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A quick trip through the Confusion and House Ranges, Utah


DeepTimeIsotopes

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The Confusion Range and the House Range sit in Western Utah. The House Range is farther east closer to Delta, Utah than the Confusion Range. Parts of the Confusion Range are basically on the Utah-Nevada border. Both mountain ranges though have spectacular fossils. The House Range is basically all unfaulted Cambrian age layers and fossils pop up in several of the rock layers there. The Confusion Range, though, is broken up by many faults and everything from the Cambrian to the Triassic is present.

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Here's a short stratigraphy section marked with the layers we visited.

 

We went to three different sites. A Cambrian site next to U-Dig fossils to sample the Cambrian explosion, and Ordivician site at Fossil Mountain (what better place to find fossils then a mountain named "fossil" mountain:ighappy:) to sample the Great Ordivician Biodiversification Event, and finally a time where 90% of all marine was wiped out, the Permian Period and the Gerster Limestone. 

 

 

 

 

  • I found this Informative 11

Each dot is 50,000,000 years:

Hadean............Archean..............................Proterozoic.......................................Phanerozoic...........

                                                                                                                    Paleo......Meso....Ceno..

                                                                                                           Ꞓ.OSD.C.P.Tr.J.K..Pg.NgQ< You are here

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Stop 1: the Cambrian

Some highlights: IMG_4828.thumb.JPG.02bb02077ec95fd3324c27149892ccd8.JPGIMG_4826.thumb.JPG.9fa85d73f4df233222a3524b8c833ba6.JPG

Most of had previously collected here so we did not spend a lot of time here.

The smaller dots to the left are not Bivalve shells as one would expect but rather are inarticulate Brachiopods, Acrothele subsidua. This one is nice because both halves are there. The trilobite is the Utah State invertebrate fossil: Elrathia kingii

  • I found this Informative 6

Each dot is 50,000,000 years:

Hadean............Archean..............................Proterozoic.......................................Phanerozoic...........

                                                                                                                    Paleo......Meso....Ceno..

                                                                                                           Ꞓ.OSD.C.P.Tr.J.K..Pg.NgQ< You are here

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Stop 2: the Ordivician

Fossil Mountain is aptly named. There are tons of fossils to be found. Tons of trilobites, brachipods, bryozoans: the classic Paleozoic fossils. IMG_4717.JPG.60676d1444f0508ab55963f6fb5761bc.JPG

In the sandstones, were near shore trace fossils in this case: Skolithos

 

IMG_4719.JPG.b20ba74360eedb1db0fe49cdde3f6a06.JPG

The limestones though were where the body fossils were at. 

 

IMG_4725.JPG.f6abf0c095cdb19da1196d81049e7aa4.JPG

Right of the chisel edge of my hammer is a trilobite pygidium. In this case it is from

Jenkinsonia varga.

Edit: the trilobite pygidium is more likely

Kanoshia kanoshensis rather than Jenkinsonia varga as @piranha has pointed out.

 

Edited by UtahFossilHunter
  • I found this Informative 5

Each dot is 50,000,000 years:

Hadean............Archean..............................Proterozoic.......................................Phanerozoic...........

                                                                                                                    Paleo......Meso....Ceno..

                                                                                                           Ꞓ.OSD.C.P.Tr.J.K..Pg.NgQ< You are here

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Stop 2: continued

 

IMG_4843.thumb.JPG.a9a51aa9c52d8e7aa09061d2b1b11c00.JPG

Another Jenkinsonia Varga

IMG_4846.thumb.JPG.28afa2f5bcce3ae1d9a4d7dc1ab2e4cf.JPG

some proper bivalves

(unfortunately I'm not up to speed on bivalve taxonomy) 

IMG_4844.thumb.JPG.8d6661a04ac4cc0bfcb9c3bacdf2e4c6.JPG

A decent Gastropoda (same case as the bivalves)

 

Edit: the trilobite pygidium is more likely

Kanoshia kanoshensis rather than Jenkinsonia varga as @piranha has pointed out.

  • I found this Informative 1

Each dot is 50,000,000 years:

Hadean............Archean..............................Proterozoic.......................................Phanerozoic...........

                                                                                                                    Paleo......Meso....Ceno..

                                                                                                           Ꞓ.OSD.C.P.Tr.J.K..Pg.NgQ< You are here

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Stop 2: continued 

for our mineral friends some hematite

 

IMG_4855.thumb.JPG.6066e0d42e2524c63c767ca05b29d5a1.JPG

Each dot is 50,000,000 years:

Hadean............Archean..............................Proterozoic.......................................Phanerozoic...........

                                                                                                                    Paleo......Meso....Ceno..

                                                                                                           Ꞓ.OSD.C.P.Tr.J.K..Pg.NgQ< You are here

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Stop 2: continued 

My most exceptional piece is this snap shot of the GOBE. Full of all three

 

 

IMG_4848.thumb.JPG.00b3f453378c1dd5b0911b4d6454986a.JPG

  • I found this Informative 4

Each dot is 50,000,000 years:

Hadean............Archean..............................Proterozoic.......................................Phanerozoic...........

                                                                                                                    Paleo......Meso....Ceno..

                                                                                                           Ꞓ.OSD.C.P.Tr.J.K..Pg.NgQ< You are here

Doesn't time just fly by?

 

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Stop 2: It's a beautiful place

 

 IMG_4722.JPG.2964d500ff88140f0395fc423822d13d.JPG

  • I found this Informative 6

Each dot is 50,000,000 years:

Hadean............Archean..............................Proterozoic.......................................Phanerozoic...........

                                                                                                                    Paleo......Meso....Ceno..

                                                                                                           Ꞓ.OSD.C.P.Tr.J.K..Pg.NgQ< You are here

Doesn't time just fly by?

 

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Stop 3: the Permian

By the time the Gerster Fm. was layed to rest for the next 252 million years the trilobites had gone extinct all that remains at this locality is brachipods, bryozoans, and bivalves. The trilobites had gone extinct here.

Most of what we found was Timaniella pseudocamerata but there were a lot of bryozoan colonies and brachipods as well.

 

 

IMG_4860.JPG

IMG_4863.JPG

  • I found this Informative 3

Each dot is 50,000,000 years:

Hadean............Archean..............................Proterozoic.......................................Phanerozoic...........

                                                                                                                    Paleo......Meso....Ceno..

                                                                                                           Ꞓ.OSD.C.P.Tr.J.K..Pg.NgQ< You are here

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Stop 3: continuedIMG_4864.thumb.JPG.15b654022dc393816202047a834ea868.JPG

A very prolific bryozoan colony

IMG_4861.thumb.JPG.f357ad3e8ef05df35243f3d2fe432d4c.JPGIMG_4862.thumb.JPG.333f3e25a7c46ba989d8a89c1ea6fc58.JPG

Various Bivalves

  • I found this Informative 1

Each dot is 50,000,000 years:

Hadean............Archean..............................Proterozoic.......................................Phanerozoic...........

                                                                                                                    Paleo......Meso....Ceno..

                                                                                                           Ꞓ.OSD.C.P.Tr.J.K..Pg.NgQ< You are here

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Stop 3: continued

 

IMG_4859.thumb.JPG.a7c0f3d82c81e6fe6fc9b4f6cfab417e.JPG

A cross section through a Bryozoan colony

IMG_4858.thumb.JPG.3588a2654561bf3ff91f324a7508be5f.JPG

Another cross section through the other axis.

  • I found this Informative 2

Each dot is 50,000,000 years:

Hadean............Archean..............................Proterozoic.......................................Phanerozoic...........

                                                                                                                    Paleo......Meso....Ceno..

                                                                                                           Ꞓ.OSD.C.P.Tr.J.K..Pg.NgQ< You are here

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Stop 3: continued

Absolute gorgeous area

 

IMG_4705.thumb.JPG.ca12cc857a89a38a5674510df65bec39.JPG

This has been a trip through the 289 million years of the Paleozoic. Starting in the cradle of the Cambrian ending in the deathbed of the Permian for many of these organisms. This has to have been one of my favorite trips to date. If you've read down to here, thanks for sharing the ride.

  • I found this Informative 8

Each dot is 50,000,000 years:

Hadean............Archean..............................Proterozoic.......................................Phanerozoic...........

                                                                                                                    Paleo......Meso....Ceno..

                                                                                                           Ꞓ.OSD.C.P.Tr.J.K..Pg.NgQ< You are here

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Bonus: A couple of productid brachiopods with spines still attached from the Gerster Fm.!

 

 

image.thumb.jpg.d02244ca04fd4c0756658201388be88d.jpg

 

  • I found this Informative 3

Each dot is 50,000,000 years:

Hadean............Archean..............................Proterozoic.......................................Phanerozoic...........

                                                                                                                    Paleo......Meso....Ceno..

                                                                                                           Ꞓ.OSD.C.P.Tr.J.K..Pg.NgQ< You are here

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1 hour ago, Innocentx said:

Nice finds!!!

Thanks!

Each dot is 50,000,000 years:

Hadean............Archean..............................Proterozoic.......................................Phanerozoic...........

                                                                                                                    Paleo......Meso....Ceno..

                                                                                                           Ꞓ.OSD.C.P.Tr.J.K..Pg.NgQ< You are here

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Some lovely brachiopods there. :wub:

Some terrific photos, too. 

Thanks for sharing. :)

Life's Good!

Tortoise Friend.

MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png.a47e14d65deb3f8b242019b3a81d8160-1.png.60b8b8c07f6fa194511f8b7cfb7cc190.png

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This pygidium is not a middle Cambrian ptychopariid: Jenkinsonia varga

Instead, it's a lower Ordovician pliomerid similar to: Kanoshia kanoshensis

 

image.png.0baaca8a47b5b510cce9a581e03cac99.png

 

figure from:

 

Hintze, L.F. 1952

Lower Ordovician trilobites from western Utah and eastern Nevada.

Utah Geological and Mineralogical Survey Bulletin, 48:1-249

  • I found this Informative 8

image.png.a84de26dad44fb03836a743755df237c.png

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4 minutes ago, piranha said:

This pygidium is not a middle Cambrian ptychopariid: Jenkinsonia varga

Instead, it's a lower Ordovician pliomerid similar to: Kanoshia kanoshensis

 

image.png.0baaca8a47b5b510cce9a581e03cac99.png

 

figure from:

 

Hintze, L.F. 1952

Lower Ordovician trilobites from western Utah and eastern Nevada.

Utah Geological and Mineralogical Survey Bulletin, 48:1-249

Ah, thanks!

Each dot is 50,000,000 years:

Hadean............Archean..............................Proterozoic.......................................Phanerozoic...........

                                                                                                                    Paleo......Meso....Ceno..

                                                                                                           Ꞓ.OSD.C.P.Tr.J.K..Pg.NgQ< You are here

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33 minutes ago, Tidgy's Dad said:

Some lovely brachiopods there. :wub:

Some terrific photos, too. 

Thanks for sharing. :)

Thanks! These are the best brachipods I've collected.

  • I found this Informative 1

Each dot is 50,000,000 years:

Hadean............Archean..............................Proterozoic.......................................Phanerozoic...........

                                                                                                                    Paleo......Meso....Ceno..

                                                                                                           Ꞓ.OSD.C.P.Tr.J.K..Pg.NgQ< You are here

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Great report and lovely finds! :) 

Thanks for posting. 

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    Tim    VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

   MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png      PaleoPartner.png.30c01982e09b0cc0b7d9d6a7a21f56c6.png.a600039856933851eeea617ca3f2d15f.png     Postmaster1.jpg.900efa599049929531fa81981f028e24.jpg    VFOTM.png.f1b09c78bf88298b009b0da14ef44cf0.png  VFOTM APRIL - 2015  

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"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."
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27 minutes ago, Fossildude19 said:

Great report and lovely finds! :) 

Thanks for posting. 

Thanks! It's been a while since I last posted so I thought I'd make this one good.

Each dot is 50,000,000 years:

Hadean............Archean..............................Proterozoic.......................................Phanerozoic...........

                                                                                                                    Paleo......Meso....Ceno..

                                                                                                           Ꞓ.OSD.C.P.Tr.J.K..Pg.NgQ< You are here

Doesn't time just fly by?

 

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On 11/11/2018 at 2:43 PM, PaleozoicParty said:

These are all west of Delta, Utah?

Yes, here's a geologic map of the two mountain ranges also welcome to the Forum!

 

 

IMG_4875.thumb.PNG.9c7324a063eb8211264245b350e75663.PNG

  • I found this Informative 1

Each dot is 50,000,000 years:

Hadean............Archean..............................Proterozoic.......................................Phanerozoic...........

                                                                                                                    Paleo......Meso....Ceno..

                                                                                                           Ꞓ.OSD.C.P.Tr.J.K..Pg.NgQ< You are here

Doesn't time just fly by?

 

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On 11/11/2018 at 2:52 PM, UtahFossilHunter said:

Yes, here's a geologic map of the two mountain ranges also welcome to the Forum!

IMG_4875.thumb.PNG.9c7324a063eb8211264245b350e75663.PNG

Ty! I would love to go to the trilobite quarries again and maybe stop by those other places. Also ty for the welcome.

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