Carboniferous Fauna display of Tightwad, Missouri

[Jackson g]

So for some time, I've had an interesting idea of displaying multiple types of fossils from the same area together in the same display case. I ended coming up with this quick and easy idea, though it was many months in the making. I found the box itself on Amazon.  LINK

It's nice because it has a soft velvet lining with the grid itself being removable and customizable, so you can display things how you want. A lot of my finds here in Missouri are smaller marine invertebrates, so this box worked well. I'm rather proud of myself on how this turned out. Brachiopods, bryozoans, blastoids, gastropods, corals, and crinoids all made it in this display, and were all found at the same location. All of these fossils came from a little town called Tightwad, Missouri. Missouri has a variety of Carboniferous fossils here, and almost nobody collects them around here from what I see. (I often get weird looks from people when they see me with my pick and my eyes fixed to the ground.) But alas, fossil hunting is a great addiction to have in my eyes because every day is a treasure hunt.

 

 

[Fossildude19]

Cool idea and display.  

[Mahnmut]

Great collection!

I would also like to see them in some kind of diorama, but your way gives an impression of the abundance of your region.

Cheers,

J

[Rockin' Ric]

Nice!

[Jackson g]

Thank you all for the kind words! 

On 8/2/2019 at 3:26 AM, Mahnmut said:

Great collection!

I would also like to see them in some kind of diorama, but your way gives an impression of the abundance of your region.

Cheers,

J

Now that is definitely a great idea! Box 2 is in the works, but that may get scrapped for the diorama idea!

[Randyw]

11 hours ago, Jackson g said:

Thank you all for the kind words! 

Now that is definitely a great idea! Box 2 is in the works, but that may get scrapped for the diorama idea!

Looking forward to seeing how it comes out. 

box 1 looks good and is a great idea!

[Jackson g]

So instead of doing a Box #2 immediately, I decided to maximize the space in my Box #1. I literally cannot cram anything more into this display if I tried. It was tough to get a good photo to fit the forum. Everything here again comes from just outside the great little town of Tightwad, Missouri (Mississippian in geologic age). I am pretty proud of this end result, though I thought I was initially the first time! Box #2 is in the works now.

[Wrangellian]

Looks good! I must have missed this one first time around.  You do have an abundance of fossils in your area...

I don't think I would (or could) do this with the fossils in my area, partly because I might not be able to stand the idea of my finds jumbled up against one another like that (guess I'm just a persnickety specimen collector) but also I just don't have such an abundance, and even if I did everything would be black shale!.. but it does make for an attractive paleo-smorgasbord in your case.

 

BTW I don't recall if I ever asked you if you knew what stage of the Mississippian your Warsaw and Burligton Fms are part of?

[minnbuckeye]

I love the fossils no matter how they are displayed!!  Tightwad seemed like an unkind name of a town. Here is what I found: 

 

The village's unusual name is said to stem from an episode in which a store owner cheated a customer, who was a postman, by charging him an extra 50 cents for a better watermelon. Some sources claim the transaction involved a rooster rather than a watermelon.^[7

[Jackson g]

On 5/14/2020 at 5:42 AM, Wrangellian said:

Looks good! I must have missed this one first time around.  You do have an abundance of fossils in your area...

I don't think I would (or could) do this with the fossils in my area, partly because I might not be able to stand the idea of my finds jumbled up against one another like that (guess I'm just a persnickety specimen collector) but also I just don't have such an abundance, and even if I did everything would be black shale!.. but it does make for an attractive paleo-smorgasbord in your case.

 

BTW I don't recall if I ever asked you if you knew what stage of the Mississippian your Warsaw and Burligton Fms are part of?

I just wanted a nice collage of critters! It's a little project I've been working on for over a year. I do have a lot of single specimens set aside in drawers, but thats (for me) no fun. Stage wise, I'm not sure if I ever said so or not. I have a good picture saved to my phone in case I ever forget, lol.

[Wrangellian]

Thanks, that's what I was looking for.