bigred97 Posted July 6, 2019 Author Share Posted July 6, 2019 Here is a concretion I found at Braceville. I'm curious if others have found ones like this as well. When the outer shell came off, the inner part looked like it had already been split and was glued back together. This is the second one I've found that has this pentagon shape. I've found others that are split along what looks like the more typical plane of a concretion. In each case, when it opens along these lines, there is a white, sometimes crystalline, substance. But no recognizable fossil. This one split into many pieces all with that white substance (I suppose it must be calcite). I wonder if these have split years before and then re-joined. I have only found these in Braceville. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kmiecik Posted July 6, 2019 Share Posted July 6, 2019 On 7/6/2019 at 3:48 PM, bigred97 said: Typical Francis Creek Shale septarian. Pentagonal, hexagonal, heptagonal and way out there crazy pattern are all common. I have one sitting in the front yard that is flat and round and about 15 inches in diameter, and many smaller ones that I have kept and there's many, many that I have discarded or even ignored while collecting. They are fascinating at first. I like the multi-colored ones they find in Texas. (And yes, that's calcite) 1 Mark. Fossil hunting is easy -- they don't run away when you shoot at them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigred97 Posted July 6, 2019 Author Share Posted July 6, 2019 Thanks, Mark. I suppose I will start to leave these behind knowing that they aren't going to contain a fossil. Or maybe split them open where I find them. I'd certainly like to avoid carrying back anything that I can tell from the outside won't contain a fossil - my back will thank me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigred97 Posted July 6, 2019 Author Share Posted July 6, 2019 This next one is from Pit 11 and I believe it is an acorn worm, Mazoglossus ramsdelli. Not terribly well-preserved (the concretion was particularly crumbly) but seems to have the correct shape at least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kmiecik Posted July 6, 2019 Share Posted July 6, 2019 8 minutes ago, bigred97 said: Thanks, Mark. I suppose I will start to leave these behind knowing that they aren't going to contain a fossil. Or maybe split them open where I find them. I'd certainly like to avoid carrying back anything that I can tell from the outside won't contain a fossil - my back will thank me! They become less interesting the more you see them, but those who don't have access to them may see them as something collectible. In retrospect I would have collected and kept every one I found and either given or sold them to those who expressed interest. Some of them are really cool. Mark. Fossil hunting is easy -- they don't run away when you shoot at them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plantguy Posted July 7, 2019 Share Posted July 7, 2019 On 7/1/2019 at 9:18 PM, bigred97 said: This next one is one of my favorites, because it's the first Mazon Creek fossil I ever found, on my first trip to Pit 11 in May of last year. I found this Neuropteris leaf already open and just couldn't believe it. If I wasn't hooked already, I sure was then! I love the detail in fossils like this. I remember just crouching there with it in amazement. Followed up with many minutes of searching for the other side, which I never did find. Yep, thats a beauty! congrats. Regards, Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigred97 Posted July 8, 2019 Author Share Posted July 8, 2019 On 7/6/2019 at 7:16 PM, Plantguy said: Yep, thats a beauty! congrats. Regards, Chris Thanks, Chris! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigred97 Posted July 8, 2019 Author Share Posted July 8, 2019 Mark, I did like this septarian. I would probably take one that looked like this home again. But I would know not to break it apart next time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kmiecik Posted July 8, 2019 Share Posted July 8, 2019 8 hours ago, bigred97 said: Mark, I did like this septarian. I would probably take one that looked like this home again. But I would know not to break it apart next time! If you take them all and no one else does you will eventually have cornered the MC septarian market and will rule the monopoly you have created. MWAHAHAHAHA!!!! Once there are none left except the ones you have, the possibilities of fame and fortune are endless. Or so I've heard. Mark. Fossil hunting is easy -- they don't run away when you shoot at them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigred97 Posted July 8, 2019 Author Share Posted July 8, 2019 Yes, then I can sell this one as a Game of Thrones dragon egg - starting to hatch! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kmiecik Posted July 8, 2019 Share Posted July 8, 2019 38 minutes ago, bigred97 said: Yes, then I can sell this one as a Game of Thrones dragon egg - starting to hatch! Yes, I can see it all now. Mark. Fossil hunting is easy -- they don't run away when you shoot at them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigred97 Posted July 8, 2019 Author Share Posted July 8, 2019 I can’t tell what this next one might be. It’s from Braceville. I was thinking it was maybe part of a sea cucumber or shrimp. Then I saw a picture of Anthracophausia ingelsorum and could see some resemblances there as well. I’d appreciate any thoughts from the group. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kmiecik Posted July 8, 2019 Share Posted July 8, 2019 10 minutes ago, bigred97 said: I can’t tell what this next one might be. It’s from Braceville. I was thinking it was maybe part of a sea cucumber or shrimp. Then I saw a picture of Anthracophausia ingelsorum and could see some resemblances there as well. I’d appreciate any thoughts from the group. I don't know. Not familiar enough with that specie. But I did find this feature interesting: Mark. Fossil hunting is easy -- they don't run away when you shoot at them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RCFossils Posted July 8, 2019 Share Posted July 8, 2019 On 7/8/2019 at 5:33 PM, bigred97 said: I can’t tell what this next one might be. It’s from Braceville. I was thinking it was maybe part of a sea cucumber or shrimp. Then I saw a picture of Anthracophausia ingelsorum and could see some resemblances there as well. I’d appreciate any thoughts from the group. This is a shrimp molt. it appears to be Belotelson. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fifbrindacier Posted July 8, 2019 Share Posted July 8, 2019 Wonderful finds bigred97, i wish i had a site like mazon creek nearby. "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...
bigred97 Posted July 8, 2019 Author Share Posted July 8, 2019 27 minutes ago, RCFossils said: This is a shrimp molt. it appears to be Belotelson. Shrimp molt - interesting! Thanks, RC! 10 minutes ago, fifbrindacier said: Wonderful finds bigred97, i wish i had a site like mazon creek nearby. fifbrindacier, thanks! I'm about 2 1/2 hours away which makes it a little tough to get out there all that often, especially with two little boys at home. Sometimes I wish I was closer but then I give myself a shot of perspective - I'm lucky to be as close as I am! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kmiecik Posted July 9, 2019 Share Posted July 9, 2019 I'll buy shrimp molt, but I still want to know what those spikes I highlighted are. I find those more interesting that the rest of the fossil. EDIT: Oh, poop. I just looked at it again. That's the telson, isn't it? Mark. Fossil hunting is easy -- they don't run away when you shoot at them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigred97 Posted July 10, 2019 Author Share Posted July 10, 2019 Mark, I was thinking when I looked at the pictures of Belotelson in Wittry that the part I circled in red below is perhaps the fan tail. It just seems to have the same shape. If so then this would be just the tail end of the molt. In any case, I don't know what the spike you highlighted is. Could it perhaps be a leg that came off with this part of the molt and is turned at a weird angle? Or maybe you are right and that is in fact the end of the tail side, I'm certainly no expert on this topic. Anyhow, thanks for your question, Mark, you've certainly piqued my curiosity! Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kmiecik Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 20 hours ago, bigred97 said: Mark, I was thinking when I looked at the pictures of Belotelson in Wittry that the part I circled in red below is perhaps the fan tail. It just seems to have the same shape. If so then this would be just the tail end of the molt. In any case, I don't know what the spike you highlighted is. Could it perhaps be a leg that came off with this part of the molt and is turned at a weird angle? Or maybe you are right and that is in fact the end of the tail side, I'm certainly no expert on this topic. Anyhow, thanks for your question, Mark, you've certainly piqued my curiosity! Chris Remember that it may be a molt. So a leg that's pressed flat with no internal features to support it will likely become about twice as wide, perhaps more. In addition parts may be flipped, inverted, superimposed, twisted or pointed in an unnatural direction. This is the reason I'm not totally convinced this is a shrimp molt. It may be part of a different arthropod. This is another one of those fossils that I want to hold in hand and examine using a 10x loupe. 1 Mark. Fossil hunting is easy -- they don't run away when you shoot at them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigred97 Posted July 11, 2019 Author Share Posted July 11, 2019 Hi Mark, I did my best to get more detailed pictures. I even used my loupe and took pics through it for some of these. This will take a couple posts, I have 6 pics to post. I think this is the best I can get. If we lived closer I'd drive on over and show it to you! Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigred97 Posted July 11, 2019 Author Share Posted July 11, 2019 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigred97 Posted August 2, 2019 Author Share Posted August 2, 2019 This next one is from Braceville. I thought at first it was just a line but then I saw these tiny, delicate branches coming off of it. They almost look rootlike to me. I really like this one. My best guess based on Wittry is that this is a foliated twig of Lepidodendron. I am interested in what others think. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kmiecik Posted August 3, 2019 Share Posted August 3, 2019 I'm thinking Stigmaria -- root. The irregular lengths of the branching structures suggest root as opposed to twigs which tend to display more regular lengths and intervals. 2 Mark. Fossil hunting is easy -- they don't run away when you shoot at them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stats Posted August 4, 2019 Share Posted August 4, 2019 On 7/9/2019 at 11:46 PM, bigred97 said: Mark, I was thinking when I looked at the pictures of Belotelson in Wittry that the part I circled in red below is perhaps the fan tail. It just seems to have the same shape. If so then this would be just the tail end of the molt. In any case, I don't know what the spike you highlighted is. Could it perhaps be a leg that came off with this part of the molt and is turned at a weird angle? Or maybe you are right and that is in fact the end of the tail side, I'm certainly no expert on this topic. Anyhow, thanks for your question, Mark, you've certainly piqued my curiosity! Chris That is preserved chitin. Looks like from the tail of a shrimp, like noted earlier. Belotelson molt. Cheers, Rich 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigred97 Posted August 5, 2019 Author Share Posted August 5, 2019 On 8/3/2019 at 6:51 PM, Mark Kmiecik said: I'm thinking Stigmaria -- root. The irregular lengths of the branching structures suggest root as opposed to twigs which tend to display more regular lengths and intervals. Thanks, Mark! I thought it looked root-like, so that makes sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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