Smoky Hill Chalk

[The Amateur Paleontologist 325]

Hello everyone,

 

It's the Amateur Paleontologist.

 

In about a year and a half, I will be going for a few weeks to Kansas, and I am focused on collecting fossils from the Smoky Hill Chalk.

I was wondering whether some people could give me a few details  (GPS coordinates, landowner contact information...) about various Smoky Hill Chalk sites where vertebrate fossils  (in particular reptile remains...) can be encountered relatively commonly.

 

Many thanks for your help.

 

Best wishes,

 

 

Christian.

[Macrophyseter 282]

What I can say right now is that I will sneak into your car in about a year and half 

[The Amateur Paleontologist 325]

7 minutes ago, Macrophyseter said:

What I can say right now is that I will sneak into your car in about a year and half 

I know that there are quite a few on the TFF who would want to tag along for a field trip to the SHC...

[Ramo 240]

First off, good luck on your hunt.  You are welcome to stop by my place on the way out west to look over my collection and I may be able to give you a few pointers.  I doubt anyone is going to give you any of their landowner contact information, or GPS coordinates to their spots.  However, if you are out there for a couple weeks, you should be able to find a place or two to hunt.  Finding a few fish verts, and a few shark teeth is not too hard to do, but to find a place where reptile remains are relative common is impossible.  I'm afraid you are about 150 years too late for that.  Chalk fossils are very fragile for the most part, so if you do find something fairly large (over a foot or so of articulate fish verts for example) you will need to most likely make a plaster jacket, so you may want to do a little research along those lines.  Good luck and get ahold of me when you are out this way.

Keep in mind Kansas is 400 miles across and the chalk is only found in the western 100 miles or so.  Also it is only found along a pretty narrow area north to south as well. 

 

Ramo

[The Amateur Paleontologist 325]

11 hours ago, Ramo said:

First off, good luck on your hunt.  You are welcome to stop by my place on the way out west to look over my collection and I may be able to give you a few pointers.  I doubt anyone is going to give you any of their landowner contact information, or GPS coordinates to their spots.  However, if you are out there for a couple weeks, you should be able to find a place or two to hunt.  Finding a few fish verts, and a few shark teeth is not too hard to do, but to find a place where reptile remains are relative common is impossible.  I'm afraid you are about 150 years too late for that.  Chalk fossils are very fragile for the most part, so if you do find something fairly large (over a foot or so of articulate fish verts for example) you will need to most likely make a plaster jacket, so you may want to do a little research along those lines.  Good luck and get ahold of me when you are out this way.

Keep in mind Kansas is 400 miles across and the chalk is only found in the western 100 miles or so.  Also it is only found along a pretty narrow area north to south as well. 

 

Ramo

Thanks for the advice, that's very helpful I'll be sure to contact you concerning this.

 

P. S. And anyway, I do know a few ways to potentially maximize my chances of finding something good... Going to west Kansas for a few weeks rather than for a short stay is one of them..