A Journey into the Maryland Silurian

[bockryan]

Took advantage of the great weather yesterday to drive over to Western Maryland to explore some well-known sites for the first time and had a successful day!

 

Our first stop was at an apparent Late Devonian locality outside of Flintstone where we found nothing except an interesting trackway, which I believe is Pteridichnites biseriatus, made by a brittle star. Otherwise we found absolutely no fossiliferous rock at the site, which is Locality 33 in Fossil Collecting in the Mid-Atlantic States. It's possible the site has been altered/destroyed by roadwork in the ~30 years since the book was written, but if anyone else has given it a try and has had more luck, please let me know! Always possible we were simply in the wrong spot since the directions are bit difficult.

Our second stop was a Middle Silurian locality outside of Cumberland, MD where we had vastly more success and that also happens to be about as scenic as roadcuts get with the blooming dogwood trees. We found numerous nautiloid fragments, including one fairly massive one that was also very well preserved and that I managed to get out the rock in good shape (it only broke 4 times!). We also found some lovely brachiopods preserved in a silvery black color and a few large, round corals that are well preserved. We only spent about an hour, but will certainly return.

 

 

Edited May 7, 2023 by bockryan

[EMP]

Cool stuff! The nautiloids are especially interesting.

 

 Did the State Police not bother you along the interstate?

[bockryan]

10 hours ago, EMP said:

Cool stuff! The nautiloids are especially interesting.

 

 Did the State Police not bother you along the interstate?

 

Not at all, there's a wide shoulder for parking and we were careful not to dislodge any rock or really do any digging, better to surface collect any way I think

[NickG]

I'm shocked you were not stopped by state police. Nonemergency stopping along the interstate is not permitted.

[bockryan]

5 hours ago, Nick G. said:

I'm shocked you were not stopped by state police. Nonemergency stopping along the interstate is not permitted.

 

Hmm, didn't know that, disappointing! Luckily I think I got a good cross-section of the available fossils, will have to look for alternative sites if I ever feel the need to return to the Maryland Silurian

[Shellseeker]

49 minutes ago, bockryan said:

 

Hmm, didn't know that, disappointing! Luckily I think I got a good cross-section of the available fossils, will have to look for alternative sites if I ever feel the need to return to the Maryland Silurian

Thanks for sharing... always interested in fossils form other ages.  Most of what I find is 20 mya or more recent.... For a instant, I thought your brachiopods might be whale teeth..

 

Your photo of the Interstate,  reminded me of the Merritt Parkway in Connecticut some 65 years ago. when I would walk the roadcuts searching for whatever on a lazy summer afternoon.

 

[bockryan]

11 hours ago, Shellseeker said:

Thanks for sharing... always interested in fossils form other ages.  Most of what I find is 20 mya or more recent.... For a instant, I thought your brachiopods might be whale teeth..

 

Your photo of the Interstate,  reminded me of the Merritt Parkway in Connecticut some 65 years ago. when I would walk the roadcuts searching for whatever on a lazy summer afternoon.

 

 

As much as I love my East Coast roadcuts, the Miocene+ part of the collection would really benefit from a few years in FL! Those are some gorgeous teeth

[val horn]

I certainly understand that there are places where stopping is not legal, but I expect those areas to be posted.  I have never encountered police when I have stopped, except once when I was asked if I had a car problem.

[minnbuckeye]

1 hour ago, val horn said:

never encountered police when I have stopped, except once

I actually have an officer pull over, get out of the squad car and hunt with me whenever he passes by. Unfortunately, we haven't seen each other this year. Maybe he had a transfer or just bad timing. This is along a highway, not 4 lane interstate.

[bockryan]

13 hours ago, minnbuckeye said:

I actually have an officer pull over, get out of the squad car and hunt with me whenever he passes by. Unfortunately, we haven't seen each other this year. Maybe he had a transfer or just bad timing. This is along a highway, not 4 lane interstate.

 

I had the same thing happen in WV! We said we were looking for Brachiopods, he said oh I have tons of those in my backyard, always wondered what they were

[Rock Hound]

On 6/21/2023 at 9:27 PM, Shellseeker said:

Thanks for sharing... always interested in fossils form other ages.  Most of what I find is 20 mya or more recent.... For a instant, I thought your brachiopods might be whale teeth..

 

Your photo of the Interstate,  reminded me of the Merritt Parkway in Connecticut some 65 years ago. when I would walk the roadcuts searching for whatever on a lazy summer afternoon.

 

That tooth on the right, is really nice.  Look at those colors!!!

[Shellseeker]

8 hours ago, Rock Hound said:

That tooth on the right, is really nice.  Look at those colors!!!

I have a good friend and fossil hunter who lives near the Peace River,  who was working in the Bone Valley Phosphate mines from the middle 1970s to the middle 1990s.

He tells me that the company was not concerned with fossil hunting at long as employees did it on their own time. 5 years ago, he was reducing his collection and sold me approximately 100 whale teeth he had collected during that time period.. Some would knock your eyes out....

[NickG]

On 6/21/2023 at 9:26 PM, bockryan said:

 

Hmm, didn't know that, disappointing! Luckily I think I got a good cross-section of the available fossils, will have to look for alternative sites if I ever feel the need to return to the Maryland Silurian

I am pretty sure that entire stretch is posted for no stopping except emergencies, but you might as well try it again and plead ignorance. I've never had an issue stopping on non posted highways and roadways but I've never tried interstates because you're not supposed to stop. Straight up. Usually the on ramps have signage informing this... That said, I am sure there are other similar sites along 144 and 40 since those run parallel with 68.

[NickG]

Can you share pictures of your possible Pteridichnites? I am not aware it has been discovered outside of WV and VA!