marguy Posted October 13, 2021 Share Posted October 13, 2021 On October 10, we (my wife and I) went to an extraction site for diatomites, in the Cantal massif. The age of these rocks is Messinian, bordering on Miocene-Pliocene. I present some photos of the exploited site (seen during a previous visit) and some fossils found this Sunday in the rocks stored awaiting industrial treatment. The remains of fossil plants are not abundant, you have to cut a lot of rock and the quality of conservation is often poor, but occasionally a pretty leaf appears... The next problem is long-term preservation, even with immediate consolidation treatment, performed at the site. The most 'common' species is Alnus hoernesi = A. stenophylla, but studies conducted for over a century have identified 86 species! 5 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marguy Posted October 13, 2021 Author Share Posted October 13, 2021 Potamogeton , indet; foliage (maybe Juglans) , Pine seed 1 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marguy Posted October 13, 2021 Author Share Posted October 13, 2021 Alder strobile, indet. plant (Chara, Potamogeton sp???) 1 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marguy Posted October 13, 2021 Author Share Posted October 13, 2021 Our pleasant surprise today was to find several insects including a mayfly larva, a (?) Bibionidae diptera, a small diptera 1 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marguy Posted October 13, 2021 Author Share Posted October 13, 2021 And the icing on the cake is a superb spider !!! we had a wonderful day under the sun with lovely fossils! 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidgy's Dad Posted October 13, 2021 Share Posted October 13, 2021 Wow: Terrific finds and that spider is incredible. 1 Life's Good! Tortoise Friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted October 13, 2021 Share Posted October 13, 2021 wow... great spider. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilDAWG Posted October 13, 2021 Share Posted October 13, 2021 You have some excellent finds there! That spider is ! Don 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paleorunner Posted October 13, 2021 Share Posted October 13, 2021 Congratulations, a good hunting day. That spider is wonderful. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mainefossils Posted October 13, 2021 Share Posted October 13, 2021 Amazing! Those are excellent specimens - the horsetail is one of my favorites. Is the spider a scientifically important find from that formation, or have they been found before? Either way, thanks for posting these superb fossils! 1 The more I learn, the more I find that I know nothing. Regards, Asher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fifbrindacier Posted October 14, 2021 Share Posted October 14, 2021 You rock Marguy ! 1 "On ne voit bien que par le coeur, l'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux." (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry) "We only well see with the heart, the essential is invisible for the eyes." In memory of Doren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coco Posted October 14, 2021 Share Posted October 14, 2021 Hi, Nice finds Marguy ! Coco 1 ---------------------- OUTIL POUR MESURER VOS FOSSILES : ici Ma bibliothèque PDF 1 (Poissons et sélaciens récents & fossiles) : ici Ma bibliothèque PDF 2 (Animaux vivants - sans poissons ni sélaciens) : ici Mâchoires sélaciennes récentes : ici Hétérodontiques et sélaciens : ici Oeufs sélaciens récents : ici Otolithes de poissons récents ! ici Un Greg... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted October 14, 2021 Share Posted October 14, 2021 Fantastic insects!! 1 Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hemipristis Posted October 14, 2021 Share Posted October 14, 2021 16 hours ago, marguy said: Potamogeton , indet; foliage (maybe Juglans) , Pine seed 16 hours ago, marguy said: Alder strobile, indet. plant (Chara, Potamogeton sp???) Wonderful detail! 1 'Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.' George Santayana Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minnbuckeye Posted October 14, 2021 Share Posted October 14, 2021 (edited) I hope to see the spider entered in the Fossil of the Month" contest!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I see my hopes came true!!!!! Should have looked at that topic before responding. Edited October 14, 2021 by minnbuckeye 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted October 14, 2021 Share Posted October 14, 2021 Cool stuff for sure RB 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marguy Posted October 14, 2021 Author Share Posted October 14, 2021 (edited) 20 hours ago, Mainefossils said: Is the spider a scientifically important find from that formation, or have they been found before? I found a reference with 2 photos ,poor quality or bad conservation, and no scientific name! 21 hours ago, marguy said: indet. plant (Chara, Potamogeton sp???) could be a Myriophyllum. Edited October 14, 2021 by marguy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fifbrindacier Posted October 14, 2021 Share Posted October 14, 2021 10 hours ago, minnbuckeye said: I hope to see the spider entered in the Fossil of the Month" contest!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I see my hopes came true!!!!! Should have looked at that topic before responding. It is done. "On ne voit bien que par le coeur, l'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux." (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry) "We only well see with the heart, the essential is invisible for the eyes." In memory of Doren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marguy Posted October 15, 2021 Author Share Posted October 15, 2021 after a little research I found the precise identification for the Ephemeroptera larva: the species was described in 1999 under this name: Pseudokageronia thomasi MASSELOT & NEL, 1999 (holotype and paratype in Paris Museum MNHN) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuMert Posted October 18, 2021 Share Posted October 18, 2021 A spider from a textbook on arachnid anatomy. Insects are great too 1 My sites & reports Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doushantuo Posted October 18, 2021 Share Posted October 18, 2021 (edited) Local beer brewers use(d) the diatomite in filters. Diatomite** is economically useful, but is slightly controversial as e.g.fertilizer. ** Kieselgur,in German Edited October 18, 2021 by doushantuo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piranha Posted October 18, 2021 Share Posted October 18, 2021 A specialist friend suggested sending the photo to Paul Selden who says it could be an orb weaver. By coincidence, he is presently in France and has plans to visit the Murat locality sometime this year: Thank you for sending me the nice spider picture! I am aware of spider fossils coming out of the Murat diatomite. Indeed I intend to travel down there sometime this year to look at a collection made by a local collector when we can find a mutually suitable time. As far as the specimen goes it is a rather nice one. I cannot say for sure what it is, but it looks rather like an araneid. When I have studied the Cantal specimens, I will have a better idea of the fauna. Should you want me to include your specimen in my studies, I would be pleased to do so. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marguy Posted October 18, 2021 Author Share Posted October 18, 2021 @piranha thank you for this transmission to Paul Selden ; I sent him a message so that he can contact me if he wishes . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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