Paleozoic Adventures in Arizona

[DPS Ammonite]

Here are photos of two trips taken to look for Paleozoic fossils in northern Gila County in northern Arizona. Daily thunderstorms and plentiful shade made the 90 deg. + temperatures bearable. I ran into TFF member ArizonaChris while in the area.

 

In the Martin Formation I found interesting stromatoporoids, now determined to be sponges, that were important reef forming organisms during the Late Devonian. Pine needles for scale. 

 

 

 

Here are some silicified Martin Formation brachiopods.

 

 

Nearby are many caves and sinks in the fossiliferous limestones of the Martin and Redwall Formations: up to 100 miles of passages according to a caver. The first one is full of junk metal including two cars. Any idea what the cars are?

 

Here is Tin Can Sink.

 

 

To be continued.

[DPS Ammonite]

My most recent trip to northern Gila County was made to show two northern Arizona paleontologists several specimens of an undescribed Pennsylvanian Naco Formation sponge. The leading Northern Arizona University paleontologist who has written many papers about Naco Formation paleontology and the head Museum of Northern Arizona paleontologist came on part of the trip with me.  Now the Museum of Northern Arizona has some sponges that hopefully will be identified and or described in the future once a sponge expert is found. Here is a photo of the undescribed Naco sponge.

 

 

 

 

Here is a silicified Syringopora sp. coral with a horn coral from the Naco Limestone.

 

 

 

Here is a silicified Syringopora sp. coral from the underlying Mississippian Redwall Limestone.

 

 

Lastly, a Naco Formation Chaetitid sponge.

 

 

 

[izak_]

Wow, these are amazing! 

 

[FranzBernhard]

Thanks for sharing! Very, very nice fossils. And nice wooded area - whats the elevation?

I think, timberline in your area is at nearly the same elevation as in Austria (about 2000m) but you have the forests above timberline, we have it below .

Franz Bernhard

[minnbuckeye]

Unbelievable specimens. Were they found as is  or were they in matrix and required prep?? How large are the coral specimens? Again astonishing finds!!

 

Mike

[FossilsAnonymous]

I think the cars were Jurassic Park cruisers from the 1993 movie  Those are some great specimens. Congrats.

[Tidgy's Dad]

Absolutely beautiful!

@Spongy Joe

Come back, all is forgiven! 

[DPS Ammonite]

4 hours ago, FranzBernhard said:

Thanks for sharing! Very, very nice fossils. And nice wooded area - whats the elevation?

I think, timberline in your area is at nearly the same elevation as in Austria (about 2000m) but you have the forests above timberline, we have it below .

Franz Bernhard

Lower timberline for conifers varies by elevation and rainfall. Generally the larger conifers such as Ponderosa Pines and firs occur above 5 to 6 thousand feet. Shrubby conifers such as Juniper occur above 2 to 4 thousand feet. With additional water certain cultivated species will grow near sea level.

 

Upper timberline is from 10,600 to 11,500 feet.

 

2 hours ago, minnbuckeye said:

Unbelievable specimens. Were they found as is  or were they in matrix and required prep?? How large are the coral specimens? Again astonishing finds!!

 

Mike

The two coral specimen is 9cm across. The other coral is 15cm across. Both had the surrounding limestone dissolved in dilute HCl.

 

1 hour ago, Tidgy's Dad said:

Absolutely beautiful!

@Spongy Joe

Come back, all is forgiven! 

Yeah, come back Spongy Joe. We miss you.

[MeargleSchmeargl]

Neat!

[ynot]

Wonderful finds!

Really neat coral prep/specimens.

 

PS Pine needles can vary quite a lot in size and make a bad scale.

[Fossildude19]

Interesting report, and great finds, John. 
Thanks for posting ti.