Earth Science Club of Northern Illinois - ESCONI

2024 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show - Preview #5! #fossils #show #paleontology #geology #fishlouse #cyclus #MazonCreek #pit11

This is the preview post #5 for the 2024 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show Live Auction.  The ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show for 2024 will be held on March 16th and 17th 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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Preview 5 for the 2024 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show auction is a nice specimen of Cyclus americanus from Mazon Creek.  Cyclus are found in a few Mazon localities, with Pit 11 being the most common.  Learn more in Mazon Monday #28.

Chicago Rocks & Minerals Society’s 73nd Annual Silent Auction - March 9th, 2024 #auction #rocks #minerals #gems #fossils #show #chicagorocks

The Chicago Rocks & Minerals Society is holding our 73rd annual silent auction on Saturday, March 9, 2024, from 6 to 9 p.m., plus a special live auction of high-end items at the end.

Chicago Rocks & Minerals Society’s

73nd Annual Silent Auction

 

Saturday, March 9, 2024

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)

Plus a special live auction of High-end specimens during the last half-hour! 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. 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] or visit http://chicagorocks.org.

 

Like us on Facebook ~ Chicago Rocks & Minerals Society

ESCONI Events March 2024 #events #schedule #paleontology #show #gems #rocks #minerals #fossils

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

Sat, Mar 16th	ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show at the Dupage County Fairgrounds. Details
Sun, Mar 17th	ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show at the Dupage County Fairgrounds. Details

 

Fossil Friday #202: Pecopteris fontainei #fossils #paleontology #fern #MazonCreek #FossilFriday #pennsylvanian #paleobotany

This is Mazon Monday post #202.  What's your favorite Mazon Creek fossil?  Tell us at email:[email protected].  Thanks!

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This week's Fossil Friday is a beautiful Pecopteris fontainei.  P. fontainei is a tree fern from the Mazon Creek fossil deposit. P. fontainei was named by Leo Lesquereux in 1889.  Lesquereux worked with a multiple state geologic surveys, eventually writing "Atlas to the Coal Flora of Pennsylvania and the Carboniferous Formation throughout the United States", a three volume publication that was the standard reference for Carboniferous paleobotany for many years.  In his 1870 “Report on the Fossil Plants of Illinois”, Lesquereux inadvertently named the Mazon Creek fossil deposit by referring to the Mazon River as a creek.

"At Mazon Creek, the meanders of the stream have dug a broad bed through the bank of shale, and the water, washing for centuries, has uncovered great numbers of concretions and scattered them for miles from their point of origin.”

To learn more about P. fontainei, see Mazon Monday #129.

This fine specimen comes from ESCONI member George Witaszek.  George has sent us some very nice fossils over the years... remember his insect?  Thanks for the submission, George!  Happy Hunting!