RiverRunner Posted August 3, 2017 Share Posted August 3, 2017 Hello! I'm a complete amateur & need some help. Camping in Apple River Canyon state park, Illinois in what is called the driftless area. They had a huge flood wash through the canyon a week or so before my trip, relocating tons & tons of rock. I found a few fossils, but don't know what they are or how to clean them up. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted August 3, 2017 Share Posted August 3, 2017 Welcome to TFF! Most of the fossils in the rock look like snails. I doubt that these can be made to look better. Darwin said: " Man sprang from monkeys." Will Rogers said: " Some of them didn't spring far enough." My Fossil collection - My Mineral collection My favorite thread on TFF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted August 3, 2017 Share Posted August 3, 2017 I agree with Tony - these are mostly gastropod fossils. Not much to be done to clean or prepare these any further. They are quite worn, so I'm not sure further ID is possible, either. 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...
RiverRunner Posted August 3, 2017 Author Share Posted August 3, 2017 OK, thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arizona Chris Posted August 3, 2017 Share Posted August 3, 2017 If I were you, Id try to find the mother outcrop these rocks came from. You might find some superb specimens there! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arizona Chris Paleo Web Site: http://schursastrophotography.com/fossiladventures.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macrophyseter Posted August 3, 2017 Share Posted August 3, 2017 Agreed. When youve got rock littered with small fossils, theres a chance for bigger and better ones! I really like the looks of the first one btw If you're a fossil nut from Palos Verdes, San Pedro, Redondo Beach, or Torrance, feel free to shoot me a PM! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiverRunner Posted August 3, 2017 Author Share Posted August 3, 2017 Yeah... problem is that this is a state park. I don't imagine they would take too kindly to someone chiseling away at the scenery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macrophyseter Posted August 3, 2017 Share Posted August 3, 2017 Oh yeah, shoot. But honestly, you dont have to chisel away the rocks, just sifting the beach and riverbars can do as well. Mud or fallen cliffs might work the best. However, according my knowledge, Apple River Canyon is in an Ordovician formation, so you'll probably find just simple shelled bodies, assuming that it was a marine zone based on the fact that life did not truly exist on land yet and yet theres gastropods. Maybes there could be a few trilobites, orthocones, or just more gastropods. If you're a fossil nut from Palos Verdes, San Pedro, Redondo Beach, or Torrance, feel free to shoot me a PM! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiverRunner Posted August 3, 2017 Author Share Posted August 3, 2017 18 minutes ago, Macrophyseter said: Agreed. When youve got rock littered with small fossils, theres a chance for bigger and better ones! I really like the looks of the first one btw The first pic was the best find of the day Laying right on top of a deposit on the inside curve of the river. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiverRunner Posted August 3, 2017 Author Share Posted August 3, 2017 Thanks Macrophyseter , Whatever my chances, I'm definitely hooked! My eyes were so worn out, the 3 hour drive home was a nightmare! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FranzBernhard Posted August 3, 2017 Share Posted August 3, 2017 I like the in-situ photo of the first piece very much! A perfect specimen, beautifully arranged by nature!? Franz Bernhard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiverRunner Posted August 3, 2017 Author Share Posted August 3, 2017 Thank you Franz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macrophyseter Posted August 3, 2017 Share Posted August 3, 2017 so as I said, dont look in the cliffs, thats very dangerous, very hard, and very illegal, as its an obvious case of vandalism. Its best to shift around the rocks by the river and maybe you can get lucky and find some more shell impressions. I once found a fossil abalone shell, in a nature preserve, which was in the mud, not the rock layers. rock layers usually find flattened fossils, which I ususally think of like whole fish fossils, but there shouldnt be any fish there (at least long, dead impressions of fish ). If you find a large, round rock, there is a chance that it may be a nodule, which have chances of having perfectly preserved fossils inside. Im no expert on identifying nodules, (ask the rest of the forummates, I only have experience in marine vertebrates) but what I do know is that you can either just crack em open like a geode and hope that the possible fossil hasnt been pulverized (literally, broken pieces can be fixed), or if you have the time and tools, grind away the rock from the outside in untill you get a good exposure of the fossil. If you're a fossil nut from Palos Verdes, San Pedro, Redondo Beach, or Torrance, feel free to shoot me a PM! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fifbrindacier Posted August 3, 2017 Share Posted August 3, 2017 I agree those are gastropods, that cliffs are dangerous to deal with and that the authorithies of the park won't allow you to do what you want with their rocks. As to cleaning them up, you can do a little wash with a tooth brush and water but no more, they're very nice as they are. "On ne voit bien que par le coeur, l'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux." (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry) "We only well see with the heart, the essential is invisible for the eyes." In memory of Doren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sTamprockcoin Posted August 4, 2017 Share Posted August 4, 2017 On something like your 1st one a thin coating of clear nail polish on just the fossil may make it stand out against the matrix. Test this idea by wetting w/water just the fossil, if it looks more appealing try the nail polish. NOT recomended for fossils where the detail is important, as a substitue for good prepping, or on carbonaceous material! “Beautiful is what we see. More beautiful is what we understand. Most beautiful is what we do not comprehend.” N. Steno Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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