Earth Science Club of Northern Illinois - ESCONI

Mazon Monday #133: Mazon Creek Open House History #fossil #paleontology #MazonCreek #MazonMonday #fossils

This is Mazon Monday post #133.  What's your favorite Mazon Creek fossil?  Tell us at email:[email protected].  

This post included material provided by Ralph Jewell, John Liskey, and David Duck, Thanks!

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The Mazon Creek Open House started in the early 1985. It was an extension of the Mazon Creek Project at Eastern Illinois University.  We posted about that in Mazon Monday #5. 

The Mazon Creek Project was a program sponsored by Northeastern Illinois University.  Founded in the 1960s, by the late Eugene Richardson Curator of Fossil Invertebrates at the Field Museum in Chicago Illinois.  It was originally an attempt to encourage more communication between paleontologists and amateur collectors.  After Peabody Coal Company sold Pit 11 to Commonwealth Edison for the construction of the Braidwood Nuclear Power Plant, some areas were lost to collecting.   The main goal of the project became keeping the Mazonia-Braidwood Conservation Area open for collecting by scientists, school children, scout groups, and visitors from other states.  Some of the islands in the cooling pond and land to the south were leased to the State of Illinois for fishing and fossil collecting.  Fossil collecting is open to all from March 1st to September 30th.

“Mazon Creek Fossils hold a special place in paleontological record.  Because conditions of life, of death, and of burial were unusually propitious, we find a more complete record of plant and animal populations than in most other fossil occurrences….I suppose that these elegant fossils have been collected…for centuries… But we have no inkling of any collections made by the Indians.  The tradition that continues to the present has begun in the mid-nineteenth century, when there were already established towns and farms in the Illinois valley…”  Eugene Richardson, The Mazon Creek Fossil Flora

ESCONI members, including Andy Hay and Jack Wittry, were instrumental in the "Mazon Creek Project" and because of their and other ESCONI members efforts we can collect at Pit 11 even today!  ESCONI Hill was named after the club and at one time was one of the most popular collecting areas.

ESCONI Hill long ago... before being overgrown with modern day plant-life. Ralph Jewell.

The Mazon Creek Project kept an Honor Roll of supporters.  The Honor Roll for 1992, which listed Honorary, Life, and Sustaining members is shown below.  There are more than a few ESCONI members on that list!

There was an newsletter for quite a while.  Here is the an issue from 1999.pdf.

The first Open House event was in 1984.  The second event was announced in the September 1985 edition of the Mazon Creek Project newsletter.

You are cordially invited to attend the Second Annual Open House at the Resource Collection (S-130) Saturday October 19, from 1 to 5 PM. Please bring fossils particularly insects and spiders, as scientists studying these animals are expected to be here (new finds are always a welcome sight too).

Special thanks go to new Friends of Mason Creek, Craig Brown, Anne S. Ederheimer, Andrew & Josephine Hay, Walter & Rita Lietz, Gordon & Betty Van Erden for their fossil donations.

There was a small write up of this event in the Paleontology Study Group report in the November 1985 ESCONI newsletter.

Several members attended the Mazon Creek Project meeting at Northeastern Illinois University. Bret Beal of Michigan presented a program on the significance of Mazon Creek spiders. Jarmila Peck (insects) will be coming in October-November. Fred Schram plans a December visit. Ida Thompson will be here sometime this year. Clay Bruner of the Field Museum is renaming blades. Charles Marshall is redescribing the lungfish.

Andy Hay found a reference to the freeze-thaw method in one article from England published in 1907. The authors got the idea from an Austrian count. And-- we thought this freeze-thaw idea was new!

Interesting artwork distributed for one of the events held at the Burpee Museum.  The art piece was produced by Lonny Stark and is titled "Mazon Creek Chelicerates".

Here is the Mazon Creek newsletter announcement and itinerary for the 1990 event on October 27th, 1990.

Here is the Mazon Creek newsletter announcement and itinerary for the 1991 event on November 2nd, 1991.

ESCONI was a sponsor of some of the Open House events, with quite a few members in attendance.   The earliest announcement from ESCONI was in the November 1991 edition of the newsletter.  The language of that announcement alludes to the earlier events.  The 1991 event was held on November 2nd, 1991 at Northeaster Illinois University.

1991 MAZON CREEK OPEN HOUSE

The 1991 Mazon Creek Annual Open House is coming soon. A full afternoon of events has been scheduled, so be sure to come bring the kids, family, and friends! Refreshments will be served, exhibits will be on display, and informative and interesting talks will be given.

   Date - Saturday November 2, 1991
   Place  - Northeastern Illinois University, Science Bldg.
   Time - 12:00 -noon. Talks will begin by 2:00 p.m. raffle drawing at 1:45 p.m.

Featured Speakers:

  John Nelson, Illinois State Geological Survey -The Geologic History of the Illinois Basin
   James R. Jennings, Illinois State Geological Survey -Fossil Plants of the Mazon Creek Area

The campus is close to main roads, expressways, and rapid transit. The main roads on the north and south of the campus are Bryn Mawr (5600 North) and Foster (5200 North); main east and west roads are St. Louis (3500 West and Pulaski (4000 West). Convenient, ample parking is available.

The 1992 event was held on November 7th, 1992.  The announcement appeared in the November 1992 edition of the ESCONI newsletter.

FIELD TRIP November 7, 1992

The 1992 Mazon Creek Annual Open House is coming up soon. A full afternoon of events has been scheduled, so be sure to come refreshments will be served, exhibits will be on display, and informative and interesting talks will be given.

   Date: Saturday November 7, 1992
   Place: Northeastern Illinois University, Science Building
   Time: 12:00 (noon) to 5:00 p.m. Talks will begin by 2:00 p.m., raffle drawing at 1:45 p.m.

Featured Speakers:

   Dave Reinertsen, Illinois State Geological Survey The Geology and Geologic Points of Interest of the Morris, Illinois Area.
   Peter Laraba, Field Museum of Natural History The Paleontology and Depositional Environment of the "Wonder Stone" from Pit 11.

Northeastern University, 5500 N. St. Louis Ave., Chicago, Illinois 60625

For more information call David T. Bergmann

The 1993 Open House included Roy Plotnick as a speaker.  His presentation was entitled "What's a Nice Shrimp Like You Doing in a Place Like This?".  He will be speaking about Essexella asherae at our 2022 event.

1993 MAZON CREEK OPEN HOUSE

The 1993 Mazon Creek Annual Open House is coming up soon. A full afternoon of events has been scheduled, so be sure to come bring you kids, family, and friends too! Refreshments will be served, exhibits will be on display, and informative and interesting talks will be given.

   DATE: Saturday November 6, 1993
   Place: Northeastern Illinois University, Science Bldg.
   Time: 12:00 (noon) to 5:00 p.m. Talks will begin by 2:00 p.m. Raffle drawing at 1:45 p.m.

Featured Speakers:

   Fred Ziegler, University of Chicago, The Flora of the Permian
   Roy Plotnick, University of Illinois Chicago, What's a Nice Shrimp Like You Doing in a Place Like This?

This year's Open House will feature a kid's activity room. Copies of the Mazon Creek Faunal Bibliography and Mazon Creek slide sets will be on sale. Also, Mazon Creek hats, T-shirts, tote bags, buttons, sweat shirts, and various maps and books will be offered for sale as well. As usual, specimen identification will be offered so bring you specimens. Also, bring any specimens or exhibits you feel others may want to see. Last year's raffle was a huge success, so this year, we will have tickets on sale for another raffle with the "worlds greatest prizes". Also- the Mazon Creek Project is in need of funds to support its activities.

Highlights of the 1999 event from the Mazon Creek Project.

Open House draws people from all across the state

This years' Open House was a great success! Numerous members and first timers came from all over Illinois and some traveling from out of state just to see what the Mazon Creek Project is all about.

Jackie Kozisek gave an excellent presentation about gastropods living on Crinoids and Ralph Jewell walked us down memory lane with a fine Mazon Creek slide show.

A good time was had by all. Many members were on hand to assist in identification of fossils for fossil collectors. Tom Testa, Jack Witry. Bealis Giddings, Andrew Hay, and many others were more than happy to ID your fossil. Under the magnificent Testa Microscope, fossil enthusiasts were given an accurate label to the specimen not easily seen by the naked eye. Thanks to the members, many enthusiasts left knowing a little more about their fossils.

ESCONI announcement of the 2002 Open House and a photo of some of the speakers at the event.

 

 

Fossils Reveal Pterosaur Relatives Before They Evolved Wings #pterosaur #fossil #paleontology #triassic #scotland #evolution

A life reconstruction of Scleromochlus taylori, discovered in Scotland in the early 1900s. It has proved difficult to study because its bones disappeared long ago, leaving behind empty spaces in sandstone.Credit...Gabriel Ugueto

The New York Times Trilobites column has a story about pterosaur origins. Paleontologists have long wondered about the evolutionary ancestors of pterosaurs as the animals were most likely small and thus less likely to fossilize.  A paper in the journal Nature proposes that Scleromochlus taylori is one of the missing ancestors.  It lived about 237 million years ago in what is now northern Scotland.  The fossils, which are encased in hard sandstone, were found in the early 1900's.

Few creatures were built to soar like pterosaurs. Tens of millions of years before the earliest birds, these Mesozoic reptiles had pioneered flight with sail-shaped wings and lightweight bones. Eventually pterosaurs the size of small planes would take to the sky, pushing the boundaries of animal aviation.

But the origins of these reptiles have remained murky because of a lack of fossils from the earliest fliers. “The oldest pterosaur we have already had wings and were capable fliers,” said Davide Foffa, a paleontologist at Virginia Tech, which makes it difficult to chart their aerial evolution.

For decades, paleontologists have postulated that the earliest pterosaurs dwelled in trees and experimented with gliding before flying. But Dr. Foffa and his colleagues may have discovered a more ground-bound origin for these ancient aviators. In a study published Wednesday in the journal Nature, the researchers reanalyzed a cache of fossils and concluded that the earliest pterosaur relatives were off to a running start long before they took off.

PBS Eons: Our Ancient Relative That Said 'No Thanks' To Life On Land #fossil #paleontology #naturalhistory #evolution #devonian #tetrapod

PBS Eons has a new episode on Youtube.  This one is about a particular tetrapod that seems to have returned to the ocean after venturing onto land.

Around the time that some of our fishapod relatives were crawling out of the water, others were turning around and diving right back in.

Fossil Friday #129: Cyclopteris orbicularis #fossil #paleontology #MazonCreek #plant #fern #pennsylvanian #FossilFriday #fossils

This is "Fossil Friday" post #129.  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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For this week, we have a large Cyclopteris orbicularis from the Mazon Creek fossil biota.  It was sent our way by Ralph Jewell, who found it this summer at the Pit 3 fossil locality.  This is a beautiful, well preserved specimen.  It's rare to find one this large and intact.  For more information, see Mazon Monday #59.

Thanks for the stunning contribution, Ralph!  This is definitely one of the finds of the year!

Throwback Thursday #131: Looking Back at ESCONI for October 2022 #history #TBT #ThrowbackThursday

This is Throwback Thursday #131.  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 [email protected].  Thanks!

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Polished snowflake obsidian, formed through the inclusion of cristobalite crystals

25 Years Ago - October 1997

• The topic of the general meeting was "The Role of Minerals in Fossil Fuels in the Illinois Economy" by Viju C. Ipe of the ISGS.
• The Junior group was learning about geiger counters and radioactive minerals.
• The Paleontology study group was discussing the Mississippian Period and where to find Mississippian fossils in Illinois.  Hint.. far southern and far western Illinois.
• There was a field trip to the Field Museum to see the Archaeopteryx exhibit on its last day - October 19th, 1997.  This was the first visit to the US for Archaeopteryx.
• There was a report of the Maple Leaf Field Trip by Dave Bergmann.

50 Years Ago - October 1972

• There was no general meeting as the Annual Auction was held on October 13th, 1972.
• Mineralogy discussed Marcasite and calcite.
• Crater of Diamonds and surrounding land was sold to the State of Arkansas for a State Park.
• The Lapidary study group had Doris and Russell Kemp as guest speakers.  Their topic was "JADE".
• Paleontology also had a guest speaker - J. Wallin, who was co-author of "Fossils for Amateurs"  He discussed fossil preparation.
• ESCONI had 557 total members.

70 Years Ago - October 1952

• Elizabeth Farr reported on the success of the ESCONI exhibit at the Downers Grove Fall Festival in September 1952.
• The general meeting has a very large turnout due to the Downers Grove show presence.  There was also quite a few new members as people were very interested in the Earth Sciences.
• There was a preview of the Wisconsin Dells field trip in the newsletter.  Apparently, you should hurry to see the Dells as they might not exist in 500,000,000 years!  It's been 70 years have you made it yet?!?
• The newsletter had a report of the American Federation Mineral Convention in Canon City, Colorado in June 1952.  It's sounds like quite the affair with nearly 5000 attendees.  There were dealers, lectures, and a swap table, but no field trips!
• Jay Farr poked fun at Pliny when he wrote that Pliny spelled Obsidian incorrectly as Obsidianus instead of Obsianus in honor of the discoverer Obsius.  The French used Pliny's spelling which led to the modern name.

 

Haul of Fossil Fish Pushes Back the Origin of Teeth and Jaws #fossil #paleontology #fish #carboniferous #teeth #fossls

An artist’s reconstruction of Qianodus duplicis, the earliest known fish that had a mouth with teeth Heming Zhang

Smithsonian Magazine has a post about some amazing fish fossils.  A series of papers published in the journal Nature shed light on the evolution of teeth and jaws.  The discovery of these fossil fish from the Silurian of China has pushed back the oldest jawed fish to about 436 million years ago.  Previously, the oldest known jawed vertebrate was 425 million years ago.  There are instructive twitter threads by Matt Friedman and Ron Sansom. 

Our teeth and jaws are incredibly ancient. They’re older than dinosaurs, older than arms and legs, older than trees–adaptations that paleontologists have tracked to our distant, fishy relatives that thrived in the seas around 425 million years ago. But a trove of delicately-preserved vertebrates found in China has set a new date for the earliest record of jaws and teeth. The aquarium’s-worth of early vertebrates include some of the earliest fish with paired appendages, one of the earliest relatives of sharks, and, at about 436 million years old, the most ancient fossils yet found of fish with teeth and jaws.

Researchers have disagreed about exactly when the earliest bites evolved. Molecular studies based upon estimations of genetic changes have proposed that the first jaws and teeth evolved about 450 million years ago. Until now, the oldest fossils of jawed vertebrates–or gnathostomes –dated to about 425 million years ago, a significant gap. As Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology researcher Min Zhu and colleagues describe in a series of Nature papers published today, the new finds from South China sit in the middle of this gap and offer a startling look at a critical moment in evolutionary history.

The Nature papers are:

• "Galeaspid anatomy and the origin of vertebrate paired appendages"
• "The oldest gnathostome teeth"
• "Spiny chondrichthyan from the lower Silurian of South China"
• "The oldest complete jawed vertebrates from the early Silurian of China"

MAPS 2022 "Lagerstatten" - October 21-23, 2022, Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, IL #fossils #paleontology #show #fossil

The MAPS show will be held from October 21nd to 23rd, 2022 in Springfield, IL.

DATES: October 21-23, 2022.

LOCATION: EXPO XLIII will be held at the Orr Building located on the Illinois State Fairgrounds, 801 E Sangamon Ave., Springfield, Illinois (see Map p. 5). This facility has approx. 39,000 sq ft of floor space and is heated and air conditioned with restrooms and a finished kitchen. It is complete with two overhead doors and a loading dock for easy entry. Additionally, there are electrical outlets at every support post. Both the Orr Building and the Fairgrounds are locked nightly.

LOCATION: EXPO will be held at the Orr Building located on the Illinois State Fairgrounds, 801 E Sangamon Ave., Springfield, Illinois.

EXPO HOURS: Friday, October 21: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Saturday, October 22: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Sunday, October 23: 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

SET-UP: Normal set-up will take place on Friday, October 21, at 7:30 a.m. However, for those that want to set up their tables on Thursday, October 20, MAPS has arranged for the building to be opened with set-up from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Buying, selling, or trading will NOT be allowed on Thursday and will be enforced. NOTE: There will be no security Thursday night.

PARKING: Parking at the Orr Building is free.

TRANSPORTATION: The Orr Building (Illinois State Fairgrounds) is accessible via I-55 to E. Sangamon Ave. (Exit 100) west to the Fairgrounds. Business I-55 (Veterans Parkway) can also be used. See location maps page 3 this issue. The Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport is located just west of the Fairgrounds.

HOTELS/MOTELS: Although the “Hotel Show” will be located at the Northfield Inn (217-523-7900) (see p. 5 for more information), there is a wide variety of hotels/motels of varying price ranges just off of I-55 in Springfield. If you plan to stay in a motel, we urge you to make your reservations early.

ON-SITE FOOD: The LOESS Club will serve food from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and from 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Sunday.

ADMISSION: Admission is free for the 2022 EXPO Show.

SALES TAX: The sales tax rate for the Fairgrounds is 6.25%. For those without an Illinois tax number, there is a simple form available. The sales tax rate for the Hotel Show and the rest of Springfield is 9.75%.

EXPO THEME: Lagerstätten will be this year’s theme. Friday night’s Keynote Speaker will be Don Bissett and his program will be given at the Northfield Inn following the presentation of the Don Good and Sharon Sonnleitner Awards and is open to the public. Updates on the website. 

PROGRAMS: Each day of EXPO, a number of programs/lectures/workshops are given by members and interested individuals on-site at the Orr Building. These programs average 40-60 minutes in length, are usually given in PowerPoint format, and deal with various topics often, but not always, in line with the theme for that year. If interested in presenting a program, contact Dale Stout: [email protected]. Times will be posted.

REGISTRATION: A complete EXPO Registration Guide Digest with table registration form, general policies, location map for both the Main Show and the Hotel Show, etc. will be sent out sometime in April/May 2021. This Digest will follow the format of previous EXPO Registration Guides.

SHOW FLYER: The show flyer is attached at the end of this document. Please reproduce, distribute, and advertise EXPO whenever and wherever appropriate.

Mazon Monday #132: Homaloneura dabasinskasi #MazonCreek #MazonMonday #fossil #paleontology #carboniferous #insect

This is Mazon Monday post #132.  What's your favorite Mazon Creek fossil?  Tell us at email:[email protected].

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Reconstruction of Homaloneura sp.

Homaloneura dabasinskasi was described by F. M. Carpenter in 1964.  The paper "Studies on North American Carboniferous Insects.  3. Spilapterid From the Vicinity of Mazon Creek, Illinois (Palaeodictyoptera)" appeared in the Entomology Journal Psyche.  Frank M. Carpenter was an absolute giant in the field of both entomology and paleoentomology (insects).  He wrote Chapter 14A "Insecta" in the "Richardson's Guide to the Fossil Fauna of Mazon Creek" not long before he died in 1994 at age 91.  There have been many species named for him including hanging fly Bittacus carpenteri Cheng, 1957, the fossil parasitic wasp Carpenteriana tumida Yoshimoto, 1975, the fossil snakefly Fibla carpenteri Engel, 1995, the fossil ant Protrechina carpenteri Wilson, 1985, and the caddisfly Rhyacophila carpenteri Milne, 1936.

F.M. Carpenter

The type specimen of H. dabasinskasi was discovered by ESCONI member Walter Dabasinskas in 1960.  He found it at the Greer Earthmoving and Mechanical School, Will County, Illinois, which was the site of Peabody Coal's Pit 1.  That locality is now covered by the Cinder Ridge Golf Course along I-55 near Diamond, IL.  Walter and his wife Suzanne were prolific Mazon Creek collectors.  They have five species named for them, including three insects and two sharks!  Suzanne is the namesake for Neofouquea suzanneae.  An animal which was also described by F.M. Carpenter in 1967 in "Studies on North American Carboniferous Insects. 5. Palaeodictyoptera and Megasecoptera From Illinois and Tennessee, With a Discussion of the Order Sypharopteroidea".  That paper also describes Eubrodia dabasinskasi.

The type specimen, which is in the collection of Walter Dabasinskas, Cicero, Illinois, consists of basal portions of two wings. The main veins and the cross veins are well preserved and the maculations are clear. The species is named for Suzanne Dabasinskas, in recognition of the persistence and patience which she, as well as her husband, Walter Dabasinskas, have shown in their collecting of the Mazon Creek insects. The specimen of N. suzanneue was collected between Braidwood and Coal City Illinois (Will Co.). Since no satisfactory figure of Fouquea Zacroixi Brongniart (the type species of the genus) has previously been published, I include here a drawing of the venational pattern of the type based upon study of the fossil at the Institut de Palbontologie in Paris. A comparison of the venation of Zacroixi with that of  N. suzanneae indicates that the type specimen of the latter consists of the basal half of the wing, not quite as far distally as the first branch of the radial sector or of the fork of MA. The greater width of the wing of the specimen of suzanneae and the curvature of CuA suggest that the specimen is part of a hind wing, not a fore wing; however, since no complete specimen of the family Fouqueidae has been found, we do not have certain knowledge of the difference between the front and the hind wings.

• Dabascanthus inskasi, Walter Dabasinskas, a shark
• Eubrodia dabasinskasi, Walter Dabasinskas, an insect
• Homaloneura dabasinskasi, Walter Dabasinskas, an insect
• Neofouquea suzanneae, Suzanne Dabasinskas, an insect
• Similihariotta dabasinskasi, Walter Dabasinskas, a shark

From the September 1965 edition of the ESCONI newsletter

Homaloneura dabasinskasi

The kind of immortality rockhounds dream of has come to Walter Dabasinskas, member of the Chicago Rocks and Minerals Society and the Earth Science Club of Northern Illinois. A new fossil of the family Spilapteridae, genus Homaloneura, has been named for him.  F.M. Carpenter, professor of entomology, Harvard University writes as follows in the entomological journal Psyche Vol.71, No.3:

Holotype: collected by Mr. Walter Dabasinskas in June 1960 in an ironstone nodule, found at the Greer Earthmoving and Mechanical School, Will County, Illinois, 4 miles north of Braidwood. The type is contained in Mr. Dabasinskas collection and the species is named after him. The fossil is the most spectacularly preserved fossil insect which I have ever seen in a nodule from the Mazon Creek region and it is indeed one of the striking Carboniferous insects known to me. The fore wing is posterior in position to the hind wing and the apex of the fore wing rests near the base of the hind wing. That these two wings were derived from one side of the same specimen of an insect seems almost certain. The subcosta is concave in one wing and convex in the other; presumably, the wings broke away from the body as the insect rested in water and one of the wings turned over as well as rotating through 180 degrees before coming to rest in the mud. The counterpart of this half of the specimen has the apex of the fore wing and basal region of the hind wing completely preserved. "I am deeply indebted to Mr. Dabasinskas for loaning me the fossil for study and for permitting me to prepare the fossil by removing the rock matrix which covered the wing. I am also grateful to Dr. Eugene Richardson for calling my attention to the existence of this fossil in Mr. Dabasinskas' collection".

Specimen - Holotype from the paper in Psyche in 1964

Homaloneura dabasinskasi, n.sp. Photograph of holotype (original) x2.  The fore wing is the lower of the two wings.

 

Opulent Opal #gem #opal #mineral #gems #minerals #jewel #australia

Selection of Ethiopian opals from Commercial Mineral. (Photo: Mike Romanella)

Jewellery World in Australia has a post about opals.  Opals are beautiful precious stones found all over the world.  Ethiopia along with Lightning Ridge in Australia are very famous for black opals.

The Roman scholar Pliny observed in 79 AD, “Some opali carry such a play within them that they equal the deepest and richest colours of painters.”

Popular around the world, it was called úpala in Sanskrit meaning “precious stone”, and opalus in Latin and Opallios in Greek, both meaning “colour change”. The earliest known artifacts of opal were found in a cave in Kenya by famed anthropologist, Louis Leakey. Thought to date back to 4000 BCE, they were probably of Ethiopian origin.

ESCONI Events October 2022

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

Mazon Creek Open House

October 15, 2022

A free 1-day conference devoted to Mazon Creek and related topics

Displays of Mazon Creek fossils

Mazon Creek fossil identification

Mazon Creek books for sale

More details here.

Zoom Link

Admission is free and lectures will be available via zoom.  Note: the parking fee will be waived if you say "Mazon Creek".

Sat, Oct 8th	ESCONI Field Trip to Belvidere Quarry Canceled by the Quarry
Sat, Oct 8th	ESCONI Junior Meeting - 7:00 PM at College of DuPage - Speaker: Irene Brode, long time Field Museum volunteer.  We will also finish the Mazon Creek display and recharge rock tumblers with step 2. Specifics of this meeting are available from Scott Galloway, 630-670-2591, [email protected]. The meeting will be in person at the College of DuPage Tech Ed (TEC) Building, Room 1038A (Map).
Sat, Oct 15th	ESCONI Mazon Creek Open House Details are here.  Zoom Link
Oct 21st - 23rd	MAPS Fossil Show - Springfield, IL Details are here.
	ESCONI General Meeting No meeting this month due to the Mazon Creek Open House
	ESCONI Paleontology Meeting No meeting this month due to the Mazon Creek Open House

PBS Eons: Where Did Water Come From? #earth #water #geology #oceans #minerals

PBS Eons has a new episode over on Youtube.  This one is about early Earth and where did we get our liquid water.

Mercury, Venus, and Mars are all super low on water – so where did ours come from and why do we have so much of it? We think our water came from a few unlikely sources: meteorites, space dust, and even the sun.