palaeopix Posted January 18, 2010 Share Posted January 18, 2010 Below is a photo that I recently posted in the Member Collections forum. I thought it was a nice example of the kind of fossil leaves that are found in the Eocene Allenby Formation that is exposed throughout the Similkameen Valley here in British Columbia. I collected this specimen in 1997 and I must have looked at it hundreds of times over the years. And that is where the surprise comes in! While processing the original photo in Photoshop I noticed something next to the leaf. At first I considered removing the slightly distracting blob. So I magnified the area and discovered that preserved next to the leaf was a very small and nearly complete insect. If I had not looked at that blob more closely who knows how long that little insect would have gone unnoticed. Anyway here is the photo again. For clarity I have included a second photo with the insect circled in red. So what have you discovered unexpectedly while examining your fossils? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roz Posted January 18, 2010 Share Posted January 18, 2010 What an unexpected treat! Welcome to the forum! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phoenixflood Posted January 18, 2010 Share Posted January 18, 2010 I have had that experience too! Only it is with shark teeth. This is my avatar tooth. Look carefully at the back: Can you see the teeth in the matrix? I'm not so sure what the one is off to the right. Almost looks like a small ray plate Here have a closer look The soul of a Fossil Hunter is one that is seeking, always. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barefootgirl Posted January 18, 2010 Share Posted January 18, 2010 Thats a wonderful discovery and story. Gotta love 2 fer ones! In formal logic, a contradiction is the signal of defeat: but in the evolution of real knowledge, it marks the first step in progress toward victory. Alfred North Whithead 'Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia!' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracer Posted January 18, 2010 Share Posted January 18, 2010 i just can't see those from your pictures. you'll have to send me the tooth to look at through my loupe. <pm'ing the shipping address> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamalama Posted January 18, 2010 Share Posted January 18, 2010 Very cool to find a bug next to your leaf. Looks like the stink bugs we get around here... you sure you didn't just smash one on the plate before taking the photo? -Dave __________________________________________________ Geologists on the whole are inconsistent drivers. When a roadcut presents itself, they tend to lurch and weave. To them, the roadcut is a portal, a fragment of a regional story, a proscenium arch that leads their imaginations into the earth and through the surrounding terrain. - John McPheeIf I'm going to drive safely, I can't do geology. - John McPheeCheck out my Blog for more fossils I've found: http://viewsofthemahantango.blogspot.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pleecan Posted January 18, 2010 Share Posted January 18, 2010 Congratulations! Always fun find stuff on existing fossil plates.....PL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted January 18, 2010 Share Posted January 18, 2010 What a great secondary discovery! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plantguy Posted January 24, 2010 Share Posted January 24, 2010 Hi Dan, that's a super association find--what a treat! Phoenixflood nice association as well! I've got to admit I havent spent that much time looking for other things on a number of plates and you got me thinking. So tonight I got out one of the larger plates I have and low and behold I never noticed there is either an extra group of little brachiopods/pelycpods or maybe they are aptychi? on this Dactylioceras plate from Holzmaden Germany. How sweet that is! Great post, now I've got more exploring to do and some research looking for an ID...thanks for making me look closer than the obvious! Regards, Chris Here's a closer view of one of the brachiopod/pelcypod/aptychi?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redlichia Posted February 16, 2010 Share Posted February 16, 2010 Is a little bivalve,typical in this slabs,there are also the Aptychus (Cornaptychus),but are more long and squeezed with the lines more visible,check the link and pics of different Aptychus,there are also example in ammonites from Holzmaden http://kosmoceraten.de/Neuigkeiten/body_ammonitenmodell.html ,this is a very professional web page for the ammonites!Amused! Cheers, Red ->>>>> < Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plantguy Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 (edited) Is a little bivalve,typical in this slabs,there are also the Aptychus (Cornaptychus),but are more long and squeezed with the lines more visible,check the link and pics of different Aptychus,there are also example in ammonites from Holzmaden http://kosmoceraten.de/Neuigkeiten/body_ammonitenmodell.html ,this is a very professional web page for the ammonites!Amused! Cheers, Red Hi Red, thanks for the reply. I did do some further research, but I left the question unresolved in my mind as I have no real ammonite expertise. Personally I do think the little guys do indeed look like different Aptychus as you mentioned. The cast of doubt came in when I saw this link where they are selling a larger slab very similar to mine and are calling them "clams".... http://www.paleodirect.com/pgset2/amh-003.htm Here's a slightly better view of my specimen. Thanks again for sharing the website info! They have some great stuff shown, unfortunately although my ancestors came to the US in the 1700's from Germany I cant speak or read German at all. Its kind of a shame to have lost all that family history ! Regards, Chris Edited February 17, 2010 by Plantguy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Dactyll Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 Nice finds.....Well Done ! Cheers Steve... And Welcome if your a New Member... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redlichia Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 (edited) Hi Red, thanks for the reply. I did do some further research, but I left the question unresolved in my mind as I have no real ammonite expertise. Personally I do think the little guys do indeed look like different Aptychus as you mentioned. The cast of doubt came in when I saw this link where they are selling a larger slab very similar to mine and are calling them "clams".... http://www.paleodirect.com/pgset2/amh-003.htm Here's a slightly better view of my specimen. Thanks again for sharing the website info! They have some great stuff shown, unfortunately although my ancestors came to the US in the 1700's from Germany I cant speak or read German at all. Its kind of a shame to have lost all that family history ! Regards, Chris Hi Chris, Thanks for reply. About the your link,are for 100% bivalves = "clams" is the same.The your bivalve is the same or maybe another type of specimens but a bivalve,quite common in the slabs from Holzmaden,I'm sorry is not an Apthycus (Cornaptychus) About the German pages,you can see the pics that have the descriptions below if you don't know the language,after you can copy and paste in the net the names of the specimens for search the pics,so you can find maybe other pages with the same fossils or pubblications free of the same specimens and so after you can to identify the your items ,you can also open a translator German-English also if is not correct but you can undesrtand something. Thanks for showing the your detailed pic! However,sorry for the my opinion... the link that you post have several good fossils.... but is very expensive for all type of fossils showed... also for the common specimens like these slabs with "clams" or Dactylioceras commune from Holzmaden... is a my opinion,sorry for the off topic Thanks, Red Edited February 18, 2010 by Redlichia ->>>>> < Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plantguy Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 Hi Chris, Thanks for reply. About the your link,are for 100% bivalves = "clams" is the same.The your bivalve is the same or maybe another type of specimens but a bivalve,quite common in the slabs from Holzmaden,I'm sorry is not an Apthycus (Cornaptychus) About the German pages,you can see the pics that have the descriptions below if you don't know the language,after you can copy and paste in the net the names of the specimens for search the pics,so you can find maybe other pages with the same fossils or pubblications free of the same specimens and so after you can to identify the your items ,you can also open a translator German-English also if is not correct but you can undesrtand something. Thanks for showing the your detailed pic! However,sorry for the my opinion... the link that you post have several good fossils.... but is very expensive for all type of fossils showed... also for the common specimens like these slabs with "clams" or Dactylioceras commune from Holzmaden... is a my opinion,sorry for the off topic Thanks, Red Red, thanks for id on the bivalve/clam. I'm happy with that as it adds nicely to the overall interest/story in the plate. Its great to have the association of the ammonite and bivalve/pelcypod. Yes, I've done some preliminary searches of the web and have used the online translators which are amazing. Funny story, I have conversed with several germans thru the internet and tried to use the translators initially to help with my email communications....What I nievely found out was they all knew how to speak and write in English better than I do! I wish American schools forced learning a 2nd language! Thanks again for the feedback. Regards, Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
palaeopix Posted January 16, 2011 Author Share Posted January 16, 2011 Here's another surprise find from my collection. While recently unpacking some fossils from storage I came upon a really nice specimen of Pterocephalia norfordi. The specimen had been in storage for just over six and a half years! Why was it stored for so long? Well, when I originally found the specimen it was encased in a very large chunk of shale, and being lazy I didn't want to haul the heavy rock down the mountain, so I field prepped it! When it comes to trilobites, prepping in the field is not the best solution! After only three wacks with my hammer (and chisel) the trilobite was free of 99% of its dead weight, but also conveniently in three neat pieces! After the shock of destroying such a perfect specimen wore off, I wrapped the three pieces and threw them in my backpack. Upon returning home I placed the pieces in small ziplock bags and hid them away with my other broken specimens for a rainy day. I had nearly forgotten about the specimen until I unpacked it two days ago. When I unwrapped the pieces I was immediately transported back to that fateful day in July of 2004. Rather than dwell on the mistake, which I have made several times since, I decided to put the specimen back together. The repair was routine and unremarkable. While the glue was drying, I decided to have a look at some of my other Pterocephalia specimens. One specimen stood out so I removed it from its box to have a closer look. Turns out the specimen I had just repaired looked strikingly similar to a specimen I had collected two weeks earlier (beginning of July 2004). In fact I had collected both the positive and negative of the same trilobite two weeks apart but didn't realize it for six and a half years!!!!! Here's the negative half (counterpart) found in early July 2004. And the positive half (part), after it was repaired, found in the middle of July 2004. And here they are together after six and a half years! Pterocephalia norfordi. Upper Cambrian McKay Group, Cranbrook (BC). The counterpart looks larger because it is on a thick calcite wafer and is thus closer to the camera, but they are a perfect match! Both specimens measure 4cm in length. Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plantguy Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 Hi Dan, what a nice treat to have those two great specimens back together after that length of time! What a neat reunion story! My latest unpacking only yielded several nonremarkable belemnite fragments that were given to me years ago with no location info and a recent family of silverfish! Regards, Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamalama Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 Dan, how cool is that to find both halves again after so long? I wish I had such treasure stashed away! -Dave __________________________________________________ Geologists on the whole are inconsistent drivers. When a roadcut presents itself, they tend to lurch and weave. To them, the roadcut is a portal, a fragment of a regional story, a proscenium arch that leads their imaginations into the earth and through the surrounding terrain. - John McPheeIf I'm going to drive safely, I can't do geology. - John McPheeCheck out my Blog for more fossils I've found: http://viewsofthemahantango.blogspot.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
palaeopix Posted January 17, 2011 Author Share Posted January 17, 2011 Dan, how cool is that to find both halves again after so long? I wish I had such treasure stashed away! Yeah it's a pretty cool find! I wonder how much longer it would have stayed in storage, if it had not been slow for collecting around here? I'm going to have to look through my stored specimens more carefully now! Who knows what's still hidden away!! And to think I almost left it in the field!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 It's amazing what you can find when you open up your eyes anew. It's like rereading a book, isn't it? Here's a rather large Brasilia decipiens which I've already posted elsewhere, to underline how the luck of the draw functions at some collecting sites. One part was found in the late fall, the other part in the following spring. You can see clearly where I stuck the 2 parts together. Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Dactyll Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 Heres one I had, finding an ammonite leaning against the nautilus shell when I went into the nodule... Cenoceras North Somerset Coast UK ... Cheers Steve... And Welcome if your a New Member... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 Great stories, Dan! Awesome Re-Finds! And the Pos-Neg is too cool - great bug. Similar stories in this post . Regards, Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 __________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
palaeopix Posted January 18, 2011 Author Share Posted January 18, 2011 Here's a specimen I knew I had, but again it's been in storage for about 10 years. I've really got to go through my stuff some day! This is a real rarity and I paid good money for it! "Mud dauber". Order Hymenoptera. Middle Eocene Allenby Formation near Princeton (BC). Strecthed out the specimen is about 30mm long! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimB88 Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 A lot of my neat finds were accidental or chance discoveries of fossils on matrix I grabbed for another reason (all my trilo tails from the Mississippian formations were found while prepping other fossils out.) Thats the reason I save my chips and broken bits of matrix (even the dust) just to be sure I didnt miss anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrangellian Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 Even the dust?? That's dedication. Here is a fish I've had for quite a while, acquired it from someone (didn't collect it myself), I believe it's from Princeton BC.. The one on the left was the only one visible until I went to trim down the matrix because it was so thick (wanted it to fit in a shallow drawer).. and lo and behold the fish on the right was revealed! Must have been some plentiful fish in that spot otherwise it's a fortuitous juxtaposition! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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