matgerke Posted January 3, 2016 Share Posted January 3, 2016 Hello all, just tried fossil hunting for the first time, and found a few fossils that didnt crumble away when i touched them. I know they are not very exciting fossils, but any help identifying them would be much appreciated! They were found in a shale pit near ithaca new york, in an area that i have read is middle devonian. All are quite small. A quarter is in one of the photos for scale. Thank you! Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossil Claw Posted January 3, 2016 Share Posted January 3, 2016 pictures would help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZiggieCie Posted January 3, 2016 Share Posted January 3, 2016 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matgerke Posted January 3, 2016 Author Share Posted January 3, 2016 Oops! Sorry. Apparently they were too big to upload. Trying again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matgerke Posted January 3, 2016 Author Share Posted January 3, 2016 ...and these... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted January 3, 2016 Share Posted January 3, 2016 (edited) Your first two images are trilobite parts. First is a Greenops sp. pygidium, or tail shield. Second is an imprint of an Eldredgeops sp. cephalon, or head shield. Third is a brachiopod, most likely Rhipodomella penelope. The top of the shell is missing, or not well preserved at all. Fourth is an Eldredgeops sp. trilobite cephalon. Neat finds. Are these from Portland point? Regards, Edited January 3, 2016 by Fossildude19 2 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...
Auspex Posted January 3, 2016 Share Posted January 3, 2016 Very nice! I had expected them to have an oranger complexion, if they're form the VA/MD area. "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...
matgerke Posted January 3, 2016 Author Share Posted January 3, 2016 (edited) Thank you so much for the identifications, FossilDude19. Yes, from Portland Point. I take it you have been there. I had a terrible time extracting the fossils without them disintegrating. Any suggestions for how approach crumbly shale without destroying the fossils? Edited January 3, 2016 by matgerke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted January 3, 2016 Share Posted January 3, 2016 Thank you so much for the identifications, FossilDude19. Yes, from Portland Point. I take it you have been there. I had a terrible time extracting the fossils without them disintegrating. Any suggestions for how approach crumbly shale without destroying the fossils? Please, call me Tim. I have actually never been there, but a few on the Forum have. I recognized the look of the fossils and the description of the crumbly shale near Ithaca. I have no experience there, but Marley's Ghost is a frequent collector there - he may have some tips for you. Try sending him a Private Message By going to his profile and clicking the send message button. Neat finds. 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...
Auspex Posted January 3, 2016 Share Posted January 3, 2016 Ah, New York. I thought you might have been collecting semi-locally. "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...
Pumpkinhead Posted January 3, 2016 Share Posted January 3, 2016 Those look really nice. I wish I could find trilobites like that, my collection seems to be of almost every Paleozoic marine group but that. Great finds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
married2rick Posted January 4, 2016 Share Posted January 4, 2016 Trilobites are my favorite. Every time someone post one I get a little excited!! Welcome to The Fossil Forum Matt and thanks for sharing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwilson Posted January 4, 2016 Share Posted January 4, 2016 The shale in the pit at Portland Point does weather fairly quickly. You best bet is to pick a spot and work down to "fresh" rock. Look where other people have done similar excavations as a clue to the particularly fossiliferous layers. And make sure you stay in front of the safety rope defining the allowed collecting area. 2 Karl A. Wilson (NY Paleontology): http://bingweb.binghamton.edu/~kwilson/home.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted January 4, 2016 Share Posted January 4, 2016 Thank you so much for the identifications, FossilDude19. Yes, from Portland Point. I take it you have been there. I had a terrible time extracting the fossils without them disintegrating. Any suggestions for how approach crumbly shale without destroying the fossils? By the way, These are some good links to Sources for Identifying your finds: LINK 1 LINK 2 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...
MarleysGh0st Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 I wasn't online yesterday, but now I've replied to Matt's PM. And I'll repeat my welcome to TFF and to Portland Point! By the way, I agree with the earlier identifications of the fossils (all pretty common at Portland Point, although Greenops specimens, particularly complete ones, are much rarer than the Eldgredgeops) and with Karl's advice to use a hammer and chisel to pry up fresh slabs of shale, instead of looking for fossils among the loose and crumbly shale on the surface. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matgerke Posted January 7, 2016 Author Share Posted January 7, 2016 Thanks to all for the welcome and the assistance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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