Any Eurypterid sites out there?

[MeargleSchmeargl]

After my last trip to my favourite home-grown trilobite site on the Conasauga in May, two things have happened:

 

1: Due to a packed June and whacky schedule (since Philmont has, for all intents and purposes, burnt to the ground, cancelling the trip ), I have been on somewhat of a hiatus for the Forum.

 

2: July also seems to be packed, with Mom getting surgery for cancer soon, and still facing the reality that Dad isn't there.

 

With all this happening, I haven't had much time to go on fossil hunts. 

 

Just over a week ago, I had my first college tour at GCSU, as well as a prep and specimen lab behind-the-scenes tour with my newfound friend Ashley Quinn (who I came to know through PAG (she being the president), of which I'm now a member! ). It looked just like it does in the documentaries, so now I'm stoked about going there, almost entirely forgetting I have to get through senior year in high school first.

 

This trip has also, quite unsurprisingly, refueled my hunger to find old petrified dead things. Now looking for something to liven up what has honestly been quite a downer summer, I'd like to take a crack at finding something that I've been thinking on hunting for quite a while now: Eurypterids.

 

The only problem is, aside from Lang's Quarry which for all I care is an entire continent away and might scare anyone taking me with the pay-to-dig stuff, I've had little luck in finding a place that produces the overgrown lobsters. 

 

Anyone got tips for a place that might be somewhat closer to home near the peach?

[Nimravis]

I have no idea on a location for you. Hope all goes well with Mom. Take care.

[FossilsAnonymous]

I have no idea if this is close to you or not. Maybe this site could help.....?

https://www.fossilguy.com/gallery/invert/arthropod/eurypterid/index.htm

Eurypterids are tricky when finding a site to find them. Fortunately, we have some true experts around somewhere. Don't quote me on anything.

[Miocene_Mason]

Sorry you’ve had such a rough time this past year. I hope this year brings better things for you. 

Eurypterids are notoriously rare in the United States, the big ole critters only lived commonly in certain environments and certain times (which is why some have them in droves and the rest of us have none).  I don’t have any specific sites, but I know one way you can increase your chances. 

Eurypterids really flourished during the late Silurian, so your odds are best in formations that date to then. This site can be used to find specific formations, and you can search the internet, use geologic map and google maps, or ask TFF if they know any to find sites. I have a site in Maryland during this time period, but it doesn’t seem to be the right environment for eurypterids. So that’s the best I can do, but who knows? With the magic or crowd sourcing someone might pop up with a site already.

Good Luck

(P.S. If you find yourself in Maryland looking to fossil hunt, send me a PM. I don’t know an incredible amount of fossil sites, but I know a few)

[Fossildude19]

I have not heard of eurypterids being found anywhere South of the Mason Dixon Line.

 

You may have to content yourself with hunting for them online. : unsure:

[Miocene_Mason]

4 minutes ago, Fossildude19 said:

I have not heard of eurypterids being found anywhere South of the Mason Dixon Line.

 

You may have to content yourself with hunting for them online. : unsure:

I just did some research on google scholar, some have been found in West Virginia.LINK

[Miocene_Mason]

1 hour ago, WhodamanHD said:

I just did some research on google scholar, some have been found in West Virginia.LINK

Further reading of that paper and others revealed that some eurypterid fragments have been found in Florida! I’m not sure how that’s even possible, but I’m gonna research it some more. 

Edit: the Florida specimens were from drill cores from a well, so perhaps not a great hunting spot after all.

[MeargleSchmeargl]

23 minutes ago, WhodamanHD said:

Further reading of that paper and others revealed that some eurypterid fragments have been found in Florida! I’m not sure how that’s even possible, but I’m gonna research it some more. 

Edit: the Florida specimens were from drill cores from a well, so perhaps not a great hunting spot after all.

So all I have to do is get an industrial drill!

[Fruitbat]

I figure that you've probably already seen the 'eurypterid' section of my pdf library here on TFF, but I'm including a LINK to it anyway.  You might find something useful.

 

-Joe

[Paciphacops]

Looking through Fruitbat's list, I found a hint of eurypterids in Georgia. Futher sluthing revealed this paper. So, there appear to be eurypterids in Ringgold Gap, but unfortunately, most of the exposures are in road cuts on Interstate 75. They are found in the lower Shellmound member of the Sequatchie Formation (late Ordovician).

 

"Above the sandstone lag is 5.7 ft (1.7 m) of dark greengray shale which, despite its thinness, can be traced westward for at least 18 mi (30 km) (unit 8). The shale contains a few very thin to thin, ripplemarked beds of sandstone and siltstone containing bryozoan debris. The shale itself contains no calcareous body fossils, but includes the chitinous remains of eurypterids (Megalograptus). The overlying unit is conformable and also contains Megalograptus."

 

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265842166_Ringgold_Gap_progradational_sequences_in_the_Ordovician_and_Silurian_of_northwest_Georgia

[FossilDAWG]

Eurypterid (Megalograptus) fragments have indeed been found in the roadcut on I75 in Ringgold GA (not by me though).  Unfortunately there is no way to access the site.  The land owner who owns the land you must cross to get to the roadcut posted here on the Forum a few years ago.  He and his neighbors have apparently installed cameras to catch trespassers and the land is posted.  I visited the site briefly years ago, before it was posted, and found a variety of Ordovician and Silurian brachiopods and bryozoans but I did not look in the layers that produced Megalograptus as they are apparently almost totally barren of fossils.

 

At any rate, my understanding is that the fossils are small scraps of cuticle, not complete specimens.

 

Don

[FossilDAWG]

On 7/4/2018 at 5:14 AM, MeargleSchmeargl said:

...(since Philmont has, for all intents and purposes, burnt to the ground...

I had not heard about that.  Terrible news!!!  They were very nice to me a couple of years ago.

 

Don

[FossilDAWG]

On 7/4/2018 at 5:14 AM, MeargleSchmeargl said:

... with Mom getting surgery for cancer soon, and still facing the reality that Dad isn't there.

 

 

I hope you're hanging in there.  That is a lot for anyone to handle.

 

Don

[Paciphacops]

1 hour ago, FossilDAWG said:

Eurypterid (Megalograptus) fragments have indeed been found in the roadcut on I75 in Ringgold GA (not by me though).  Unfortunately there is no way to access the site.  The land owner who owns the land you must cross to get to the roadcut posted here on the Forum a few years ago.  He and his neighbors have apparently installed cameras to catch trespassers and the land is posted.  I visited the site briefly years ago, before it was posted, and found a variety of Ordovician and Silurian brachiopods and bryozoans but I did not look in the layers that produced Megalograptus as they are apparently almost totally barren of fossils

 

That's too bad about the access. I found Dr. Parker's post. He indicated and interest in getting the site in the hands of the state, county, or an academic group. Hopefully, that will eventually happen. The paper mentioned that the fossiliferous layer could be traced for at least 18 miles to the west, so there may be other exposures. However, if there are only tiny fragments, then it may not be worth pursuing anyway, unless you stumble upon that one special spot....