Randyw Posted June 6, 2019 Share Posted June 6, 2019 Hi. i recently purchased the “little pile of stuff” in the for sale section. And as I was looking over the slab I’m finding “heads” off of 5 trilobites (you can see one on upper right corner of the picture) and I’m getting more and more excited when I notice a discoloration on the side. So I carefully split it there. At first I’m thinking “oh cool! A leaf!” But as I’m looking at it I notice the strange structures right at the edge..now I’m not so sure anymore. What the heck did I luck into? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randyw Posted June 6, 2019 Author Share Posted June 6, 2019 It almost reminds me of a cyclobatis but I know it can’t be that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pemphix Posted June 6, 2019 Share Posted June 6, 2019 May we have more infos about strata, location, size etc., pls. ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted June 6, 2019 Share Posted June 6, 2019 Looks like some jumbled trilo-bits to me. Enlarged and brightened: 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...
AJ58 Posted June 6, 2019 Share Posted June 6, 2019 It looks like stingray but I don't know if thay are same age as trilobites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted June 6, 2019 Share Posted June 6, 2019 3 hours ago, AJ58 said: It looks like stingray but I don't know if thay are same age as trilobites. They aren't. 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...
Auspex Posted June 6, 2019 Share Posted June 6, 2019 4 hours ago, Fossildude19 said: Looks like some jumbled trilo-bits I can see it as a fragment of arthropod exuvia. "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randyw Posted June 6, 2019 Author Share Posted June 6, 2019 6 hours ago, Pemphix said: May we have more infos about strata, location, size etc., pls. ? Unfortunately the seller didn’t have any information on it at all. Other then it was a Nevada trilobite. And I could see it as a cluster of bits but that doesn’t explain the carbon imprint around it.....I’m confused. Could the trilobite be faked and the piece is really Eocene in age?... I need to study this further. Thanks for all the replies so far you’re giving me other avenues to explore. The carbon outline doesn’t match exuvia though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randyw Posted June 6, 2019 Author Share Posted June 6, 2019 I need to dig out my higher power magnifying glasses! LOL! I’m so stoked! the mystery alone is worth the price I paid for it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sagebrush Steve Posted June 6, 2019 Share Posted June 6, 2019 The piece looks like it might have come from the Oak Springs Trilobite Site near Caliente, Nevada. That would make it Cambrian, and the trilobite most likely Olenellus. Here is a thread I posted awhile back about something similar I found at that site. See the comments from the expert I wrote to about what it might be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randyw Posted June 7, 2019 Author Share Posted June 7, 2019 17 hours ago, Fossildude19 said: Looks like some jumbled trilo-bits to me. Enlarged and brightened: Ok I took my higher power magnifying jewelers loud to it. They are not jumbled trilobits. They look like some kind of internal structure or “plates” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randyw Posted June 7, 2019 Author Share Posted June 7, 2019 @Sagebrush Steve the trilobites May be olenellus although the head barbs look a little too long for that. There is one in there that I’m pretty sure is an olenellus. The trilobites are real. I can see some similarities to what you posted but I don’t see the strong center line of the tail? Backbone? Stem? Or the internal structures. If you look at the stain/carbon print closely you see where it basically forms a body outline. I’m not leaning towards skate or ray anymore so much the internal structures don’t look quite right and there’s no sign of the bones that should be around the perimeter of the outline Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sagebrush Steve Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 Another possibility could be an ooid or pisoid, which are sedimentary concretions that form around a nucleus: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ooid. They have been found in the Cambrian deposits in Nevada. In this case the nucleus could be a trilobite molt. It does look like there could be a cephalon in the upper right center. That could also explain the “wing” sticking off to the side. But I’m no expert in this area. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randyw Posted June 7, 2019 Author Share Posted June 7, 2019 Yes there are 5 trilobites Cephalons and one whole trilobite on the piece but once again there are no trilobite pieces in the “form” the wing you are mentioning are 3 pieces of “bone” “ plate” whatever it is laying together Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sagebrush Steve Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 This is an interesting piece. Could you post better photos of the trilobites? That would help us determine the age of the piece. If they are Olenellus, then the age is Cambrian. That would eliminate the possibility of bone or leaf. Also, it would be nice to see the whole trilobite. Olenellus cephalons are fairly common, full trilobites much less so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randyw Posted June 7, 2019 Author Share Posted June 7, 2019 The seller I got it from has just informed me that he believes its cambrian and possibly part of the pioche? Shale.... I’m not sure it’s olenellus the genial spines seems a little long to me. But I’ll see if I can get picture of both the whole trilobite and the cephalons. The trilobite are just as I received them. I haven’t had a chance to work on them yet. I just split the piece. I’m loving the mystery! LOL! If you discount the “stain” it reminds me kind of an armored fish... tail with a bare hint of a caudal fin and a mass of plates. It doesn’t help that I think it split right through the middle so the bottom part is on one side and the top part is on the other. I’ll post some more pictures in just a minute Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randyw Posted June 7, 2019 Author Share Posted June 7, 2019 The one I got it from bought it from someone else who would not divulge their secret spot. It looks like they tried to clean up the trilobite and the cephalons some. These are the best pics I could get sorry 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piranha Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 Middle Cambrian, Chisholm Shale, Pioche, Nevada 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randyw Posted June 7, 2019 Author Share Posted June 7, 2019 That’s them exactly! Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randyw Posted June 8, 2019 Author Share Posted June 8, 2019 We’re making great progress here! We’ve identified the trilobites and the time frame! That seriously cuts down the possibilities thank you to everyone that’s contributed to this I’d mission so far! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sagebrush Steve Posted June 8, 2019 Share Posted June 8, 2019 3 hours ago, Randyw said: The seller I got it from has just informed me that he believes its cambrian and possibly part of the pioche? Shale.... I’m not sure it’s olenellus the genial spines seems a little long to me. But I’ll see if I can get picture of both the whole trilobite and the cephalons. The trilobite are just as I received them. I haven’t had a chance to work on them yet. I just split the piece. I’m loving the mystery! LOL! If you discount the “stain” it reminds me kind of an armored fish... tail with a bare hint of a caudal fin and a mass of plates. It doesn’t help that I think it split right through the middle so the bottom part is on one side and the top part is on the other. I’ll post some more pictures in just a minute That’s what I thought. The Pioche shale is what you find at the Oak Springs Trilobite Site and the surrounding area. Here is one paper you might find useful: Cambrian Strat-Paleo-N-Ariz-S-Nev - small.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randyw Posted June 8, 2019 Author Share Posted June 8, 2019 Interesting reading but a little dry LOL! But it’s centered on trilobites and only makes a passing mention of other fossils being found but doesn’t list them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now