Mazon Creek ID Requests

[Patrick K.]

Hi all! 
 

 I’ve had a much more productive sophomore season over at Pit 11 - had a lot of stuff pop open but not identifiable to my eyes. Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

1 - looks like essexella but like nothing I’ve see , and I have A LOT! 

 

2. 

 

3.

 

4.

 

 

5 - Not sure which one this is - got small legs like octomedusa but has the raised center like reticulomesuda

 

6

 

7

 

8

 

I’ve got quite a few more - I’m guessing most are not identifiable but posting is better than wondering! 
 

Thanks for looking!

 

Pat K

 

 

 

 

 

[RCFossils]

1. Essexela

2. Shrimp (possibly Kallidecthes)

3. Possible Gilpichthys 

4. Possible shrimp 

5. Octomedusa 

6.,7,8 I think these are all poorly preserved Coprinoscolex 

Congratulations on some nice finds.

 

 

[Patrick K.]

Thanks RC! 
 

 That essexella is so out of pattern for the 100 I have so far. It’s just a ghost on the concretion - must have been thin as a credit card. I’ve never seen one without any striations at all. I like it! 
 

Is Coprinoscolex a numerous and often poorly preserved mazon creek animal? I have several concretions that opened and look a lot like these. 

[RCFossils]

Essexella can be preserved in extremely different positions. Yours is a pretty nice example.

Yes, Coprinoscolex can be extremely abundant in certain areas. It is not unusual to find poorly preserved examples.

[Mark Kmiecik]

I agree with RC. The positions and looks taken on by Essexella are numerous. I have dozens that I kept simply because no two are even vaguely similar. I have them from the size of a dime to six inches in diameter. I have dorsal and ventral views, side views and dang near every angle in between. And now that they are anemones no one is throwing them out or giving them away by the hyndreds. Back in the day the old timers would give them away to schools and kids in general by the crateful.

[Patrick K.]

Right on cue, yesterday morning when I went to swap my nodules from the freezer, another coprinoscolex (i think) popped open. This one is far better presented. 
 

 

Also wanted to show a major stroke of luck. About a month ago I went to my first trip to Torino Hill with my kid and I found a small open concretion that was definitely something, but in the field and not cleaned up I had no idea. Turned out to be a Schramine max (thanks Andrew Young for the ID!) I decided to head back about 10 days later and invited some ESCONI members along on my boat. Believe it or not I actually found the other half of this dime sized concretion among millions of shards and stones, maybe halfway up the hill in a rain water gully, 100’ away from where I found the first half. 

 

Still working on my photography skills - the washed out one is under a lighted magnifying glass - hopefully I can get a bit better!

 

 

 

Edited May 4 by Patrick K.

[Mark Kmiecik]

34 minutes ago, Patrick K. said:

another coprinoscolex (i think) popped open. This one is far better presented.

 

I agree.