Manticocerasman Posted June 22, 2019 Share Posted June 22, 2019 It has been a while since we went to my favorite hunting spot near Chimay in Belgium, so I was realy eager to go back when we got there we had a little surprise, the whole back of the quarry was transformed in a motor cicle trail, apparantly this sunday there wil be a race and a lot of the bikers were prospecting the trail on foot in preparation of the race. luckily this didnt hinder us on our search, and this opend even opportunities since they dug through some of the stoone piles to make the trail thus revieling new material to go through, although we were careful not to dammage the trail. my first find was a strange large nodule covered in mud, at first vieuw it looked to be a big goniatite, and since it was found near the car I directly put it in the trunk without giving it further ispection. after looking on the sides of the new tracks we went to the big scree where we usually hunt, the heavy rains from the past few weeks cleared a lot out and we did find a few very well preserved goniatites. On the top of the scree pile Natalie found a huge specimen: a goniatite of around 40cm an not far from it I found a 2nd large one . we had a very sccesful field trip today with great wether conditions ( mabey a little to hot ) and excelent finds. my biggest surprise was when I drove home, I stopped at a self carwash to clean of the mud of the big specimens with a high pressure cleaner. The first mud coverd nodule that I put in the car wasn't a goniatite, but a nodule with 3 nautiloids on it, 2 incomplete, but a big one in the center. A vieuw on the race track: A toad hiding in the rubble. Natalie at the spot where she found the big goniatite: the huge specimen she found: and a 2nd one : A lot of life in the pools in the quarry: A realy nice Manticoceras sp waiting for me more shales and limestone to go through: A stop for water and snacks after the hunt, and of course a lot of local beers on sale "Chimay" beer: the large specimens after the high pressure cleaner: the surprise Nautiloids after the mud was removed: I still have alot of unpacking to do and prepp work in the next few days. I'll post updates in this post. 11 growing old is mandatory but growing up is optional. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Amateur Paleontologist Posted June 22, 2019 Share Posted June 22, 2019 (edited) Great report, great site, and of course, great finds!! -Christian Edited June 22, 2019 by The Amateur Paleontologist 2 Opalised fossils are the best: a wonderful mix between paleontology and mineralogy! Q. Where do dinosaurs study? A. At Khaan Academy!... My ResearchGate profile Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Tahan Posted June 22, 2019 Share Posted June 22, 2019 Love the stuff you get to hunt!!! I have a soft spot for cephalopods 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manticocerasman Posted June 23, 2019 Author Share Posted June 23, 2019 Update: a few of the other goniatites: 5 growing old is mandatory but growing up is optional. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted June 23, 2019 Share Posted June 23, 2019 Sweet finds! Congratulations on the wonderful hunt. 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...
Monica Posted June 24, 2019 Share Posted June 24, 2019 Great goniatites!!! Wonderful finds (as usual, it seems!) - looking forward to seeing what they look like post-prep... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted June 24, 2019 Share Posted June 24, 2019 Nice finds! Looking forward to seeing them prepped. 1 Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manticocerasman Posted June 24, 2019 Author Share Posted June 24, 2019 7 hours ago, ynot said: Sweet finds! Congratulations on the wonderful hunt. 6 hours ago, Monica said: Great goniatites!!! Wonderful finds (as usual, it seems!) - looking forward to seeing what they look like post-prep... 5 hours ago, Ludwigia said: Nice finds! Looking forward to seeing them prepped. Thx everyone I'am curently working on the big Crickites sp. that Natalie found. on the field it just looked like a big nodule, but it starts to come out realy nicely. This going to be the biggest specimen in our collection. 6 growing old is mandatory but growing up is optional. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeargleSchmeargl Posted June 24, 2019 Share Posted June 24, 2019 YUUUUGE goniatites! Noice! BTW, what race was it they were having? Was it some kind of big event? 1 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...
Manticocerasman Posted June 24, 2019 Author Share Posted June 24, 2019 13 minutes ago, MeargleSchmeargl said: YUUUUGE goniatites! Noice! BTW, what race was it they were having? Was it some kind of big event? they were preparing for a motocross race, I talked with a few people walking down the tracks, the event was planned the day after we went for the fossil hunt. Luckily we didn't go there on sunday or we would have been in for a big surprise there were expecting around 350 participants. growing old is mandatory but growing up is optional. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeargleSchmeargl Posted June 24, 2019 Share Posted June 24, 2019 Just now, Manticocerasman said: they were preparing for a motocross race, I talked with a few people walking down the tracks, the event was planned the day after we went for the fossil hunt. Luckily we didn't go there on sunday or we would have been in for a big surprise there were expecting around 350 participants. Was it televised? 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...
Manticocerasman Posted June 24, 2019 Author Share Posted June 24, 2019 25 minutes ago, MeargleSchmeargl said: Was it televised? I don't think so. there wilprobably be vids online later this week. 1 growing old is mandatory but growing up is optional. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Amateur Paleontologist Posted June 24, 2019 Share Posted June 24, 2019 1 hour ago, Manticocerasman said: Beautiful specimen! Thanks for the update -Christian 3 Opalised fossils are the best: a wonderful mix between paleontology and mineralogy! Q. Where do dinosaurs study? A. At Khaan Academy!... My ResearchGate profile Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeargleSchmeargl Posted June 24, 2019 Share Posted June 24, 2019 53 minutes ago, Manticocerasman said: I don't think so. there wilprobably be vids online later this week. Found a video of the event from last year. Dunno if it's the same place. 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...
Manticocerasman Posted June 24, 2019 Author Share Posted June 24, 2019 4 minutes ago, MeargleSchmeargl said: Found a video of the event from last year. Dunno if it's the same place. No, that's a different spot, but in the same area. growing old is mandatory but growing up is optional. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffrey P Posted June 24, 2019 Share Posted June 24, 2019 More great finds by you and Natalie. Congratulations to both of you. Boy I'd love to go there someday. Can't wait to see them all prepped. Those you've done already are truly magnificent. Thanks for sharing. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manticocerasman Posted June 24, 2019 Author Share Posted June 24, 2019 Update: I finished the prepp of the huge Crickites sp. At first I was septical at the level of preservtion, but during the prepp it turned out great. The specimen is compressed , but this is to be expected on such a large specimen. credits to @Natalie81 who found the fossil. The endresult 10 growing old is mandatory but growing up is optional. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossisle Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 Wow that is a monster!! 2 Cephalopods rule!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeargleSchmeargl Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 6 hours ago, Manticocerasman said: I wonder is this specific one was the pet of a placoderm the same way dogs are pets for us... 2 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...
Manticocerasman Posted June 25, 2019 Author Share Posted June 25, 2019 The 2nd big goniatite turns out to be a desaster: compresed. Incomplete.. so i turned my attention to some smaller specimens. this one is worn but nice. 4 growing old is mandatory but growing up is optional. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deutscheben Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 Holy cow, that's a giant! The prep turned out very well, great job. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goatinformationist Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 Well I never! Guys it looks like we have arrived at the point where a new "Best of the month" designation must be made. Finding fossils at a race track? That has got to be worth a best of, something. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilDAWG Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 I do hope the race track is a temporary thing. One of the best and most accessible Cretaceous fossil sites on Vancouver Island (the Nanaimo shale pit) has become a permanent motocross operation and it is gated, locked, and posted so no more fossil collecting. Don 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manticocerasman Posted June 25, 2019 Author Share Posted June 25, 2019 The track is temporary. The were made at the back of the quarry. The still use that spot to dump the shist and limestone not fit for exploitation, but very good for fossil hunting growing old is mandatory but growing up is optional. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffrey P Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 That big goniatite sure is awesome. Congratulations on an incredible prep job. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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