Invertebrate fossil

[Rockwood]

1 hour ago, FossilDAWG said:

I don't think this is a Calymene or Flexicalymene, the proportions seem wrong.  However I can't place it exactly, and I don't have time to research it this evening.  Maybe @piranha will know.

 

BTW Calymene bumenbachi is a Silurian species common in at Dudley and other Wenlock age exposures in England.  At one time North American Silurian trilobites were identified as this species, but they are recognized as endemic species now (such as Calymene niagarensis); there are no valid occurrences of Calymene blumenbachi in North America.

 

Don

Most of the work on Maine fossils was done two centuries ago.

I suppose the list could be outdated now.  

[Mainefossils]

8 hours ago, FossilDAWG said:

I don't think this is a Calymene or Flexicalymene, the proportions seem wrong.  However I can't place it exactly, and I don't have time to research it this evening.  Maybe @piranha will know.

 

BTW Calymene bumenbachi is a Silurian species common in at Dudley and other Wenlock age exposures in England.  At one time North American Silurian trilobites were identified as this species, but they are recognized as endemic species now (such as Calymene niagarensis); there are no valid occurrences of Calymene blumenbachi in North America.

 

Don

 

Thanks FossilDAWG. I didn't realize that the classification systems for Maine had changed so much. All the papers I have been referencing are around a century old. So, beyond that it could be in the genus Calymene, is there any further way for me to find out the species?

Edited February 22, 2021 by Mainefossils

[Mainefossils]

7 hours ago, Rockwood said:

Most of the work on Maine fossils was done two centuries ago.

I suppose the list could be outdated now.  

lol! I see what you mean.

Edited February 22, 2021 by Mainefossils

[Rockwood]

31 minutes ago, Mainefossils said:

a century old.

I guess my math was off by a little there, but only by a factor of two. 

[piranha]

Drawing a blank on this one. Here are the inconclusive replies from a couple of specialist friends:

 

1:  There are only 4 Silurian Calymenids in North America. Calymene, Diacalymene, Gravicalymene, Liocalymene. Without seeing the front border in front of the glabella it is pretty hard to tell which genus it might be. This one does not look like anything I am familiar with. The ones I am familiar with have the front of the glabella more flattened than this.

 

2:  Your specimen has a buttressed L2 (projection from the cheek to the lobe across the axial furrow) so that eliminates a number of genera. The subsidiary lobe dividing the inner ends of S1 is a distinctive feature. However, the front of the cranidium is not exposed, and this complicates matters as the generic taxonomy of the family relies heavily on the morphology of the preglabellar region. The crack across the glabella level with the front of L3 is obviously due to compression, so the frontal lobe of the glabella appears to be very long. The apparent parabolic outline of the frontal lobe may be an illusion caused by the overlapping matrix. The specimen needs preparation. Sorry that I can’t be more help.

[Mahnmut]

I think on second look I got it right as a trilobite cepahalon, but isnt it astonishing how much the middle part resembles an ammonite septum?

[Mainefossils]

Sorry that my specimen is proving to be so difficult to identify. I am working on preparation carefully, and have partly exposed the preglabellar field. Thanks so much for the info. 

[Pagurus]

17 minutes ago, Mainefossils said:

Sorry that my specimen is proving to be so difficult to identify

Our members love a challenge!

[Rockwood]

36 minutes ago, Mainefossils said:

Sorry that my specimen is proving to be so difficult to identify.

When these guys join in, you done good. 

[Mainefossils]

12 minutes ago, Rockwood said:

When these guys join in, you done good. 

Thanks very much!

[LabRatKing]

A bit of prepwork would probably be beneficial here. the eyes, the eyes!

Both the celebra and the niagraensis could be possible.

 

Not sure if anyone had seen this yet, but seems to be pretty good modern guide to this formation and a few others:

 

 https://digitalmaine.com/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1575&context=mgs_publications

[piranha]

13 minutes ago, LabRatKing said:

Both the celebra and the niagraensis could be possible.

 

 

It is not celebra (lacks attached buttress) or niagarensis (weak buttress). Another specialist says it is a new species that would probably get lumped into "Calymene".

[LabRatKing]

2 minutes ago, piranha said:

 

 

It is not celebra (lacks attached buttress) or niagarensis (weak buttress). Another specialist says it is a new species that would probably get lumped into "Calymene".

Cool Beans!

[Mainefossils]

24 minutes ago, piranha said:

 

 

It is not celebra (lacks attached buttress) or niagarensis (weak buttress). Another specialist says it is a new species that would probably get lumped into "Calymene".

Wow! That is pretty neat. What would you recommend me do with it? Should I save it to be given to a specialist for identification or what? I don't want to damage it with any further prep work. 

[Rockwood]

43 minutes ago, piranha said:

Another specialist says it is a new species

Somebody thinks up a name. 

[Kane]

46 minutes ago, Mainefossils said:

Wow! That is pretty neat. What would you recommend me do with it? Should I save it to be given to a specialist for identification or what? I don't want to damage it with any further prep work. 

Yes, that would be best. Even better would be to return to the source material and find additional examples, as writing a formal description of a new species does rely in some measure on having numerous examples to ensure that good diagnostic information can be collected and compared. 

[piranha]

38 minutes ago, Mainefossils said:

Wow! That is pretty neat. What would you recommend me do with it? Should I save it to be given to a specialist for identification or what? I don't want to damage it with any further prep work. 

 

 

Try to find some more examples. No one will attempt to make a formal description based on a single specimen. A skilled preparator could reattach the part/counterpart and prep carefully---that process may reveal any possible hidden ornamentation and surface detail.

[Top Trilo]

On 2/21/2021 at 11:24 AM, IsaacTheFossilMan said:

Now that is fascinating. I've never seen anything like that either, are you sure it's organic?

 

On 2/21/2021 at 11:37 AM, IsaacTheFossilMan said:

Uhhhh... Oops? I was just joking... 

 

I was thinking trilobite to begin with, but, and, I'm going to excuse myself here, I couldn't see the rest of it... I think I need to brush up on my knowledge of these extinct critters!

You were right, you haven't seen anything like it .

And Incredible find @Mainefossils

[LabRatKing]

So, we are all headed to Maine to help find more when the thaw comes, right?

[Rockwood]

18 minutes ago, LabRatKing said:

So, we are all headed to Maine to help find more when the thaw comes, right?

Better hold off 'till after blackfly season. 

[ClearLake]

13 minutes ago, Rockwood said:

33 minutes ago, LabRatKing said:

So, we are all headed to Maine to help find more when the thaw comes, right?

Better hold off 'till after blackfly season. 

So which week of the year does that leave us with?  Just kidding, I'm sure it leaves a whole season!!

[Mainefossils]

42 minutes ago, Kane said:

Yes, that would be best. Even better would be to return to the source material and find additional examples, as writing a formal description of a new species does rely in some measure on having numerous examples to ensure that good diagnostic information can be collected and compared. 

Thanks for the guidance. I will definitely will try to work on this next step!

 

[Mainefossils]

42 minutes ago, piranha said:

 

 

Try to find some more examples. No one will attempt to make a formal description based on a single specimen. A skilled preparator could reattach the part/counterpart and prep carefully---that process may reveal any possible hidden ornamentation and surface detail.

I hope to return to the source soon. Thanks so much for your help!

[Mainefossils]

40 minutes ago, Top Trilo said:

 

You were right, you haven't seen anything like it .

And Incredible find @Mainefossils

Thanks so much!

[LabRatKing]

25 minutes ago, ClearLake said:

So which week of the year does that leave us with?  Just kidding, I'm sure it leaves a whole season!!

I’ve got a surplus of biosafety level 3 gear...no bugs get through that!