Quick Stops throughout Canada-NY, Focusing on Toronto

[Isotelus2883]

This week, I had an opportunity to make some very quick (>30 min) stops along the way to a conference in Toronto, and on the way back.

1. The first stop was in Montreal, pretty close to the hotel. It was an exposure of the Tétreauville Formation. A 20 minute stop, coupled with the fact that even fragments of shale had to be pried out of the frozen ground, and that the shale was mostly empty, made this not the most productive stop. I did manage, however, to find some trilobite fragments.

Starting with some small shell-less Sowerbyella sp.

And of course trilobite bits, negatives, of course because my luck is just like that.

Flexicalymene senaria

Cheiruridae indet.

[Isotelus2883]

2. The second stop was along the Rideau Canal, near the exit into the Ottawa river. Is this Bobcaygeon Fm?

I started with this a decent hash plate, with several brachiopods, and bryozoan bits. The only trilobite fragments on it were a very weathered calymenid cranidium and a cheirurid bit.

Also, I found a block with several Isotelus gigas fragments. Here’s a cephalon bit with an eye along with some other bits of shell.

And here is a partial free cheek. I aligned the piece properly, though it looks bad. Just high energy conditions, unfortunately. A bit of eye, and the genal area are all to show for my five minute stop.

And last, is some kind of gastropod. Any suggestions?

[Isotelus2883]

3. And here, was the object of the trip. I was able to stay a bit longer, 1:03 hours. It was just by the side of the highway, there was a parking spot, and was very readily accessible. At the end of the trip, in the shale cliff, I found a layer packed with bivalves. Sadly, I had to leave and could only recover one Ambonychia as another hash plate I collected crumbled to bits.

Here were the finds. I also left a ~ 80 cm complete Isotelus there, I just felt it wasn’t worth taking.

Some Ambonychia radiata, from the loose material.

Here was the one from the bivalve bed.

Here was a very faint ?Diplichnites obscured by other bioturbation.

Here was the negative of a Flexicalymene cranidium. Not a good specimen, but I didn’t that find much else.

Here was a good hash plate, with several Flexicalymene and Isotelus bits. What species are the Georgian Bay Fm calymenids? F. granulosa?

The Ambonychia impression was nice, as it had a few bryozoans encrusting it.

Another bit had a nice Isotelus pygidium and some Flexicalymene cranidia.

Last, was this awesome Modiolopsis? I picked up from the riverbank, in loose material, simply laying there for me to pick up. Even better, was the bryozoan encrusting it, beautifully prepped by nature. Of course, back at the hotel I flung my arm out accidentally, and knocked it across the floor. Luckily it only broke into two pieces.

[Isotelus2883]

4. Last, on the way back from Canada, I saw some fill blocks at a rest stop. Hoping for some trilobite fragments, I went over to inspect. I was not disappointed. The shalier rocks had Spinatrypa, Rhipidomella, Amplexiphyllum, and others which makes me believe the rocks were Hamilton Gr.

A chonky crinoid stem, from the limestone.

I found this odd thing. I shall not be as hopeful as to definitively assign it to this, but maybe a fish plate?

A big Aulocystis jacksoni cluster, which might prep well.

A partial phacopid cephalon and thorax, I think is Eldredgeops rana on account of the age.

This was a fun trip, many sites I was not planning to visit, and I will certainly return to Toronto when I get a chance.

[Kane]

I am guessing you don't mean 80 cm for the Isotelus. That would make it well over two feet long.

[Isotelus2883]

That's why I couldn't take it. If I had seen it, I certainly would.