Kato Posted December 27, 2018 Share Posted December 27, 2018 I have jokingly told people there are literally trillions of crinoid column fragments in this area but I have only found bits and pieces of the crowns. On Christmas Day, while hiking with my wife, I found what I think may be a potential crown in a rock having lots of column fragments. Thus, my request for some substantiation of the possibility. If this is a crown, I will go back to try and field extract just the portion of this rock having the specimen. I think it would be a good one as a 1st experience for exposing/prepping to reveal more of the fossil. The width of the specimen is just at 2" 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted December 27, 2018 Share Posted December 27, 2018 It does look like it could be one. Only exposing it more will tell the truth of the matter. 1 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...
Herb Posted December 27, 2018 Share Posted December 27, 2018 could be a calyx, dig it out 1 "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence"_ Carl Sagen No trees were killed in this posting......however, many innocent electrons were diverted from where they originally intended to go. " I think, therefore I collect fossils." _ Me "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."__S. Holmes "can't we all just get along?" Jack Nicholson from Mars Attacks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darktooth Posted December 27, 2018 Share Posted December 27, 2018 Dig, dig, dig, dig, dig dig,................... I like Trilo-butts and I cannot lie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted December 27, 2018 Share Posted December 27, 2018 Yup. Looks suspicious--I'd biopsy. Don't forget to show us what it is revealed to be (calyx or not). Cheers. -Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kato Posted December 27, 2018 Author Share Posted December 27, 2018 3 minutes ago, digit said: Yup. Looks suspicious--I'd biopsy. Don't forget to show us what it is revealed to be (calyx or not). Cheers. -Ken Once I get the appropriate tools together to perform the surgical removal I'll give it a shot. I hope I don't kill the patient. I've always wanted to try this. Still not sure, even at 62, if I have the patience. Will need to study the various tools and techniques for low budget 1st time effort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herb Posted December 28, 2018 Share Posted December 28, 2018 A Dremel vibro engraver and a little patience will do the job for $20 "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence"_ Carl Sagen No trees were killed in this posting......however, many innocent electrons were diverted from where they originally intended to go. " I think, therefore I collect fossils." _ Me "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."__S. Holmes "can't we all just get along?" Jack Nicholson from Mars Attacks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilDAWG Posted December 28, 2018 Share Posted December 28, 2018 At some places in the Lake Valley Formation (which is the formation I suspect you are hunting in) the crinoids are silicified and you can etch them out with dilute acetic acid such as vinegar. If you want to try that you should experiment on a disposable fossil such as a piece of crinoid stem first. Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fifbrindacier Posted December 28, 2018 Share Posted December 28, 2018 Hi, did you choose to dig it out with a vibro engraver, put your piece in the water hours before to be sure it will be well soaked enough to be easier to dig. "On ne voit bien que par le coeur, l'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux." (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry) "We only well see with the heart, the essential is invisible for the eyes." In memory of Doren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kato Posted December 28, 2018 Author Share Posted December 28, 2018 11 hours ago, Herb said: A Dremel vibro engraver and a little patience will do the job for $20 I am sure I can afford the $20 to do this experiment. Are there special bits I would need? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kato Posted December 28, 2018 Author Share Posted December 28, 2018 11 hours ago, FossilDAWG said: At some places in the Lake Valley Formation (which is the formation I suspect you are hunting in) the crinoids are silicified and you can etch them out with dilute acetic acid such as vinegar. If you want to try that you should experiment on a disposable fossil such as a piece of crinoid stem first. Don Yes, this is Lake Valley but in a layer more to the top end of the formation that I had not seen before. Most of the other layers containing crinoids are crumbly in nature and just soaking in vinegar releases the specimens within a short period of time. This particular rock is much denser and I will try a combo of vinegar and the vibro engraver suggested above. Thanks to all for the suggestions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kato Posted December 28, 2018 Author Share Posted December 28, 2018 11 hours ago, FossilDAWG said: At some places in the Lake Valley Formation (which is the formation I suspect you are hunting in) the crinoids are silicified and you can etch them out with dilute acetic acid such as vinegar. If you want to try that you should experiment on a disposable fossil such as a piece of crinoid stem first. Don Don, this is material I typically find crinoids in...I've found all the other parts of the critter in this stuff, but NOT a calyx for some reason. I bet I've literally seen millions of column bits and you'd think I'd have seen the crown by now, but nooooo, that would just be too easy. This pic is from an exposure of the upper end of Lake Valley Formation. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted December 28, 2018 Share Posted December 28, 2018 You may wish to experiment with some Calgon water softener on a piece of the harder matrix. I've seen that used to soften matrix as well. If the fossil itself is well silicified alternating soakings in a weak acid (vinegar) and Calgon (zeolite and polycarboxylate) may soften the matrix enough (without damaging the fossil) to allow you to remove the matrix with the engraver or possibly even just scraping with dental picks. A surprising variety of dental and surgical tools can be bought cheaply at flea markets (scary thought). Alternatively, do a search for "dental tools" on your friendly world-dominating commerce website named for a large South American river and you'll find a good variety of nice stainless steel tool sets that can be useful when prepping fossils. Cheers. -Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted December 28, 2018 Share Posted December 28, 2018 4 minutes ago, Kato said: This pic is from an exposure of the upper end of Lake Valley Formation. Looks like a fun place to hunt the Mississippian. Kinda makes my mouth water though. Cheers. -Ken 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kato Posted December 28, 2018 Author Share Posted December 28, 2018 2 minutes ago, digit said: Looks like a fun place to hunt the Mississippian. Kinda makes my mouth water though. Cheers. -Ken Here's some 'candy crinoids' right off the ground for you at that same location. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted December 28, 2018 Share Posted December 28, 2018 Nice! Virtually paved with crinoid pluricolumnals! Though these pieces are often the low value fossils at a rich site like this (similar to common brachiopods or horn corals at rich Devonian sites or dugong rib bones in the Peace River), I'd gladly spend a couple hours at this site scooping up all I could find into a zip-top bag. They'd make for an interesting artistic display of fossils if poured into a nice bowl. About 7 years back I was on a coral reef research trip to Cuba where we were looking at the Queen's Garden (Jardines de la Reina) region off Cuba's southern coast. Our ship was anchored off a tiny sandy shoal of an island which, when I explored it, I noticed that the coarse sand on the beach was virtually entirely composed of the small calcareous opercula of some marine gastropod of the Turbinidae family (possibly Lithopoma). These turban snail opercula were about the size of large split peas and there were countless millions (if not billions) making up this beach (I still have no idea why they were so crazy abundant). So that I'd always remember this unusual beach, I scooped up some of the material and later removed the sand and shell hash from the prized opercula. A nice large handful of these oddities now sit on display, filling a nice mahogany wood bowl I turned when I got back home. I enjoy remembering that trip and that beach every time I walk by that bowl of highly inedible split pea soup. Cheers. -Ken 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herb Posted December 31, 2018 Share Posted December 31, 2018 On 12/28/2018 at 9:34 AM, Kato said: I am sure I can afford the $20 to do this experiment. Are there special bits I would need? it comes with a bit "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence"_ Carl Sagen No trees were killed in this posting......however, many innocent electrons were diverted from where they originally intended to go. " I think, therefore I collect fossils." _ Me "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."__S. Holmes "can't we all just get along?" Jack Nicholson from Mars Attacks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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