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My last 6 weeks fossil hunting


Al Tahan

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Hey everyone! 

 

It’s been a crazy busy June, July and beginning of August for me! I just finished moving into my house and I just got married on August 9th so my life has been a tornado. As a result I haven’t been able to comment, participate and keep up with all you fine folks on the forum like I usually do. 

 

I was still able to get out collecting here and there and I met up with fellow forum member  @DrDave and did some exploring for the lower Devonian eurypterid Erieopterus. I won’t report on that until I have something to share. I think me and Dave found the right horizon now I just gotta search till I find something. Anyway I’m just gonna share the highlights from 3 trips to Briggs rd and 3 trips to DSR and a bonus day at Penn Dixie. 

 

Ill do the highlights from Trips on 6/30 7/06 and 7/28 to Briggs rd first. I found some pretty important specimens. Briggs rd is a very interesting site and you can find 3 different species of trilobites here. The Eldredgeops is the most common by far but the greenops and dipleura have made some appearances. 

 

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This has got to be my most impressive greenops in a long time. This is actually a complete specimen!! The pygidium is tucked underneath. I have the right eye safe in a small ziplock bag. It came off in the counterpart and I saved it to try and glue back when I get the nerve. 

 

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here’s a picture of the back. I have the counterpart for the pygidium and I’ll need to glue and prep if I want it perfect. Some of the material is attached to the counterpart. 

 

Im really excited about this specimen because the quality is good enough to compare with the greenops from DSR and Buffalo area. These eastern New York greenops are considered an undescribed species so I’m glad I have something quality I can use to really eye out the differences. 

 

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After @Darktooth and his rock club went to Briggs I happened to be there the next day and found this awesome half specimen of a large dipleura! When I got there I found the body segments in 2 pieces and they looked like they went together. After awhile I came across the counterpart in rubble and realized “where is the cephalon?!” I went nuts looking for it with no luck then decided to try and pry a pieces of the wall off and BOOM! The cephalon was still in the outcrop lol. Super lucky. This was my best dipleura from Briggs so far. I’ve found some nice partials but this is the best I’ve found so far. 

 

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@DrDave was kind enough to gift me this perfect un weathered cephalon. This specimen came from very fresh rock and is nearly perfect. I told Dave I’ve been trying to collect some quality cephalons from Briggs for comparison. I’ve noticed most specimens are usually missing a well preserved exoskeleton. This makes it hard to really compare with the western New York Eldredgeops that grow much much smaller. It’s interesting to me that the greenops are considered a different species and the Eldredgeops are not as you go east across New York State. I’m not here claiming everything is a new species only pointing out the discrepancies in species distribution across the state. Somehow the greenops change species as you go east while the Eldredgeops rana stays the same across the state. It’s not like the Eldredgeops from the east and west are identical either. The eastern New York Eldredgeops can grow to 3 inches! Just food for thought. I think about weird stuff like this a lot ha. 

 

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anyway...here’s a close up of the undamaged cephalon. A tiny amount of with with an air abrasive and the eye detail will be perfect. 

 

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here’s and example of a typical Briggs rd cephalon. The eye lenses are very 3D and preserve well even when the exoskeleton is weathered away. It’s hard getting a fresh specimen. 

 

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just a couple nice cephalopods courtesy of Briggs rd. I love trilobites but I appreciate a quality cephalopod should a complete on present itself lol. 

 

Next is DSR highlights! Phyllocarids on the menu :) 

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Here are a few highlights from my DSR trips on 6/30 7/06 and 7/28. 

 

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Pretty sure this is a rhinocaris phyllocarid in rough shape. Looks like it was partially destroyed prior to preservation. Please correct me if I am wrong. 

 

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This looked like a small rhinocaris phyllocarid due to the appearance of “cracks” on the exoskeleton....you don’t see that in bivalves. 

 

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I’m actually not 100% sure what this is. Anyone have a guess? It’s oval in shape with a raised grove down the center and one end is pointed? I have a few hunches but I’m not willing to make a guess here haha. Anyone have a clue?

 

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this was a cool cephalon. Got split down and middle and slightly separated during burial somehow. 

 

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I haven’t found much as far as dipleura goes from DSR but here are a few pygidiums and a damaged cephalon....nothing good really. Dr dave scored a complete!!

 

Look what @DrDave found!

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Best I’ve seen in awhile. Nice find dave! I’m very jealous. I don’t think Dave shared this specimen so I’m doing it for him! Soak in the credit dave! Killer specimen. The other part of the cephalon is folded under. 

 

Im going to share with you 2 pygidiums I collected at DSR and let you be the judge. 

 

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Here is a close up of a DSR greenops pygidium. 

 

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Here is another DSR Greenops pygidium. Take note of the middle of the pygidiums. I see a difference.....just saying :headscratch:

 

Lastly some associated fauna.

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Just my nice finds.

 

Next I’ll wrap it up with a few specimens from a short trip to Penn Dixie. 

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To wrap it up here are 3 decent specimens from a short trip to Penn Dixie. 

 

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Its been a super busy month!! Finally I have the most busy stuff behind me and I can enjoy the rest of my summer lol. When I get more time I’ll share more about my lower Devonian Eurypterid hunting. No finds yet lol. 

 

So I did get married a few days ago. It was a 2 day wedding. Cambodian style the first day and American style the 2nd. 

 

 

These aren’t fossil pictures but everyone here on the forum are very kind and friendly so I feel comfortable sharing these 2 photos with everyone :) 

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Thanks for reading my recent adventures with fossils and in life!! 

 

Al :) 

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Congratulations, Al!

Best wishes to you and your wife.  :)   :yay-smiley-1:


Great report and finds. :wub: 

The first two suspected phyllocarids are definitely Rhinocaris.

I think your mystery item is also a phyllocarid,  possibly Tropidocaris bicarinata .

 

Tropidocarisbicarinata.JPG

 

 

I think I may have found a few of those as well. 

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    Tim    VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

   MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png      PaleoPartner.png.30c01982e09b0cc0b7d9d6a7a21f56c6.png.a600039856933851eeea617ca3f2d15f.png     Postmaster1.jpg.900efa599049929531fa81981f028e24.jpg    VFOTM.png.f1b09c78bf88298b009b0da14ef44cf0.png  VFOTM APRIL - 2015  

__________________________________________________
"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."
John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~   ><))))( *>  About Me      

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@Fossildude19 I had a feeling I was dealing with a possible phyllocarid so I had it with them....I’ll have to look in Linsleys book!! And Thanks Tim we are very happy :)

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7 hours ago, Al Tahan said:

E51168F7-64D9-4119-883B-64E754732848.thumb.jpeg.3bea5f55bea2794ee2803ca1b31a8865.jpeg

 I love the detail in this eye. Amazing! :wub:

 

 It’s good to hear from you again Al! Great report as always! 

 

I guess getting married and moving into a new house is a good enough excuse to be away from all of us fine folk. We will let it slide just this once. Just kidding! :P

 

Congratulations to you and your wife! May you have many happy years together! 

 

 

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The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it.  -Neil deGrasse Tyson

 

Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don't. -Bill Nye (The Science Guy)

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Congratulations, Al! I always enjoy reading your trip reports and your wedding pictures and new bride are absolutely lovely! Best wishes for a lifelong, happy marriage!

 

~ Tracey

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Lovely wedding photos :yay-smiley-1:

and trilobites.

 

Congrats John

 

 

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Be happy while you're living for you're a long time dead.

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All I can say is enjoy your last 6 weeks. Oh, the things we give up for the women we love. :heartylaugh:

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Mark.

 

Fossil hunting is easy -- they don't run away when you shoot at them!

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Congratulations, Al, on the amazing fossil finds, but more importantly, on getting married!!!!!!!!!!

 

(Of your fossil finds, I like your cephalopods the best, especially the Spyroceras on the right :))

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Congratulations on the double nuptuals. Not everyone gets married twice within two days :D And thanks for the trip report. Great finds! Looking forward to seeing them when the final preps are done.

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Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger

http://www.steinkern.de/

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@RJB @FossilNerd the eyes on the Eldredgeops at Briggs really pop! 

 

@dalmayshun @BLT @t-tree @Mark Kmiecik @Monica @Ludwigia

 

Thanks for the very kind words everyone! I wish I could thank you all individually but I'm limited on time. I’m in Maine on my hunnymoon :). Quality time with the wife........not a fossil to be found here lol

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@Al TahanLots of great finds there Al. But I think your best score is the one wearing the white dress.:)

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Dipleurawhisperer5.jpg

I like Trilo-butts and I cannot lie.

 

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4 minutes ago, Al Tahan said:

Quality time with the wife........not a fossil to be found here lol

Somehow I feel like that was your wife’s plan all along. You had to go somewhere without fossils so you don't wander off. Otherwise you would be in a creek somewhere digging out trilobites!  Lol

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The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it.  -Neil deGrasse Tyson

 

Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don't. -Bill Nye (The Science Guy)

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Maine does have some great mineral collecting in the town of West Paris. Just saying.:)

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Dipleurawhisperer5.jpg

I like Trilo-butts and I cannot lie.

 

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There is a family owned Rockshop in the town that owns 4-5 different sites. They give you a map to the locales and dont charge. I found some decent stuff at two of the mines. Schorl tourmaline, garnets, Mica etc.

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Dipleurawhisperer5.jpg

I like Trilo-butts and I cannot lie.

 

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@Darktooth thanks!! Went to a pegmatite mine today near west parks. you're right....the girl in the white dress was the catch lol...she put up with my mica fever today.

 

@Pemphix thanks :) 

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3 minutes ago, Al Tahan said:

@Darktooth thanks!! Went to a pegmatite mine today near west parks. you're right....the girl in the white dress was the catch lol...she put up with my mica fever today.

 

@Pemphix thanks :) 

If you went to the same mine that I did, the mica crystals sometimes have small Tourmaline crystals inside of them. To find out you have to take a knife and separate the mica blades. 

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Dipleurawhisperer5.jpg

I like Trilo-butts and I cannot lie.

 

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Congratulations Al on your wedding and some excellent finds from Briggs and DSR. I especially love your rhinocarids and the complete Greenops. The partial Dipleura is definitely a keeper.

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Nice fossils, and happy wedding ! :default_clap2::default_clap2: (Nice pics !).

 

Coco

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----------------------
OUTIL POUR MESURER VOS FOSSILES : ici

Ma bibliothèque PDF 1 (Poissons et sélaciens récents & fossiles) : ici
Ma bibliothèque PDF 2 (Animaux vivants - sans poissons ni sélaciens) : ici
Mâchoires sélaciennes récentes : ici
Hétérodontiques et sélaciens : ici
Oeufs sélaciens récents : ici
Otolithes de poissons récents ! ici

Un Greg...

Badges-IPFOTH.jpg.f4a8635cda47a3cc506743a8aabce700.jpg Badges-MOTM.jpg.461001e1a9db5dc29ca1c07a041a1a86.jpg

 

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