Earth Science Club of Northern Illinois - ESCONI

2023 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show - Preview #3! #fossil #paleontology #crinoid #mississippian #show #illinois #paleozoic

This is the preview post #3 for the 2023 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show Live Auction.  The ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show for 2023 will be held on March 18th and 19th at the DuPage Fairgrounds in Wheaton, IL, which is the same location as last year.   All details can be found here.

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Time for another preview for the 2023 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show.  Expect quite a few more!

This is a beautiful crinoid fossil from the Pennington Formation near Skyline, Alabama, which dates to the Upper Chesterian of the Mississippian Period.  The species is Scytalocrinus and it looks even better in person!

 

Mazon Monday #149: Pennsylvanian Flora of Northern Illinois #fossil #paleontology #fern #plant #MazonCreek #MazonMonday #pennsylvanian #fossils

This is Mazon Monday post #149.  What's your favorite Mazon Creek fossil?  Tell us at email:[email protected].

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Figure 1. Adolf Carl Noé looking at a coal ball in his laboratory at the University of Chicago. Photograph taken in the 1930s. Photograph republished with the courtesy of and permission from the Department of Special Collections, The University of Chicago Archives.

Dr. Adolf Carl Noé (1873-1939) was a pioneer in North American coal-ball studies. Noé worked at the University of Chicago. And, was contacted by George Langford when he began seriously collecting Mazon Creek in the 1930's.  At the time, Noe' was considered one of the top paleobotanists in the country. 

A coal ball

Biographical Note from the University of Chicago Library where his papers are stored.

Adolf Carl von Noé, paleobotanist, was born October 28, 1873 in Graz, Austria. He attended the University of Graz and the University of GOttingen before coming to the United States in 1899, and received an A.B. from the University of Chicago in 1900. Although his earlier training had been in paleobotany, it was easier in the U.S. to find work as a German teacher. He taught at Burlington (Iowa) Institute and Stanford University, then returned to the University of Chicago as a Fellow in German in 1903. He was an Assistant in German in 1904, received his Ph.D. in Germanic and Romance languages in 1905, and served as an Instructor in German from 1905 until 1910, when he was made Assistant Professor of German Literature. Noé was married to Mary Evelyn Cullaton in 1901, and they had two children, Mary Helen and Valerie.

As well as teaching a full load of courses in German, Noé also worked half time as an assistant librarian in classification and cataloguing from 1910 to 1920. During this time he published several articles on bibliographical topics, and edited the Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America for the years 1913 and 1914.

Noé had served in an Austro-Hungarian hussar regiment in 1894-1895, and as a naturalized U.S. citizen volunteered for service in the Illinois National Guard in 1916. Although rejected because of eye defects, he was a sharpshooter and expert rifleman, and later helped organize and instruct the University of Chicago Rifle Club. He also coached the fencing team, and in 1915 conducted military drills for upper classmen on the Midway.

Demand for German classes dropped during the war. Registrations began to pick up after the armistice was signed in 1918, but the Germanic Languages and Literatures Department was still badly overstaffed. Noé found it advantageous to return to his earlier interests in paleobotany (and to drop the "von" before his name). In 1920 he began teaching German courses designed for students in the natural sciences, and also taught two courses in paleobotany in the Geology and Botany departments. He was appointed Assistant Professor of Paleobotany in 1921, although he continued to teach German until 1923. In 1924 he was made Associate Professor of Paleobotany and Curator of Fossil Plants at Walker Museum, serving in both those capacities until his death in 1939.

Noé began work for the Illinois Geological Survey in 1921, continuing through the rest of his career, and also worked for the geological surveys of Kentucky in 1922 and Iowa in 1923-1925. Coalmines were a major source for fossil plant specimens, and Noé's knowledge of coal formations and geology were of value to the mining industry. Noé developed close relationships with mine owners and operators in many parts of the country, sometimes working as a consultant, other times conducting field work for his own research. He developed a collection of over 25,000 specimens of fossil plants at Walker Museum, and in the 1930s helped prepare a reconstruction of a Carboniferous forest at the Field Museum of Natural History.

Noé was one of the first to offer complete training in paleobotany in the U.S., and thus was able to attract many of the best students in the field. He was well known for his book Pennsylvanian Flora of Northern Illinois (1925), and for initiating the study of coal balls in North America. Coal balls, limestone concretions containing plant fragments found in coal seams, were crucial to the study of the internal structure of paleozoic plants. Noé did field work throughout the Midwest and in Texas, Arizona, Mexico, the Canal Zone, and the Donetz Basin of Russia. The friendships and contacts he made with officials and mine workers who helped him collect specimens were much appreciated by the researchers who followed him. Noé was scheduled to retire in October 1939, but died on April 10 of that year.

In 1925, Noé wrote a book entitled "PENNSYLVANIAN FLORA OF NORTHERN ILLINOIS ", which was published as the Illinois State Geological Survey Bulletin No. 52.  It can be found here as a PDF.

The Preface, written by M.M. Leighton, then Chief of the the State Geological Survey, describes the source of some of the specimens shown in the book and the ultimate aim, which was to publish a "comprehensive monograph on the flora of the Pennsylvanian system of Illinois".  Unfortunately, that didn't happen until 1939, when Raymond Janssen published "Leaves and Stems from fossil forests: a handbook of the paleobotanical collections of the Illinois State Museum" (see Mazon Monday #51) and in 1940 when he published "SOME FOSSIL PLANT TYPES OF ILLINOIS: A Restudy of the Lesquereux Types in the Worthen Collection of the Illinois State Museum, Augmented by Descriptions of New Species from Mazon Creek".    Those books were the go-to references for Mazon Collectors until the Langford books appeared in 1958.

During parts of the field seasons of 1905, 1906, and 1907, the Illinois Geological Survey had the valued services of America's dean of Carboniferous paleobotany, Dr. David White, in a general reconnaissance of the Upper Coal Measures, now precisely referred to as the Pennsylvanian system. Previous to that time but little work had been done, chiefly by Leo Lesquereux from collections by A. H. Worthen and associates. White's work led to a general correlation of the strata of the Illinois coal field with the eastern field, and to a division of the Pennsylvanian system into three series: the Pottsville (lowest), the Carbondale, and the McLeansboro.

In 1921, in connection with an intensive study of the coal resources of Illinois, the State Geological Survey undertook a program of a more detailed study of the plant forms found in strata associated with the coal beds, fully realizing that the facts to be uncovered by such an investigation would likely be of inestimable value to a proper correlation of the coal beds in different parts of our State and to our knowledge of their extent and relationships. The work is being conducted by Dr. A. C. Noe', Associate Professor of Paleobotany of the University of Chicago, and has already reached an advanced stage.

The study is far-reaching in its relations to the functions of the Geological Survey, to the proper identification of coal beds which the Survey uses in determining the existence of favorable structures for the commercial occurrence of oil and gas, to the estimates made of the State's coal resources, to the scientific contributions which the Survey is in position to make on both the character of the vegetation, climatic environment, and physiographic conditions of the Pennsylvanian period, and on the life history of the plant kingdom, and finally, with unneglected attention, to providing secondary schools and colleges of the State with desirable educational material.

It is designed eventually to publish a comprehensive monograph on the flora of the Pennsylvanian system of Illinois, properly illustrated and containing descriptions of both old and new species, and the conclusions to be drawn regarding coal correlations. The field, however, is very extensive, and, in order that advantage may be taken of data obtained in the course of the study, short bulletins covering sub-units of the State will be issued. The present bulletin is an account of the Pennsylvanian flora of northern Illinois, marking the completion of the work of one of the subunits. Its treatment is feasibly popular, and such technical descriptions as new and old species may require are left for the monograph.

This book leaned heavily on identifications made by Leo Lesquereux in his books, which were published in the 1880's.  The "Collections" section lists some of the old-timers from Morris, who collected from the Mazon River as the strip mines of the Wilmington, Coal City, and Braidwood areas didn't open until the 1920's.

The material which is described in this bulletin was collected partly by the author and his students, and part of it is in other existing collections. The most prominent collectors during the latter part of the nineteenth century and of the present time were C. D. Young, J. C. Carr, and L. E. Daniels, all of Morris, Illinois; W. J. Knoblock, of Quincy, Illinois, and George Condie, of Spring Valley. The mine management of the Wilmington Star No. 2 mine also contributed a valuable specimen for this description.

Mr. C. D. Young of Morris has donated his extremely valuable collection to the University of Chicago. The Carr and Daniels collections were acquired by the University of Illinois and are kept in the Museum of Natural History, Urbana, Illinois. Mr. Knoblock's collection is in his home at Quincy, but a portion of it was generously lent to the University of Chicago for a period of time in order to be described. The collection of Mr. Condie is in his home in Spring Valley. The author wishes to express his appreciation of the assistance which he has received from Mr. F. C. Baker, Curator of the Natural History Museum, University of Illinois, who not only facilitated the study of the collection at the Museum but lent a portion of it for a specified time to the University of Chicago.

Many of the specimens shown came from the "Skinner No. 2 mine".  This later became part of the Peabody Coal Co. Pit 2 strip mine.  It operated from 1919 to around 1928.

The fossil flora herein set forth was collected from the so-called No. 2 coal bed of District 1 in northern Illinois. One of the main localities where such plants have been collected are the mine dumps northeast of Braidwood in Will County. The majority of plants from concretions and all the Braidwood plants from shale were collected at the Skinner No. 2 mine two miles northeast of the Chicago and Alton Railroad station at Braidwood in the NW. 1/4 of Sec. 4, T. 32 N., R. 9 E. in Will County.

In the acknowledgements, Noe' mentions J.C. Carr (and his son) and L.E. Daniels among other early collectors from Morris, IL

The author wishes to express his sincere thanks to D. C. Young, the donor of a beautiful collection of fossil plants from the Mazon Creek deposits to the University of Chicago; to Ed. Carr, son of the collector, J. C. Carr, for many courtesies and numerous fossils given to the University of Chicago; to F. C. Baker, Curator of the Natural History Museum, University of Illinois, for his great kindness in facilitating the study of the Carr and Daniels collections; to W. J. Knoblock in Quincy and George Condie in Spring Valley for the loan of valuable fossils; to Dr. W. E. Walsh in Morris for specimens and valuable assistance; and to W. Oswald of Braidwood for his courtesy and help.

The deepest gratitude of the author is felt toward the State Geological Survey of Illinois which has facilitated and published these studies. Special thanks are also due to the former Chief of the Survey, Mr. F. W. DeWolf, and to the present Chief, Dr. M. M. Leighton, who authorized and generously supported these investigations. The author is much indebted to Dr. Harold E. Culver, who was in charge of the coal investigations of the Illinois State Geological Survey and who gave invaluable aid throughout the investigation. To Dr. David White, who has critically read this report and offered most valuable suggestions, the author wishes to express his sincere appreciation.

Plates of specimens... many names have changed since the 1920's.  Names in the captions are from the book.

Plate II
1. CALAMITES SUCKOTVI Brongniart, from La Salle, x 1/5, U C Coll. No. 32000.
2. CALAMOSTACHYS SOLMSI (WEISS) Weiss, from Braidwood, U C Coll. No. 32001.
3. CALAMITES SUCKOWI Brongniart, from Braidwood, x 2/3 U C Coll. No. 32002.

Plate III
1-5. ANNULARIA STELLATA (Schlotheim) Wood. 1,2, and 4. From Mazon Creek, U. C. Coll. No. 32003. 3 and 5. From Braidwood, U I Coll. No. P 1281.

Plate IV
1. CALAMOCLADUS EQUISETIFORMIS (~ch1otheim)J Schirnper, from Morris, Ill., x 2/3, U I Coll. No. P 1282.
2. ANNULARIA RADIATA (Brongniart) Sternberg. On branches of a Calamites stem, from Mazon Creek, x 2/3, U I Coll. No. P 1283.

Plate VII
1. LEPIDOSTROBUS OVATIFOLIUS Lesquereux (cone of Lepidodendron).
2. LEPIDODENDROS LANCEOLATUM Lesquereux.
3. LEPIDOSTROBUS COMMUNIS Lindley and Hutton.
4. LEPIDODENDRON LATIFOLIUM Lesquereux.
All are from Mazon Creek, K Coll.

Plate XIV
SPHENOPTERIS CHAEROPHYLLOIDES (Brongniart) Presl, from Mazon Creek, U C Coll. No. 32023.

Plate XVI
1. MARIOPTERIS MURICATA VAR. NERVOSA (Schlotheim) Zeiller, from Mazon Creek, U C Coll. No. 32024.
2-3. MARIOPTERIS MURICATA (Schlotheim) Zeiller, from Mazon Creek, U I Coll. No. P 1286 and No. P 1317.
4. MARIOPTERIS MAZONIANA (Lesquereux) White, from Braidwood, U C Coll. No. 32025.
5. MARIOPTERIS MURICATA VAR. NERVOSA (Schlotheim) Zeiller, from Braidwood, U C Coll. No. 32081.

Plate XVII
1-3. NEUROPTERIS RARINERVIS Bunbery.
1. From Spring Valley, x 1!2, C Coll.
2. From Mazon Creek, x 2/3;U I Coll. No. P 1287.
3. From Spring Valley, s 1/3, C Coll.

Plate XIX
1-2. CYCLOPTERIS ORBICULARIS Brongniart, from Braidwood, U C Coll. No. 32027 and No. 32082.

Plate XX
1. NEUROPTERIS FLEXUOSA Sternberg, from Mazon Creek, U C Coll. No. 32028.
2. NEUROPTERIS CLARKSONI Lesquereux, from Mazon Creek, s 2/3, U C Coll. No. 32029.
3. NEUROPTERIS OVATA Hoffmann, from Mazon Creek, U C Coll. No. 32030.

Plate XXIV
1. NEUROPTERIS VERMICULARIS Lesquereux, from Mazon Creek, x514, K Coll.
2-4. NEUROPTERIS DECIPIENS Lesquereux.
2. From Mazon Creek, s 2/5, U I Coll. KO. P 1296.
3. From Braidwood, U C Coll. No. 32034.
4. From Mazon Creek, x 312, U C Coll. Yo. 32035.

Plate XXV
1-3. NEUROPTERIS DECIPENS Lesquereux
1. From Braidwood, U C Coll. No. 32035.
2-3. From Mazon Creek, x 21'5, K Coll

Plate XXX
1. PECOPTERIS MILTONI Artis, from Mnzon Creek, U C Coll. No. 32047.
2. PECOPTERIS VESTITA Lesquereux, from iWazon Creek, U I Coll. 50. P 1301.
3. PECOPTERIS SQUAMOSA Lesquereux, from iWosolz Creek, U I Coll. No. P 1302.

Plate XXXVI
1-4. PTYCHOCARPUS UNITA (Brongniart) Weiss, with sor
Nos. 1, 3, and 4. From Mazon Creek, U C Coll. No. 32049-51.
No. 2. From Mazon Creek, x 211, U C Coll. No. 32087

Plate XXXVII
1-2. ODONTOPTERIS SUBCUNEATA, Bunberbury from Mazon Creek, U C Coll. No. 32052-3.
3-4. ODONTOPTERIS WORTHENI, Lesquereux, from Mazon Creek, U C Coll. No. 32054-5.

Plate XXXVIII
1-2. ALETHOPTERIS SERLII (Brongniart) Goeppert, from Mazon Creek, U C Coll. NO. 32056-7.
3-4. ALETHOPTERIS SERLII (Brongniart) Goeppert, from Braidwood, U C Coll. No. 32058-9.

Plate XLI
1-4. CALLIPTERIDIUM SULLIVANTI (Lesquereux) Weiss.
1, 4. From Mazon Creek, U I Coll. No. P 1311-12.
2, 3. From Mazon Creek, U C Coll. No. 32061-2.

 

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Thanks to ESCONI member Jeremy Zimmerman, who provided us a copy of this book.

 

MetalBallStudios: Ocean DEPTH Comparison 🌊 (3D Animation) #ocean #lake #sea

MetalBallStudios has a fascinating video on Youtube that shows the depth of various lake, seas, and the oceans.

Here is shown the depth of different lakes and seas and other things of interest under the water. From the beach to the deepest part of the Mariana Trench

 

Chicago Rocks 72nd Annual Silent Auction - Saturday, March 11, 2023 from 6 to 9 PM #auction #gem #fossil #mineral #ChicagoRocks

The Chicago Rocks & Minerals Society is holding our 72nd annual silent auction on Saturday, March 11, 2023, from 6 to 9 p.m., plus a special live auction of high-end items at the end. Our selection is fantastic this year due to some very generous donors.  

Chicago Rocks & Minerals Society

Hosts 72nd Annual Silent Auction, Plus

Special Live Auction of High-end 

Specimens During the Last Half-Hour!

 

Saturday, March 11, 2023

6 to 9 p.m.

 

St. Peter's United Church of Christ

8013 Laramie Ave., Skokie, IL

(Across the street from the public library on Oakton)

 

The first table closes at 6:30 p.m. Bid on minerals, fossils, crystals, geodes, gemstones, handmade jewelry, rough rock, books, magazines, and lapidary treasures galore. The variety is amazing. Families are welcome; children must be accompanied by an adult. Free admission. Free parking. For more information, contact Jeanine N. Mielecki, (312) 623-1554 or email [email protected]. Visit https://chicagorocks.org. Like us on Facebook / Chicago Rocks & Minerals Society.

 

Fossil Friday #145: Bony fish teeth from North Carolina #FossilFriday #fossil #paleontology #fish #northcarolina #auroramuseum

This is the "Fossil Friday" post #145.  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 some interesting fossil fish teeth.  They come from the Pongo River Formation in Aurora, North Carolina, which dates to the Miocene Epoch between 12 and 20 million year ago.  The Aurora Fossil Museum in Aurora, North Carolina sells micro fossil kits.  The kits allow you to experience collecting the formation in the comfort of your home.  Probably a very relaxing activity for cold winter days and nights...

If you visit the museum, you can collect fossils in a large pile of material from a nearby phosphate mine - Nutrien Phosphate Mine.

The main museum houses a wide variety of Miocene and Pliocene marine fossils with most displays showcasing specimens collected from the neighboring Nutrien Phosphate Mine (formerly known as Texas Gulf Sulfur, PCS Phosphate, PotashCorp). Featured in our shark hall are the remnants of the terror of the Miocene-Pliocene seas, C. megalodon!

Dig for your own fossils in the Pits of the Pungo!

ESCONI First Vice President Dr. Katherine Howard sent in these photos of fossilized fish teeth from a kit she purchased recently.  These tiny fish teeth are pretty detailed and very cool.  Oh, did I mention they are tiny?!?  Here is the description that Katherine sent with her photos.

I like sorting through sand grands, stalking insects and seeing the micro world. A friend recommended The Aurora Museum’s Micro Fossils kit which includes 2 gallons of micro fossil gravel from the Pongo River Formation, Aurora, North Carolina dated 12-20 million years. The price was $40 and included shipment...irresistible.

Sorting through the gravel, I found some fossilized bony fish teeth. Near as I can tell, these teeth are from a Sea Bream fish or similar species.

In the fossil gravel, I have found around 300 shark teeth, numerous fish bones, ray mouth plates, drum fish teeth, etc. I am still sorting and identifying so more photos are sure to follow.

Thanks for sharing, Katherine!  Please send along some of your future finds!

Throwback Thursday #146: Happy Birthday, Elmer Riggs! #dinosaur #fossil #paleontology #TBT #ThrowbackThursday #history @FieldMuseum @SUETheTrex

This is Throwback Thursday #146.  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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Actually, it's a few days late as his birthday was January 23rd, 1869.

Elmer Riggs was an American paleontologist known for his work at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, IL.  He was born in Trafalgar, Indiana.  His family later moved to Kansas where he receive both bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Kansas.   He joined the Field Museum in 1898 as a dinosaur hunter.  He was responsible for finding multiple iconic dinosaurs still in the Field's collections, including a Torvosaurus tanneri, a Brachiosaurus altithorax, and an Apatosaurus (on display in Dinosaur Hall).  A small tyrannosaur, named Elmer (see Throwback Thursday #20), was found in 1922 and later determined to be a Gorgosaurus.  For more information, see his Wikipedia page.

He was born in Trafalgar, Indiana, and moved with his family to Kansas at a young age. He received bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Kansas and then worked with the American Museum of Natural History. In May 1898 he joined the staff of the Field Museum (then the Field Columbian Museum) as that museum's first paleontologist.^[2][3] Though he was a specialist in fossil mammals, the Field Museum hired him in part to secure dinosaurs for exhibit.

In the summer of 1898 he began with a field season in the Oligocene White River beds of South Dakota and Nebraska working under his department chairman, Oliver Farrington, a meteoriticist. Riggs demonstrated a clear facility for fieldwork and was given the opportunity to lead his own expeditions. He conducted his first Field Museum expedition in 1899 working in the Morrison Formation rocks of Wyoming and Colorado and it was during this expedition that he discovered the first known specimen of Torvosaurus tanneri.^[4] After corresponding with an MD during the winter of 1899/1900 he headed to the Morrison Formation in Western Colorado during the summer of 1900. On July 4, 1900 Riggs' assistant, H. William Menke, found the first known skeleton of the giant sauropod dinosaur Brachiosaurus altithorax from near Grand Junction, Colorado. At the end of the 1900 field season Riggs' found a specimen of Apatosaurus near Fruita, a few miles from the Brachiosaurus site. This specimen was excavated during the 1901 field season, and was put on display in 1908 at the Field Museum.^[1] From these specimens he named Brachiosaurus^[5] and Brachiosauridae,^[6] and presented evidence that Apatosaurus and Brontosaurus were the same genus of dinosaur.^[a][7] He also proposed that sauropods were terrestrial animals, based on their limb structure,^[6] but this was largely dismissed in favor of aquatic sauropods until the 1970s, when the idea was revived by Robert Bakker.^[8]

A “little carnivorous dinosaur” fossil that he brought back from Alberta, Canada, in 1922 was determined after field jackets were removed in 1999, to be Gorgosaurus, a tyrannosaurid.^[3]

Following these discoveries, he returned to fossil mammals, and worked throughout the western United States and South America until 1931. His collection of Argentinian and Bolivian fossil mammals secured on two multi-year expeditions to South America (Captain Marshall Field Expeditions) are his greatest legacy, and are still studied intensively. One particularly notable find was the saber-toothed marsupial Thylacosmilus, which he found in Late Miocene-age rocks of Argentina in 1927 and named in 1933.^[2][9] He became the Curator of Paleontology at the Field Museum, and was employed by the museum until he retired in 1942. He was also sought after as a lecturer, and was still conducting speaking tours many years after retiring from the Field Museum. He died on March 25, 1963, in Sedan, Kansas, at the age of 94.^[2]

Elmer Riggs (left) and Robt. Thorne (right) excavating Mammut ('southern mastodon') pelvis in situ, Argentina, 1926. Field Museum photo.

Elmer Riggs, the first curator of Fossil Mammals wearing cap and field laboratory assistant Harold W. Menke preparing Grand Junction Colorado fossils including the Brachiosaurus altithorax femur still in plaster jacket at left, Paleontology Laboratory, Field Columbian Museum, Geology specimen, December 1, 1894. (Photo by Charles Carpenter/Field Museum Library)

The Field's first paleontologist, Elmer Riggs, led an expedition to Grand Junction, Colorado in 1900. There, the team discovered the holotype of Brachiosaurus—*the* specimen by which the species is known. At the time, this was the largest dinosaur ever discovered, as shown by the mere human lying next to the enormous humerus. 

Elmer Riggs on an expedition in Bolivia, 1927. The photo's description notes that this is a dig site for Lestodon, a group of extinct ground sloths.  Field Museum Photo Archives

Geology preparator John Abbott, on the expedition with Riggs, wraps the dinosaur specimen in a plaster jacket, in preparation to move it out of the field. Alberta, Canada, 1922.  Field Museum Photo Archives

 

2023 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show - Preview #2! #africa #gem #mineral #gems #minerals #malachite #show #illinois

This is the preview post #2 for the 2023 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show Live Auction.  The ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show for 2023 will be held on March 18th and 19th at the DuPage Fairgrounds in Wheaton, IL, which is the same location as last year.   All details can be found here.

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Time for another preview for the 2023 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show.  Expect quite a few more!

This is a gorgeous piece of Malachite from the Mashamba Mine, Kolwezi, Katanga (Shaba) Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire).  It has some very nice green color.

Trilobite Tuesday #43: Ancient sea creature sported a big fork on its head to toss away the competition, study suggests #fossil #paleontology #trilobite #quirksandquarks #CBC @CBCQuirks

A 3D model of a Walliserops trifurcatus trilobite, which sports a unique trident at the front of its head. (Alan D. Gishlick)

CBC Radio's Quirks and Quarks had a recent segment about trilobites.  New research published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests a use for the large forks that some trilobites grew on their heads.

A species of ancient trilobites grew big forks on their heads to fight their opponents and impress potential mates, in what scientists say could be the earliest known example of ritualized combat. 

A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that one trilobite species used a strange appendage on its head for sexual selection — and most likely for fighting other male trilobites. 

Though they've been extinct for 250 million years, trilobites were one of the most successful and diverse animal groups ever — dominating the ancient oceans for hundreds of millions of years. All trilobites shared certain traits — like a three-lobed body — and visually resembled modern woodlice or pillbugs, ranging in size from a few millimetres to the size of a sea turtle.

But a striking feature of one trilobite species, Walliserops trifurcatus, stands out from the rest: at the front of its head was a trident-like structure as long as the trilobite's body. This trident has made Walliserops a popular find among fossil collectors and an evolutionary puzzle for biologists. 

"The trilobite's fork most resembled the structures of animal weapons involved in a type of fighting behavior that's been characterized as shoveling," Alan Gishlick, assistant professor at Bloomsburg University and one of the study authors, told Quirks & Quarks. 

Mazon Monday #148: Tully Monster on PBS Eons #fossil #paleontology #MazonMonday #MazonCreek #pbseons @EonsShow

This is Mazon Monday post #148.  What's your favorite Mazon Creek fossil?  Tell us at email:[email protected].

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PBS Eons has a nice short video on Facebook about the Tully Monster, which is the State Fossil of Illinois.  Note: you do not need to have a Facebook account to watch the embedded video.

 

 

 

Video for ESCONI January 2023 General Meeting - “New Evidence for Cretaceous Ornithomimosaurs (dinosaurs) from Mississippi” #fossil #paleontology #fossils #dinosaur #mississippi #cretaceous #ornithomimosaurs

The speaker at our meeting (via Zoom) on the evening of January 13, 2023 was Dr. Thomas Cullen. He is currently a postdoc at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario. The topic of his talk was "New evidence for large ornithomimosaurs in the Southeastern US and the biogeography of Cretaceous ostrich-mimic dinosaurs".

Here is a link to the article on this material, published in October 2022. It is open access:

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0266648

 

 

Abstract

 

Reconstructing the evolution, diversity, and paleobiogeography of North America’s Late Cretaceous dinosaur assemblages require spatiotemporally contiguous data; however, there remains a spatial and temporal disparity in dinosaur data on the continent. The rarity of vertebrate-bearing sedimentary deposits representing Turonian–Santonian ecosystems, and the relatively sparse record of dinosaurs from the eastern portion of the continent, present persistent challenges for studies of North American dinosaur evolution. Here we describe an assemblage of ornithomimosaurian materials from the Santonian Eutaw Formation of Mississippi. Morphological data coupled with osteohistological growth markers suggest the presence of two taxa of different body sizes, including one of the largest ornithomimosaurians known worldwide. The regression predicts a femoral circumference and a body mass of the Eutaw individuals similar to or greater than that of large-bodied ornithomimosaurs, Beishanlong grandis, and Gallimimus bullatus. The paleoosteohistology of MMNS VP-6332 demonstrates that the individual was at least ten years of age (similar to B. grandis [~375 kg, 13–14 years old at death]). Additional pedal elements share some intriguing features with ornithomimosaurs, yet suggest a larger-body size closer to Deinocheirus mirificus. The presence of a large-bodied ornithomimosaur in this region during this time is consistent with the relatively recent discoveries of early-diverging, large-bodied ornithomimosaurs from mid-Cretaceous strata of Laurasia (Arkansaurus fridayi and B. grandis). The smaller Eutaw taxon is represented by a tibia preserving seven growth cycles, with osteohistological indicators of decreasing growth, yet belongs to an individual approaching somatic maturity, suggesting the co-existence of medium- and large-bodied ornithomimosaur taxa during the Late Cretaceous Santonian of North America. The Eutaw ornithomimosaur materials provide key information on the diversity and distribution of North American ornithomimosaurs and Appalachian dinosaurs and fit with broader evidence of multiple cohabiting species of ornithomimosaurian dinosaurs in Late Cretaceous ecosystems of Laurasia.

PBS Eons: When Our Culture Changed Our DNA #evolution #history #dna #biology #culture

PBS Eons has a new episode on Youtube.  This one is about the complex mix of culture, biology, and evolution.

Thanks to our ability to develop and share complex learned behaviors across generations - a thing we sometimes call culture - we have become the ultimate niche builders.

Fossil Friday #144: Snakestone from England #FossilFriday #fossil #paleontology #england #ammonite #carving #cephalopod #mollusc

This is the "Fossil Friday" post #144.  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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Ammonites are extinct cephalopods molluscs, related to modern day squids and octopuses.  They lived during the Mesozoic Era between about 200 to 66 million years ago.  For the most part, they went extinct during the mass extinction event at the end of the Cretaceous Period.  A few species did survive in to the Paleocene in North America's Western Interior Seaway.  Unfortunately, even those eventually died out.  Before the extinction, ammonites were very common, with upwards of 10,000 species existing during their time on Earth.

Snakestones, which are ammonites carved to look like a coiled snake with a head, came primary from two regions of England, Whitby in Yorkshire and Keynsham in Somerset.  Ammonites are common at both localities.

John Catalani, ESCONI's resident molluscan expert, send along these photos of a specimen he received during the holidays from a fellow ESCONI member, who knew he would appreciate the tradition and artistry of one of these fossil artifacts.  Thanks for sharing, John!

Label

Upper Lias, Lower Jurassic
Ammonite from Whitby,
North Yorkshire, England:-
Dactylioceras commune

Commune Subzone,
Bifrons Zone,
Upper Lias, Lower Jurassic,
Kettleness, Nr. Whitby,
North Yorkshire, England
180 Million Years Old

Description

A SNAKESTONE

British Literature from as early as the 16th Century records that Stones are to be found on the shore at Whitby in Yorkshire that reveal stony serpents but generally without their heads'

English folklore tells of the legend of Saint Hilda of Whitby. (614-680 AD) the Saxon Abbess of the town who cleared the area of snakes by severing their heads with her whip and throwing the remains over the cliffs.

To perpetuate the legend local craftsmen have for centuries carved Snakestones on to the local Fossil Ammonites. An extinct form of shellfish that swam in an ancient Jurassic sea during the time of the dinosaurs, 185 million years ago.

Snakestones have been recorded from at least Viking times and in Medieval England were prized for medical purposes and as charms.

THIS IS A GENUINE FOSSIL AMMONITE. FOUND AND CARVED AT WHITBY, YORKSHIRE. FOLLOWING A TRADITION SOME 1000 YEARS OLD.

Specimen Photos

Throwback Thursday #145: Langford Book Ad from 1963 #history #TBT #ThrowbackThursday #MazonCreek

This is Throwback Thursday #145.  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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ESCONI Associates published both of George Langford's books.  The first in 1958 and the second in 1963.  Langford worked on a third book, which was published by ESCONI in the early 2000's.

Here is an ad for the first two books.  This ad ran in the ESCONI newsletters in 1963.   $16 for a set of original Langford books!

Ran across this interesting photo... George Langford signing his book for John McLuckie!  This photo was taken on George Langford Night on June 13th, 1958.

ESCONI Paleontology Meeting Saturday, January 21st, 2023 at 7:30 PM Zoom - "The Devonian Period"

Palaeogeographic map of the Late Devonian world, based on ref.77. The location of Steinbruch Schmidt(1), the Siljan impact crater (S), the Viluy Traps (V), and the Kola, Vyatka, and Pripyat–Dniepr–Donets rift systems (K-V-PDD) are indicated.

The ESCONI Paleontology Sttudy Group Meeting will be held on Saturday, January 21st, 2023 at 7:30 PM via Zoom.  The topic is "The Devonian Period".  The presentation will be given by ESCONI member and Field Trip Chairman John Catalani.

Esconi Host is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Paleo Meeting, The Devonian Period
Time: Jan 21, 2023 07:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
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2023 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show - Preview #1! #MazonCreek #paleontology #illinois #fossil #gem #mineral #fossils #gems #minerals

This is the preview post #1 for the 2023 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show Live Auction.  The ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show for 2023 will be held on March 18th and 19th at the DuPage Fairgrounds in Wheaton, IL, which is the same location as last year.   All details can be found here.

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This is our first preview for the 2023 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show.  Expect quite a few more!

This is a Crenulopteris mazoniana fern fossil from Pit 1.  It was collected back in 1963 at the Miner's Club in Diamond, IL.   It's a good size, maybe 6 inches with good detail.

Mazon Monday #147: You Say MAY-zahn, I Say Muh-ZAHN #MazonMonday #MazonCreek #mazonillinois #language #local

This is Mazon Monday post #147.  What's your favorite Mazon Creek fossil?  Tell us at email:[email protected].

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Back in the summer of 2022, we received an email from Danita Brandt, Associate Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Michigan State University.  She was interested in doing some research into the pronunciation of "Mazon" as in Mazon Creek fossils and from association even Mazon Monday. 

Hello, Rich,

I see from the ESCONI website that you are the general contact as well as recently being Club Historian. I'm hoping you can help connect me to ESCONI members (especially "old-timers") who could help me track down the answer to a question that has been bugging me ever since I became a professional paleontologist nearly 40 years ago: why do 99% of professional paleontologists pronounce "Mazon" as "MAY-zon"?!! I grew up in the area and know how we locals pronounce the name of the town, the river, and the fossil beds (as far as I can tell, I'm the only person in that 1% of professionals that does NOT say MAYzon).

I met Jack Wittry at the Paleo Society awards banquet in 2015 when he got the Strimple Award and I asked him if he knew why so many professionals mis-pronounce the name. He said he didn't know, that maybe it sounds "more scientific" ???!!!

Of course, I could just ask my paleontological colleagues, and I intend to, but I'd also very much like to hear what Club members have to say about this--what goes through your mind when 'professionals' mispronounce the name?

I don't know if there is anyone still alive who remembers how Drs. Matt Niteki or Dr. Eugene Richardson pronounced the name, but I suspect they did NOT say "MAY-zon"!

This is something that has been bothering me for years, and before I retire I want to try to set it straight in the paleontological community.

Thanks for any help you can give me. I'd be glad to discuss this with you by phone or zoom (easier than email?!) if you are willing.

Sincerely,
Danita

Dr. D. Brandt
Associate Professor (dr/she/her)
Undergraduate Director & Academic Advisor
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI USA

She attended the Mazon Creek Open House held in October 2022.  You might have seen her there and hopefully you spoke with her and provided your answer.

She sent us her results.  "MAY-zon" was the most popular response to her survey, which was a little surprising.  I say Muh-ZAHN.  It could be because I grew up in Joliet, IL and spent quite a bit of time with my Grandpa hunting and fishing south of there.  We even hunted out around Mazon, IL.

Report to ESCONI

Results of the survey, “How do YOU pronounce “Mazon”?”
Conducted October 16, 2022, at the ESCONI Mazon Creek Open House at Cantigny, by Danita Brandt, Associate Professor, Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI (from Kankakee Co., Illinois)

Methods
At the ESCONI Mazon Creek Open House I used two survey tools:

1. A questionnaire which I read to folks or they filled out independently. Respondents were folks attending the ESCONI event (not casual Cantigny visitors)
2. A “ballot box” open to all who passed by (including the general public, not just ESCONI members and attendees).

Results

1. Responses to the paper questionnaire were very interesting! Most folks who responded (N = 23) learned the “non-local” pronunciation (MAY-zon) and did not know there was another pronunciation. The tally was almost 3:1 for MAY-zon
2. The blue-or-yellow index card ballot survey came out 2:1 for the non-local pronunciation “MAY-zon” (Total number of responses = 29)

Conclusions
People who have had no contact with folks who actually live in or near the town of Mazon or in Grundy County (the county seat) tend to pronounce the name with the same emphasis as if the “z” were an “s” (Mason = MACE-on, so Mazon = MAY-zon). This includes 99.9% of professional paleontologists.

Future work
I still have no explanation for why the professional paleontology community uses the non-local pronunciation. I have anecdotal reports that Dr. Eugene Richardson used the local pronunciation (Muh-ZON). You would think that his influence, as the leading researcher on Mazon Creek fossils, would have informed the professional community. I’ll continue talking to people inside and outside the professional community to try to get to the bottom of this!

PS
I ran the index card survey at the recent Central Michigan Lapidary and Mineral Show here in Ingham County, Michigan, as a “control” group far away from northern Illinois. The results were overwhelming for the non-local “MAY-zon” pronunciation.

Professor Brandt provided us with the video of her AGU presentation, which is very good!  

Very interesting... now that I'm aware of this question, it's hard not to notice how someone says it.  There isn't really a right or wrong, but it seems the local pronunciation is more correct.  Also, who knew there was an Illinois Pronunciation Guide?!?  In it, you will hear Mazon pronounced as (muh-ZAHN).

Corollary question... How do you pronounce ESCONI?  Is it ES-K-OH-NEE or ES-K-AH-NEE?

New biography of famous palaeontologist Mary Anning unearthed from University of Bristol archives #history #maryanning #paleontology #england

Statue of Mary Anning

Newswise has a story about a new biography of Marry Anning.  Mary Anning (1799-1947) live in Lyme Regis, England.  She is famous for the fossil specimens she discovered in the eroding Jurassic cliffs in southern England.  Some of those specimens were spectactular... including pterosaurs, ichthyosaurs, and countless ammonites.  The biography was written during the last ten years of her life.  It had been known for a long time, but this is the first time it has been made publicly available.  The biography is available in the Lyell Collection of the Geological Society.

A short biography of pioneering scientist Mary Anning, written in the final ten years of her life, has been made public for the very first time.

Penned by George Roberts (1804–1860), who ran a private school opposite Anning’s fossil shop in Lyme Regis, and preserved in the Special Collections of the University of Bristol Library, the work has been published by Dr Michael Taylor of National Museums Scotland and University of Leicester and Professor Michael Benton of Bristol’s School of Earth Sciences.

Mary Anning (1799–1847) of Lyme Regis has been the subject of recent books and films, such as Tracy Chevalier’s Remarkable Creatures, and Ammonite, in which she was portrayed by Kate Winslet, because of her importance in the early days of palaeontology. She collected some of the first marine reptiles – ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs – from the Jurassic period of the Dorset coast. Noted professors relied on her work to provide insights into the life of the past.

 

PBS Eons: These Creatures Were Darwin's Greatest Enemy #fossil #paleontology #darwin #evolution #fossilrecord

PBS Eons has a new episode on Youtube.  This one covers one of Darwins "favorite" animals.

They may not look like much, but beneath that shell lies an evolutionary mystery - one that stumped the biggest names in natural history for over a hundred years.

Fossil Friday #143: Astreptoscolex anasillosus #fossil #paleontology #MazonCreek #FossilFriday #worm

This is the "Fossil Friday" post #143.  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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Long time ESCONI members B. J. and Mike Kukulka sent us a very special Mazon Creek worm fossil a few weeks ago.  It's a specimen they purchased in November 2022 at the Madison Gem and Mineral Show in Madison, WI.  The animal, Astreptoscolex anasillosus, was the subject of Mazon Monday #146.  It was described in 1979 by Ida Thompson.  She described quite a few of Mazon Creek's worms.

Here is Mike's story about how they acquired this important specimen.

My wife B. J. and I, ESCONI members for about 5 years, were looking to add to our fossil collection at the Madison Gem and Mineral Show this past November. One of the first vendors we visited was the booth for Burnie's Rock Shop in Madison. On the table was a nice sized Mazon Creek worm, both halves, mounted in a plastic case. What really caught our eye was the handwritten note that was taped inside the plastic case. It reads:

 

Astreptoscolex anasillosus  Thompson

Middle Pennsylvanian

Francis Creek shale member, Carbondale frm.

From Pit 11, Essex IL

Collected by Konecny of AZ on 6/24/72

Purchased for $18 at National Fossil Expo 13 (1991)

 

We assume someone bought the fossil at the fossil expo (maybe from Jim or Sylvia, if they ever sold at the show?), wrote out the provenance, and maybe eventually sold some of their collection to Burnie's, who then put it out on the table waiting for it to return to ESCONI members. We are excited to add it to our collection, and we'll be putting our own note in the case explaining how we found it.

"National Fossil Expo 13" probably refers to the annual MAPS show - Mid American Paleontology Society.  I believe the Konecnys moved to Arizona in the 1980's or 1990's.  They stayed active in ESCONI, writing articles for the newsletter and sending along letters from time to time.  Most of their extensive collection now resides in the Field Museum.  Here's some photos of them giving a tour of their collection for school children in Arizona.

 

Thanks for sharing, Mike and B.J.!  What an amazing find!  Please let us know if you find any other treasures!

Throwback Thursday #144 - Geology Class Fall 1953 #TBT #history #ThrowbackThursday #geology #school #nightschool

This is Throwback Thursday #144.  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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Back in 1953, ESCONI put on a evening school class in Geology at Downers Grove High School during the latter part of September.  Dr. Frank Fleener from Joliet, IL taught Mineralogy and Professor Clarence Smith of Aurora College taught Geology.

Here is the announcement in the July/August 1953 newsletter.

EVENING SCHOOL

It may be a little early to remind you of this, but haven't you wondered this summer what this rock and that rock was, and how you could find out what they were? It is generally agreed that it is best for you if you got a general knowledge of geology and then expose yourself to mineralogy. This year, we understand, the Downers Grove High School has been very fortunate in getting Professor Clarence Smith of Aurora College to teach geology, and Dr. Frank Fleener of Joliet, to teach mineralogy. Dr. Fleener plans to follow each lecture with demonstrations, or in other words, a laboratory period. Dr. Fleener does not feel that he can continue to teach at the Evening School much longer, so make good use of this opportunity.

We would especially like to see our younger members take advantage of these. courses.

The school will start the latter part of September, so plan to be there.

The September 1953 newsletter had a more complete summary of the class.  ESCONI was promoting it for all members.  The Geology and Mineralogy courses cost $7 and the Jewelry Making class cost $11 per attendee.  They were held for 10 weeks, with the Jewelry Making class limited to 12 students.

NIGHT SCHOOL FALL of 1953

For us, they have included three courses in the fall curriculum of the Adult Evening School in Downers Grove, namely Geology, Mineralogy and Jewelry Making. Let's sign up for those courses. This means all of us. We can sign up either by coming to the High School on the evening of September 22, or by writing in and sending our money to the Adult Evening School, Care of Downers Grove High School, Downers Grove, Illinois. Geology and Mineralogy will each cost $7.00 for 10 weeks, and Jewelry Making will cost $11.00. The Jewelry making class will be limited to 12 students.

Geology is basic. With knowledge of it you understand the work of nature. For Instance you can distinguish an Indian site from a Glacial moraine and above all you know where you will be most likely to find the things you want such as artifacts and minerals. Our teacher will be the eminent Professor Clarence Smith. 'Nuff said!

Mineralogy is the science that embraces the study of gems; and who among us does not love gems? Dr. Frank Fleener in response to our plea, will once more share with us his vast knowledge of the subject. This fall he will augment his lessons with Laboratory demonstrations.

Jewelry Making is the art that enables us to embellish our gems and fittingly display our most delicate artifacts and fossils. Our loader will be the professional master craftsman L. C. Aldrich, who knows all of the tricks of the trade, and who, furthermore, is an excellent teacher.

The Mineralogy and Jewelry Making classes will be on Tuesday nights starting September 29, and the Geology class will be on Thursday nights starting October 1. We are informed that this will be the last time L. C. Aldrich or Dr. Fleener will be available for this work. We owe it to ourselves to take advantage of this opportunity, so the first 12 of us should sign up for Jewelry Making, and the rest of us should sign up for both Geology and Mineralogy. These two science courses were purposely scheduled for different nights so we could take both of them,

There are a bunch of recognizable ESCONI founders and early members... Bill Allaway, Jay Farr, Bill Kelley, Ethel and George Malott, Orville Fether.  Is that Dick Ade in the back?  The back of the photo shows some confusion as to the year the class was held, the newsletter provides the clues to the real date, which was 1953.  It amazing how well dressed everyone is... the men in suits and the women in dresses.  This doesn't look like any ESCONI meeting I've attended!