Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'cambrian'.
-
For some times like the Silurian or Cambrian, how would one break it into Upper/middle/lower? Thanks.
-
Hi What is this worm fossil? Best wishes Daniel Location: Chenijang biota
-
A couple of weeks ago we returned from a two week trip to Queensland. I have thousands of photos to go through so will just be sharing snippets of the trip here for now, but will have lots more photos to post once I start preparing things. The majority of our trip was spent in the Eromanga Basin, a very extensive Mesozoic basin covering much of Queensland and some parts of other states. After this, we spent a couple of days at a Cambrian site for trilobites. After two days of driving we reached our first destination in central QLD. This area is well known for early Cretaceous crabs and ammonites, particularly on one property near the town we stayed in. Friends who have visited this site seemed to hold it in high regard, they said they walked through the fields picking up nodules which were full of crabs. We didn't get our hopes up out of fear of disappointment, but it turned out our friends weren't exaggerating! We spent our first couple of hours following a dry creek bed which had occasional nodules containing crabs and shells. A few crabs and ammonites were found between us, and we were extremely happy! But then, I went for a walk up a hill to see if there was anything else of interest. Slightly up the hill from where we were was a horizon which was clearly the source of the nodules, the ground was littered with them! This horizon could be traced for kilometres and proved to be extremely productive. Overall, we found dozens of crabs, ammonites and even a couple of lobsters. I wish I took more photos as usual A typical nodule as found. Ammonites in situ. A couple of other finds including crabs and ammonites. Between here and our next destination we noticed some nice ripple marks in an outcrop of Winton Formation. More to come...
- 17 replies
-
- 16
-
-
From the album: Wheeler Formation fossils from the Wheeler Range, UT USA
Seven incomplete Elrathia kingii specimens. Collected at A New Dig Quarry and prepped with a steel brush on a rotary tool. Some of these were surface finds, explaining the variation in color and preservation quality. The disarticulated glabellae are probably E kingii, just based on the numbers but might be a different species.© CC-BY
-
The Gushan Formation is exposed in extensive sequence of strata in the Taihang Mountains, In the Western part of Hebei. It’s quite nice somewhere north of Shijiazhuang, where I was hoping to find Parablackwelderia, but I decided to stay closer, and focus on the region only a bit Northwest of Shijiazhuang. This is a quarry in Jingxing. The bottom 20-30 m is Oolitic and Micritic limestone, very hard and almost devoid of fossils. The total thickness may reach twice that in some places. I didn’t observe the contact with lower strata, but in a picture someone else posted online it’s pretty sharp (unconformity?) and the layers below it are alternating limestone and shale with Proasaphiscids? which are Zhangxia Formation. The dark layer near the top is about two meters of dark shale, gradually becoming light shale and then alternating shale and limestone and finally micritic and oolitic limestone. This repeats again but there are only about 1 meter of dark-light shale and the rest is not exposed. An excellent example of the “shallowing” upwards cycles. Another quarry in Huangyancun which I hoped would be closer to the darker shale, was instead much further. In the Jingxing one was a short but very steep and grassy climb up to the layer on the western side, and when I reached where is was supposed to be, there was a dirt road which offered a much easier walk up. When we arrived, we got out of the car, packed up our water and other things, and then promptly managed to lock the keys in the truck guaranteeing a few hours worth of hunting as we had to call a relative to bring a spare key. There was some excavation done because they were installing solar panels on the mountain, and it did expose some of the shale layer. Notice the colour changing from brown to green from the shallowing water. There was some limestone, but the building of the road for the excavator covered it. Here are the trilobites I found. There is amazing diversity, but chances of complete ones are horribly low. They do however represent a relatively complete Blackwelderia Zone fauna. The anteroir part of a Stephanocare richthofeni cephalon, showing characteristic spines. I found another complete one but it was ventral in the sticky and glassy limestone and didn’t bother to keep it. This was only found later in some dense trilobite hash. A common trilobite was Bergonites ?ketteleri. The pygidia are likely from the same species. Note the small Parablackwelderia pygidium on the top left of the cranidium, Jiulongshania at top right, and Shantungia free cheek at far right. Also a Jiulongshania on the top right of the pygidium. Jiulongshania and agnostids were common, here’s some with another Bergonites. Here are the trilobites the zone is named after, Blackwelderia. Cranidium and pygidium of B. paronai. Here’s a small damesellid? cranidium next to a Jiulongshania. Here is a lovely plate of pygidia, some smaller Bergonites sp. and larger Hebeia pingquanensis. Also a mystery pygidium. Monkaspis? An excellent small pygidium. This one looks like it might be a Parablackwelderia, possibly P. alastor. Likely, though, it is another Blackwelderia. Here is the unusual find. It was in the lower micritic limestones. I have no idea of what it is. I felt like the trip was very nice, though a little warm, and the plentiful and unusual trilobite made for a good change. However, when I go back soon, I much prefer my finicky MA material because I got a bit sick of the trilobites being so common.
- 2 replies
-
- 8
-
-
- Blackwelderia
- Cambrian
- (and 4 more)
-
From the album: Wheeler Formation fossils from the Wheeler Range, UT USA
Composite of two views of the same fossil. The top trilobite on the left specimen, which was preserved "upside-down," came loose in the prep and the right image is the view of its dorsal side. The specimen also appears to show a partial enrollment morphology where the pygidium is folded up over the ventral side of the animal, as visible on the left. This is apparently interpreted as part of the limp body of the dead animal folding over in flowing water. Collected at A New Dig Quarry and prepped with a steel brush on a rotary tool.© CC-BY
-
From the album: Wheeler Formation fossils from the Wheeler Range, UT USA
Three agnostid trilobites, likely Peronopsis interstricta. There may be a second agnostid showing in the bottom right of the specimen at right. Collected at A New Dig Quarry and prepped with a steel brush on a rotary tool.© CC-BY
-
From the album: Wheeler Formation fossils from the Wheeler Range, UT USA
Cephalon of an unknown trilobite species. Possibly just Elrathia kingii in a crushed preservation. Collected at A New Dig Quarry and prepped with a steel brush on a rotary tool.© CC-BY
-
From the album: Wheeler Formation fossils from the Wheeler Range, UT USA
Five complete specimens of Elrathia kingii. The bottom-left specimen sits amidst trilobite hash. Collected at A New Dig Quarry and prepped with a steel brush on a rotary tool.© CC-BY
-
plates with trilobite fossils and Morania fragmenta
debivort posted a gallery image in Member Collections
From the album: Wheeler Formation fossils from the Wheeler Range, UT USA
Left specimen of trilobite hash contains one complete Elrathia kingii, at least eleven partial specimens of that species, a dissociated agnostid trilobite near the top-middle, and potentially several other partial agnostids. Specimen on the right has a small trilobite, probably Elrathia kingii. Both specimens also have Morania fragmenta cyanobacteria patches in the same preservation layer. On the right specimen the Morania is preserved with iron oxide mineralization,and possibly manganese oxide. Collected at A New Dig Quarry and prepped with a steel brush on a rotary tool.© CC-BY
-
Taxonomy from Luo and Liu 2024. Diagnosis for the genus from Luo & Liu 2024, p.308: 'Small artiopod. General outline oval. Dorsum divided into cephalic shield and pygidial shield, plus four thoracic tergites. Dorsal exoskeleton with poorly defined axial region and no well-developed axial furrows. Cephalic part semicircular, covering a bipartite, elongate hypostome, uniramous antennae and three pairs of appendages. Four thoracic segments, each covering a single pair of appendages. Pygidium large, covering at least nine pairs of appendages. All postantennal appendages biramous. Digestive system comprising the oesophagus, tripartite stomach and paired digestive glands along the alimentary tract.' Reconstruction from Liu et al., 2006, p. 386: References: Liu, Q., Luo, H., Chen, L., & Hu, S. (2006). Panlongia, A new trilobitomorph genus from the Lower Cambrian, Kunming, Yunnan. Acta Palaeontologica Sinica, 45(3), 384-392. Shengxiang Luo & Jianni Liu (2024). Exceptionally preserved Panlongia tetranodusa from the early Cambrian sheds light on the evolution of arthropods. Science Bulletin, Volume 69, Issue 3, Pages 308-313.
-
A drawing of Opabinia I made about two years ago.
-
I have acquired a Cambrian shell fossil that was collected with the following information: Cambrian, Jinning, Kunming, Yunnan, and the Quiongzhusi Formation. The shell is approximately 9 mm x 6 mm. Given that it appears to have growth rings and appears to be more similar to a bivalve than a brachiopod, I suspect that it is a bivalve. I would appreciate suggestions from other Forum members.
-
Trying in vain to identify some of the unusual erratic fossils that have washed onto the Delmarva Peninsula from probably hundreds of miles away. Some are oddly common but I can't find them in the NJ, NY or PA literature I have. Anyone recognize this life form? Scale is in cm.
-
From the album: Wheeler Formation fossils from the Wheeler Range, UT USA
Partial Elrathia kingii and dissociated Asaphiscus wheeleri double specimen collected at A New Dig Quarry in July 2024. Prepped with a rotary tool with a steel brush bit. There are some additional small trilobite fragments, likely Elrathia.© CC-BY
-
From the album: Wheeler Formation fossils from the Wheeler Range, UT USA
Elrathia kingii specimens collected at A New Dig Quarry in July 2024. Prepped with a rotary tool with a steel brush bit. The specimen in the upper-left appears to have a coating like what one finds on the ventral side of most Elrathia, which I understand to be fibrous calcite.© CC-BY
-
From the album: Wheeler Formation fossils from the Wheeler Range, UT USA
Elrathia kingii specimens collected at A New Dig Quarry in July 2024. Prepped with a rotary tool with a steel brush bit. The specimen on the right has one complete Elrathia, one complete molt, two partial glabellae, a possible dissociated agnostid trilobite, and three negative Elrathia impressions.© CC-BY
-
Illustrations used to accompany Descriptions
Isotelus2883 posted a topic in General Fossil Discussion
In 山东省古生物图册, (Shandong Province Paleontology Atlas), a paper on the fossils of Shandong, this specimen is used to accompany the description of However, this image is used for I feel like there’s something a little off here…
-
Fossil Identification Request (Might not even be a fossil, I can't find much on it.)
Freelanceangler06 posted a topic in Fossil ID
Hello All, This is my first post on Fossil Forum and I have a question on the find during my second ever fossil hunt. The location is a quarry in Northeastern Wisconsin, on the western edge of the Niagara Escarpment I believe. I'm not sure, but I think these are fossils? I had to do a double take when I first saw it, as I though they could be from drilling into the quarry wall or something, but I found 4 or 5 of various sizes with the biggest one that was exposed to the face of the quarry being about 2 inches in diameter. I also was wondering if 2 of the photos (6 and 7) were a stromatolite? I found all these in about 3 hours, along with a big coral. So I will be going back this weekend
- 3 replies
-
- 1
-
-
- Cambrian
- niagara escarpment
- (and 1 more)
-
From the album: Plants
Fuxianospira gyrata Chen & Zhou 1997 Early Cambrian Jiucun Yunnan PRC -
From the album: Kinzers Formation
Camptostroma roddyi Lancaster County, Pennsylvania-
- 2
-
-
- Cambrian
- camptostroma
- (and 2 more)
-
From the album: Kinzers Formation
Camptostroma roddyi Lancaster County, Pennsylvania-
- 2
-
-
- Cambrian
- camptostroma
- (and 2 more)
-
From the album: Kinzers Formation
Hyolith Lancaster County, Pennsylvania -
Taxonomy from Han er al., 2007. Opinion on the taxonomy from Hou et al., 2017, p. 118: Cricocosmia 'shares some morphological similarities with many other Cambrian palaeoscolecid worms, a group that has usually been referred to either the Phylum Priapulida or the Phylum Nematomorpha (Hou & Bergström 1994; Huang 2005). Recent phylogenetic analyses have consistently resolved Cricocosmia as the sister taxon of Tabelliscolex, and together they are placed either as stem scalidophorans or, more likely, as stem priapulids.' Emended diagnosis from Han et al. 2007, p. 425: 'Elongate trunk bears approximately 110 annuli that decrease in wide backwardly and usually form two subannuli on the dorsal side. Correspondingly, cone−shaped macrosclerites decrease in size and increase in height. Trunk with or without ventral spines.' Reconstruction from Hou et al., 2017 References: Hou Xian‐guang & Sun Wei‐guo (1988). Discovery of Chengjiang fauna at Meishucun, Jinning, Yunnan. Acta Palaeontologica Sinica, 27, 1–12 [in Chinese, with English summary]. Hou Xian‐guang & Bergström, J. (1994). Palaeoscolecid worms may be nematomorphs rather than annelids. Lethaia, 27, 11–17. Huang Di‐ying (2005). Early Cambrian worms from SW China: morphology, systematics, lifestyles and evolutionary significance. PhD thesis, University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, France, 247 pp. Han, J., Liu, J., Zhang, Z., Zhang, X., and Shu, D. (2007). Trunk ornament on the palaeoscolecid worms Cricocosmia and Tabelliscolex from the Early Cambrian Chengjiang deposits of China. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 52 (2): 423–431. Hou Xian‐guang, Aldridge, R.J., Bergström, J., Siveter, D.J., Siveter, D.J. & Feng Xiang‐hong. (2004a). The Cambrian Fossils of Chengjiang, China: The Flowering of Early Animal Life. 233pp. Blackwell Publishing, Oxford, UK. Xian-guang Hou, David J. Siveter, Derek J. Siveter, Richard J. Aldridge, Pei-yun Cong, Sarah E. Gabbott, Xiao-ya Ma, Mark A. Purnell, Mark Williams (2017). The Cambrian Fossils of Chengjiang, China: The Flowering of Early Animal Life. Second edition. John Wiley & Sons Ltd. DOI:10.1002/9781118896372.
-
I was hoping to get some help identifying this trilobite from the Wheeler Shale (Middle Cambrian) of Utah. It's not one I've seen before. Thanks for any help!
.thumb.jpg.82890752b28241d36736ef0d40cbd17a.jpg)
