Earth Science Club of Northern Illinois - ESCONI

Fossil Friday #108: Mazopherusa prinosi from Braceville #FossilFriday #fossil #fanworm #worm #paleontology #MazonCreek

This is the "Fossil Friday" post #108.  Expect this to be a somewhat regular feature of the website.  We will post any fossil pictures you send in to esconi.info@gmail.com.  Please include a short description or story.  Check the #FossilFriday Twitter hash tag for contributions from around the world!

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To help lead into the Braceville field trip this weekend, we have one of the iconic species from "Worm Hill".  The Braceville spoil pile is known for jellies, clams, the occasional shrimp, partial plants, and worms... lots of worms.  ESCONI member Maarten Vonhof sent us photos of what may be the best specimen of Mazopherusa prinosi many of us have ever seen!  M. prinosi is comonly called the Fan Worm.  We highlighted them back in Mazon Monday #31.  Maarten's fossil has much more detail than what is usually seen.  The segmentation of the body is fairly common, but many times the worm winds around the concretion in multiple dimensions, which can make the fossil cleave in many planes.  There are more than a few stored as 3-D puzzles to allow seeing multiple sections of the animal.  This specimen also has the rarely preserved plume-like appendages, which were attached to the end of the worm to allow it to filter feed.

Maarten, thanks for sending in these photos of a stunning fossil!

Throwback Thursday #110: A Jurassic Twilight in Colorado from 1952 #history #TBT #ThrowbackThursday #puzzle #paleontology #naturalhistory

This is Throwback Thursday #110.  In these, we look back into the past at ESCONI specifically and Earth Science in general.  If you have any contributions, (science, pictures, stories, etc ...), please sent them to esconi.info@gmail.com.  Thanks!

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Image from the History Detective in Positively Naperville, December 12, 2018

This week, we are posting a puzzle of sorts from the April 1952 edition of the newsletter.  The puzzle is in the form of a story describing a scene in the Jurassic Period.  The story was credited to Joe Stoos.  Positively Naperville had an article by the History Detective about him.  He lived in Naperville and was honored with a plaque in the Naperville Nichols Library when he died in April 1977.   He is listed as a "renaissance man"... an electrical engineer and inventor who had articles published in electric lighting and geological journals.

Joseph Stoos was born in Naperville and lived on his family farm west of Mill and south of I-88. Stoos’ first wife, Juanita Engstrand was a librarian in Pekin and DeKalb before her marriage to Joseph. Her brother, Stuart David Engstrand “tried vegetable growing on a ten acre tract that is part of the Joseph Stoos eighty acre farm” where he wrote the first chapter of his 1937 farming novel, The Invaders. Juanita died in 1942. Then Joseph married Gunvor Johannesen. Stoos was a renaissance man. He was an electrical engineer and inventor with the Delta-Star Electric Company in Chicago. He published articles in electric lighting and geological journals. Stoos was a member and one-time president of the Naperville Drama Club where he often painted scenery for productions. His hand-drawn Christmas cards are an example of his engineering and artistic talents.

Although the trees and plaque are gone, the spirit of these men and their service to Nichols Library and the community of Naperville will long be remembered.

The 1952 membership list was printed in the same April 1952 newsletter as his story.  Here is a snippet that shows he was a member of ESCONI at the time.

Use your knowledge of natural history and paleontology to find the "errors" in the story.  You can send us an email (esconi.info@gmail.com) with your answers or comment on this post.  Look for answers in the next couple weeks.

A Jurassic Twilight in Colorado

A monkey climbed out on a branch of Lepidodendron tree and picked and tossed a nut at a passing Tyrannosaurus. On a nearby oak an Archaeopteryx dug the remnants of a  squirrel's carcass from his teeth before flying to his roost for the night.

Far to the west, silhouetted against the setting sun, a Pteranodon slowly wheeled over the Rockies. With a whirring swoop, the enormous bird came down on a young horse grazing in the grasslands in the foothills. The horse galloped into the safety of a nearby coniferous forest where the Pteranodon could not fly.

In the swamp, below the grasslands, a Brontosaurus cavorted among the cattails, stirring faint protest from the redwings as the sun sank low. Far across, on the other side of the swamp, a coyote howled night was here!   - Joe Stoos

What is wrong with this picture? Send your answers to the Editor and watch for next month's issue.

ESCONI May 2022 General Meeting - May 13th, 2022 at 8:00 PM In-person/Zoom - "Dinosaurs of Appalachia” #fossil #paleontology #dinosaur

The May 2022 General Meeting will be held on May 13th at 8:00 PM.  The presentation will be given by Chase Brownstein, Research Associate of the Stamford (CT) Museum and Nature Center.  Chase is a student at Yale.  He has 21 peer-reviewed publications to his name, 41 publications on his ResearchGate page, and he’s an undergraduate in his junior year! Here’s a link to his ResearchGate page: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Chase-Brownstein

 

This ESCONI General Meeting will be hybrid; both via Zoom and in-person at the College of DuPage, Tech Ed (TEC) Building, Room 1038B (Map). 

 

Please find the Zoom link below.

Date & Time: Friday, May 13, 2022 - 8:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Topic: Dinosaurs of Appalachia

Presented by: Chase Brownstein, Research Associate at the Stamford (CT) Museum and Nature Center; Yale Student

 

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84985919139?pwd=eXczY0JKUmNUenNHcmphMlVLdkpxQT09

 

Meeting ID: 849 8591 9139

Passcode: 763818

One tap mobile

+13126266799,,84985919139#,,,,*763818# US (Chicago)

+19292056099,,84985919139#,,,,*763818# US (New York)

 

Dial by your location

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Meeting ID: 849 8591 9139

Passcode: 763818

Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kbA8jImbtO

 

(If you have missed a meeting or wish to revisit one, please see our website, www.esconi.org, under "Videos" for those meetings that have been recorded.)

Trilobite Tuesday #39: Before There Were Birds or Bees, This Is How Trilobites Made Babies #fossil #paleontology #cambrian #trilobite #reproduction

An adult male Olenoides serratus trilobite with its claspers, left, and its counterpart.Credit...Sarah Losso

The New York Times Trilobites column has a story about trilobite reproduction.  Trilobites first show up in the fossil record back in the Cambrian Period, some 500 million years ago.  Their closest living relative is most likely the horseshoe crab.  Now, a team of paleontologists from Harvard have published a paper in the journal Geology that looks into the sex lives of trilobites.  They found that they used methods similar to their modern relatives.

A recently re-examined fossil from the Burgess Shale is pulling back the shroud of mystery over the ancient arthropods’ sex lives, and revealing that some trilobites most likely sported a loving grip. In a study published Friday in Geology, paleontologists at Harvard University identified a pair of modified appendages that probably helped males of one trilobite species grasp females during copulation in a similar manner to that of modern horseshoe crabs.

The team examined several spiny Olenoides serratus trilobites collected from the Cambrian site. Most were just under four inches long. While the Burgess Shale is known for its detailed preservation of even delicate tissue, one of the Olenoides specimens the team examined at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto looked more like a badly broken lobster tail than an intact trilobite.

“It’s a sad looking specimen — it’s missing most of the head and half of the body,” said Sarah Losso, a Ph.D. candidate at Harvard and an author of the study.

The fragmented nature of the specimen was a lucky break because it revealed the anatomy often hidden under a trilobite’s shell. Importantly, nine of the arthropod’s rarely fossilized appendages were preserved in detail. “There are millions of broken trilobites and you don’t see limbs in many of them,” said Javier Ortega-Hernández, a co-author on the new study and Ms. Losso’s Ph.D. adviser. “Having this specimen that is broken in just the right way that you can see these limbs is a one in a million sort of situation.”

Mazon Monday #111: Leaves and Stems with a George Langford Inscription #MazonCreek #MazonMonday #GeorgeLangford

This is Mazon Monday post #111.  What's your favorite Mazon Creek fossil?  Tell us at email:esconi.info@gmail.com.

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Back in Mazon Monday #51, we looked at the book "Leaves and Stems" by Raymond E. Janssen.  From the time it was published in 1939 by the Illinois State Museum until George Langford's first book was published by Esconi Associates in 1958, the book was one of the main references used to identify Mazon Creek plants.  Its many printings speaks to the popularity.  The book was volume 1 of a Popular Science Series published by the museum and can still be purchased from the Illinois State Museum.

The Preface of "Leaves and Stems" is by Thorne Deuel, who is described as the Chief of the the Illinois Museum.  He speaks to why it was published and it shouldn't be surprising that George Langford Sr, and George Jr. are mentioned as providing "the finest collection ever assembled from the Mazon Creek region of Illinois".  He also provides some background information on the author. 

The immediate stimulus that produced this book was derived from the Langford collection of fossils, probably the finest ever assembled from the Mazon Creek region of Illinois. The  vast amount of labor entailed in gathering, selecting, opening and “developing” the specimens can be sensed in a measure from an excerpt of a letter from Mr. George Langford, Sr.

“George, Jr., and I spent 140 days (morning and afternoon) in the field . . . and much more time in washing, mending, sorting, marking and developing the material. Altogether I devoted . . . 3400 hours to all this, and George, Jr., 2000 . . .” Nearly 250,000 nodules were split open, only ten percent of which were taken away from the strip mine heaps.  Of these 25,000, four hundred fifty-nine (of which sixteen are animals) were selected for the museum."

The excellent quality of the collection, both individually and as a unit, bespeaks scientific acumen, courage, and integrity, a special aptitude, and a tirelessness of purpose, that can be fully appreciated only by those who have engaged in similar labors. The Illinois State Museum is deeply indebted to the Langfords for the opportunity to exhibit, study and publish on this unique collection.

The author, Raymond E. Janssen, is especially fitted to describe and interpret these fragmentary leaves of the ancient records of Illinois plant life.  For a number of years he has
paleobotany, particularly of the geology been a student of and coal fields of Illinois. He has prepared paleobotanical exhibits and models for the Texas Centennial, for the Field Museum of Natural History and the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry. He has the faculty of embodying scientific information in simple, direct language and in an entertaining manner for the non-specialist.

From time to time, science teachers, students and laymen have enquired for handbooks describing and explaining the collections of the Illinois State Museum. Leaves and stems from fossil forests is the first of a series of modest guidebooks formulated to answer this need. A subsequent volume now in preparation deals with the Indian inhabitants of Illinois since Columbus' voyage of discovery. Other handbooks will be issued at more or less regular intervals covering other collections and exhibits in the Museum.

May 1st, 1939.

THORNE DEUEL,
Chief, Illinois State Museum.

Recently, we received photos of a special copy of the book from James Alann.  You might remember Jim and his stunning Fossil Friday contributions of a spider in Fossil Friday #71 and his eurypterid in Fossil Friday #75.  This book has a very special inscription... by George Langford in 1940.  George gave the book to his sister in law Ethel Greenough Holmes.  Ethel was the wife of Sydney's (George's wife) brother and was said to be her favorite in law.  Janssen took photographs of George's personal collection and the fossils he had donated to the Illinois State Museum in the 1930's.

Thanks for the contribution, Jim!  Here is how Jim describes the acquisition of this priceless book.

A while back, I mentioned that I had purchased a “hard copy” of Leaves & Stems for my personal library several years ago from bookfinder.com.  When the book arrived in the mail, I was pleasantly surprised to see an inscription on the front flyleaf from George Langford to his sister-in-law from back in 1940.  Janssen had used Langford’s fossil collection photos for the book and must have given copies to George for his contribution.  I thought it was interesting to see such an early inscription from GL (dated Jan. 15, 1940) when he was younger and had a “steady hand”.

 

Amateur Archaeologist Stumbles Onto Trove of Coins Dated to Constantine the Great’s Reign #archaeology #coins #switzerland #constantine #rome #romancoin

The clay pot contained 1,290 Roman coins. Archäologie Baselland

The Smithsonian Magazine website has an interesting story about the discovery of some Roman coins in Switzerland.  Dating to the time of Emperor Constantine (306 to 337 CE), the coins were found with a metal detector by amateur archaeologist Daniel Ludin.  He made his discovery in September 2021 in forest near Bubendorf, Switzerland, close to Wildenstein Castle.  The 1,290 coins  were just beneath the surface in in a clay pot.

In accordance with proper archaeological protocol, Lüdin reburied the pot and contacted local experts, who dated the cache of coins to the fourth century C.E., during the reign of Roman emperor Constantine the Great (306 to 337 C.E.). At the time, Switzerland was part of the Roman Empire.

Based on the coins’ composition—copper alloy and traces of silver—the treasure wouldn’t have gone far at the time of its burial. Instead, it was simply a large stack of “small change,” equal to about two months of earnings for a soldier, per the statement. Collectively, the coins amounted to as much as a single gold solidus, “a pure gold coin introduced by Emperor Constantine during the late Roman Empire that weighed about 0.15 ounces,” writes Live Science’s Laura Geggel.

Finding hidden coins from the late Roman period, which scholars define as roughly 250 to 450 C.E., is not unusual. Earlier this year, a badger in northwest Spain made headlines after digging up a hoard of more than 90 ancient coins, as Jack Guy reported for CNN in January. What’s different about the newly unearthed coins in Switzerland is their specific timeframe. The most recent specimens date to between 332 and 335 C.E.—a period of relative prosperity from which few Roman coin hoards survive.

“In troubled times, triggered by civil wars, incursions by neighboring ethnic groups or economic crises, many people buried their valuables in the ground to protect them from unauthorized access,” notes the statement, per Google Translate. “During the time when the pot from Bubendorf was hidden, there are hardly any comparable hoards in the entire Roman Empire. These years are characterized more by their political stability and some economic recovery.”

ESCONI Juniors Rock, Mineral, and Fossil Exhibition - May 14, 2022 at 7:00 PM

Announcing the ESCONI Juniors Rock, Mineral, and Fossil Exhibition

All Are Welcome!

This is an exhibition show to be held during the regularly scheduled time for the Juniors meeting on Saturday, May 14 from 7:00 to 8:00pm. Setup for the Junior exhibitors is from 6:30 to 7:00pm. Breakdown of exhibits is from 8:00 to 8:30pm.

Mark your calendar as a reminder of this event.

Anyone can attend whether they are an ESCONI member or not.  The Juniors spent the last meeting preparing for this show and will be evaluated on their presentation by a parent who works in education for an opportunity to earn an achievement badge. The Juniors who attended the last meeting range in age from 6 to 15 years old.

This is an open house type of meeting. If you are not a Juniors family, it is okay if you do not arrive exactly at 7:00pm. That way we can avoid a crowd at the door because everyone must sign in before entering the room. Keep in mind, the exhibits will start being removed at 8:00pm. Please stop by if you can and show support for our Juniors. They are the future of our club!

The location is at the College of DuPage, Tech Ed (TEC) Building, Rooms 1038A and 1038B.  (Map)

Fossil Friday #107: Annularia from Vigo County, IN #fossils #MazonCreek #paleontology #indiana #carboniferous #FossilFriday

This is the "Fossil Friday" post #107.  Expect this to be a somewhat regular feature of the website.  We will post any fossil pictures you send in to esconi.info@gmail.com.  Please include a short description or story.  Check the #FossilFriday Twitter hash tag for contributions from around the world!

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This week's Fossil Friday is again Annularia.  The difference is this one is from Vigo County, Indiana.  The Carboniferous fossils from Indiana are thought to be a few million years younger than Mazon Creek, which dates to about 307 million years ago.  The species in Indiana may be different than Mazon Creek, but this looks quite similar to Annularia inflata.  We covered in back in Mazon Monday #60.

 

Throwback Thursday #109: Looking Back at ESCONI May 2022 #history #TBT #ThrowbackThursday

This is Throwback Thursday #109.  In these, we look back into the past at ESCONI specifically and Earth Science in general.  If you have any contributions, (science, pictures, stories, etc ...), please sent them to esconi.info@gmail.com.  Thanks!

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1997 USPS Stamps "Mighty Dinosaurs"

25 Years Ago - May 1997

• The topic of the General Meeting was "Interpreting Topographic Maps" given by Ray Brod, Staff Cartographer , Anthropology, and Geography Program at the University of Illinois - Chicago.
• The Juniors had a field trip about fossils at the Goose Lake Prairie State Park, Visitors Center.
• The March Paleontology Meeting was canceled due to a brown out, so they had a rescheduled program on the Devonian Period.
• The CGMA show was held on May 24th, 25, and 26th at the DuPage County Fairgrounds.
• The USPS issued the "Mighty Dinosaurs" stamp series.
• The Lapidary Study Group was working with opals.
• New members included Roger Sesterhenn and Barbara Roder - still members today!

50 Years Ago - May 1972

• The American Federation "Code of Ethics" appeared in the newsletter.
• "Jewelry Design" was the topic of the General Meeting.  It was presented by William Smith.
• The Juniors had a field trip to the Dresden Lake Recreation Area on May 13th... can I come along?!?
• The Paleontology Study Group was collecting Ordovician fossils in Grant County, Wisconsin.
• The book "Gem Trails of Texas" was reported as missing from the library.  If you still have it, we will go light on the fines...
• The micro-mount of the month was an "Alligator" for the micro-mounter.
• The Colorado Petrified Forest was renamed to the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument.

70 Years Ago - May 1952

• The Brentlingers, Mary and Clell, visited ESCONI on May 9th.  Apparently, they were famous in lapidary back in the 1950's.
• Stevens T. Norvell wrote about Desert Glass in the newsletter.
• There was a field trip to visit the Aurora Mastodons on May 18th.
• Chairman Bill Allaway was lamenting the bad winter and hoped that "Dame Nature" would compensate with a nice summer.
• Chairman Bill spoke of "Trilobite Mines" and "swinging a heavy hammer" to build up muscle for the upcoming field trip season.  Are you in fossil shape yet?

How the dinosaur extinction changed plant evolution #dinosaur #paleontology #extinction #evolution

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Phys.org has a story about plant evolution after the K-Pg mass extinction.  Mass extinction always have irreversible effects on the evolution of life on Earth.  The end Cretaceous extinction took out about 75% of species, including non-avian dinosaurs, pterosaurs, ammonites, and other countless others.  The Plant Kingdom isn't always discussed, but it suffered heavy losses, too.  New research in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B looks not at the extinction of plants, but at the effects of the missing megaherbavores on the evolution of plants.

With the extinction of large, non-flying dinosaurs 66 million years ago, large herbivores were missing on Earth for the subsequent 25 million years. Since plants and herbivorous animals influence each other, the question arises whether, and how this very long absence and the later return of the so-called "megaherbivores" affected the evolution of the plant world.

To answer this question, a research team led by iDiv and Leipzig University analyzed fossil and living palms today. Genetic analyses enabled the researchers to trace the evolutionary developments of plants during and after the absence of megaherbivores. Thus, they first confirmed the common scientific assumption that many palm species at the time of the dinosaurs bore large fruits and were covered with spines and thorns on their trunks and leaves.

However, the research team found that the "evolutionary speed" with which new palm species with small fruits arose during the megaherbivore gap decreased, whereas the evolutionary speed of those with large fruits remained almost constant. The size of the fruits themselves, however, also increased. So, there were palms with large fruits even after the extinction of the dinosaurs. Apparently, much smaller animals could also eat large fruits and spread the seeds with their excretions. "We were thus able to refute the previous scientific assumption that the presence of large palm fruits depended exclusively on megaherbivores," says the study's first author Dr. Renske Onstein from iDiv and Leipzig University. "We therefore assume that the lack of influence of large herbivores led to denser vegetations in which plants with larger seeds and fruits had an evolutionary advantage."

ESCONI Events May 2022

Welcome back!  Field trips require membership, but visitors are welcome at all meetings!

Sat, May 7th	ESCONI Field Trip to the Vulcan DeKalb Quarry for Ordovician Fossils See details here.
Fri, May 13th	ESCONI General Meeting 8:00 PM Zoom - Topic: “Dinosaurs of Appalachia” by Chase Brownstein, Research Associate at the Stamford (CT) Museum and Nature Center. This meeting will be hybrid with both Zoom and in person available at the College of DuPage Tech Ed (TEC) Building, Room 1038B (Map).  Zoom link
Sat, May 14th	ESCONI Junior Meeting - 7:00 PM at College of DuPage - Topic: "Rock, Minerals and Fossil Show" Specifics of this meeting are available from Scott Galloway, 630-670-2591, gallowayscottf@gmail.com. The meeting will be in person at the College of DuPage Tech Ed (TEC) Building, Room 1038A (Map).
Sat, May 14th	ESCONI Field Trip to Braceville, IL for Mazon Creek Fossils See details here.
Sun, May 15th	ESCONI Field Trip to Braceville, IL for Mazon Creek Fossils See details here.
Sat, May 21st	ESCONI Field Trip to a Belvidere, IL Quarry See details here.
Sat, May 21st	ESCONI Paleontology Meeting 7:30 PM - Topic: "North American Upper Ordovician Crinoids" by ESCONI member Tom Williams. This meeting will be hybrid with both Zoom and in person available at the College of DuPage Tech Ed (TEC) Building, Room 1038B (Map).  Zoom Link
Fri, May 27th	ESCONI Field Trip to St. Paul, IN for Silurian Fossils See details here.
Sat, May 28th	CGMA Show at the Kane County Fairgrounds
Sun, May 29th	CGMA Show at the Kane County Fairgrounds

 

TRIP FULL! - ESCONI Field Trip to the St. Paul Quarry in St. Paul, IN - Friday, May 27th, 2022, 8:30 AM - 3:00ish PM #silurian #fossil #quarry #fossil #fieldtrip #indiana #paleontology

Trip full!  A waiting list will be kept.  Please let us know if you can't make it.

On Friday, May 27, there will be a ESCONI Field Trip to the St. Paul quarry , St. Paul, Indiana. We have been instructed to meet at the quarry office just south of the town of St. Paul at 8:30 a.m. EASTERN time to sign waiver forms. The ending time for the trip has been variable over the years but 3:00-4:00 p.m. is reasonable. You will need to sign out at the quarry office when you leave. This quarry exposes the fossiliferous shales of the Silurian Waldron Formation.

Register by e-mailing (no phone calls) John Catalani at fossilnautiloid@aol.com.

Trip rules:

1. There is an attendance limit of 20 participants--a wait list will be recorded.
2. All participants must be ESCONI members by end of day May 22.
3. All participants must be at least 18 years of age.
4. All participants need a hard hat and safety vest to be worn at all times.
5. Acceptable field trip attire includes sturdy construction/hiking boots and long pants--no shorts. No other footwear is acceptable such as, but not limited to, sandals, open-toed shoes, dress shoes, canvas/tennis shoes, sneakers.

Burgess Shale Fossil Hunting in Walcott Quarry, Yoho National Park #fossil #cambrian #trilobite @cambrianexplostion #canada #britishcolumbia #paleontology

500 million years old fossil, incredible views – the Burgess Shale hike is mindblowing in a number of ways

Off Track Travel has a piece about the Burgess Shale.  Located in Yoho National Park in British Columbia, Canada, the Burgess Shale is one of the most important fossil localities ever discovered.  The post is a guide to taking a tour of the famous site.

I was in Walcott Quarry, considered to be a paleontologist’s treasure trove. The Burgess Shale rock formation here contains some of the rarest and most exceptionally well preserved fossils in the world.

Accessible by guided hike only, we recently had the opportunity to visit the Burgess Shale with Parks Canada. We were joined by our good friends Leigh and John, both of whom have a geology background. Leigh is also the blogger and outdoor adventurer behind HikeBikeTravel.

...

Parks Canada runs Walcott Quarry guided hikes from mid June to early September each year. The 2021 operating season is 12th June to 6th September.

Reservations are required. Reservations usually open in January each year.

In 2021, however, Walcott Quarry reservations will open on 13th April at 8am MDT. Reservations can be made by phone (1-877-737-3783) or online. The reservation fee is $13.50/party by phone and $11.50/party online.

Guided hike prices for 2021 are:

• Adult $70.00
• Senior (64+) $59.50
• Youth (8-16) $35.00

Children under 8 are not allowed to join this guided hike.

All hike participants must have a valid National Parks pass (day use or Discovery Pass). This must be obtained at least one day before the tour since there is nowhere to buy one in person before the 7am start time!

Mazon Monday #110: Trip Report: Danville Shale Pile April 23rd, 2022 #fossil #paleontology #fieldtrip #Carboniferous #MazonMonday #MazonCreek #Pennsylvanian #fern

This is Mazon Monday post #110.  What's your favorite Mazon Creek fossil?  Tell us at email:esconi.info@gmail.com.

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The hill.  (photo from Ralph Jewell)

Back on April 23rd, 2022, ESCONI held our 4th field trip to a shale pile just outside of Danville, IL.  The trip was a huge success, although a little hot at nearly 87 degrees.   We were honored by the presence of four researchers of Carboniferous flora and fauna - ESCONI's own Jack Wittry of the Field Museum, Dr. Arjan Mann from the Smithsonian, Dr. Jason Pardo from the Field Museum, and Dr. Victoria Mccoy from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee.

The following field trip report was submitted by ESCONI Vice President and Assistant Field Trip Chairman Dave Carlson.  For more information, please check Ralph Jewell's excellent account on the Fossil Forum.  (Have you signed up for your free account yet?!?)  Some of these photos were taken by Ralph Jewell.

I must start out by saying that in the years I have been organizing trips for ESCONI, I have never seen a trip fill up as fast as this one did. It took a mere 8 hours to fill all 25 spots available, and unlike most trips, nobody cancelled.

The weather was….great, more or less. I saw a temperature displayed on a bank in Oakwood, IL of 87 degrees, quite a difference from the freezing temps and snow that fell just a few days before in the suburbs. But, the wind was REALLY strong the whole day making climbing on the loose shale treacherous. The wind also had rumors flying. At one point I was asked to confirm that there were 97 people on the wait list. The real number was 20, which is still high.

We were joined on this trip by special guests Dr. Arjan Mann from the Smithsonian, Dr. Jason Pardo from the Field Museum and Dr. Victoria Mccoy from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee.

To give the recently worked areas of the hill some time to weather, we’ll wait until September to make another visit.

Andrew Young giving introductory comments, with Dr. Mccoy visible just to his left.  (photo from Ralph Jewell)

L to R, Phil Anderson, Dr. Maarten VonHof, Dr. Pardo, Dr. Mann, George Witaszek. (photo from Ralph Jewell)

(photo from Ralph Jewell)

I had the impression that hunting was more difficult on this trip. Below are some of the specimens that were found.

Macroneuropteris scheuchzerii, from Sue Diblee.

Alethopteris sp., from Sue Diblee.

Mariopteris nervosa found by Rhonda Gates. Photo by Andrew Young.

Alethopteris zeilleri found by Roseann Szalkowski. Photo by Andrew Young.

Annularia inflata found by Katie Mitsui. Photo by Andrew Young.

Calamites schutzeiformis found by Mike Litt. Photo by Andrew Young.

Sphenophyllum emarginatum from Dave Carlson.

Macrostachya cone from Mike Litt.

Lycopsid branch scar found by Katie Mitsui. Photo by Andrew Young.

Lepidodendron bellii found by Valerie Anderson. Photo by Andrew Young.

Several colors and types of lycopsid bark, from Ralph Jewell.

 

Giant ichthyosaur’s huge tooth points to sea creatures with robust bite #marinereptile #paleotology #fossil #triassic

Reconstruction of a giant ichthyosaur from the late Triassic period, bulk-feeding on small squid. Photograph: Marcello Perillo/University of Bonn

The Guardian has a story about giant ichthyosaurs.  A couple ichthyosaurs found in the Swiss Alps are shedding light on the feeding processes of these giant animals.  The specimens, which lived during the Triassic Period, have enormous teeth.  Large enough to help capture giant squid.  A team of researchers have described their research about the two specimens of Shastasaurus sikkanniensis, which were discovered between 1976 and 1990, in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.

The remains of a huge sea creature with enormous teeth that could have helped it capture giant squid have been found in the Swiss Alps.

Ichthyosaurs were large marine reptiles with an elongated, snakey shape. They first emerged after the end of the Permian extinction, an event also known as the “great dying”, which occurred about 250m years ago and which wiped out more than two-thirds of species on land and 96% of marine species.

The toothy beast is one of three giant ichthyosaurs discovered in the Swiss Alps and is thought to have lived during the late Triassic period, about 205m years ago – potentially making them some of the last such behemoths.

The team said the findings helped resolve the conundrum of whether giant ichthyosaurs, like some smaller species of the creatures, had teeth.

Prof Martin Sander, of the University of Bonn, a co-author of the study, said: “It’s all very, very scanty evidence. We have these ghosts swimming in the late Triassic oceans for tens of millions of years, and we don’t know what they look like. It’s an embarrassment for palaeontology.

“For a while we thought they had teeth. Then we thought, well, we never find any teeth. Now we have the tooth of a giant and a giant tooth. So some of them have teeth.”