Shamalama Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 Wow, what a great find and incredible luck! I will be voting for that as IFOTM for sure. -Dave __________________________________________________ Geologists on the whole are inconsistent drivers. When a roadcut presents itself, they tend to lurch and weave. To them, the roadcut is a portal, a fragment of a regional story, a proscenium arch that leads their imaginations into the earth and through the surrounding terrain. - John McPheeIf I'm going to drive safely, I can't do geology. - John McPheeCheck out my Blog for more fossils I've found: http://viewsofthemahantango.blogspot.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Russell Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 Outstanding find!!! Congratulations Malcolm! Finding my way through life; one fossil at a time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinopaleus Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 (edited) Lovely find MalcomT!! Edited May 5, 2012 by Sinopaleus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RCFossils Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 I smell FOTM entry here. Congrats Malcom. Very cool, nice, amazing find. Jeff Definately has my vote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolmt Posted May 5, 2012 Author Share Posted May 5, 2012 (edited) Thank you all that have commented so kindly on my little find. It is going to make me think about putting it in the May sweepstakes here. I have never submitted anything because by the time I think about it there are always things I like a lot posted by someone else. Even though I did vote for the Greenops I drool over some of those crabs and lowly worms that have been posted....... FC, your pterygotus story is absolutely legendary. Having met Mr. T twice now, you perhaps could not have pulled this trick on a better candidate. He is a non stop highly physical fossil hunter, and did I mention competitive...... I don't stop at all when I am hunting but he splits twice the rock I do... he is a splitting machine.... His reaction to seeing it would be priceless. His reaction to knowing that he had been pranked would have been one to savour. If Mr. S.C. was there he would have been splitting his gut laughing...... Edited May 5, 2012 by Malcolmt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squalicorax Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 MALCOLM!!!!!!!! You dog. Must have been all that Sushi you ate this week. Sea Scorpion Sushi My Flickr Page of My Collection: http://www.flickr.com/photos/79424101@N00/sets Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolmt Posted May 5, 2012 Author Share Posted May 5, 2012 Well as part of the continuing story here I have oppened up all the little packages that contained the counterpart. Turns out there are actually 12 pieces. Guess I will be doing a bit of gluing today. Here is the before picture but it basically looks like it is all there. Next pic will be after some major surgery..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilDAWG Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 Spectacular, and well deserved. How many hours have you put into the hunt for that find? Hard to imagine anything that might top it for FOTM. Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilDAWG Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 The finder of the baby Dolichopterus, I haven't seen in years. The amusing story about the Pterygotus is an ellaborate hoax that took a week to pull off. One Friday before the quarry closed, I quarried out two big smooth slabs of Dolostone and cleaned the area they came from. Over the week I Photoshoped a Ptyergotus positive side and mirror image negative side. I then inkjetted them on thin rice paper, cut the borders off and spray glued them to fix each accurately to the Dolostone slabs to perfectly match their positions. The next Friday I arrived early and returned the slabs to their original location in the quarry. I placed rock over them and waited for Mr.T to start digging. After a few minutes of looking busy working I flipped over my creation to "discover" a beautifully laid out specimen. Mr. T saw it from a distance and quickly came over to check it out. I couldn't let him have a real close look and quickly wisked it away; which only piqued his interest more. I'm told it was a mean trick; but I put a lot of time effort and thought into the hoax. I deserved a little fun. Even the fake pieces were wanted by other collectors to hold a spot in their collection until the real thing came along. The only thing that "might" have made that prank better, would have been to drop the top onto the bottom and break it. Can you imagine the reaction?That really is an amazing fake, though. Really well done. Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scylla Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 Great fossil, but now how will I stop next time I'm hunting I might be leaving the FOTM in the ground! Out of food, out of water, sunset was 6 hours ago, headlight battery dying, out of firewood, fingers too numb to collect by braille, but still... must..... press... on... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolmt Posted May 5, 2012 Author Share Posted May 5, 2012 (edited) FossilDawg (Don) , I have been extremely fortunate (beginners luck and persistence) for about 36 hours of hunting time and 16 hours of driving time I have this beauty , a couple of plants ,6 phylocarid tails and 5 eurypterids that are in the 40 to 90% range (including a double) and and quite a number of heads, tails and body segments. If you think about it , absolutely amazing luck certainly against the odds and not at all typical. Edited May 5, 2012 by Malcolmt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolmt Posted May 5, 2012 Author Share Posted May 5, 2012 Scylla, I have literally done what you describe at Arkona, it is a long drive for me and I want to get every last minute I can in there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosmoceras Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 I can't wait to see the counterpart done up, the tail is very clear on the slab. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolmt Posted May 7, 2012 Author Share Posted May 7, 2012 (edited) Well finally got some time to work on the Eurypterid. I have sucessfully put the 12 pieces of the counterpart together. There is a triangle missing and unfortuantely that is the point that was shattered to basically unsalvageable tiny bits when the fossil was discovered . A two pound sledge and large chisel tend to do that. All in all I am quite satisfied. The white area (plaster of paris over a an epoxy base) will eventually be covered with lepages white glue that has powdered matrix from the same site mixed in with it and then sprinkled on top while still wet. I felt I had to provide some extra stability as the counterpart is only 1/4 inch thick and it looked wierd with the missing triangle. Here is the picture of the part and counterpart. (just click on the picture for more detail) COuld not find my metal ruler when I was taking the picture but just a reminder that from head to tail the length is just over 6 inches (15 to 16 centimeters) The majority of the organic film that covers these eurypterids and is coloured reddish brown is attached to the part with just two of the tergites having the material on the counterpart. I considered removing the film from the counterpart and flipping it onto the original part but eventually decided against that. Starting to like Eurypterids quite a bit at this point!!!!!!!! Probably going back again this week to continue the adventure...... Edited May 7, 2012 by Malcolmt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xonenine Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 that is a wonderful job you did, Malcolm, they look terrific together "Your serpent of Egypt is bred now of your mud by the operation of your sun; so is your crocodile." Lepidus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolmt Posted May 7, 2012 Author Share Posted May 7, 2012 Thanks Carmine , at this point there has been some minimal work with a pin vice and some light brushing with a camel hair brush and water using paper towel to carefully damp up the matrix mud that is getting washed away. These eurypterids are not that condusive to doing any prep, definately would be destroyed by an airscribe or air abrasion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piranha Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 Bravo again Malcolm, Instead of matrix amalgam how about tracing the missing portion and splicing a piece of matrix and then filling the splice lines? Just another idea to consider and might be worth the extra effort to really maintain the continuity of both parts. Bet you can find an ideal piece of matrix for transplant. In any event this is easily one of the finest Eurypterus fossils posted here or anywhere. If I didn't already have one I'd be waving the 'green with envy' sign. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilDAWG Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 Considering the counterpart is missing not only a tiny bit of the head but also the very tip of the telson, you could improve the average overall quality of your collection by getting rid of it. If you send it to me, I'll be happy to ensure it is appropriately "disposed of". Seriously, that is truly an outstanding specimen, both halves. I'm not ashamed to admit being :greenwnvy: . Are you going to try to extend the same hole? Maybe the rest of the family is back there, hoping for a reunion. Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squalicorax Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 Wow malcolm, killer prep on that specimen. Truly a highlight of your collection? Get that baby on the wall. Very attractive piece. My Flickr Page of My Collection: http://www.flickr.com/photos/79424101@N00/sets Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolmt Posted May 7, 2012 Author Share Posted May 7, 2012 Don, I think I'm going to pass on disposing it with you for the time being......... I am planning on going back on Friday and I have a plan of attack in mind as to where to explore next. Maybe I should look for that tip of the telson though.......... actually that part of the rock pretty much disintegrated so I did not have anything really that I could pick up ........all in all though I am not complaining. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolmt Posted May 7, 2012 Author Share Posted May 7, 2012 Piranha, that is a very good suggestion and one that I have used in the past. I may well consider doing it in the future. I will look for a piece of suitable matrix when I go back. The good thing about the plaster of paris over the epoxy is that it is pretty much total reversable. 60 seconds with my air abrasion and that plaster is gone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stingray Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 Very nice Malcom I also agree FOTM great possibility !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pleecan Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 The finder of the baby Dolichopterus, I haven't seen in years. The amusing story about the Pterygotus is an ellaborate hoax that took a week to pull off. One Friday before the quarry closed, I quarried out two big smooth slabs of Dolostone and cleaned the area they came from. Over the week I Photoshoped a Ptyergotus positive side and mirror image negative side. I then inkjetted them on thin rice paper, cut the borders off and spray glued them to fix each accurately to the Dolostone slabs to perfectly match their positions. The next Friday I arrived early and returned the slabs to their original location in the quarry. I placed rock over them and waited for Mr.T to start digging. After a few minutes of looking busy working I flipped over my creation to "discover" a beautifully laid out specimen. Mr. T saw it from a distance and quickly came over to check it out. I couldn't let him have a real close look and quickly wisked it away; which only piqued his interest more. I'm told it was a mean trick; but I put a lot of time effort and thought into the hoax. I deserved a little fun. Even the fake pieces were wanted by other collectors to hold a spot in their collection until the real thing came along. That indeed is a funny story John : ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pleecan Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 Malcolm: Congratulations on that super find!!! makes me want to go back and dig for fossils! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolmt Posted May 7, 2012 Author Share Posted May 7, 2012 (edited) But Peter, then you would have to quit walking around looking for wormy things in chert!!!!!!!! Edited May 7, 2012 by Malcolmt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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