Nimravis Posted April 29, 2019 Share Posted April 29, 2019 Today, I decided to stop and see what @MeargleSchmeargl left behind at the Conasauga River trilobite location. I do like collecting at this Cambrian site. It is not a matter of finding trilobites, it is deciding which pieces you want to keep. I only spent about 1 hour there and did not collect any matrix, I just felt like splitting some pieces and finding a few trilobites. Nothing special was found and they we’re all Aphelaspis brachyphasis. As stated in @MeargleSchmeargl post, the River was low and the matrix was dry, thus making it very easy to split. I have only seen the River lower than today on one other occasion. When it is low, it is easier to maneuver and find a place to get comfortable. Here are my finds from today- this is the least amount of trilobites that I have found, but it because it was just a quick stop and I was taking my time. Here is my favorite find of the day- Here are some others- 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fogo26 Posted April 29, 2019 Share Posted April 29, 2019 (edited) As an amateur, how do you get such a clean break and how do you split it right where the trilobite is in the rock? Is there a process or is it a sort of break it open and hope theres one there? Edited April 29, 2019 by fogo26 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeargleSchmeargl Posted April 29, 2019 Share Posted April 29, 2019 7 minutes ago, fogo26 said: As an amateur, how do you get such a clean break and how do you split it right where the trilobite is in the rock? Is there a process or is it a sort of break it open and hope theres one there? You pick a natural fracture line, put your chisel to it, and hammer it in. Some splits have things, some splits don't. It's like a 50/50 chance or so you get at least a bit. @Nimravis I really like the 3rd and 4th pairs. They're gorgeous! Can you get more detailed pics of them and the 1st pair so I can admire them more? Every single fossil you see is a miracle set in stone, and should be treated as such. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeepTimeIsotopes Posted April 29, 2019 Share Posted April 29, 2019 10 minutes ago, fogo26 said: As an amateur, how do you get such a clean break and how do you split it right where the trilobite is in the rock? Is there a process or is it a sort of break it open and hope theres one there? It’s shale, which breaks into sheets. You just hit it along the bedding plane, which is where it splits easiest, and hope there is a trilobite inside. Rocks that are fairly fossiliferous like this will have a couple trilobites per rock typically. 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? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeepTimeIsotopes Posted April 29, 2019 Share Posted April 29, 2019 Just now, MeargleSchmeargl said: You pick a natural fracture line, put your chisel to it, and hammer it in. Some splits have things, some splits don't. It's like a 50/50 chance or so you get at least a bit. Dang, beat me to it. 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? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeargleSchmeargl Posted April 29, 2019 Share Posted April 29, 2019 Just now, UtahFossilHunter said: Dang, beat me to it. Gotta go fast Every single fossil you see is a miracle set in stone, and should be treated as such. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nimravis Posted April 29, 2019 Author Share Posted April 29, 2019 45 minutes ago, fogo26 said: As an amateur, how do you get such a clean break and how do you split it right where the trilobite is in the rock? Is there a process or is it a sort of break it open and hope theres one there? It is the latter. You can also soak the pieces and split them with your fingers- I use this method if I have matrix at home and have already used a hammer. This method produces some nice trilobites, but some times the pieces are very thin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nimravis Posted April 29, 2019 Author Share Posted April 29, 2019 31 minutes ago, MeargleSchmeargl said: You pick a natural fracture line, put your chisel to it, and hammer it i I do not use this method, I hold the matrix in my gloved left hand and hit it with the hammer. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nimravis Posted April 29, 2019 Author Share Posted April 29, 2019 44 minutes ago, MeargleSchmeargl said: They're gorgeous! Can you get more detailed pics of them and the 1st pair so I can admire them more? Original sizes so so you can zoom in if you like. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nimravis Posted April 29, 2019 Author Share Posted April 29, 2019 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted April 29, 2019 Share Posted April 29, 2019 Enjoyed your report and pictures, Ralph. Thanks for posting them! 1 Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM - APRIL - 2015 __________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted April 29, 2019 Share Posted April 29, 2019 Nice finds as usual. I can imagine that a penknife could also be a handy instrument for splitting the freed-up larger slabs. 1 Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monica Posted April 29, 2019 Share Posted April 29, 2019 Nice trilos, Ralph! I especially love it when you have both the positive and negative of a specimen - they look great together! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nimravis Posted April 29, 2019 Author Share Posted April 29, 2019 2 hours ago, Monica said: Nice trilos, Ralph! I especially love it when you have both the positive and negative of a specimen - they look great together! Thanks Monica- when the two pieces are about the same thickness it is easier to take a picture of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidgy's Dad Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 Some more nice Aphelaspis. Gorgeous species of trilobite, methinks. Look, this one's in the river! 2 Life's Good! Tortoise Friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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