Kane Posted March 31, 2018 Share Posted March 31, 2018 Post 1/11 Hardly anyone likes a complainer, especially me! The weather around here has been suboptimal for getting out in the field, but whining about it is not going to change that... So I packed my kit, bundled up, and head out back. The temperature is just shy a few degrees above freezing, and there is a big wind and rain warning for the afternoon. It was time to get out for a few hours. Warning: this will not be one of those thrilling trips with envious finds. My goal this time around was to - as much as is possible - be more systematic about the kinds of rock that have been imported to these hills. The rocks range across the lower to mid Devonian, spanning three formations. I've found some interesting trilobite fragments here in the past, but they are few and far between. In terms of trilos, I found nothing of real interest. In terms of finds in general, almost all of it was left in the field. This is more for those who like seeing a slice of Devonian life. ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted March 31, 2018 Author Share Posted March 31, 2018 Post 2/11 A brach hash plate with some variety. A stophomenid and a Leptaena are the highlights of this piece. This particular type of stone sometimes has chalky interludes, and has been known to yield up the occasional proetid trilobite. ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted March 31, 2018 Author Share Posted March 31, 2018 Post 3/11 This harder stone is potentially lower Devonian. A cross section of a coral curls its way . 1 ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted March 31, 2018 Author Share Posted March 31, 2018 Post 4/11 On the left is some shell of a partial cephalon of Eldredgeops rana stuck to the impression side. In the middle and to the right are cherty corals, possibly in the area of the Bois Blanc Fm. ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted March 31, 2018 Author Share Posted March 31, 2018 Post 5/11 A mix of rocks. Top left is a typical hash of spirifer-like brachs. This rock weathers out tan with occasional orange staining. On the right is a shale interlude of the same strata. At bottom is a sandier matrix that contains usually has a lot of fenestellate bryozoans, corals, and occasional Anchiopsis anchiops trilo-pieces. (Zoom in to see the detail of the bryozoan) 1 ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted March 31, 2018 Author Share Posted March 31, 2018 Post 6/11 A plump brach steinkern showing the internal valve next to its impression. Immediately beside it is a more articulate brach. To the left are typical debris: the rock just beneath the hammer head are filled with solely brachiopods, and have a lot of weathered brown-red holes from high oxidations. Below it is a water worn piece with plenty of mostly crinoid fragments. ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted March 31, 2018 Author Share Posted March 31, 2018 Post 7/11 I encounter a litany of these pieces. The rock is fairly flaky and encrusted with these tiny brachs that sometimes appear a distinct vermilion. It says something about the location and deposition pattern. They are absolutely devoid of anything else but these tiny "pink fingernails." ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted March 31, 2018 Author Share Posted March 31, 2018 Post 8/11 Another mini-brachs hash. They either come out pink or white. Again, faunal diversity is pretty low in these ones. 1 ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted March 31, 2018 Author Share Posted March 31, 2018 Post 9/11 A mega-slab of Dundee Fm brachs. This slab was cemented to a slab of... cement, so was likely part of some landscaping at some point. 1 ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted March 31, 2018 Author Share Posted March 31, 2018 Post 10/11 A very hard, light-grey shale from who-knows-where. I've only found two rocks like it. The rock I pulled these from was about 3 feet by 2 by 2, now mostly shards. There are a lot of Eldredgeops rana moult pieces in this one, as well as some bivalves and cephalopods the same colour as the matrix. It does not have any natural fracture lines, so it just shatters. The one highlight are these nice calcite-filled brach and bivalve cross sections. 1 ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted March 31, 2018 Author Share Posted March 31, 2018 Post 11/11 Perhaps the only thing I brought home - and of that only a few samples to give away - would be these Dundee Fm bivalve steinkerns. There is something about their ribbing that has a little bit of aesthetic appeal, as well as the contrast between their smoothness and the rougher texture of the matrix. And that's a wrap! I had to cut out as the cold was making my eyes water, making it tougher to see. Thanks for reading. 2 ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidgy's Dad Posted March 31, 2018 Share Posted March 31, 2018 Thanks for sharing. Very interesting, the Devonian period is a fun place to visit. Life's Good! Tortoise Friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miocene_Mason Posted March 31, 2018 Share Posted March 31, 2018 Very cool to see how the environment changed over time. Thanks for posting! “...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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phevo Posted March 31, 2018 Share Posted March 31, 2018 ... Can we swap backyards? Very nice finds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peat Burns Posted March 31, 2018 Share Posted March 31, 2018 I always look forward to pleasing palaeozoic posts. I love seeing slices of Devonian goodness. Love those bivalves. It's very, very windy and rainy and blustery here in Michigan, too.. But I'd be out if I had fossils in my back yard. Closest spot for me is 45 miles... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted March 31, 2018 Share Posted March 31, 2018 Cool environment! Are you rummaging around construction site dumps? Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted March 31, 2018 Author Share Posted March 31, 2018 4 hours ago, Tidgy's Dad said: Thanks for sharing. Very interesting, the Devonian period is a fun place to visit. Thanks. The water was definitely warmer. 2 hours ago, Phevo said: ... Can we swap backyards? Very nice finds Hehe. Well, when I say backyard, it is not on my property. 13 minutes ago, Ludwigia said: Cool environment! Are you rummaging around construction site dumps? Thanks. If you remember when you were here last year, it is the area looking out from my back patio. It is fill that was used to build up hills, so there is some old construction debris mixed in. ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted March 31, 2018 Share Posted March 31, 2018 Yes I remember. Nice to have a diddly pile. Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darktooth Posted March 31, 2018 Share Posted March 31, 2018 Glad you could get out today Kane! Finding fossils is always better than not finding them! Thanks for sharing with us. I like Trilo-butts and I cannot lie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeargleSchmeargl Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 Again, I'd take it if it was in my backyard. Make a little shop for your extras? Every single fossil you see is a miracle set in stone, and should be treated as such. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pagurus Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 It's great you have a fallback locality when you can't always get what you want. Thanks for sharing it. The fill in my neighborhood reveals only rusty carburetors. Start the day with a smile and get it over with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old bones Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 That was a fun trip. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted May 20, 2018 Author Share Posted May 20, 2018 A two hour trip out back, this time focusing on the pit/pond area. Morning begins with this iridescent green fellow. 2 ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted May 20, 2018 Author Share Posted May 20, 2018 A fairly plump gastropod steinkern, and some trilobite partials. In five years collecting here, I have yet to find a 100% complete one. 1 ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted May 20, 2018 Author Share Posted May 20, 2018 A nice split with some busy brach activity. Second image of a brach that popped out. 1 ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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