Dendroid graptolites

[izak_]

Most people yawn at the mention of graptolites (myself included), but as far as they go these ones are quite cool! We recently set out in search of a site we visited years ago, but had since lost. The site was a roadside in the vicinity of Mt. Canobolas in central western NSW with road base that yielded nice graptolites and one weathered trilobite. On the way to where we thought our original site was, we stopped in at a large roadside quarry with similar looking yellowish shale. After breaking just a couple of rocks we were already finding the same dendroid graptolites as the original spot, so it seemed to be the source of the road base we were looking for. Unfortunately, we only found one trilobite pygidium, they seem to be very rare at this site. Additionally, we found sponges with soft tissue preservation and plentiful large conulariids. 

 

The dendroid graptolites from this unit are described here for anyone interested.

 

Photos of some of the graptolites for now, more to come!

 

[Fossildude19]

Those are pretty cool, Izak!

Thanks for posting them.

[TqB]

Dendroid graptolites are pretty exciting but "sponges with soft tissue preservation and plentiful large conulariids" is making me very envious.

[izak_]

10 minutes ago, TqB said:

Dendroid graptolites are pretty exciting but "sponges with soft tissue preservation and plentiful large conulariids" is making me very envious 

 

I will photograph them next  

[Yoda]

1 hour ago, izak_ said:

Most people yawn at the mention of graptolites (myself included), but as far as they go these ones are quite cool! We recently set out in search of a site we visited years ago, but had since lost. The site was a roadside in the vicinity of Mt. Canobolas in central western NSW with road base that yielded nice graptolites and one weathered trilobite. On the way to where we thought our original site was, we stopped in at a large roadside quarry with similar looking yellowish shale. After breaking just a couple of rocks we were already finding the same dendroid graptolites as the original spot, so it seemed to be the source of the road base we were looking for. Unfortunately, we only found one trilobite pygidium, they seem to be very rare at this site. Additionally, we found sponges with soft tissue preservation and plentiful large conulariids. 

 

The dendroid graptolites from this unit are described here for anyone interested.

 

 

I don't ! 

 

Those are really interesting. 

Nice finds 

[minnbuckeye]

A nice graptolite is as appealing to me as the trilobites you so seek! So do not hesitate to show them off.

[connorp]

Beautiful! Looks like some of them have the holdfasts too. Not something you often see. Very cool.

[automech]

The third photo looks like a tree, in the fall, dropping it's leaves.

[bockryan]

Fantastic finds! Love sponges and dendroid graptolites would be a dream find around here. I was able to find some cool plates of free-floating forms from the Ordovician of KY. They might look cooler with a splash of orange. 

 

 

 

Edited May 22 by bockryan

[Jaybot]

15 hours ago, izak_ said:

plentiful large conulariids. 

Now I'm excited!  Conulariids are one of my favorite inverts. 

[izak_]

Here you go!

 

One of the conulariids which latexed nicely

 

A sponge with faint spicules towards the top (easier to see in the second photo)

 

A sponge with more conspicuous splicules

 

A plate with various graptolites

[Jaybot]

21 minutes ago, izak_ said:

Here you go!

 

One of the conulariids which latexed nicely

Beautiful specimen; very different from the small/tiny ones I find here.

Curious: how do you take those nice, detailed, black and white photos, like the picture on the right for the conulariid?

Thank you so much for sharing!

[izak_]

4 minutes ago, Jaybot said:

Beautiful specimen; very different from the small/tiny ones I find here.

Curious: how do you take those nice, detailed, black and white photos, like the picture on the right for the conulariid?

Thank you so much for sharing!

Thank you! The black and white photos are latex casts coated with ammonium chloride. I posted a thread on making latexes here.

[Jeffrey P]

Congratulations Izak. Your finds are always amazing, but those dendroid graptolites are just exquisite!!! Conularids and sponges are impressive too. Many thanks for sharing

[izak_]

5 hours ago, Jeffrey P said:

Congratulations Izak. Your finds are always amazing, but those dendroid graptolites are just exquisite!!! Conularids and sponges are impressive too. Many thanks for sharing

Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed!