Kane Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 A group of us spent several days at a spot near Thedford, Ontario working an exposure in the Widder Formation. Rather than roll out a long backstory, I thought I would go straight for showing the finds. I'll kick it off with the trilobites. 1. A coveted multi-plate containing three Greenops widderensis. The picture is blurry because it was starting to rain that day and we had to move fast. As one of them had its lappets hovering precariously outside the matrix, I had to coat them in cyanoacrylate fast so that it would survive the trip home. This one is in the hands of a preparator friend as it may be a bit more advanced than my current skills could handle. 1 ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted June 29, 2018 Author Share Posted June 29, 2018 2. A few more fresh from the field that same day. One that is mostly buried likely has its pygidium flipped beneath it. 1 ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted June 29, 2018 Author Share Posted June 29, 2018 3. Even more trilobites? Yes. Some damage on one of them. The last one is fairly robust and needs to be glued to the negative where the pygidium is buried. 2 ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 Beautiful find! Everything is generated through your own will power ~ Ray Bradbury Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted June 29, 2018 Author Share Posted June 29, 2018 4. These are thin-skinned and delicate/flaky bugs, so as much care as possible is necessary in the field. At times, we had to do in-field repairs by wicking cyanoacrylate in various cracks. In this batch, only one is complete and buried in the bedding plane fractured rock. The other one I didn't keep, but snapped a picture of it given the amusing pygidium laying overtop the cephalon, which I nicknamed the A Clockwork Orange trilobite. ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 Looks like You found some nice trilobites! 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...
Kane Posted June 29, 2018 Author Share Posted June 29, 2018 5. Certainly not all the Greenops I found, but a selection. In all, 12 complete or mostly complete. It is going to take some time and care to prep them all out. But may as well jump to the cephalopods. One of our collecting comrades got out this very nicely robust and pyritized nautiloid. I managed to get out two dirty Tornoceras. Of all the cephs we encountered, these were the only ones worth saving as the others had dodgy preservation. 4 ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted June 29, 2018 Author Share Posted June 29, 2018 6. Although I didn't collect them, we were encountering a bit more plant material in these layers. ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted June 29, 2018 Author Share Posted June 29, 2018 7. At first we were thinking this was a ceph living chamber, but the lines were more suggestive of a large bivalve -- and particularly so for this strata. 1 ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted June 29, 2018 Author Share Posted June 29, 2018 8. The best for last? I found two placoderm plates. It is far more common to find them as small bits. If anyone is a placoderm expert, consider this my request for ID assistance! The biggest piece on the measuring grid is also quite thick - almost like a chunk of bone. It is pyritized almost all the way through. 3 ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted June 29, 2018 Author Share Posted June 29, 2018 9. And the other, more detailed plate that I'm slowly prepping. The pustules on this one are quite nice, and I won't be sure how big it is until I can continue the prep into the rock. Again, placoderm experts are invited to help me out. I know little about their species or morphology apart from some anatomical diagrams. I now have my trolley full of to-prep items. Thanks for looking! 2 ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 Nice Kane! Really neat armored fish pieces! 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...
Kane Posted June 29, 2018 Author Share Posted June 29, 2018 Thanks, @Walt and @ynot! This had to be one of my best trips so far this year - both in terms of finds and a great time spent with collecting comrades. ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paciphacops Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 Nice finds! "Don't force it, just use a bigger hammer" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
belemniten Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 Very very nice finds @Kane Congrats ! Many greetings from Germany ! Have a great time with many fossils Regards Sebastian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miocene_Mason Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 Love the placoderms So many bugs, have you considered wearing spray? “...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...
Troodon Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 Very nice haul. Looks like you've got some enjoyable prepping in front of you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffrey P Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 Greenops, Nautiloids, Placoderms! Oh my! Real nice haul Kane. Congratulations. Hope you'll be sharing the after prep shots as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northern Sharks Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 That's quite a haul!!!! From the same bench you were working when I was down a few weeks ago? I have a feeling that spot won't be too busy this weekend with the temps they're calling for. There's no limit to what you can accomplish when you're supposed to be doing something else Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Amateur Paleontologist Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 Wonderful! I love the orthoconic nautiloid and the placoderm fragments Opalised fossils are the best: a wonderful mix between paleontology and mineralogy! Q. Where do dinosaurs study? A. At Khaan Academy!... My ResearchGate profile Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilDAWG Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 That is quite the bounty! I hope your collaborators did as well. Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ranitomeya Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 Nice finds, glad you guys had a successful go at it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 Amazing finds! Can't wait for the prepping to begin. 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...
goatinformationist Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 What a super trip, with fabulous finds/pics to share. Two days of pure paleo porn. I think I'll grab the ole' hammer...uh, nevermind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monica Posted June 30, 2018 Share Posted June 30, 2018 Beautiful bounty of Greenops, Kane! Thanks for sharing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now