2020 Ontario Trilobite Hunting

[Shamalama]

Great finds as per ususal Kane. I'm enjoying living vicariously through your finds. I don't want to go out collecting and risk running into a nut bar in these times.

[Kane]

Didn't get out much this week as I had to teach a grad course (via Zoom), and the weather was not great. Spent a few hours in my Amherstburg stuff with low expectations, and just busting things apart for the joy of being out. Not much by way of finds, but a nice Trypaulites sp. pygidium. Four different images of the same to show different diagnostic details.

 

It's back to the lab with me for now to get on to all those Terataspis frags as they won't prep themselves. I hope to get out next week once the weather improves.

[GerryK]

On 4/1/2020 at 5:48 PM, Kane said:

Of course, Pseudodechenella would appear quite often in this stuff, but so too did Anchiopsis anchiops:

My experience collection the Devonian in New York, that Anchiopsis anchiops , Burtonops cristata, Calymene platys and Terataspis grandis are restricted to the Bois Blanc and Acanthopyge contusa , Coronura , Odontocephalus sp. and Viaphacops bombifrons  (not V. pipa) are restricted to the Onondaga. You state that you collected an Anchiopsis, Coronura and Odontocephalus from the same block. I believe the pygidium is an Odontocephalus and not an Anchiopsis. If you could do some careful scribing of the end of the pygidium of the specimen, it may look like the other Odontocephalus you’ve pictured later. I would like to see what it looks like.

It appears to me that the Odontocephalus you have collected are of the “O. selenurus” type and is most likely something new.

[Kane]

2 hours ago, GerryK said:

My experience collection the Devonian in New York, that Anchiopsis anchiops , Burtonops cristata, Calymene platys and Terataspis grandis are restricted to the Bois Blanc and Acanthopyge contusa , Coronura , Odontocephalus sp. and Viaphacops bombifrons  (not V. pipa) are restricted to the Onondaga. You state that you collected an Anchiopsis, Coronura and Odontocephalus from the same block. I believe the pygidium is an Odontocephalus and not an Anchiopsis. If you could do some careful scribing of the end of the pygidium of the specimen, it may look like the other Odontocephalus you’ve pictured later. I would like to see what it looks like.

 

It appears to me that the Odontocephalus you have collected are of the “O. selenurus” type and is most likely something new.

 

Hi Gerry,

 

I had made that realization about the Anchiopsis actually being Odontocephalus in this material if you go back a page, and this on account of the caudal spine being broader at the base and notched as opposed to tapering to a point (I placed two specimens in comparison from the Onondaga and the Bois Blanc). Also, the narrowness of pygidium is more a match for the Odontocephalus. I have since corrected my field notes about this site by striking off the Anchiopsis. Plus, they were all too small... The Anchiopsis I encounter elsewhere tend to be a bit more on the beefy side.  

 

So, what is pictured above in your quoted content are indeed Odontocephalus sp. (I didn't want to rush to O. selenurus just as yet!). These would be equivalent to Moorehouse Member, most likely (although we generally go by generic Dundee Fm up here, and simply divvy by lithological facies, and make our cut at Lucas Fm), whereas any of my Acanthopyge contusa appear in the Amherstburg Fm, which is equivalent to maybe the Edgecliff or Nedrow Mbrs where you are(?). I had thought the O. selenurus were actually more common (and particularly more resilient as you head up in the Onondaga ). 

 

I think we do have a Viaphacops 'pipa' (maybe) reported in our Bois Blanc according to Stumm, but that was back when there were Phacops cristata and P. cristata var. pipa. But if that has been changed to V. bombifrons limited to the Onondaga in the Appalachian basin, I'll need to make the correction and would be obliged to learn which member of the Onondaga so that I can place it in our equivalent strata as that is not specified in ToNY.  

[GerryK]

16 hours ago, Kane said:

Hi Gerry,

 

I had made that realization about the Anchiopsis actually being Odontocephalus in this material if you go back a page, and this on account of the caudal spine being broader at the base and notched as opposed to tapering to a point (I placed two specimens in comparison from the Onondaga and the Bois Blanc). Also, the narrowness of pygidium is more a match for the Odontocephalus. I have since corrected my field notes about this site by striking off the Anchiopsis. Plus, they were all too small... The Anchiopsis I encounter elsewhere tend to be a bit more on the beefy side.  

 

So, what is pictured above in your quoted content are indeed Odontocephalus sp. (I didn't want to rush to O. selenurus just as yet!). These would be equivalent to Moorehouse Member, most likely (although we generally go by generic Dundee Fm up here, and simply divvy by lithological facies, and make our cut at Lucas Fm), whereas any of my Acanthopyge contusa appear in the Amherstburg Fm, which is equivalent to maybe the Edgecliff or Nedrow Mbrs where you are(?). I had thought the O. selenurus were actually more common (and particularly more resilient as you head up in the Onondaga ). 

 

I think we do have a Viaphacops 'pipa' (maybe) reported in our Bois Blanc according to Stumm, but that was back when there were Phacops cristata and P. cristata var. pipa. But if that has been changed to V. bombifrons limited to the Onondaga in the Appalachian basin, I'll need to make the correction and would be obliged to learn which member of the Onondaga so that I can place it in our equivalent strata as that is not specified in ToNY.  

Your Odontocephalus is a new species. I've collected many specimens of Odontocephalus from NY, PA, MD, WV and IL and your specimens are very different. You did show the difference between Odontocephalus and  Anchiopsis  pygidium but the tip of the Odontocephalus  is broken. I would appreciate it if you would carefully prep the tip of the pygidium shown so both tips show. I would like a nice picture for my reference. When you collect specimens of Odontocephalus, please collect the part and counter part.

 

When Eldredge (1973) described the Phacops of the Lower and Middle Devonian, he described Phacops pipa as a junior synonym of Phacops bombifrons. The genus was later changed to Viaphacops and V. bombifrons  occurs in the Onondaga. Phacops cristata from the Bois Blanc/ Schaharie has been referred to the genus Viaphacops and Burtonops. As to which genus Phacops cristata goes to, still needs to be resolved but I personally think it should be Viaphacops.

[Kane]

Thanks, Gerry!

 

I may have prepped that particular piece and a few others (did not collect all the impressions, though, but I will in future). When collecting from a new site, I generally make it my practice to collect every single specimen of all trilobites (just not the common ones!). 

 

I'm in the middle of prepping something at the moment, but I will tag you once I have all my Odies prepped and pictured!

 

And thank you as well for the information on the Burtonops/Viaphacops change and issue. I had thought the difference between the two came down to the presence or absence of nodes on the axial lobe. 

 

...And I forgot to mention that I am beyond excited that I may have stumbled upon a new species, which was one of my hopes for this year. 

[Kane]

On 2020-05-09 at 3:17 PM, GerryK said:

Your Odontocephalus is a new species. I've collected many specimens of Odontocephalus from NY, PA, MD, WV and IL and your specimens are very different. You did show the difference between Odontocephalus and  Anchiopsis  pygidium but the tip of the Odontocephalus  is broken. I would appreciate it if you would carefully prep the tip of the pygidium shown so both tips show. I would like a nice picture for my reference. When you collect specimens of Odontocephalus, please collect the part and counter part.

 

 

That particular piece did not quite turn out spectacularly, but the nature of the rock is not very kind to even light scribing. That being said, here are images of the pygidia collected that still have the terminal spine:

 

The second to last photo is an impression. I've scaled these down, but can provide much higher resolution if required. 

[Malcolmt]

Kane...this is getting very interesting

[Monica]

I agree with Malcolm, Kane - this is indeed getting very interesting... 

[Kane]

Well, shucks, I had thought the thread was already interesting.  

[Monica]

51 minutes ago, Kane said:

Well, shucks, I had thought the thread was already interesting.  

 

It was already interesting, Kane, but a new species???!!!  WOW!!! 

[Kane]

@GerryK - I found about three more specimens in another trip flat. Of those, this one is by far the most diagnostic in showing the end of the spine, missing just one of the prongs, which shows up clearly in the impression it left behind. 

[Tidgy's Dad]

This thread is becoming even more interesting than it had been previously if that could be possibly conceivable. 

[piranha]

From a few months ago at the FB trilobite group is this pygidium that shows the spines with more detail. 

 

[Kane]

2 hours ago, piranha said:

From a few months ago at the FB trilobite group is this pygidium that shows the spines with more detail. 

 

Well, I guess I'm not first to the punchbowl.  I still fancy my pieces more.  

2 hours ago, Tidgy's Dad said:

This thread is becoming even more interesting than it had been previously if that could be possibly conceivable. 

 And, it's only been two months so far. There is still about six more to go of the season, and I haven't even dipped into the Silurian and Ordovician spots yet! Here's hoping that a strong start is met with an even stronger finish! 

[piranha]

1 hour ago, Kane said:

Well, I guess I'm not first to the punchbowl.  I still fancy my pieces more.

 

 

We would all fancy a cephalon + pygidium association ...or better yet... a complete specimen.  I'm sure the sparks will really be flying on your next excursion!

[Kane]

I have a list of "bottom barrel scraper" spots that I keep handy for those times in between trips when I need to scratch the collecting itch. Many of them I've not bothered with in forever, and they are generally just casual pick-over locations. This particular spot not far from my house was one of those, and I hadn't visited in about five years when I figured there was nothing but trashy rocks. 

 

Boy was I wrong.

 

Six hours later, and I'm halfway just the surface obvious stuff, so a return visit is a must. 

 

First up, some brachs. The little red an white Devonochonetes(?) is a sure sign I'm in my local Dundee. Well... local is not entirely accurate as there is about up to 200-400 feet of alternating sand and glacial erratics just under my feet, and there is much more than just Dundee Formation as I'll show later. The other photos are of those abundant Leptaena beds. 

[Kane]

A bit tough to make out in the group shot, but there are trilo bits in here, which is my cue to continue with these rocks. There's an Eldredgeops rana and a Crassiproetus. Plenty of broken bits of them around, as well as Pseudodechenella. 

[Kane]

Just about everything the Devonian has to offer is here, from brachs, crinoid bits, bryozoans, corals (tabulate and rugose), gastropods, rostroconch, and even... calcite encrusted nautiloids. 

[Kane]

The first erratic was this very sandy rock that more often than not exploded into... sand. Plenty of colourful brachs, but it looks like Anchiopsis anchiops is crashing this party. This may be Oriskany sand. Possibly. I'd have to fish out the spine to be sure. 

[Kane]

First really oddball erratic was this set in a black shaly-limestone that broke in little blocks. It sometimes weathered to brown when it was exposed to the air. It was littered in pieces like these, which have an asaphid appearance to them, further confirmed by looking at some isolated segments (not pictured here yet). So, maybe a glacial transport from the Ordovician. Unfortunately, I did not encounter another rock like this for the rest of the day. 

[Kane]

Back to the Dundee, and it's Coronura bits. 

[Kane]

Amidst the blue cherty corals, our pals Anchiopsis arrive. A few others also appeared later, most of which were weathered or just more bits. Also, some rubbish Burtonops bits flecked a few layers. 

[Kane]

All of this stayed in the field except that matrix-free, double-valved Paraspirifer(?). A gastropod, a free cheek, a skinless Anchiopsis pygidium, and a platycerid missing some shell. 

[Kane]

A Calymene platys pygidium with possibly more in the rock.