Paciphacops Posted April 9, 2018 Share Posted April 9, 2018 This past Saturday was cold and windy in middle Tennessee, with occasional sleet and snow showers. I decided to do something other than hunt fossils due to the weather. However, by late in the day, the wind had died down and skies were clearing, so I decided to stop at a road cut on the way home. This cut exposes about 25 ft of the lower Lebanon Limestone, Ordovician. The Lebanon is rich in fossils, often with excellent detail, but the thin limestone layers can be extremely hard. This usually results in the fossils weathering faster than the rock, so the best way to find something nice, is if it's inverted. As always, I'm looking for trilobites, and the Lebanon has a diverse assemblage, but finding complete, articulated specimens is very rare. After several years of sporadic hunting, I have never found a single complete trilobite in the Lebanon, but I have seen a few, so they do exist. The sun was was getting low, and the light was not great, but I had at least 30 minutes to check out the cut. I had checked this same cut a few years ago, but only briefly, late in the day, after hunting other cuts nearby, so my tired eyes had not seen much. I recently learned that some rare trilobites had been found at this same cut, so I really wanted to give it a better look. Just 10 minutes into my hunt, and only 50 ft from the car, I glanced up at the top of the talus pile and immediately spotted this Gabriceraurus! I appears to be complete, although the pygidium is not visible. 3 "Don't force it, just use a bigger hammer" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paciphacops Posted April 9, 2018 Author Share Posted April 9, 2018 Note the genal spines. The tips have been broken off, but they appear to be mostly intact. "Don't force it, just use a bigger hammer" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paciphacops Posted April 9, 2018 Author Share Posted April 9, 2018 Then, just 3-4 minutes later and about 5 ft away, I glanced down and spotted this. A complete, inverted Dolichoharpes! Unfortunately, the shell has been weathered away over a good portion of upper area. There also appears to be subtle hints that the thorax is present under the matrix. 3 "Don't force it, just use a bigger hammer" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paciphacops Posted April 9, 2018 Author Share Posted April 9, 2018 Here is another example of a typical hash plate from this cut. Note the large hypostome. I will definitely need to go back and give this area a good look with better light and more time. Hal 1 "Don't force it, just use a bigger hammer" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted April 9, 2018 Share Posted April 9, 2018 Wow! Great finds! Congratulations! Just goes to show, persistance pays off! Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 __________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilDAWG Posted April 9, 2018 Share Posted April 9, 2018 Both those trilobites are very sweet! Out of curiosity, how do you know the cerarid is a Gabricerarus as opposed to any other cerarid? Is Gabricerarus the only genus found in the Lebanon? The Dolichoharpes is a very nice and uncommon find. Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidgy's Dad Posted April 9, 2018 Share Posted April 9, 2018 Well done, some nice and unusual trilobites. Thanks for sharing your finds! Life's Good! Tortoise Friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paciphacops Posted April 9, 2018 Author Share Posted April 9, 2018 2 minutes ago, FossilDAWG said: Both those trilobites are very sweet! Out of curiosity, how do you know the cerarid is a Gabricerarus as opposed to any other cerarid? Is Gabricerarus the only genus found in the Lebanon? I don't know for sure that this is Gabriceraurus, but they have been described from the Lebanon, so that is my best guess for now. "Don't force it, just use a bigger hammer" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted April 9, 2018 Share Posted April 9, 2018 cool stuff. When oyu say inverted, do you mean upside down, so that we are looking up into the insides of the shell? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paciphacops Posted April 9, 2018 Author Share Posted April 9, 2018 21 minutes ago, jpc said: When oyu say inverted, do you mean upside down, so that we are looking up into the insides of the shell? Yes, ventral view. "Don't force it, just use a bigger hammer" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fruitbat Posted April 9, 2018 Share Posted April 9, 2018 Very nice finds! Well worth braving the inclement weather and certainly worth another visit under better circumstances! -Joe Illigitimati non carborundum Fruitbat's PDF Library Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darktooth Posted April 9, 2018 Share Posted April 9, 2018 Congratulations on some cool Trilos! I like Trilo-butts and I cannot lie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peat Burns Posted April 9, 2018 Share Posted April 9, 2018 WOW! Congrats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeargleSchmeargl Posted April 9, 2018 Share Posted April 9, 2018 Time for prep! Let's see this bug fully in the light of day! 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...
Monica Posted April 9, 2018 Share Posted April 9, 2018 Congratulations on the fantastic finds!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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