JimB88 Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Had a opportunity to go with a friend from work to check out his Jackson County property. He told me about the limestone there having fossils so I was eager to check it out! His property was basically a steep wooded hill with small outcrops of limestone poking out. I spent a couple hours there looking for fossils that would cement the time period for me. Most appeared to be Middle Ordovician, with the mystifying exception of the crinoid stem sections and chunks of chert. heres some of what I found... this was the clincher..a small piece of Constellaria bryo... some Lophospira gastros... Heres a hash plate with many of the usual suspects as far as Ordovician Brachiopods go... and some close ups of the previous pic... the matrix was a very hard Limestone, in which I also found examples of Zygospira and the ostracod Leperditia. In the dirt and on the trail where weathered out crinoid columnals and a strange chert piece.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimB88 Posted March 29, 2012 Author Share Posted March 29, 2012 and the last pic which wouldnt fit... I also found some cephalopods, but havent photographed them yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilDAWG Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 The crinoid stems/chert suggest the Fort Payne formation to me. In many places the limestone has weathered away, leaving a residual soil with loose crinoid stem segments, and sometimes calyxes and brachiopods etc. These can easily migrate down slope, or be left in the soil over areas where the actual Fort Payne bedrock has been eroded away. Since the Silurian/Devonian is very thin or missing in much of Tennessee/Georgia, you could well have Late Ordovician with Fort Payne above it. My best guess, anyway. Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 Nice finds, Jim! That Constellaria is pretty. Regards, Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 __________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimB88 Posted March 30, 2012 Author Share Posted March 30, 2012 The crinoid stems/chert suggest the Fort Payne formation to me. In many places the limestone has weathered away, leaving a residual soil with loose crinoid stem segments, and sometimes calyxes and brachiopods etc. These can easily migrate down slope, or be left in the soil over areas where the actual Fort Payne bedrock has been eroded away. Since the Silurian/Devonian is very thin or missing in much of Tennessee/Georgia, you could well have Late Ordovician with Fort Payne above it. My best guess, anyway. Don Thats along the lines of what I was thinking...thanks Don! Very well explained. Thanks Tim, that was a first for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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