November meetiing - MAAST fossil dig 11/20

[hobogato]

For this month's meeting, something a little different!

The first ever MAAST fossil dig. On the side of us hwy 281 north, just north of loop 46, there is a layer of exposed rock that is part of the Glen Rose formation. It is a pre-historic coral reef. Some of the fossils that are found here include urchins, bivalves, snails, and occasionally ammonites. This will be an informal meeting from 2pm to 4pm that is a great opportunity to bring the family and dig for treasure. All you need is couple of big flat head screwdrivers, small hammer, and a small bag to tote your finds. Remember, although there is a very wide shoulder and grassy area, we will be beside the highway, so keeping a close eye on little ones is a must.

map link (http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=202252974317908858720.0004b0ff63013ec84d8c 7&msa=0)

street view link (http://maps.google.com/?ll=29.812972,-98.418118&spn=0.001527,0.00284&t=m&z=19&vpsrc=6&layer=c&cbll=29.813217,-98.418145&panoid=HfZKhg-wVIps4FEz4jp3wQ&cbp=12,36.81,,0,6.29)

[CoryDude]

Kuddos to whomever came up with this idea. Now I can get my wife to come to a meeting!

[Europhyllia]

That is awesome!!!

question: how likely is it to find anything there? I am okay to come home with just a few little broken shells but if we don't find anything my little ones will be disappointed. So ... pretty good odds of finding at least something, yes?

[Kristy]

You will definitely find stuff. Ace and Christy took their little guys and came home w a big bucketful of very cool stuff! (by the way, Cory, Ace's wife Christy came up with this very creative suggestion).

Plus, we are stacking the deck a little and will have a very knowledgeable fossil collector accompanying us, MAAST's own zerreissen! :)

[allan]

Interesting. I will have to tag along, 'course I will probably find fossilized cyano. :(

[hobogato]

here are some of the best ones from the last trip we made

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/DSC09202.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/DSC09203.jpg

(hotwheel car added for scale)
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/DSC09204.jpg

[Third Coast Tropical]

those urchins are a good find

[Third Coast Tropical]

I did this when I was younger and have never forgotten it to this day....great for kids

[Europhyllia]

LOVE the urchins! I want to go NOW!!!!!

[zerreissen]

I'm really looking forward to this! I haven't been fossil hunting in quite a while.

My collection is not from the same site, but is the same formation (Glen Rose). Here's what I currently have on display at our house:

http://c3340294.r94.cf0.rackcdn.com/display.jpg
http://c3340294.r94.cf0.rackcdn.com/salenia.jpg
http://c3340294.r94.cf0.rackcdn.com/gastropod.jpg
http://c3340294.r94.cf0.rackcdn.com/gastropod3.jpg
http://c3340294.r94.cf0.rackcdn.com/bivalve.jpg
http://c3340294.r94.cf0.rackcdn.com/claws.jpg

[Third Coast Tropical]

nice collection Chris. So man urchins. I have never seen claws before. That is cool.

[Kristy]

Chris, what are those lollipop sticks sitting in the middle of those urchins? They almost look like ceramic impeller shafts!

[zerreissen]

Chris, what are those lollipop sticks sitting in the middle of those urchins? They almost look like ceramic impeller shafts!

Urchin spines :D

[zerreissen]

nice collection Chris. So man urchins. I have never seen claws before. That is cool.

Thanks! The urchins are Salenia Texana and they are sitting on a piece of substrate embedded with hundreds of micro-fossils. The claws are likely hermit crab claws as I've never found any carapace.

[Europhyllia]

http://c3340294.r94.cf0.rackcdn.com/salenia.jpg
that is absolutely beautiful. I'll definitely be there! Kids or no kids lol

[Europhyllia]

stupid question but since they are enclosed in rock, how do you get them so pretty? special tools needed to get them out unharmed?

[BSJF]

I will be staying home so I don't break the other ankle (or the same one again). Sounds like lots of fun though.

[Europhyllia]

If you want to come you can stay in the car (or sit in a truck bed!) and I'll bring you rocks :)

[FireWater]

I just talked with Xander and he and I are in for some digging.

[zerreissen]

stupid question but since they are enclosed in rock, how do you get them so pretty? special tools needed to get them out unharmed?

As far as getting them out unharmed, I use a rock pick and/or a rock chisel and break apart the matrix around the fossil. As Ace said, you can also use a hammer and a flathead screwdriver.

In order to clean them up, I used vinegar and a toothbrush, and then soak in a baking soda/water solution to neutralize any acid leftover, then rinse with water. You can also use a brass brush and some water. Sometimes I use a small dental type pick, depending on the fossil and the enclosing matrix.

[subsailor]

that should be a ton of fun. iam working out inwest texas and have found some really cool fossils out here

[Jarob]

Thats aweeeesome! I really hope I can find time to take off and make the trip...

[hobogato]

hopefully this rain has uncovered some nice fossils for us...

[txav8r]

Looks like I'll be there with a few kiddos.

[ErikH]

We will be there! This is great!

[Mike]

Bump... hope everyone has a great time. Kristy is a little under the weather, so not sure if we will make it after all.

[Europhyllia]

Kids are buckled up and we are on our way!!!

[hobogato]

looks like it is going to be great weather - headed that way :)

[dsachs09]

On our way. Looking forward to meeting some friendly people!

[FireWater]

Had a blast. Xander is washing and scrubbing as we speak.

[Europhyllia]

The kids had a great time! We stopped for dinner on the way home and they wanted to go right back to get more fossils.

http://www.dominopads.com/fossil1.jpg

some minor injuries:
http://www.dominopads.com/fossil2.jpg

lots of shells, a couple of spiny urchins and a bunch of mystery balls (what are they?)

http://www.dominopads.com/fossil3.jpg

[FireWater]

We found some of the same things Karin. Ace told Xander that they were sponge.

[hobogato]

yep, there is some discussion as to whether they are sponges or algal fruiting bodies


Ace told Xander that they were sponge.

[Mr Cob]

looks like it was a blast, such a cool idea for a meeting

[FireWater]

It was super fun Rob. Hope we can find some more stuff like this to do in the future.

[FireWater]

yep, there is some discussion as to whether they are sponges or algal fruiting bodies

So you're telling me that it might be a super sized bubble algae fossil? LOL

[Europhyllia]

I was worried it was trigger poop or something so bubble algae sounds better to me. lol
I also had flattened things with kind of a goosebumpy skin. Any idea what that was? Shaped sort of like sand dollars...

[fishphan]

We had a great time too and came home with some good finds, 2 different types of urchins, many shells, mostly bivalves, one nautilus, and several sponge ballls. Great to see everyone. I might have to get back out there after another good rain! Priscilla

[FireWater]

Does this help a little? According to this we found a bunch of the deer hearts.

http://paleo.cc/paluxy/gr-fossils.htm

[Europhyllia]

fabulous Firewater! That's perfect!
And I think I got nearly everything.

[zerreissen]

lots of shells, a couple of spiny urchins and a bunch of mystery balls (what are they?)

The shells you found could be gastropods (such as Tylostoma sp., Pseudomelania sp., Nerinea sp., Anchura sp., etc.), oysters, or scallops (Neithea sp.).
The echinoids you found would include spiny urchins (Salenia texana), and you may have found some other flat, irregular urchins with a starfish looking imprint on them, those are likely either Heteraster sp. or Macraster sp.
The "mystery balls" are Porocystis globularis. As Ace had said, there is some debate whether they are sponges or algal fruiting bodies, however, the most recent theories are the latter.
You may have also found some tube worms (similar to feather dusters) and some very small discs which are microfossils (Orbitolina texana), and various clams which are commonly called deer hearts.

Ace, the bivalve with the ammonite looking lines that you found is most likely Trigona bruquiere.

I didn't take much home as I was being pretty picky, but I did happen to snag two pieces of crab claws.


The wife and I had a lot of fun (especially me as I've had an itch to go hunting again recently)! Thanks for putting this together Ace!