KCMOfossil Posted January 27, 2018 Share Posted January 27, 2018 The past month or so I have had a chance to examine some shale from the Stark Shale, Dennis Formation, Kansas City Group. I have found many conodonts and I’ve enjoyed the challenge of taking pictures of them while they are still embedded in the shale. I think I have over 100 specimens now. Below I have posted some of my results. I have tried to identify the element position (P, S, or M) according to Purnell, Donoghue and Aldridge’s “Orientation and Anatomical Notation in Conoodonts,” Journal of Paleontology, 74(1), 2000, pp. 113-122, although I have not distinguished among the various S elements. In addition, I have attempted a bit of genus and species identification using Baesemann’s “Missouri (Upper Pennsylvanian) Conodonts of Northeastern Kansas,” Journal of Paleontology, 47(4), 689-710. I am just now beginning to experiment with dissolving the shale to extract the conodonts. I’ve had a some luck just using a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution from a local drug store. If I can figure this out, I should be able to get some pictures of extracted specimens. It has been fascinating and I’ve learned some interesting things. I have no training in biology or paleontology, and I am just a fossil hobbyist, so I expect that there are mistakes in my understanding of the terminology and in the ID of specific items. This is likely exacerbated by my superficial reading of the articles I mentioned above. So, feel free to correct me and I will be grateful. Just a few things about the pictures. The conodonts are in the 1-3 mm range. Second, the places where the conodont appears to be black are actually where the conodont is missing. Conodonts leave a detailed shiny mold if they are broken out or removed. Third, certain presentations are common others are less so. For example the P element seldom presents its dorsal view. Fourth, depth of field is a special problem for the P elements since they tend to bulge upward--and out of focus. I hope to continue to develop this post as my understanding grows and my specimens increase. I have numbered each picture by means of the comment above it. 1. S element 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KCMOfossil Posted January 27, 2018 Author Share Posted January 27, 2018 2. S element 3. S element pair 4. S elements partial assemblage 5. S elements partial assemblage (other half from the shale split) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darktooth Posted January 27, 2018 Share Posted January 27, 2018 Very interesting! I am looking forward to seeing more! I like Trilo-butts and I cannot lie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KCMOfossil Posted January 28, 2018 Author Share Posted January 28, 2018 (edited) 6. S element 7. S element 8. S element 9. P element 10. P element Edited January 29, 2018 by KCMOfossil 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidgy's Dad Posted January 28, 2018 Share Posted January 28, 2018 Fascinating stuff! Thanks so much for sharing! Life's Good! Tortoise Friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KCMOfossil Posted January 28, 2018 Author Share Posted January 28, 2018 12. P element 13. P element 14. P element 15. P elements 16. P elements - a pair view 1 17. P elements - a pair view 2 18. P element 19. P element 20. P element 21. M Element 22. M element 23. M element 24. M element 25. M element 26. M element 27. M element 28. M element 29. M element - Aethotaxis advena 30. M element - Aethotaxis advena 31. M element - Aethotaxis advena 32. M element - Aethotaxis advena 33. M element - Idiognathodus delicatus 34. M element - Idiognathodus delicatus 35. M element - Idiognathodus delicatus 36. M element - Idiognathodus delicatus 37. M element - Idioprioniodus lexingtonensis 38. M element - Idioprioniodus lexingtonensis 39. M element - Idioprioniodus lexingtonensis 40. M element - Idioprioniodus lexingtonensis 41. M element ? 42. M element ? 43a. M element ? 43a and 43b are two halve of one specimen that would not fit in a single short. 43a is the right side, 43b is the left. 43b. M element ? second half of 43a. 44. M element ? 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doushantuo Posted January 28, 2018 Share Posted January 28, 2018 Great post,Kacie 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted January 28, 2018 Share Posted January 28, 2018 Very nice finds! Thanks for sharing. Darwin said: " Man sprang from monkeys." Will Rogers said: " Some of them didn't spring far enough." My Fossil collection - My Mineral collection My favorite thread on TFF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missourian Posted January 28, 2018 Share Posted January 28, 2018 You may find this publication interesting: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/269699418_Pennsylvanian_stratigraphy_of_Northern_Midcontinent_Shelf_and_biostratigraphic_correlation_of_cyclothems I am interested in its detailed descriptions of Midcontinent cyclothems, but it also describes the types of conodonts found in each, particularly in what are referred to as 'condensed intervals'. These intervals are often black shales like the Hushpuckney and Stark, but in some minor cyclothems, they can be limestones. One of these is the Exline Limestone within the Pleasanton Group. With luck, one could recover some conodonts from this thin bed after dissolving some with HCl acid. I've yet to encounter the Exline, but there is always a first time... (Edit: not yet sure on the use of HCl on Ca-phosphate conodonts... should test a small sample....) 3 Context is critical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JUAN EMMANUEL Posted January 29, 2018 Share Posted January 29, 2018 Very nice specimens and photos. I really like how I could see the fine serrated teeth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doushantuo Posted January 29, 2018 Share Posted January 29, 2018 diagenesis detailing apatite diagenetic structures in conodonts,and written by people who know their conodonts back to front,and back again,sideways... you get my drift about 5,5 Mb I think recommended reading 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KCMOfossil Posted January 29, 2018 Author Share Posted January 29, 2018 On 1/28/2018 at 12:39 AM, Missourian said: describes the types of conodonts found in each Thanks, Missourian, for the link to this fascinating article. I am hopeful that with time I will be able to identify more species based on their specific stratigraphic location. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KCMOfossil Posted January 29, 2018 Author Share Posted January 29, 2018 3 hours ago, doushantuo said: diagenesis detailing apatite diagenetic structures in conodonts,and written by people who know their conodonts back to front,and back again,sideways... Fascinating article. Thanks. It shows how much there is to learn about and from these tiny fossils--for example, palaeoclimatic information derived from their chemistry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KCMOfossil Posted January 29, 2018 Author Share Posted January 29, 2018 15 hours ago, JUAN EMMANUEL said: Very nice specimens and photos. Thanks, Juan. I, too, find them fascinating. Their "teeth" make that microscopic ancient world seem ferocious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted January 29, 2018 Share Posted January 29, 2018 Cool stuff. It is always nice to see things that we don't see too see a lot of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KCMOfossil Posted May 9, 2020 Author Share Posted May 9, 2020 Going through some shale from the Stark Shale Member (or, perhaps Hushpuckney Shale) of the Pennsylvanian, Kansas City Group, and found this interesting assemblage of four S elements. The conodont elements are about 3mm long. Below are three close-ups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KCMOfossil Posted May 9, 2020 Author Share Posted May 9, 2020 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KCMOfossil Posted May 9, 2020 Author Share Posted May 9, 2020 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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