This is the "Fossil Friday" post #74. Expect this to be a somewhat regular feature of the website. We will post any fossil pictures you send in to [email protected]. Please include a short description or story. Check the #FossilFriday Twitter hash tag for contributions from around the world!
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Today, we have both a nice fossil and a nice story. The fossil specimen is a Belotelson magister shrimp molt. It was found by ESCONI member Sue Dibblee in Pit 11 this past spring. I had a very nice conversation about Mazon Creek fossils with her and her husband Steven during the Braceville Field Trip last Sunday. They are very curious and have an earnest interest in Mazon Creek fossils. They showed me some of their other finds including a Tully and some nice Morris plants. Thanks for sharing your find with us, Sue!
Here is her story. Listen to her, it pays to be patient and let the freeze/thaw process work! At the end, she gives some helpful information about the ticks you may encounter in Pit 11.
My husband Stephen and I were going weekly to Pit 11 near Monster Lake, starting the first weekend after the collecting season opened. I found the nodule containing this shrimp on the last weekend March. We actually saw Keith Robitschek hunting in the same area. He warned us about ticks and he is absolutely right! Ticks ARE active even in March: two ticks hitched a ride home on me!
To open the nodule, I followed the Freeze-Thaw method recommended on this site. Every Friday night I would remove the shallow buckets from the freezer. The next day I would check the nodules for cracking and refreeze any uncracked nodules This particular nodule took nearly 20 cycles before it yielded!
I was pretty excited to see this shrimp because it was my first certain Mazon fauna. Previously, I had only found ferns, leaves, and stems. At the recent Braceville trip, several Mazon fossil experts helped with the specific identification of this shrimp. (Thanks again Keith and Rich!).
Now I need to tell you that the batch of nodules that took so long to crack also gave me another amazing surprise, but that story is for another another Mazon Monday in the near future!
The lessons learned: be patient with the Freeze-Thaw process. Also be attentive to ticks. Ticks cause 16 different diseases! I recommend taking a shower as soon as you get home after a collecting day. Do a careful tick check in good lighting. If you find one, pull it gently off by grabbing the head with tweezers. Wash the bite with soap and water. See your health care provider if you develop a rash or fever during the next two weeks. If the tick attaches for longer than 72 hours before you find it, a single dose of a specific antibiotic can help prevent a tick-borne illness.
Happy hunting!
Here is her gorgeous specimen... enjoy!
