Herb Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 A brief report on a stop I made today near Bardstown, Kentucky. Oddly enough called the Bardstown Reef. This is U.Ordovician probably the Whitewater formation. The fauna is composed mostly of colonial rugose and tabulete corals, what looks like stromatoporods and a few brachiopods and bryozoa. Some of the colonies are 3' in diameter. The quality of the preservation is very detailed for Ordovician corals in this area. A few site pictures: "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence"_ Carl Sagen No trees were killed in this posting......however, many innocent electrons were diverted from where they originally intended to go. " I think, therefore I collect fossils." _ Me "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."__S. Holmes "can't we all just get along?" Jack Nicholson from Mars Attacks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herb Posted July 21, 2012 Author Share Posted July 21, 2012 And a few of the corals: "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence"_ Carl Sagen No trees were killed in this posting......however, many innocent electrons were diverted from where they originally intended to go. " I think, therefore I collect fossils." _ Me "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."__S. Holmes "can't we all just get along?" Jack Nicholson from Mars Attacks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
masonboro37 Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 Love the coral. Thank you for sharing Herb! Process of identification "mistakes create wisdom". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullsnake Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 Those are really cool! Thanks for showing! Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grandpa Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 Really nice corals. Looks like great fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamalama Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 I picked a bunch of those up this spring to use as garden edge borders. That is a cool exposure. -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...
Herb Posted July 22, 2012 Author Share Posted July 22, 2012 I picked a bunch of those up this spring to use as garden edge borders. That is a cool exposure. Oh,the horror, the horror! "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence"_ Carl Sagen No trees were killed in this posting......however, many innocent electrons were diverted from where they originally intended to go. " I think, therefore I collect fossils." _ Me "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."__S. Holmes "can't we all just get along?" Jack Nicholson from Mars Attacks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erose Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 In all my study of the Cincinnatian I had read of the Bardstown Reef and was always intrigued. There are a few solitary corals known from the Richmond Group strata but only a few places were the colonial corals are truly abundant. Now that I have a better idea where it is located I can see stopping off on my next road trip from Texas to Ohio. I also have no qualms putting big specimens in the garden. My house has only room for so many large specimens and I would probably collect a few hand-size chunks for the drawers as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamalama Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 The site that Herb went to, and I visited in the spring, is probably the best know exposure of that particular horizon. There is another exposure over near Madison IN where the corals are not hollow but they are partially silicified. -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...
erose Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 If you are talking about that long road cut north of Madison I know what you are talking about. On my one visit there it was end of day and a long walk back down to my car and I have regretted not loading up on them ever since. The whole west side of the Cinci Arch is much richer in corals than the northern and eastern sides I know better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brendenfinder Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 Amazing corals, keep up the good work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommabetts Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 Nice finds, thanks for sharing them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamalama Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 (edited) If you are talking about that long road cut north of Madison I know what you are talking about. On my one visit there it was end of day and a long walk back down to my car and I have regretted not loading up on them ever since. The whole west side of the Cinci Arch is much richer in corals than the northern and eastern sides I know better. Yup, that's the one. At one point the bench is at road level but is pretty much impossible to get anything out of. To get loose specimens you have to either find them from farther down the exposure when they fall out or attempt to hike the hillside (which is dangerous and tricky). I recall seeing some really nice Calcite geodes up on part of the cliff too. Edited July 23, 2012 by Shamalama -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...
Herb Posted July 23, 2012 Author Share Posted July 23, 2012 Dave, actually I know 4 coral reef sites within 20 miles of my house 3 Ordovicion and one Devonian. (not counting the Falls of the Ohio) Some of there coral heads are 3' in diameter. "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence"_ Carl Sagen No trees were killed in this posting......however, many innocent electrons were diverted from where they originally intended to go. " I think, therefore I collect fossils." _ Me "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."__S. Holmes "can't we all just get along?" Jack Nicholson from Mars Attacks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missourian Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 Gotta love a roadside coral reef. Context is critical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herb Posted July 24, 2012 Author Share Posted July 24, 2012 "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence"_ Carl Sagen No trees were killed in this posting......however, many innocent electrons were diverted from where they originally intended to go. " I think, therefore I collect fossils." _ Me "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."__S. Holmes "can't we all just get along?" Jack Nicholson from Mars Attacks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamalama Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 Dave, actually I know 4 coral reef sites within 20 miles of my house 3 Ordovicion and one Devonian. (not counting the Falls of the Ohio) Some of there coral heads are 3' in diameter. :bow: -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...
squalicorax Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 Excellent Tetradium. Ive pulled one out similar to that one from near Brookville Indiana. My Flickr Page of My Collection: http://www.flickr.com/photos/79424101@N00/sets Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herb Posted July 25, 2012 Author Share Posted July 25, 2012 Thanks, the largest Tetradium I found that day was a complete head about 13" in diameter. I couldn't get enough depth of field to get a side picture . "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence"_ Carl Sagen No trees were killed in this posting......however, many innocent electrons were diverted from where they originally intended to go. " I think, therefore I collect fossils." _ Me "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."__S. Holmes "can't we all just get along?" Jack Nicholson from Mars Attacks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howard_l Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Herb, those Bardstown Corals are loaded with all kinds of mineralization, someone indicated that similar ones in Indiana were silicified, I always thought the ones in Bardstown were mostly calcite, but if you get a magnification on the white crystals that are predominate, you will see that they are mostly quartz crystals. The calcite looks like it was recrystallized to quartz. Howard_L http://triloman.wix.com/kentucky-fossils Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jyonts12 Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 Gotta love a roadside coral reef. My favorite quote. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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