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A visit with Leon Theison. Trilobites!


Al Tahan

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Hey everyone, 

 

As some may already know I’m in Austin Texas until Sunday. Leading up to the trip I couldn’t pinpoint any reliable Texas locations due to water level reports and people warning about water levels at some localities. Some of the places I was interested in were on rivers. I could have wasted a lot of time if I showed up with high water levels. I’m only here once to I needed to chose something with less of a gamble. 

 

So I figured I would just scratch my trilobite itch up in Oklahoma!! We arrived in Austin on Tuesday and I had arranged a hunt with Leon for Wednesday. This way I would be back to Austin Wednesday night. 

 

Turns out Leon and Alan Lang are best friends of over 30 years! Leon actually called Alan to ask who I was and I passed the test haha.

 

Small tangent but needs to be said......Leon, like Alan Lang interview people before letting them in. Sadly the intentions of some people are not pure. Also some people gripe and groan about prices as if complaining will be enough to get a discount. Or people get too pushy and try to dicker price making the whole thing awkward...It doesn’t work like that. Yes Leon’s and Lang’s are pay to dig. Yes we all want free fossils and for the most part free fossils are available all over the country/world. They are nice to even let us in. People don’t really appreciate or I should really say “understand” the investment it takes to own these places. They don’t have to let us in at all. Think of Caleb’s quarry (Rochester shale) and the quarry exposing the Trenton group with exquisite trilobites. Good luck even getting access to those places. I hear the owners of Caleb’s quarry are very nice people but it’s private. Privately owned and privately dug. There are places like this all over the world....privately owned and privately dug. I’ve seen a lot of stuff on the forum kinda knocking the pay to dig quarries and I think it’s a matter of perspective and possibly jealousy...heck I’m legit extremely jealous!!! If I told you how much money these guys poured into these places (especially Lang x10) you would ask...”why aren’t they charging more!” After one conversation in person you would probably change your tone and realize these guys are just like us....fossil crazy and actually quite nice. 

 

Ok back on topic :) 

 

I met Leon in Coleman, Oaklahoma at 8am yesterday (Wednesday) and I immediately recognized him. He’s actually on Alan Lang’s website prepping a multi plate. I didn’t realize it was him from the website! We chatted for a moment and off we went!

 

 

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You can’t stumble on this place...and Leon has many stories from 20-30 years ago about people sneaking in and selling fossils before the land was sold to Leon. One story about a particular poacher brought some laughs. Leon’s a funny dude.

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After the gate we had to literally drive through cow pastures. We saw deer, coyotes (yea coyotes!), cows and a bull! Just driving through the fields ha. 7629126F-EADA-45A0-B13A-A793DC49925D.thumb.jpeg.b31470c9a60588ce4461653950577844.jpeg

The black one further away is a bull.

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Once you come around the bend...

 

30287AC5-CC4E-4081-960E-AF538A93EAC0.thumb.jpeg.9a3837efaba54cbeb4439a2506d7e9cf.jpeg

 

 

its all outcrop!

 

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the whole ridge was dug out 20+ years ago and it’s been producing ever since. A few years back Leon had some plant growth and material scraped back and it kinda stirred up the fossils again. It’s all surface collecting here. 

 

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This shows the ridge below that had the land stirred up a few years back.

E44DF07E-54C7-4B60-9C16-AF80EB918615.thumb.jpeg.6e01c226a915bbe78f7705fd923c3a16.jpeg

We spent a lot of time on this ridge as it’s been pretty productive for Leon. 

 

However...these trilobites are barely showing in the rock. This is a different style of trilobite hunting. The best conditions are actually overcast for this and we had pure sun. Which is great!! But it did make it a little tougher finding stuff. Leon admitted he wished the shadows were a little better but I can’t complain we still found loads of trilobites!! I can’t imagine a day when the sun and shadows cooperate. I already told Leon I’ll be back sometime in the next few years.

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We worked our way down the ridge then worked our way back.

 

3549CB3A-99F8-4787-B821-F6F2841D1C9E.thumb.jpeg.b72906532a2877760bc79a483fefaab4.jpeg

 

 

But not without looking at the rattlesnack den!

89438EE0-5424-4C0B-B858-C6F73FD8E9D6.thumb.jpeg.bbc5f5442b40569027ef833feabd9865.jpeg

 

the first time we checked them out there was one huge one...when we went back to “play” it was gone...darn lol

 

88280129-9AD6-48D5-BB6D-4C8A2B8BFD81.thumb.jpeg.7b0cd3cd957fc1ba6edb660f5af96ca4.jpeg

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This was my favorite find of the day...it would have been complete but it’s missing the right part of the cephalon. It’ll prep out to a pretty nice trilo minus a portion of the head. 

 

I forgot the name but this is a small spiny trilobite. It looks awesome prepped!

 

These are what you are looking for with these trilobites. Barely showing. Easy to miss if it’s too bright out. 

511214FD-4A68-4A9D-BF27-268F5E9AAF10.thumb.jpeg.d5a6b1f468adf15f8be86bff3caaef2b.jpeg

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Great story behind this “jellyfish”. The man who owned the land before Leon told him the literature described this as a jellyfish lol. However there is another half to this fossil....Leon asked his friend Allan (not Lang lol. He owned the land before Leon) out hunting one day what it was. When he told Leon it was a jelly fish Leon asked well what about this half of the fossil...he responded “oh that’s the bryozoan matt that’s always on the other side. We don’t collect that part because it confuses people”. :faint: not very scientific lol.

 

Leon has many examples of this. That’s the bottom of a bryozoan matt. Or somthing of that nature.

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My example is missing the other half. It’s only the bottom. I guess they separate sometimes? Odd...but NOT a jellyfish haha

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Here’s a view of the total spoils

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The plastic bag has 3 really nice trilos I found “after the buzzer”. I thought I had to leave to get my car back to the rentals and my fiancé called me and told me she extended it so me and Leon hunted another 20 min and I found 3 trilo that ended up being some of the best I found all day lol.

 

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This is my cephalopod and brachiopod collection from the day. Although I love trilobite I do appreciate a good brach and I do like having a decent brach collection from places I hunt. I’m a huge fan of the cephalopods from here!! Some were big!

 

7FAFB587-3659-4A86-A4E1-4705EF697F4B.thumb.jpeg.fadd31f4a55c4483e888f715ca592b47.jpeg

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These were the trilos I found “after the buzzer”

 

6C681E56-BC2A-46E1-9760-79FAC9692951.thumb.jpeg.5e6a54e1a61f9ad2c88e882b8efcab24.jpeg

Only the top right one is not complete. 

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1 hour ago, Al Tahan said:

These were the trilos I found “after the buzzer”

 

6C681E56-BC2A-46E1-9760-79FAC9692951.thumb.jpeg.5e6a54e1a61f9ad2c88e882b8efcab24.jpeg

Only the top right one is not complete. 

:drool:

...I'm back.

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Leon found the first ever complete of this trilobite...this one has horns that curl around. I forgot the name of this one. I have only a partial cephalon. When Leon sold the first one it went for $30,000. Crazy stuff!

 

FB3079F2-2677-4500-8150-AC332B794E00.thumb.jpeg.bd1c0747ce7f3edc91e53be07a2cc21e.jpeg

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This box has all the Huntonia trilobites together. These were really cool and I found a lot of pygidiums and cephalons. No completes however. The last person Leon took out found 2!! 28B981FA-0D13-4D24-9DE7-53519163FA3A.thumb.jpeg.cf91ccf0c86b6fb4d57d6856a7bb2b4a.jpeg

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:fistbump: Great trip report! Yummy trilobites !!! Makes me want to go brave the 14 degree weather and frozen rocks and hunt..lol

 

:envy:

...I'm back.

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These were some bigger trilobites I found. Leon said there are a few indescribed trilobites. The big ones basically. Idk for sure but these may be fragments. There is also a large undescribed phacopid from here that I may have a fragment of

 

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Leon said this is possibly a small version of the big phacopid trilobite that is undescribed.  

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These pygidiums are huge...I can’t wait to expose the bottom one. It’s giant!

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These are the Phacopid trilobites that I found. I think he said paciphacops? 

Lot of these are actually complete but you can’t tell. They need prepping.

 

CA6EEAA0-D840-405B-B9F0-597CDAC5F951.thumb.jpeg.38236a83ea00666bb4aa6021f7e48c46.jpeg

 

 

this need prep!!

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I have a few of these upside down trilos...

 

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This is some miscellaneous stuff I found. A spong, some coral, pelecypods, criniods, and some gastropods 

6AB4AFD3-F124-4C38-BDA1-B675BB2D6205.jpeg

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In conclusion it was a great day with Leon. I could share more photos but I’ll wrap it up. It’s just close up shots of stuff. We literally yapped and talked all day about so much! Fossils, trilobites, Eurypterids (he has a large interest them like me!), undescribed species (I may post something about this soon), life and just random hilarious stories of fossil hunting :rofl:. Leon is from Sylvania Ohio and his first love were the trilobites of that area. Some funny stories about those days lol.  Leon was very generous as he is known to be. 

 

I would definetly go back! 

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I got sunburnt on my right side of my face cause we faced one way all day. :hearty-laugh:

 

Thanks for reading!

Al:trilo:

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@Al Tahan just amazing. Leon sounds like a nice guy and definetly made your trip better. Can't wait to see those lovely bugs prepped! Nice brachs as well.

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On The Hunt For The Trophy Otodus!

 

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Who doesn't appreciate a good brachiopod? :)

But the orthoconic nautiloids, corals, sponge and gastropods look great too! 

And what a shed load of super trilobites, a great haul! :trilowalk:

Love the report, thanks very much for sharing. 

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Life's Good!

Tortoise Friend.

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

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2 hours ago, Al Tahan said:

This was my favorite find of the day...it would have been complete but it’s missing the right part of the cephalon. It’ll prep out to a pretty nice trilo minus a portion of the head. 

 

I forgot the name but this is a small spiny trilobite. It looks awesome prepped!

 

These are what you are looking for with these trilobites. Barely showing. Easy to miss if it’s too bright out. 

511214FD-4A68-4A9D-BF27-268F5E9AAF10.thumb.jpeg.d5a6b1f468adf15f8be86bff3caaef2b.jpeg

Kettneraspis williamsi

2 hours ago, Al Tahan said:

Leon found the first ever complete of this trilobite...this one has horns that curl around. I forgot the name of this one. I have only a partial cephalon. When Leon sold the first one it went for $30,000. Crazy stuff!

 

FB3079F2-2677-4500-8150-AC332B794E00.thumb.jpeg.bd1c0747ce7f3edc91e53be07a2cc21e.jpeg

Dicranurus sp.

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...How to Philosophize with a Hammer

 

 

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Nice trilobites! That’s a very thorough trip report nice job!:dinothumb:

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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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