Cole Hill, DSR 9/28/19..And more.

[Al Tahan]

Hey everyone!

 

I finally had a day to go out and enjoy a Saturday fossil hunting with no time limit!! I decided to check 2 middle Devonian locations that have yielded nice dipleura specimens in the past. I’m still looking for “that one” specimen....eventually I’ll find one. I didn’t find the trilobite I tasked myself to find but I did find awesome stuff on Saturday . 

 

So here is a little trip report from Saturday September 28, 2019 plus some extra stuff I found earlier in the month. I’ll throw it in at the end. 

 

 

I got up really early so I could get to Cole Hill by sunrise. I had 2 sites in mind from the start. My new house is now only 30 minutes away from CHR which was a nice surprise! 

 

Early morning view 

 

I’ve had some tough outings at Cole Hill. This rock is so hard!!! I’ve tried clearing overburden just to get to more immovable rock. Anytime I get things moving I find something decent so that was the goal. Find rock that moves!!  

 

I ended up finding a spot way off the main outcrop and I got to work. I immediately found a plate with 5 cephalons!! It’s not being very photogenic so I took a picture after making them wet. 

 

 

the right shot shows 4 cephalons stacked in between the white scale bars....the left one shows the 5 hidden cephalon that Is under another cephalon. The bottom piece is just a cheek but could continue I’m not sure. Not very photogenic but rare to find an assemblage like that. 

 

I was able to find an area with more weathered rock and I found around a dozen cephalons!!! These are the better and bigger ones. I have a few nice juveniles but they are half covered in rock. 

 

I liked these 2 a lot. The left one is very 3D (also came in 10 pieces lol) and the right one  has all the cephalon margins intact!! 

 

some nicer pygidiums I found. I found 7-10 total in various conditions. 

 

 

I found a lot of associated fauna as well!! The Gastropods came from mostly one bedding plane. The same spot I found the cephalon hash plate these were not far behind littered all over. 

I also found a bunch of bivalves! Way more than I usually do. I collected more on this trip than I have in the past. The rock kept moving and I kept finding!! 

 

After I worked the shelf back far enough I decided I wasn’t going to try and find a new spot. 4 hours of collecting and it was time to go to Deep Springs Rd. Even though I didn’t find exactly what I was after I found lots of amazing specimens compared to past trips . Kept my finder crossed that DSR would be as kind. 

 

DSR next post.....

 

[Al Tahan]

When I got to DSR I was really “arthropod motivated” haha. I’ve been noticing a trend at DSR on where some of the greenops and phyllocarids have been showing up so I went to the same spot. 

 

I think I was there 5 minutes and broke open a neglected slab and found a great greenops!!! Great for me at least haha. 

 

Unfortunately almost every time I split open on one of these greenops I lose some exoskeleton. They just don’t have that thick exterior like their western New York friends. I’ll take it though. Still a nice fossil and when dreams come true (aka get a prep lab together) it will look better lol. 

 

I found a few bivalves and poked around for a few more minutes then... 

 

Echinocaris punctata

I found this truly amazing, significant phyllocarid....again...discard pile....I found the top piece first and lost my mind. It was so muddy but I knew what it was. Not too long after I found the bottom piece which is the counter part to the missing part of this specimen. I also found the other counter part in situ!! I made an error and damaged it trying to get it out but I at least had the specimen side. 

 

 

This is how the 2 pieces I found fit together. On the left you can see how it fits perfectly over the part that I’m missing. On the right this is the underside. Perfect little void for a slice (hopefully 1 piece) of rock to fit where I need it to complete the phyllocarid. I literally took home 5 things from DSR because I spent the whole trip looking for this piece. I need to find it!!!! Or I will have to make a mold somehow. 

 

Does anyone have the other half to this or know anyone who has gone to DSR recently and found a “bivalve” or phyllocarid. The other 70% I found was on a discarded slab that was moved 2 feet from where it was pulled out by someone. They may have found the piece I’m missing. 

 

I found it in the muddy patch pictured on the left. Someone took a slab and threw it on the slope (right pic). It’s right when you pull into the quarry. First spot. 

 

 

I would gladly trade or more for it....take a pic and show your fossil friends!! Gotta find that piece...it was not at DSR. I hope it’s not destroyed. 

 

 

I haven’t led on yet and if you didn’t see from the first photos but this phyllocarid has mandibles just like @DrDave had on a specimen he found recently. I would say it confirms his find and makes what I’m seeing with my eyes make more sense. 

 

Take a peek up at the top of the specimen. 

 

this gives a better look with the lighting....look at them choppers!!! 

 

 This blows my mind......

 

Hopefully someone found the part I’m looking for and are willing to trade. For now I can deal with 70% and the other 30% as a counterpart. 

 

 

Thats it for this trip report. I found lots of dipleura pieces but no articulated specimens at Cole Hill. I was lucky to find that greenops so fast then ecstatic to find the phyllocarid but haunted by the mystery. Time will tell  

 

Al

 

 

[Al Tahan]

As promised here is a few pictures from another fossil hunt from the beginning of the month. Every couple months I get after Eurypterids. This year has been lucky unlike my past. I’ve been busy lately and was fortunate to even get out searching.  It was short (2 hours) but sweet.  

 

Some fragments are always welcome....

 

Few nicer pieces. 

 

I have a rock saw now so I can trim obnoxiously large pieces. I’ve cut down a few but I need to do some more. Those were my favorite prosomas. 

 

I can’t believe I found this!! For hardly getting out recently I got very very lucky. 

 

Pretty sure the right paddle is still there.....I’ll need an air scribe and some courage lol. I love the fact you can see some walking legs too. Anatomy freak over here!!! 

 

Ok thats all for real. 

Hope everyone enjoyed and thank you for reading!

 

 

[Wrangellian]

Great stuff. I know what it's like to be wasting a lot of time looking for that missing piece. As Chris Jenkins said to me last month up at the trilobite site, when I went looking for a missing piece, "you'll never find it". I know from experience that he's right... but you never know: a miracle might happen. Good on you for reaching out to try this.

[FossilNerd]

Great report and nice finds Al! I’m envious of the Eurypterids from your second trip! Especially the last one pictured!

 

Your find of phyllocarid is intriguing... Unfortunately, I have to confess that I’m not familiar enough with their anatomy to be able it see the mandibles you are talking about. Or maybe it’s because it’s 1am here and I’m up with a sick baby and bleary eyed. I don’t doubt your statement, as historically you are very knowledgeable about your finds, but could you possibly outline on your picture what a layperson like me should be looking at? It’s a very cool find regardless of my ignorance! I hope you fine the missing piece! 

[Al Tahan]

@FossilNerd thanks!!! That Eurypterid was awesome cause it wasn’t so small like my June Eurypterid lol. 

 

I was going to post a picture of a phyllocarid diagram for reference. I’ve only seen mandibles separate. This is the second time I’ve seen this “claw” like mandible on a phyllocarid from DSR. I’ve googled complete phyllocarid specimen and never could find mandibles in place. 

 

Here are a few pictures to help...I’m sure this will help others too. I should have done this before. Sorry about that.

 

 

basically phyllocarids are weird looking arthropods....very weird hahah. This genus Echinocaris has the features above. Phyllocarids have a carapace that’s in 2 “half’s” for lack of a better term. Then they have some tail segments and a split telson stinger. I have a perfect half carapace I found back in June.

 

My June specimen with a diagram. 

 

 

Here is my newest find again. 

The left carapace is still a little covered in rock and the right carapace is missing a large portion. Hopefully you can see the orientation.

 

 

lastly I drew on the picture to help as well. 

 

Top left is zoomed in untouched and below I outlined the mandibles. 

 

Top right I outlined the general shape of the carapace. Bottom right I drew some fake mandibles in that diagram to Shaw what I would have had if I wasn’t missing a piece. 

 

Hope this helps 

 

 

[Al Tahan]

Thanks @Wrangellian I figure I have a better chance at knowing a fossil visitor than not . 

[RandyB]

Congratulations on a nice double trip Al and good luck on your quest for the missing piece.

 

As usual your eurypterid whispering is astounding and I am hoping the right paddle in that last one is complete. 

[FossilNerd]

@Al Tahan

 

Wow! Thanks for the detailed explanation! I could tell where the carapace was in your specimen, and knew from your description that you were missing part of the right side, but the rest was looking a bit jumbled to me and I couldn’t make heads or tails of it. I can see the mandible now!  

[Al Tahan]

@FossilNerd I had the same exact issue with Dave’s phyllocarid. My eyes were like broke and it took a dozen photos from Dave until I finally saw the form in the jumble......phyllocarids....mother nature’s Picasso?? 

[Al Tahan]

@RandyB thanks randy!!! 

[FossilNerd]

14 minutes ago, Al Tahan said:

mother nature’s Picasso

I’d say that’s an accurate description! Lol 

[Fossildude19]

Nice finds, Al !  

[Jeffrey P]

Congratulations Al. That disarticulated phyllocarid looks very interesting and there are some really nice partial eurypterids there. You also made out big with all of those Dipleura cephalons. Over all nice score. That you live so close to those great sites is a tremendous advantage for a collector like you. I haven't even been to Cole Hill yet this year. 

[RJB]

  Not quite my cup of tea but I can tell by how rare some of these things are to find is where your excitement comes from.  Great report too.   Good luck on finding someone who has the piece you need. 

 

RB

[Mark Kmiecik]

Nice finds. Congrats and thanks for sharing the trip with us.

[RuMert]

Fantastic Eurypterids and other arthropods

[Darktooth]

Great stuff @Al Tahan! That's a whole lotta Dipleura bits.

[Monica]

Beautiful stuff, especially that last eurypterid - WOW!!! 

[Paul1719]

Al, great finds!

[Al Tahan]

@RJB yes they are very ugly lol. Not sure why but I find these rare arthropods a treat! Lol 

 

@Fossildude19

Thanks!

 

 

@Jeffrey P thanks Jeff! I’d like to see what you have found over the years. Have you found any with mandibles? Curious for comparison  

 

@Mark Kmiecik

@RuMert

@Paul1719

Thanks!! 

 

@Darktooth

Thanks Dave. That place isn’t usually so nice lol

 

@Monica thanks monica!!

 

[Wrangellian]

21 hours ago, Al Tahan said:

Thanks @Wrangellian I figure I have a better chance at knowing a fossil visitor than not . 

Yes.. with a small site and other collectors who are Forum members (some of them?), then you have a chance. This is not the case over here!

BTW the diagrams helped me too.

I'm with you - it doesn't have to be big and flashy to catch my interest; odd and/or rare will do it! And phyllocarids are odd and at least uncommon. For me they're exotic because we don't find them over here.

[t-tree]

Great finds and the Eurypterid is a beauty 

 

Cheers John

 

[Al Tahan]

Thanks @t-tree

[Jeffrey P]

On 9/30/2019 at 9:00 PM, Al Tahan said:

@RJB yes they are very ugly lol. Not sure why but I find these rare arthropods a treat! Lol 

 

@Fossildude19

Thanks!

 

 

@Jeffrey P thanks Jeff! I’d like to see what you have found over the years. Have you found any with mandibles? Curious for comparison  

 

@Mark Kmiecik

@RuMert

@Paul1719

Thanks!! 

 

@Darktooth

Thanks Dave. That place isn’t usually so nice lol

 

@Monica thanks monica!!

 

Hi Al. I looked through my phyllocarid collection again, a half dozen specimens; 2 from the Upper Ludlowville and 4 from the Windom Shale, and none appear to show the mandibles. I'm guessing it is a relatively rare phenomena for those which were located underneath the carapace to be exposed. A 3D example like Dr. Dave's or yours which is partly disarticulated have any chance of exposing them. Truly a unique and special find. Congratulations.