all worth checking for conodonts.

Context is critical.

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6 hours ago, Missourian said:

 

Plus, the Hushpuckney, Quivira, Muncie Creek, and Eudora shales are all worth checking for conodonts.

 

I've also been finding them loose and intact in Hickory Creek shale, along with other cool stuff!;)

Steve

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Thanks, Missourian and Bullsnake.  This is very useful information.  The photos will come in handy.  I'm interested to see what kind of variety exists in the conodonts of these shales.

 

Russ

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Try Alternately soaking the shale in kerosene and water to break it down. Soak the rock in kerosene for a day or two to allow the hydrocarbon to seep into the fissures.  Then decant the kerosene and cover the sample with water.  The water will seep into the fissures and force out the larger kerosene molecules as the two fluids are immiscible, creating stress to fracture the rock.  Dry the sample and start again with kerosene.  

 

After repeated treatments, fines will be created which can be dried and searched for microfossils.

Collecting Microfossils - a hobby concerning much about many of the little

paraphrased from Dr. Robert Kesling's book

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On 1/1/2018 at 2:48 PM, Acryzona said:

Try Alternately soaking the shale in kerosene and water to break it down. Soak the rock in kerosene for a day or two to allow the hydrocarbon to seep into the fissures.  Then decant the kerosene and cover the sample with water.  The water will seep into the fissures and force out the larger kerosene molecules as the two fluids are immiscible, creating stress to fracture the rock.  Dry the sample and start again with kerosene.  

 

After repeated treatments, fines will be created which can be dried and searched for microfossils.

Thanks, Acryzona.  This sounds doable. I have a good number of conodonts on the surface, and I have quite a few nice pictures.  But, these specimens are often fragments or partially covered.  I have only been able to extract a couple without them fracturing completely.  I'm sure that there are nice specimens buried in the matrix.  So... I hope to do some dissolving of matrix at some point and see if I can free some nice complete specimens.  

 

Russ

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On 12/23/2017 at 12:47 PM, Missourian said:

1.  Ligonodina (or perhaps Hibbardella)

2. Idiognathodus

3, 4. Hindeodella

5. Hindeodella

@Missourian I am wondering what might be a good resource I can invest in to help me identify the conodonts I'm finding.  I have temporary access through JSTOR to "Missourian (Upper Pennsylvanian) Conodonts of Northeastern Kansas" by John F. Baesemann in Journal of Paleontology, Vol. 47, No. 4 (Jul., 1973), pp. 689-710 and it is very good (it will cost me $12 to buy permanent access to the pdf), but I'm wondering if you might be able to recommend a resource or two (or perhaps a website you know of). I have a couple of books on invertebrate fossils that are useful, but they are too general to be of much help in identifying my specimens.  

 

Russ

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4 hours ago, KCMOfossil said:

@Missourian I am wondering what might be a good resource I can invest in to help me identify the conodonts I'm finding.

 

The resources I've used are scattered here and there. Since conodonts are extensively used in biostratigraphy, detailed publications like the 'Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology' volume on conodonts can be overwhelming. Here is a brief list of conodont genera I've compiled that may be encountered in the Midcontinent Pennsylvanian of Kansas and Missouri, including stratigraphic range:

 

Prioniodus                 L. to Shawnee
Ligonodina                All
Lonchodina               All
Metalonchodina        Desmoinesian
Hibbardella               All to Shawnee
Synprioniodina         All to Shawnee
Prioniodina?             Marmaton to Shawnee
Hindeodella              All
Spathodus                L. to Kansas City
Ozarkodina               All
Cavusgnathus          All, especially upper
Gondolella                Mostly Kansas City & Lansing
Streptognathodus     All
Idiognathodus           L. to Shawnee
Gnathodus                Desmoinesian

 

(I'm not sure what I meant by 'L.' versus 'All'. I'll sort it out some day.)

 

This chart shows a little more detail:

 

5a4d9d14abb72_ConodontChart.thumb.jpg.213c33deb514ec802722cb8560f1ee3d.jpg

 

(Bourbon = Pleasanton Group, Bronson = KC Group through Winterset, Pedee = lower Douglas, Big Blue = Admire Group, I think)

 

I've always like this publication for identifying fossils and general information on Midcontinent fossils and strata:

 

http://www.kgs.ku.edu/Publications/Bulletins/169/Moore/

 

A specific page featuring some conodonts:

 

fig8.gif.8943b030a54e5a4c09ed353d1e0f9a74.gif

 

A good classic general source of fossil information is "Index Fossil of North America". I don't have my copy with me, but it does have a few pages on conodonts.

Context is critical.

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Conodont biostrigraphy of an idealized Midcontinent cyclothem, two versions:

 

Biostratigraphy.thumb.png.f3d408005360660c6c10230fe11a2126.png

 

Biofacies:

 

Biostratigraphy-Midcontinent.thumb.png.3df3a510aad36b6f9a00896b287c6b9c.png

 

Note: The thin black shales in the lower Winterset may represent a staggered regression.

Context is critical.

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8 minutes ago, Missourian said:

list of conodont genera I've compiled that may be encountered in the Midcontinent Pennsylvanian of Kansas and Missouri, including stratigraphic range:

Thanks.  This looks quite nice.  Your summary and chart will be particularly helpful.  The Moore article looks like something I will turn to again and again.  As I mentioned before, I look forward to seeing if I can identify the variation of genera in the various shales.  Thanks for the good information.

 

Russ

 

 

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indispensable:

 

qugdelptttympwillist.jpg

miscell.apparatus nomenclatural attemps:

 

 

quggdelptttrymjjpwillist.jpg

 

BTW:be prepared for ,in some cases,considerable intra-and interspecific morphological variation

(see the remark on Neognathodus,post below)

 

 

 

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21 hours ago, doushantuo said:

be prepared for ,in some cases,considerable intra-and interspecific morphological variation

Thanks for the heads up; that will complicate matters somewhat.  Thanks too for the great links and sources.  

 

Russ

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