Here is a report about the Danville Shale Pile field trip on Saturday, June 5th, 2021.
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Danville, Illinois, ESCONI Field Trip – June 5, 2021
The weather was warm and partly cloudy Saturday, June 5th, at the new Danville spoil pile. By midday, the temperature would reach into the 90s. Keith Robitschek started the event with his safety talk. “You’re not in Kansas anymore. You are on Pandora” … “There’s nothing like an old school safety brief to put the mind at ease.” Following the safety talk, Andrew Young discussed the geology and scientific significance of the location we were about to collect. He truly got the juices flowing! Accompanying the 22 participants was our very own Jack Wittry. Both Jack and Andrew were not only photographing our finds, but they were greatly involved in the identification of the specimens. We hope to be collecting here for quite some time. It will give all participants the opportunity to find something unique and also contribute to an identification guide Jack and Andrew are currently working on. A more comprehensive document of the site’s (Herrin Coal Roof Shale) Pennsylvanian fossils is also in the works.
Regulars and newbies alike had success in finding both shale-based fossils and concretions. Finally, Pennsylvanian fossils with instant gratification! The Red Dog shale is relatively hard but easily chipped and scratched. The black shale is very flaky and layered. Each fossil slab needed to be separated from one another. Some people used bubble wrap, but there are other methods of protection for both temporary and permanent storage. For display, consider small easels or shadow boxes. The back side of the black shale will need stabilizing. Keep in mind, should you decide to donate your find(s) to a museum or similar scientific community, leave the stabilizing to them. As we move forward, we will provide more structured information on safe storage practices and stabilization.
To help keep everyone connected, Dave Carlson, one of our Field Trip Chairmen, created an email chain for all participants to discuss and contribute images to. Thus far, mostly ferns have been found (both seed and spore forms), also lycopsid stems and bark, a few actual seeds and cones, and a couple of shellfish in both concretions and shale. Yet to be identified, the shellfish look similar to clams and scallops. The following images have come from that email chain. Thank you all so much for contributing.
Found by Joe Vitosky, this fossil is a Calamostachys cone.
Found by Rob Russell, this fossil appears to be a seed.
Found by Marie Angkuw, this fossil is an Alethopteris.
Found by Sue Dibblee, these fossils are various forms of fern.
Found by Ben Riegler, this fossil looks to include ovipositional scars located under and to the right of the penny. These scars are caused by insects laying eggs under the surface of plants.
Found by Charles Nicchia, this fossil is a form of bark with leaf scars.
Found by Diane Bedrosian, this fossil is a form of Lepidodendron bark with leaf scars.
Found by Bruce Lauer, this fossil is a form of shellfish yet to be identified.
Found by Rob Russell, this fossil is a form of shellfish yet to be identified.
