New Mazon Creek Collection

[bigred97]

Thanks, Phil! I love the worms, I always get excited when I open one of those - congrats! Since you mentioned freeze/thaw, here is my patio table, covered with the soaking concretions that don't fit in my freezer. Although I don't like the cold weather, at least it will be good for opening concretions! Chris

[flipper559]

Looks like some nice concretions there Chris !!  Hopefully a productive winter ahead !!

Good Luck !!

 Phil

[deutscheben]

I can see the resemblance of the first one to a wing, but I think it may be illusory- it looks a little too geometric, and the fact that it is only preserved on one side makes me think it is geological. But I could be wrong! I agree that the second is probably a jellyfish, with some interesting mineralization. 

 

You definitely have a good batch of concretions soaking there, I look forward to seeing what splits for you this winter!

[Mark Kmiecik]

I see quite a few good ones in there. Looking forward to seeing the results. I'm not going to guess at what the two specimens are. Nothing really definitive that I can see.

 

As a quick side note, I had a glass top patio table break once under a load like that, and I don't mean crack. Between the glass and the concretions it was really messy. Just something to consider.

 

Also, make sure you buy your own containers to freeze them in. Using her Tupperware will cause you much grief. I'm speaking from experience.

 

[bigred97]

@flipper559 @Mark Kmiecik and @deutscheben thanks for your comments. I agree that is probably not an insect wing, but I'm not throwing it away haha. And I do think the other is a jelly.

 

Mark, I took your advice and put all the Tupperware on the ground. Thanks for saving me from a potentially messy catastrophe! And yes they are my own Tupperware containers, I've been married for 12 years so I know the score haha...

 

 

[stats]

On 11/30/2019 at 11:41 AM, bigred97 said:

Thanks, Phil! I love the worms, I always get excited when I open one of those - congrats! Since you mentioned freeze/thaw, here is my patio table, covered with the soaking concretions that don't fit in my freezer. Although I don't like the cold weather, at least it will be good for opening concretions! Chris

Good luck, Chris!  I have a bunch out back too!

 

Cheers,

Rich

[bigred97]

Next up is one from Pit 11. I am thinking this might be Coprinoscolex ellogimus but I'm not sure. It has that cracked look of a sea cucumber, too, but I don't see a mouth ring. And it's overall shape seems to resemble Coprinoscolex. Any opinions?

[bigred97]

Here is another one from Pit 11 that I have been wondering about for some time. I was wondering if this might possibly be a Coprinoscolex, too, so I thought I would post it with the prior one. But now it just struck me that it sort of looks a bit like the tail of a Tully Monster. On the right side I can see some faint ridges that look similar to some of the Tully pictures I've seen. Any thoughts on this one?

 

[RCFossils]

8 hours ago, bigred97 said:

Next up is one from Pit 11. I am thinking this might be Coprinoscolex ellogimus but I'm not sure. It has that cracked look of a sea cucumber, too, but I don't see a mouth ring. And it's overall shape seems to resemble Coprinoscolex. Any opinions?

    

Correct!

This is a Coprinoscolex.

[RCFossils]

8 hours ago, bigred97 said:

Here is another one from Pit 11 that I have been wondering about for some time. I was wondering if this might possibly be a Coprinoscolex, too, so I thought I would post it with the prior one. But now it just struck me that it sort of looks a bit like the tail of a Tully Monster. On the right side I can see some faint ridges that look similar to some of the Tully pictures I've seen. Any thoughts on this one?

    

 

I am not seeing any structures to help with an ID.

Based on preservation, this looks to me like a section of a Tully or an Essexella.

[bigred97]

Thanks, @RCFossils! I'm posting a couple other pics of the second one, I think the ridges I talked about show up a little better in these. That said, I think it might be really hard to positively identify this. 

[RCFossils]

27 minutes ago, bigred97 said:

Thanks, @RCFossils! I'm posting a couple other pics of the second one, I think the ridges I talked about show up a little better in these. That said, I think it might be really hard to positively identify this. 

Not really sure.

i do see some interesting structures but nothing to help with an ID.

[bigred97]

Next up is I think an example of a Cordaites leaf from Pit 11. I like the white lines and the way it looks like it was perhaps folded over itself. The lines move in different directions.

[bigred97]

Here is one I've been wondering about. It opened a couple months ago and I found it last year in Pit 11. At first I thought it was some type of worm, but I got to wondering if it could be a fish. Mayomyzon pieckoensis or Gilpichthys greenei? I can't really make out any identifying features, so it's probably just wishful thinking. Any opinions? Thanks! Chris

[Mark Kmiecik]

I would be inclined to prep this one, at least a bit, with a pin vise, especially around the dark bits visible through the calcite. Lose as much calcite as possible mechanically, and then, only if additional prep is absolutely needed, a quick dip in vinegar. The half without the calcite does appear to be the "less detailed" half and I don't see anything that I recognize, but I am more of a plant guy as you already know.

[deutscheben]

It seems like a worm to me- I think I see segmentation in the outline, which would be typical of some type of polychaete. 

[bigred97]

I thought you were probably correct, @deutscheben, so I took the advice from @Mark Kmiecik and used a little tool to flick off the white calcite. It came off really easily, and in pretty big chunks for the most part. The first pic shows the flakes. Then 2 pics of the fossil without the calcite. I think this is a Didontogaster cordylina. It seems like the right shape and I think you can see 2 black dots in the middle which could be the jaws. Let me know if anyone thinks that is not correct. Thanks! Chris

[Mark Kmiecik]

If you look at it under magnification you can see the four parts of the jaw. I think Didontogaster cordylina is correct.

[RCFossils]

I agree

It appears to be Didontogaster.

[bigred97]

Thanks, @Mark Kmiecik! Thanks @RCFossils!

[Tidgy's Dad]

Very nice finds.

You're certainly getting some jolly good stuff in your nodules.

[bigred97]

Thanks, @Tidgy's Dad! I finally got some lights so that I can take good pictures indoors so I hope to start posting more.

[bigred97]

Next up is a fern my wife found in Mazon Creek itself last year. I really like the size and detail of this one, it really pops out.

[bigred97]

[deutscheben]

That's a nice big one!