deutscheben Posted December 20, 2015 Share Posted December 20, 2015 This was found partially split while I was hiking this summer on state land in Vermilion County, Illinois, and donated in September to the Illinois State Museum. The nodule likely came from the Pennsylvanian-age Energy Shale. Dr. Chris Widga was my contact person at the ISM, and an ISGS scientist present when I donated it comfirmed it as an arachnid, but said further identification would require closer study. I did subsequently do some more independent research into the arachnids found in Mazon Creek and similar deposits, and my amateur inclination is that this specimen is a member of the order Ricinulei, possibly Curculioides sp. Unfortunately, the Museum remains closed to the public due to the continued lack of a budget in Illinois, but I'm hoping to make a visit next year when it should be open again. This was a crazy lucky find, considering the data from the similar Mazon Creek Braidwood biota in Richardson's Guide to the Fossil Fauna of Mazon Creek suggests arachnids are only found in roughly one of every 14,000 nodules. I'm just glad I had my eyes on the ground that day! 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZiggieCie Posted December 20, 2015 Share Posted December 20, 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted December 20, 2015 Share Posted December 20, 2015 It is a wonderful, breath-taking fossil! If you would like to post it to the Partner Gallery topic (LINK guidelines therein), I would be delighted to award some bling for your profile "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herb Posted December 20, 2015 Share Posted December 20, 2015 "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...
CBOB Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 Hats off to you my friend! Great and incredible find! Congrats!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 Incredible find! Well done on the donation, as well. 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...
jpc Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 Wow.... !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptychodus04 Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 Awesome!! Regards, Kris Global Paleo Services, LLC https://globalpaleoservices.com http://instagram.com/globalpaleoservices http://instagram.com/kris.howe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 That is really great! Is there no one at all working in the museum? Even if it's not open to the public, I could imagine that they would let you in on account of your interest for your donation. Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deutscheben Posted December 22, 2015 Author Share Posted December 22, 2015 The scientific staff and unionized employees are still working, so I could ask about visiting, although it would have to wait until after the holiday season anyway now. Thanks for your comments, everyone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilized6s Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 Wow! Spectacular find! Thanks for your donation. ~Charlie~ "There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why.....i dream of things that never were, and ask why not?" ~RFK ->Get your Mosasaur print ->How to spot a fake Trilobite ->How to identify a CONCRETION from a DINOSAUR EGG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pterodactyl Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 Woah. That's an amazing find. "Welcome...To Jurassic Park!" -Richard Attenborough Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deutscheben Posted January 20, 2021 Author Share Posted January 20, 2021 I am so utterly delighted to be able to report that this specimen has been published in the Journal of Paleontology by Niall Whalen and Paul Selden. It was confirmed to be a ricinuleid, and the largest one ever recorded, and even more incredibly, a new species: Curculioides bohemondi. A new, giant ricinuleid (Arachnida, Ricinulei), from the Pennsylvanian of Illinois, and the identification of a new, ontogenetically stable, diagnostic character I had emailed Dr. Selden in 2017 to confirm my tentative ID of the specimen, and he subsequently loaned it from the Illinois State Museum for study. Having a fossil I discovered be published as a new species is something I have long aspired to and I can still hardly believe it has come to pass. 11 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted January 20, 2021 Share Posted January 20, 2021 Congratulations! The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true. - JJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monica Posted January 20, 2021 Share Posted January 20, 2021 A HUGE congratulations, Ben - what an achievement!!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted January 20, 2021 Share Posted January 20, 2021 Congratulations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troodon Posted January 20, 2021 Share Posted January 20, 2021 Congratulations Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted January 20, 2021 Share Posted January 20, 2021 Very very cool! Cheers. -Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RCFossils Posted January 21, 2021 Share Posted January 21, 2021 Congratulations! That is a rare find. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piranha Posted January 21, 2021 Share Posted January 21, 2021 I'm curious why they didn't name it in your honor? Congrats on the Amazing Arachnid! PDF LINK 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidgy's Dad Posted January 21, 2021 Share Posted January 21, 2021 What a wonderful find and result! Life's Good! Tortoise Friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilDAWG Posted January 21, 2021 Share Posted January 21, 2021 Congratulations! Amazing find! Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilNerd Posted January 21, 2021 Share Posted January 21, 2021 13 hours ago, deutscheben said: Having a fossil I discovered be published as a new species is something I have long aspired to and I can still hardly believe it has come to pass. A noble quest indeed! One that many of us aspire to but never achieve. Congratulations! The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it. -Neil deGrasse Tyson Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don't. -Bill Nye (The Science Guy) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuMert Posted January 21, 2021 Share Posted January 21, 2021 12 hours ago, piranha said: I'm curious why they didn't name it in your honor? Indeed. I didn't quite get the idea of naming it after some crusader king who has no relation to arachnids or Illinois or biology whatsoever My sites & reports Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deutscheben Posted January 21, 2021 Author Share Posted January 21, 2021 Thank you @JohnJ, @Monica, @Al Dente, @Troodon, @digit, @RCFossils, @piranha, @Tidgy's Dad, @FossilDAWG, @FossilNerd and @RuMert! As far as the name goes, I wasn’t sure about the etiquette and didn’t want to be presumptuous by asking for it. After all, the authors did the intensive work needed to determine it was a new species. I’ll just keep hunting for more new fossils and perhaps somewhere down the line one will bear my name. Being a part of the scientific process is honestly the best reward. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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