Middle Devonian Fossils - Swatara State Park (Pine Grove, PA)

[Masonk]

Hi All,

Took a trip last weekend to break rock @ Swatara State Park.

Formation is  Mahantango, however as I understand, the material itself is a roadcut transplant from nearby I-81.

 

Spent about 5 hours looking and did fairly well overall. Main goal was trilobites (have yet to find any personally - goal achieved).

 

Highlight is a possible Phyllocarid (suggested species - Echinocaris). 

 

I've attempted to ID mostly everything, however please feel free to correct me as I'm still learing.

Few photos from the site:

 

 

Looking down from atop the formation

 

In situ

 

Brachiopod - Cyrtina hamiltonensis?

 

 

Brachipod?, Mucrospirifer?, Unsure of the 3rd photo. Coral and Sponge have been suggested. Possibly Receptaculites? Or maybe Bryozoan?

 

Trilobite - Trinucleus?

 

Trilobite - Greenops pygidum?

 

Trilobite - Greenops pygidum?

 

Trilobite - Greenops pygidum

 

Crinoid stem?

Edited April 23 by Masonk

[Fossildude19]

The last item is more likely a pyritized burrow of some sort.

 

[Masonk]

First group shot:

 

 

Mucrospirifer?

 

Nucula sp.

 

 

 

Nucula sp.?

 

Bryozoan and brachipods

 

 

 

 

 

[Masonk]

9 minutes ago, Fossildude19 said:

The last item is more likely a pyritized burrow of some sort.

 

 

Thanks!

[Misha]

I don't think the first item under trilobites is one. Especially not a trinucleid since those were long extinct by the Devonian.

 

Swatara Gap had trinucleids,  the genus Cryptolithus but that was an Ordovician deposit, this is mid Devonian 

[Fossildude19]

Also, your mystery 3rd photo is the more likely the imprint of an Eldredgeops rana glabella.

 

[Masonk]

Group Shot # 2:

 

 

Phyllocarid?

 

Mucrospirifer

 

Tropidoleptus and ?

 

Mediospirifer? and Crinoid stem

 

Mediospirifer?

 

Longispina?

 

 

Longispina?

 

?

Edited April 22 by Masonk

[Masonk]

9 minutes ago, Misha said:

I don't think the first item under trilobites is one. Especially not a trinucleid since those were long extinct by the Devonian.

 

Swatara Gap had trinucleids,  the genus Cryptolithus but that was an Ordovician deposit, this is mid Devonian 

 

Thanks! Another collector suggested it, and it came up as Swatara, but I didn't take note of the period. Rookie mistake.

 

Any suggestions as to what it may be?

[Masonk]

9 minutes ago, Fossildude19 said:

Also, your mystery 3rd photo is the more likely the imprint of an Eldredgeops rana glabella.

 

 

Make sense. Thanks for the help. Much appreciated!

[Masonk]

Final group shot:

 

 

Unsure of the Brachipod species in the first two photos, and unsure of what the 3rd photo might be. 

 

Pustulatia, Crinoid

 

Bryozoan

 

?

 

Grammysioidea sp.?

 

Pustulatia?

 

?, Pustulatia?

 

Pustulatia?

 

 

Edited April 22 by Masonk

[bockryan]

Looks like a solid day, love the bryozoan, I haven't found any from there and the red color is quite nice

[Masonk]

4 hours ago, bockryan said:

Looks like a solid day, love the bryozoan, I haven't found any from there and the red color is quite nice

Thanks! I was shocked by the lack of Crinoid and Bryozoan. 
 

I went to New Ringgold yesterday, and found the same. 
 

Beltzville was a lot heavier in both, so I guess that’s what I expected.
 

Edited April 23 by Masonk

[Darktooth]

Looks like a decent hunt with a nice variety of fossils! I also like the color of the specimens.

[Masonk]

Thank you! The colors really are amazing. 

Edited April 23 by Masonk

[cngodles]

My first fossil collection experience was at Swatara State Park (I attempted to and succeeded in visiting all 120 PA state parks in 2008). I had no idea what kinds of fossils I was finding back then. It would be almost a decade until I knew what the Devonian period was.

 

I'm happy to see the area is still open to collecting. I've heard rumors back and forth about how accessible or picked over it might be. I've been over 15 years since I've seen what the fossils look like—I knew they were red—and it's nice to see them again. Great post!