Caleb Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 (edited) The past few weeks have been very warm and have hindered my collecting time. I did go out a few times exploring and trying to find new spots, but not much luck as far as trilobites go. So yesterday (Aug. 7, 2011) I decided to try my luck at some reliable sites in the Maquoketa Formation of Northeast Iowa. Since I slept in and didn't feel very motivated, I didn't leave till shortly after noon. I arrived at my first site(M3) at 2:00pm and started the hunt. My dream at this site is to walk away with a Sphaerocoryphe maquoketensis, but I had to settle for just a couple cephalons. I also found a prone headless Anataphrus vigilans with a possible rolled one on the other side of the rock. A. vigilans are the most prevalent trilobites in this formation, but they are very rarely found prone. While I don't normally pick up partial Anataphrus, I figured this headless one would make a good practice piece for prepping. I also picked up the pygidium of a Encrinuroides pernodosus and some other interesting parts that I need to look at a bit closer. After that, I hopped in the air conditioning of my car and drove to the next site(M2). Shortly after ariving, I found my first(and only) complete trilobite of the day; a very nice rolled Anataphrus vigilans. I also found a rare cephalon of an Encrinuroides pernodosus. The prize however, was not the rare cephalon, and not even the nice trilobite, but a hypostome. Not just any hypostome, but one from a trilobite I didn't know even existed in the Maquoketa formation. This hypostome belonged to the trilobite Hypodicranotus sp.! As far as I know (and my knowledge is very limited) Hypodicranotus has not been described out of the Maquoketa formation which is Richmondian in age. It was an exciting and beautiful day to be out on the rocks, and I can't wait for the next trip. Here's a couple of papers relevant to this formation. TRILOBITES FROM THE MAQUOKETA BEDS OF FAYETTE COUNTY, IOWA Trilobites of Iowa The exciting Hypodicranotus sp. hypostome. Edited August 9, 2011 by Caleb Caleb Midwestpaleo.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caleb Posted August 9, 2011 Author Share Posted August 9, 2011 Here are some photos of the other stuff I found: Anataphrus vigilans Encrinuroides pernodosus cephalon and pygidium. There is also a hypostome of a Ceraurus milleranus in front of the E. pernodosus cephalon. Caleb Midwestpaleo.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piranha Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Nice bugs Caleb! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caleb Posted August 9, 2011 Author Share Posted August 9, 2011 Nice bugs Caleb! Thanks! I've been researching the Hypodicranotus and have yet to find any reference to it in the Maquoketa Formation or at the least in Richmondian age rocks. The closest I've come to an occurrence in the Richmondian is in the paper "The Peculiar Ordovician Trilobite Hypodicranotus From The Whittaker Formation, District Of Mackenzie" (Ludvigsen and Chatterton, 1991). In that they mention an occurrence in Central Nevada "Ross et al. (1979) illustrated well-preserved silicified cranidia, free cheeks, and hypostomes of Hypodicranotus n.sp. B from the Lower Hanson Creek Formation(upper Maysvillian or Richmondian).". Interesting stuff if I may say so myself. Caleb Midwestpaleo.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimB88 Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Wow! You do really good in that formation! Have you ever found a chiton in the Platteville system before? I knew a fossileer who found two before (around Beloit Wisconsin.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caleb Posted August 9, 2011 Author Share Posted August 9, 2011 (edited) Wow! You do really good in that formation! Have you ever found a chiton in the Platteville system before? I knew a fossileer who found two before (around Beloit Wisconsin.) It looks like they're found in the Forreston member of the Grand Detour Formation. I haven't collected out that way... yet. Here's the paper about them, cool looking things. Edited August 9, 2011 by Caleb Caleb Midwestpaleo.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trilobiteruss Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 Good find Caleb. I used to hunt the Maquoketa alot (I am from North Central Iowa originally, went to UNI at Cedar Falls in Geology) so a favorite area. Found my first Anataphrus vigilans between Elgin and Clermont in the early 70's along with several calyemene in a nautoloid! It was a neat area, but have not been back in years...since I came to Illinois to work at the ISGS for 34 years in coal section (retired now). Russ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caleb Posted August 11, 2011 Author Share Posted August 11, 2011 Good find Caleb. I used to hunt the Maquoketa alot (I am from North Central Iowa originally, went to UNI at Cedar Falls in Geology) so a favorite area. Found my first Anataphrus vigilans between Elgin and Clermont in the early 70's along with several calyemene in a nautoloid! It was a neat area, but have not been back in years...since I came to Illinois to work at the ISGS for 34 years in coal section (retired now). Russ Thanks! It's always very exciting to find a trilobite that is undescribed from the formation I'm looking in... it's a rare thing. I think I recognize your Drotops armatus from MAPS, I had a table in the same row as the Moroccan dealer and bought a very nice Thysanopeltis speciosa from him(pictured in my gallery). Caleb Midwestpaleo.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trilobiteruss Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 Thanks! It's always very exciting to find a trilobite that is undescribed from the formation I'm looking in... it's a rare thing. I think I recognize your Drotops armatus from MAPS, I had a table in the same row as the Moroccan dealer and bought a very nice Thysanopeltis speciosa from him(pictured in my gallery). Yep that was my friend Hassane, whom we made acquaintance with a couple years back at Maps. We now have a business with him as our moroccan source/partner (palo-pix.net in my sig below) selling quality fossils from all over (north america and morocco so far <grin>) I got that from him at a great price and am very pleased with it. We sell stuff mainly to pay for our additction...err.. hobby :-) So were you collecting near Elgin and Clermont, well known area for the A. vigilians? Russ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caleb Posted August 11, 2011 Author Share Posted August 11, 2011 Yep that was my friend Hassane, whom we made acquaintance with a couple years back at Maps. We now have a business with him as our moroccan source/partner (palo-pix.net in my sig below) selling quality fossils from all over (north america and morocco so far <grin>) I got that from him at a great price and am very pleased with it. We sell stuff mainly to pay for our additction...err.. hobby :-) So were you collecting near Elgin and Clermont, well known area for the A. vigilians? Russ Yep, I collect around there quite often, despite the 2hr drive. I'm still searching for the elusive Sphaerocoryphe maquoketensis, but I'm confident(at least hopeful) that I will find one eventually. Caleb Midwestpaleo.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trilobiteruss Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 Yep, I collect around there quite often, despite the 2hr drive. I'm still searching for the elusive Sphaerocoryphe maquoketensis, but I'm confident(at least hopeful) that I will find one eventually. Thought so that was a well known location. I had the most fun though opening old nautaloids and finding the calymene in them. Would love to find one of those rare bugs. Good luck, Maybe we will see you post an image soon! russ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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