Earth Science Club of Northern Illinois - ESCONI

Mazon Monday #175: Glaphurochiton concinnus #fossil #paleontology #chiton #mollusk #MazonCreek #MazonMonday

This is Mazon Monday post #175.  What's your favorite Mazon Creek fossil?  Tell us at email:[email protected].

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Chitons are rare in the Mazon Creek biota.  They are Mollusks, belonging to the same Phylum as oysters, clams, cephalopods, snails, and gastropods. Classified as polyplacophorans, they always have eight ornamented segments or valves. 

Glaphurochiton concinnus was one of the first animal described by Dr. Eugene Richardson, Jr.  He described it as Helminthochiton concinnus in the paper "Pennsylvanian invertebrates of the Mazon Creek area, Illinois: marine fauna", which appeared in the Field Museum's journal Fieldiana in 1956.  It was moved into the genus Pterochiton in 1972.  It was later reassigned as Glaphurochiton by Hoare and Mapes in the paper "The polyplacophoran "Chiton" carbonarius" in 1986.

The holotype of G. concinnus resides in the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.  It was collected by Mr. and Mrs John McLuckie.

G. concinnus appears on page 100 in Jack Wittry's "The Mazon Creek Fossil Fauna".

Glaphurochiton concinnus was one of the first marine ani- mals described by Dr. Eugene S. Richardson, Jr. This chiton or polyplacophoran mollusk is a long, thin mollusk with eight valves ornamented with concentric rows of tubercles and irregular growth lines. The valves are surrounded by a muscular girdle covered with spicules that overlap the lower part of each valve. The radula consists of over 100 rows, with 17 teeth per row forming a long band.

Generally, isolated valves or a rare soft part of the animal are found as fossils. Those from the Essex Fauna are almost always preserved as complete, intact specimens with the girdle and radula frequently present. Its occurrence in the Mazon Creek Biota is the first report of a radula from the Paleozoic. Chiton radulae from G. concinnus are very similar to those of modern animals and are reflective of a very conservative group.

Chitons are very ancient animals ranging from the Late Cambrian to the present. G. concinnus specimens were found in at least two concentrations at Pit 11, which were nicknamed Chiton Hills by collectors. Chitons are also known from other Pennsylvanian-age sites in the United States. Modern chitons spend much of their time in the dark, attached to the undersides of submerged objects, feeding on algae. They are considered to be the most primitive of all living mollusks.

G. concinnus is discussed in chapter 8B in the "Richardson's Guide to the Fossil Fauna of Mazon Creek".

Glaphurochiton concinnus (Richardson) Figures 8B.1-8B.5

The eight-valved shell of this lepidopleurid chi- ton is about five times as long as it is wide (Fig- ures 8B.1, 8B.2). The head valve is subovoid, broadly rounded in the anterior. The tail valve, rounded in the posterior, is subovoid, and bears a blunt mucro. In small, younger specimens, the tail valve is more subcircular than ovoid. Intermediate valves are subrectangular, being wider than long, with a fairly sharp jugum. Ornamentation of all valves consists of concentric rows of fine tubercles and irregular, fine, concentric growth lines (Richardson, 1956; Figure 8B.3). The girdle surrounding the shell laterally overlaps the lower edge of each valve, extending into interplate junctions (Yochelson and Richardson, 1979; Figures 8B.1, 8B.2). Small, straight, pointed aragonite spicules covered the girdle, except at its outer edge, where a dense fringe of larger spicules occurs (Figure 8B.4).

The ribbonlike radula, consisting of at least 100 rows of 17 denticles each, extends from the front of the head valve to the front of the third valve on the ventral surface (Figure 8B.5).

Richardson (1956) originally described this taxon as Helminthochiton concinnus. Hoare et al. (1972) placed H. concinnus into the genus Pterochiton and synonymized it with Chiton carbonarius Stevens. Yochelson and Richardson (1979) accepted the Pterochiton assignment but rejected the species synonymy. They believed that the majority of the Essex fauna specimens lie within the limits of P. concinnus, although a few individuals may represent a second, closely related species. Recently, Hoare and Mapes (1986) reassigned this taxon to the genus Glaphurochiton, and it is thought that G. concinnus was derived from G. carbonarius. All species of Glaphurochiton are considered to have been mud dwellers because they disappear rapidly from the fauna as the carbonate ratio of the sediment increases (Hoare and Mapes, 1986).

Specimens

From "The Mazon Creek Fossil Fauna".

New analysis of tooth minerals confirms megalodon shark was warm-blooded #fossil #paleontology #shark #tooth #megalodon

Megalodons, which went extinct 3.6 million years ago, are believed to have grown to lengths of 50 feet. Credit: Alex Boersma/PNAS

Phys.org has an article about Megalodon.   Otodus megalodon, which means "big tooth", was a very large shark that lived from the Oligocene 28 million years ago up to the Pliocene, just 3.6 million years ago.  O. megalodon is classified as a mackerel shark, which is not closely related to the great white shark, Carcharodon carcharias.  New research published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences looked at fossil teeth and concluded that Megalodon was warm blooded.  Maintaining a higher energy level would have given it a body temperature, which may have given it an advantage in the competition over resources.

In the new study, the scientists looked for answers in the megalodon's most abundant fossil remains: its teeth. A main component of teeth is a mineral called apatite, which contains atoms of carbon and oxygen. Like all atoms, carbon and oxygen can come in "light" or "heavy" forms known as isotopes, and the amount of light or heavy isotopes that make up apatite as it forms can depend on a range of environmental factors. So the isotopic composition of fossil teeth can reveal insights about where an animal lived and the types of foods it ate, and—for marine vertebrates—information like the chemistry of the seawater where the animal lived and the animal's body temperature.

"You can think of the isotopes preserved in the minerals that make up teeth as a kind of thermometer, but one whose reading can be preserved for millions of years," said Randy Flores, a UCLA doctoral student and fellow of the Center for Diverse Leadership in Science, who worked on the study. "Because teeth form in the tissue of an animal when it's alive, we can measure the isotopic composition of fossil teeth in order to estimate the temperature at which they formed and that tells us the approximate body temperature of the animal in life."

Shattering Preconceptions: Diverse Spinosaur Species Roamed Cretaceous Britain #fossil #paleontology #dinosaur #britain #spinosaur #greatbritain #cretaceous

Illustration of White Rock spinosaurid by Anthony Hutchings. A new study by paleontologists at the University of Southampton’s EvoPalaeoLab shows that several distinct groups of spinosaurs inhabited Cretaceous Britain. Credit: UoS/A Hutchings

SciTechDaily has a story about dinosaurs in Britain.  A recent paper in the journal Peerj Life & Environment proposes that multiple spinosaur species lived in Britain during the early Cretaceous Period.  Baryonyx is the most popularly known species.  The researhers looked at spinosaur teeth and found significant differences.

The Wealden is famous for its spinosaur fossils. Baryonyx – discovered in the Wealden of Surrey in 1983 – is one of the world’s most significant spinosaur specimens, since it was the first to reveal the true appearance of this crocodile-headed, fish-eating group. Less impressive spinosaur remains – isolated teeth – are common throughout the Wealden, and have often been identified as belonging to Baryonyx. However, some experts have long suspected that this is incorrect, and such is confirmed by the new study published in PeerJ Life & Environment.

“We used a variety of techniques to identify this specimen, in order to test whether isolated spinosaur teeth could be referred to Baryonyx,” said lead author Chris Barker, whose PhD focuses on the spinosaurs of southern Britain. “The tooth did not group with Baryonyx in any of our data runs. It must belong to a different type of spinosaur.”

 

Fossil Friday #171: Mazon Creek Annularia #fossil #paleontology #snail #FossilFriday #pennsylvanian #MazonCreek #illinois #plantfossil

This is the "Fossil Friday" post #171.  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's fossil comes from long time ESCONI member Ralph Jewell.  If you've been on a Braceville field trip, you've met Ralph.  He very generously participate in the fossil dump.

This is a spectacular 3 whorl Annularia inflata from Pit 11.   It opened via freeze/thaw back in mid-June.  You don't find large ones like this very often.  For more on Annularia, see Mazon Monday #60.

Thanks for sharing the beautiful fossil, Ralph!

Throwback Thursday #172: Field Museum Photo Archives - Soemmerring’s Gazelle #history #TBT #ThrowbackThursday #FieldMuseum @SUEtheTrex #mammal #gazelle @FieldMuseum #science #zoology #taxidermy

This is Throwback Thursday #172.  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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Here's a few photos from the Field Museum Photo Archives over on Tumbler.  Unfortunately, the photo blog hasn't updated since 2015, but there are still many good photos to browse!

Soemmerring’s Gazelle.  These photos are from February 1934.  They ran as a Taxidermy Tuesday on the Field Museum Photo Archives in July 2014.

 

Taxidermy Tuesday, Soemmerring’s Gazelle. For the next few weeks Taxidermy Tuesday is going to focus on the preparation of a Soemmerring’s Gazelle.

© The Field Museum, Z80289.

Skull and leg bones are wired in place on an armature. Skull bones, etc. in place. A rough hollow plaster core for the trunk reduces the weight of the clay model and saves modeling clay. The pose of the animal is worked out at this stage. Frame ready for the clay. Taxidermy of Soemmerring’s Gazelle.

6 ½ x 8 ½ glass negative

Taxidermy Tuesday, Soemmerring’s Gazelle. Here is week 2 for the preparation of a Soemmerring’s Gazelle.

© The Field Museum, Z80290.

Clay model in the rough on armature. Manikin series, taxidermy of Soemmerring’s Gazelle.

6 ½ x 8 ½ glass negative

Taxidermy Tuesday, Soemmerring’s Gazelle. Here is week 3 for the preparation of a Soemmerring’s Gazelle. The clay model armature is complete and a little less scary looking.

© The Field Museum, Z80102.

The clay model on armature. Demonstrating stages steps of taxidermy. Mannequin series. Soemmerring’s Gazelle. International Exhibition of Taxidermic Art exhibit.

6 ½ x 8 ½ glass negative

Taxidermy Tuesday, Soemmerring’s Gazelle. Here is week 4 for the preparation of a Soemmerring’s Gazelle. A plaster mold has been made of the model and is ready to be cut off, with knives…big knives.

© The Field Museum, Z80100.

10. When the plaster covered mold is completed and set, it is easily divided [with knives] along the lines where the clay dams were placed. Demonstrating stages steps of taxidermy. Manikin [Mannequin] series. Soemmerring’s Gazelle. International Exhibition of Taxidermic Art exhibit.

6 ½ x 8 ½ glass negative

Taxidermy Tuesday, Soemmerring’s Gazelle. Here is week 5 for the preparation of a Soemmerring’s Gazelle. Once you have cut of the plaster shell with those big giant knives, you bind it together. Then you pour in the material to make the model.

© The Field Museum, Z80293.

 The plaster shell bound together for drying. Steps for taxidermy Soemmerring’s Gazelle.

6 ½ x 8 ½ glass negative

Taxidermy Tuesday, Soemmerring’s Gazelle. Here is the final week for the preparation of a Soemmerring’s Gazelle. This is the finished Gazelle.

© The Field Museum, Z80303.

Completed Manikin series, steps for taxidermy, Soemmerring’s Gazelle with horns.

6 1/2 x 8 1/2 glass negative

5 million-year-old fossils reveal 2 new species of saber-toothed cats in South Africa #fossil #paleontology #sabertooth #southafrica

An artist's impression of a saber-toothed cat in the genus Smilodon. (Image credit: Shutterstock)

LiveScience has a story about some fossil discoveries in South Africa.  Two new species of saber-toothed cats, Dinofelis werdelini and Lokotunjailurus chimsamyae, have been discovered near the town of Langebaanweg on the west coast of South Africa.   These animals lived about 5.2 million years ago.  While excavating the fossil bones, two known species were also found, Adeilosmilus kabir and Yoshi obscura.  All four species belong to the extinct group Machairodontinae, which means "dagger-tooth".  See the description of the find in a paper in the journal iScience.

In the study, the researchers compared the bones of the newly uncovered species and known saber-toothed cats to create a new family tree for the group. The four species from Langebaanweg were not closely related to one another and likely occupied very different ecological niches despite living in the same area at around the same time. 

For example, L. chinsamyae and A. kabir were larger and more adapted to running at high speeds, which would make them well-suited to open grassland environments. But D. werdelini and Y. obscura were smaller and more agile, which would have made them more suited to covered environments, such as forests, the researchers said.

Fossils Where They Don’t Belong? Maybe We Just Didn’t Look Hard Enough #fossil #paleontology #mammal #madagascar #teeth #jurassic

A life reconstruction of Ambondro mahabo, the four-inch-long tribosphenic mammal.Credit...Flynn & Wyss, Scientific American, 2004

The New York Times has an article about an unexpected discovery.  In 1996, paleontologists found mammal bones in an unexpected place.... northwestern Madagascar.  A tiny 167 million year old jaw fragment from an animal that was out of place by 25 million years.  The fossil belonged to Ambondro mahabo, a small creature that opened the door to the conclusion that modern mammals originated in the Southern Hemisphere.  

“The prevailing wisdom suggested that we shouldn’t find something like that from the time interval we were sampling, nor from the Southern Hemisphere,” said John Flynn, the paleontologist who led that dig and is now the Frick curator of fossil mammals at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

It takes more than a single fossil to overturn an entire theory of evolution. But a review of existing fossil holdings published last year in the journal Alcheringa sought to turn decades of paleontological wisdom on its head. After an exhaustive study of skulls, jaws and teeth, a team of Australian paleontologists presented their conclusion that modern mammals originated in the Southern Hemisphere.

Their findings have set off an impassioned debate, revealing a North-South divide. Defenders of the Northern Hemisphere hypothesis highlight weaknesses they see in the latest findings. In response, supporters of the Southern Hemisphere origin, like Dr. Flynn, say it is time for paleontologists to grapple with the argument that their field’s understanding of natural history may be slanted toward the half of the world where scientists have carried out the most digs.

Mazon Monday #174: Flea Shrimp #fossil #paleontology #fleashrimp #shrimp #MazonCreek #MazonMonday #arthropod #Thylacocephala

This is Mazon Monday post #174.  What's your favorite Mazon Creek fossil?  Tell us at email:[email protected].

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Convexicaris mazonensis

Concavicaris georgeorum

Thylacocephala are considered problematic.  They are known from some species in the Paleozoic and a few more from Mesozoic, with no known extant forms. There are two species of Thylacocephala, often referred to as "flea shrimp", from Mazon Creek - Convexicaris mazonensis and Concavicaris georgeorum.  They are both exceedingly rare with Concavicaris georgeorum being the most common.   Either would fulfill a bucket list item on any serious Mazon collector's want list.  They were both described in 1990 by Frederick Schram in the paper "On Mazon Creek Thylacocephala", which was published in the Proceedings of the San Diego Society of Natural History.

There is a description of Thylacocephala in Chapter 15B "Euthycarcainoids and Thylacocephalans" in the "Richardson's Guide to the Fossil Fauna of Mazon Creek".   That chapter was co-authored by Frederick Schram and W. D. Ian. Rolfe, both men are giants in the subject of fossil arthropods.

Class Thylacocephala

The Thylacocephalans (flea shrimp) are another strange group in the Arthropoda (subphylum uncertain), with a range that extends from the Cambrian to the Cretaceous. Long known from individual shells or carapaces, only recently have fossils been found that supply information on other aspects of the body. The best preserved material is from the Jurassic of France and includes a strange thylacocephalan that appears to have been a rather formidable predator. "Flea shrimp" are common in the Mazon Creek Essex fauna, though they may not in fact be shrimp or crustaceans.

Both species appear in Jack Wittry's "The Mazon Creek Fossil Fauna", pages 98 and 99.

Concavicaris georgeorum Schram, 1990

Concavicaris georgeorum is the most common flea shrimp in the Mazon Creek Fauna. It has large compound eyes that are set back in a notch in the body. The body is roughly oval in shape and about as tall as it is long. A single ridge runs along the sides.

C. georgeorum is from an extinct group of Arthropoda commonly called Flea Shrimp. They are neither fleas nor even likely true shrimp, but it now seems probable that thylacocephalans are crustaceans. They have three sets of raptorial appendages that point toward the mouth. Certainly, they appear to have been a for- midable predator for their size.

Convexicaris mazonensis Schram, 1990

Compared to its body size, Convexicaris mazonensis has enormous compound eyes that seem to protrude from the creature's anterior end. The front appendages are long and heavy. Two weak ridges running parallel to each other are found along the upper sides of the animal's carapace. Unlike Concavicaris georgeorum, the body tapers abruptly toward the rear into a blunt point.

This flea shrimp looks rather like a bicycle helmet with a large headlight. It is the second most common Mazon Creek flea shrimp, with large examples being the norm.

Specimens

All photos are from "The Fossil Fauna of Mazon Creek" by Jack Wittry.

Concavicaris georgeorum

Convexicaris mazonensis

Fossil of Deep-Snouted Alligator Species Found in Thailand #fossil #paleontology #alligator #thailand

An artistic reconstruction of Alligator munensis. Image credit: Márton Szabó.

SciNews has a story about the discovery of a new species of extinct alligator.  Alligator munensis lived at least as recently as about 230,000 years ago in what is now Thailand.  This newly identified species is closely related to the Chinese alligator Alligator sinensis.  A nearly complete skull of A. munensis was found at the Ban Si Liam locality in the Thai province of Nakhon Ratchasima.  The description was published in the journal Scientific Reports.

The researchers identified several skull features that are unique to Alligator munensis, including a broad and short snout, a tall skull, reduced number of tooth sockets and nostrils that are positioned far from the tip of the snout.

They also noted similarities between the skulls of Alligator munensis and the Chinese alligator, such as the presence of a small opening in the roof the mouth, a ridge on the top of the skull, and a raised ridge behind the nostrils.

How Many Dinosaurs Remain Undiscovered? #fossil #paleontology #dinosaur #discovery

In the past decade, paleontologists have named several new dinosaur species and found that some previously discovered species belonged to their own groups. Illustration by Emily Lankiewicz / complete image credits below

Smithsonian Magazine has a story about about dinosaur discovery.  Specifically, the rate of discovery and how many are left to be found.  New dinosaur species are described about every two weeks.  Which means around 25 or more new dinosaur species each year.  These new species come from all over the world.  A 2006 study estimated that 30% of all non-avian dinosaurs had already been found.  That estimate seems high, non-avian dinosaurs existed for 170 million years.  That's a long time for evolution to experiment.  Unfortunately (or fortunately), fossilization is a random and rare process with weathering and geologic processes happening to destroy what was preserved.  Otherwise, we'd be awash in dinosaur bones...

Searching the rocks is only part of the required effort. Sometimes paleontologists know they’ve uncovered something new right away, but just as often discoveries are made in museum collections or through examining previously known fossils. “There are bound to be dinosaurs we don’t know about,” Poole says, “and some we may still find, either through new fossils or new analyses of what we already know.”

The numbers may be even greater than what paleontologists previously expected. “Today, about 14,000 dinosaur species live on as birds,” Brusatte says. “Do the math and we’re probably talking about millions of dinosaur species that once lived, maybe tens of millions.”

“So head out to the rocks, wherever they are,” he says, for “dragons be there.”

Fossil Friday #170: Trochonema Snails from Belvedere #fossil #paleontology #snail #FossilFriday #ordovician

This is the "Fossil Friday" post #170.  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 a very sweet little snail from the quarry in Belvedere, IL.  The rocks in that area date to the Ordovican Period, which spanned from about 490 to 443 million years ago,  This particular fossil is an example of a snail of the genus Trochonema.  Since the fossil is an internal mold, we can't see the external ornamentation, and therefore, species determination is difficult. There are two possible species known from that area, T. beloitense and T. umbilicata.

This contribution comes from ESCONI member Anthony Friend, who collected it last spring.  Thanks for sharing, Anthony!  It turned out great!

I found it in the Belvedere area quarry on the ESCONI trip last spring. I had to break it to get it out of the negative side embedded in a large boulder, but it glued back together nicely.

Throwback Thursday #171: Fossil Cycad National Monument #fossil #paleontology #history #TBT #ThrowbackThursday #cretaceous #cycad

This is Throwback Thursday #171.  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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Commemorative logo artwork for Fossil Cycad National Monument, depicting the small ornithopod dinosaur, Hypsilophondon wielandi, amongst some cycadeoids. The dinosaur species was named for the paleobotanist George Wieland, who found a femur from this dinosaur in 1891.  NPS graphic by Tom Conant.

Fossil Cycad National Monument was authorized as National Monument in 1922 by President Warren G. Harding.  It was located in southwestern South Dakota and encompassed 320 acres.  It's one of the few national monuments to be completely stripped of its status.  The National Park Services has a page devoted to the monument.  Fossils from the site date to the Cretaceous Period about 120 million years ago.

During the late 19th century, farmers, in the area of what is now the Black Hills National Forest near Minnekahta in southwestern South Dakota, were finding cycad fossils grouped together in large numbers.  They called them "petrified pineapples" and sold them as curios.  What would become the fossilized cycad beds of the monument was discovered in 1892 by F.H. Cole, who sent photos of the fossils to the Smithsonian.   Professor Thomas MacBride of the University of Iowa published the first description of the site in 1893.

George Wieland. YALE UNIVERSITY/PUBLIC DOMAIN

Even by 1922, when the site was established, there weren't many fossils left.  Most, if not all, of the visible fossils were carted off by Yale paleobotanist George Wieland, who wrote two books on the subject "American Fossil Cycads" and "American Fossil Cycads, Volume 2".  Wieland was enraptured by what he called their "superb beauty".  He even decorated his backyard with some specimens.  Nineteen species of Cycadeoidea were described from the monument's area.  Cycadeoidea dacotensis is a fairly abundant example.

The monument was deauthorized in 1957.   For more information about the monument, see the Atlas Obscura article "The National Park That Was Stolen" from 2017.

Cycadeoidea dakotensis

This topic was suggested by ESCONI member George Witaszek.  Thanks, George!

 

This Fossil Is a Freeze-Frame of a Mammal Fighting a Dinosaur #fossil #paleontology #dinosaur #china #psittacosaurus

A fossil found in 2012 in the Chinese province of Liaoning appeared to show a Psittacosaurus, a plant-eating Triceratops relative, entangled with a Repenomamus, a smaller mammal.Credit...Gang Han

The New York Times has a story about an interesting dinosaur fossil from China.  A 125 million year old fossil of a Psittacosaurus and a Repenomamus seems to show a fight to the death between a dinosaur and an ancestral mammal.  It was discovered in 2012 by farmers in the Chinese province of Liaoning.  Liaoning is known for superbly preserved fossil dating to the early Cretaceous Period.  The fossil was described in a paper in the journal Scientific Reports.  A section of the paper addresses the authenticity of the specimen.

The prehistoric skirmish took place around 125 million years ago, in what’s now northeastern China, and appears to be something like a man-bites-dog story of the dinosaur era. Usually in that period, conventional wisdom holds, mammals were meek, eking out a tenuous existence as terrible reptiles shook the ground around them. But the unlikely fossil depicts combat between a mammal called Repenomamus robustus and a bipedal, plant-eating relative of Triceratops called Psittacosaurus lujiatunensis.

Size-wise, the dinosaur had an advantage, but Repenomamus, preserved with its teeth clamped into Psittacosaurus’s rib cage, appears to have punched above its weight. The dinosaur’s bones don’t show evidence of being gnawed on by scavengers, indicating that the Repenomamus encounter happened when the Psittacosaurus was still alive.

“There are examples today of small carnivorous mammals taking down much, much larger prey,” said Jordan Mallon, a paleontologist at the Canadian Museum of Nature and a co-author of the study. He pointed to wolverines taking down caribou. He added, “We think Repenomamus was probably similarly a small, feisty predator that was willing to take down prey that was much larger than itself if it had to.”

LET’S NAME OUR NEW SPINOSAURUS! #fossil #paleontology @FieldMuseum @SUETheTrex #spinosaur #dinosaur

The Field Museum sent a message that they need help picking a name for their new Spinosaur.  Cast your vote today!

Spinosaurus is here, now we need a name! This cast is a replica of a fish-eating dinosaur that lived during the Cretaceous Period, about 95 million years ago. It spent much of its time in the rivers of North Africa, where its paddle-like tail helped it swim and its crocodile-like jaws allowed it to snatch its prey.

Voted on by Field Museum staff, three potential names rose to the top of the submissions. Now it’s your turn! Vote for your favorite name for the Field’s new dinosaur to join SUE and Máximo!

Mazon Monday #173: Halicyne max #fossil #paleontology #arthropod #cyclus #MazonCreek #MazonMonday #Crustacea #crab

This is Mazon Monday post #173.  What's your favorite Mazon Creek fossil?  Tell us at email:[email protected].

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Halicyne max is a species of Cycloidea from Mazon Creek.  Other Cycloidea species known from Mazon Creek are Cyclus americanus, Cyclus obesus, and Apionicon apiodes.  Of these, the most commonly known is Cyclus americanus.  Halicyne max was described in 1997 by Frederick Schram, Ronald Vonk, and Cees H. J. Hof in the paper "Mazon Creek Cycloidea", which appeared in the Journal of Paleontology.

Abstract

The Mazon Creek Cycloidea contain four taxa: Cyclus americanus Packard, 1885, Cyclus obesus, new species, Halicyne max, new species, and Apionicon apioides, new genus, new species. We conclude, based on a cladistic analysis, that cycloids are specialized maxillopodan crustaceans and a possible sister group to the Copepoda. They may have filled a niche similar to modern day crabs.

H. max was described after while the "Richardson's Guide to the Fossil Fauna of Mazon Creek", so there was just a small mention in Chapter 12 "Crustacea" on page 170.  That chapter was co-authored by Frederick Schram, who probably added it as peek into his future paper.

Jack Wittry mentions H. max in the "The Fossil Fauna of Mazon Creek" on page 95.

Halicyne max Schram et al., 1997
Subphylum Crustacea Class Maxillopoda. Order Cyclidae

Halicyne max is often mistaken for Cyclus americanus. It can be quickly distinguished from C. americanus by its lack of a posterior notch in the shield, as well as missing the accompanying pair of short, stout processes extending from the notch.

H. max has an almost circular shield that is decorated with small distinct bumps or projections. Though seldom observed, it also has a shelf-like scalloped marginal rim, with spinose protrusions.

Specimens

These are from "The Fossil Fauna of Mazon Creek".

 

Stone tools and camel tooth suggest people were in the Pacific Northwest more than 18,000 years ago #paleontology #history #pacificnorthwest #oregon #artifacts #huumans #nativeamericans

Rimrock Draw Rockshelter in southeastern Oregon, where the 18,000-year-old teeth and tools were unearthed. (Image credit: Greg Shine/BLM; (CC BY 2.0))

LiveScience has a story about some new discoveries of human artifacts in the Pacific Northwest.  Archaeologists made the discoveries at the site of Rimrock Draw in Oregon.  They have been excavating a stone shelter there for the last few years.  More details can be found in a synopsis prepared by Patrick O'Grady of the Museum of Natural and Cultural History at the University of Oregon.

Stone tools and the teeth of an extinct camel and bison discovered in central Oregon show that people were living in North America 18,250 years ago, new research finds. Although this is not the earliest date for human occupation of the Americas that has been proposed, the finding, which is not yet published in a peer-reviewed study, appears to be thousands of years older than any other archaeological site in Oregon.

 

Archaeologists made the discovery at the site of Rimrock Draw, which includes a rock shelter that researchers have been excavating since 2011 under a partnership with the Bureau of Land Management. Initial investigations found stone tools from the Paleo-Indian period (15000 B.C. to 7000 B.C.), but the geology of the site suggested that there were sediment layers dating to even earlier. 

New fossil flying reptile ‘Elvis’ takes flight #fossil #paleontology #pterosaur #germany #solnhofen #jurassic

Photo of specimen LF 2809, a new large ctenochasmatid pterosaur under a mixture of UV A, B and C lighting. Scale bar is 10 cm.  Credit: René Lauer

Long time ESCONI members Bruce and Rene Lauer of sent us a message to highlight some new research they've been working on.  They're both listed as authors on a paper that describes a new large ctenochasmatid pterosaur from the Solnhofen of Germany.  The animal, Petrodactyle wellnhoferi, lived during the Jurassic about 145 million years ago, when southern Germany was an archipelago of islands.  The name translates as ‘Wellnhofer’s stone-finger’ which honors legendary German palaeontologist Peter Wellnhofer who spent his career working on German pterosaurs.  Pterosaurs and other animals like Archaeopteryx have been found in the Solnhofen for a long time.  The specimen is very nearly complete.  Lead author was David Hone of the Queen Mary University of London.  Here is the press release from Queen Mary University.  The paper can be found in the journal Palaeontologia Electronica.

Many pterosaurs are known with bony crests which they used primarily as sexual signals to other members of the species, but Petrodactyle has by far the largest crest even seen in a ctenochasmatid. Dr David Hone of Queen Mary University of London was the lead author on the study said, “Big though this crest is, we know that these pterosaurs had skin-like extensions attached to it, so in life Petrodactyle would have had an even larger crest”.

The details of the specimen are especially clear under UV light which helps show the difference between the bones and the rock in which they are embedded, which under natural light are a very similar colour. René Lauer of the Lauer Foundation, an author on the study said, “The use of UV Induced Fluorescence digital photography provided the ability to discern fine structures small bones and provided additional information regarding the structures of the bony crest which aided in the interpretations and conclusions of this unique new species”.

Petrodactyle was unusually large too. It has a wingspan of around 2 meters, but it was still an older ‘teenager’ by pterosaur standards and would have been even larger as a fully mature animal. Even so, it is one of the largest pterosaurs known from the Late Jurassic period. Bruce Lauer of the Lauer Foundation, an author on the study said “The specimen was located in a quarry which is producing scientifically important fossils that provide additional insights into Late Jurassic Pterosaurs.  This research is a great example of the benefits of cooperation between amateur collectors, commercial fossil dealers, our Foundation and research scientists to advance science.”

Note, the Lauer Foundation provides education and research support to a variety of people and organizations around the world, with an emphasis on Paleontology.  

The Lauer Foundation for Paleontology, Science and Education (PSE) is passionate about promoting the cooperation and collaboration between scientists, individuals and commercial fossil collectors for the advancement of science.  The Lauer Foundation PSE is an active operating foundation and the Foundation's collections are curated using museum standards including the Specify Software, collection management system, and storage of specimens in a museum grade climate controlled environment.  The Foundation adheres to responsible acquisition practices, requiring proper provenance for additions to the Foundation collections.  The Foundation actively participates in the study, analysis, documentation and research of its fossil collections with the international scientific community. 

Fossil Friday #169: Odontopteris subcuneata #fossil #paleontology #MazonCreek #FossilFriday #seedfern #pennsylvanian

This is the "Fossil Friday" post #169.  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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Odontopteris subcuneata is an uncommon form that was borne on the same plant that produced Macroneuropteris scheuchzerii.  It was described in 1847 by Charles James Fox Bunbury.  At that time, Bunbury was Britain's leading paleobotanist.  We looked at O. subcuneata back in Mazon Monday #100.  Have a look for more details.

This beautiful specimen comes from ESCONI member Jeremy Zimmerman.  It pretty large, with a quite a bit of detail.  These rarer forms are exciting to see as they don't show up that often.  Thanks for sharing, Jeremy!

 

Throwback Thursday #170: Surefire Signs You're a Rockhound #history #TBT #ThrowbackThursday #rocks #rockhound

This is Throwback Thursday #170.  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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The following list appeared in the January 1998 edition of the newsletter.  It was reprinted from the "Pick & Shovel" from November 1996.  The "Pick and Shovel" is the newsletter of the Lincoln Gem and Mineral Club in Lincoln, Nebraska.  They started up in 1959 and I'm happy to say are still in operation.

Surefire Signs You're a Rockhound

You own more pieces of quartz than underwear.
Your rockpile in your garage is taller than you are.
You still think pet rocks are a pretty good idea.
You associate the name "Franklin" with New Jersey instead of "Ben".
You have to move flats of rocks out of the tub to take a bath.
You've ever spent more than $10.00 for a book about rocks.
You find yourself compelled to examine individual rocks in driveway gravel.
You're planning to using a pick and shovel while on vacation.
You associate the word "saw" with diamonds instead of "wood"
You received a letter from the county informing you a landfill permit is required to put anymore rocks on your property.

3 or more apply -Practicing Rockhound
10 or more apply advised to seek help-NOW

Pick & Shovel 11/96

Twice the Size of a Killer Whale – New Evidence Suggests Giant Pliosaurs Swam in Late Jurassic Seas #fossil #paleontology #jurassic #pliosaur

An artist’s impression of the pliosaur. Credit: Megan Jacobs, University of Portsmouth

SciTechDaily has a story about some truly huge pliosaurs that lived during the Jurassic Period.  A paper in the journal Proceedings of the Geologists’ Association describes a vertebrae, which suggests a pliosaur that may have reached almost 15 meters in length as depicted by Liopleurodon in the BBC program "Walking with Dinosaurs". 

More than two decades ago, the depiction of a 25-meter-long Liopleurodon in the BBC’s documentary series, Walking with Dinosaurs, instigated fervent discussions about the true size of this pliosaur. The portrayal was generally deemed as excessively exaggerated, with the more accepted theory suggesting an adult Liopleurodon would have measured just over six meters.

This speculation was expected to continue, however, a serendipitous finding in an Oxfordshire museum has now spurred paleontologists from the University of Portsmouth to publish a research paper suggesting that a similar species could reach a staggering length of 14.4 meters, twice the size of a killer whale.

Professor David Martill from the University of Portsmouth’s School of the Environment, Geography and Geosciences, said: “I was a consultant for the BBC’s pilot program‘ Cruel Sea’ and I hold my hands up – I got the size of Liopleurodon horrendously wrong. I based my calculations on some fragmentary material that suggested a Liopleurodon could grow to a length of 25 meters, but the evidence was scant and it caused a lot of controversy at the time.

“The size estimate on the BBC back in 1999 was overdone, but now we have some evidence that is much more reliable after a serendipitous discovery of four enormous vertebrates.”

Professor Martill’s co-author, Megan Jacobs, was photographing an ichthyosaur skeleton at Abingdon County Hall Museum, while Dave looked through drawers of fossils. He found a large vertebra and was thrilled to discover the curator had three more of them in storage.