Earth Science Club of Northern Illinois - ESCONI

2025 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show - Preview #2: Tullymonstrum gregarium! #show #fossil #paleontology #MazonCreek #pennsylvanian #statefossil #tullymonster

This is the preview post #2 for the 2025 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show Live Auction.  The ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show for 2025 will be held on March 15th and 16th 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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Everyone loves the Tully Monster.  This is a mid-body fossil of Tullymonstrum gregarium, a primative jawless fish from the Carboniferous that just happens to be the STATE FOSSIL OF ILLINOIS!  This is a pretty good partial specimen.  It has a distinct eyebar and a good of the neck.  It's about 4 - 5 inches long.

ESCONI Events for February 2025 #events

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

Sat, Feb 8th	ESCONI Junior Meeting - 6:30 PM (starts at 7:00 PM) at College of DuPage Room TEC ED 1038A - Topic: "Ground Water Movement" Specifics of this meeting are available from Scott Galloway, 630-670-2591, [email protected]. The meeting will be in person at the College of DuPage TEC ED Building (TEC), Room 1038A (Map).
Fri, Feb 14th	ESCONI General Meeting - 8:00 PM via Zoom - Topic: "ESCONI's 75th Anniversary" Zoom link
Sat, Feb 15th	ESCONI Paleontology Study Group  - 7:30 PM via Zoom - Topic: "How to Explore the Incredi- ble World of Microfossils" by Katherine Howard Zoom link
Sat, Feb 22nd	ESCONI Mineralogy Study Group - 7:30 PM - Topic: "Thunder Bay Amethyst" by Daniel Kile of the U.S. Geological Survey Zoom link

 

2025 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show - Preview #1: Crenulopteris acadica plate! #fern #show #fossil #paleontology #MazonCreek #pennsylvanian

This is the preview post #1 for the 2025 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show Live Auction.  The ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show for 2025 will be held on March 15th and 16th 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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Ok!.... Time to kick off the previews for the 2025 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show Live Auction.  This is a very nice Crenulopteris acadica plate.  We have both positive and negative parts.  It's a pretty good size with multiple fern fronds.  Come on out in March and this can be yours!

2025 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show - March 15th and 16th at the DuPage Fair Grounds #show #gems #minerals #fossils #rocks #awesometime

ESCONI January 2025 Paleontology Study Group Meeting - January 18, 2025 via Zoom - "The 'Arctic Fauna'" #fossils #paleontology #ordovician #extinction

The January 2025 Paleontology Study Group Meeting will be held on January 18, 2025 via Zoom.  Our presenter is John Catalani and his topic is "The 'Arctic Fauna'".  The name refers to where the fossil assemblage was first discovered - Greenland and Baffin Island, although they are now known from many localities including the Stewartville Bed (Wise Lake Member of the Galena Formation).  

The Arctic Fauna is composed of two stratigraphic units that can be correlated with modern stratigraphic terms. The older Red River/Bighorn Fauna correlates with the  Edenian/Maysvillian NA Stages while the younger Stony Mountain Fauna is Richmondian in age. The term “Arctic Fauna” is, of course, misleading since the Fauna is tropical in nature, a fact recognized by Foerste and Flower as was the Invasion. The term “Arctic” was used due to the original location of fossils in Greenland and Baffin Island. Arctic Fauna fossils have been found from Greenland to New Mexico with mid-west representatives from the Stewartville Bed (Wise Lake Member of the Galena Formation). Fossils are abundant, well-preserved, and often of extremely large size. Examples of the two Arctic Faunas, mainly cephalopods, will be shown from original sources with examples of Stewartville fossils from my collection. Additional faunal elements with Stewartville examples will be discussed. The Richmondian Invasion will be briefly covered with The Arctic Fauna as one of the, possibly main, Invasion pathways. Incumbents and Invaders will be discussed as well as the stratigraphic ranges of some Invaders (Stigall 2023)

Esconi Host is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

 

Topic: ESCONI Paleontology Meeting Jan 18th at 7:30 PM

Presentation: "The Arctic Fauna" 

Presented By: John Catalani

Time: Jan 18, 2025 07:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

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Meeting ID: 819 6237 7736

Passcode: 649862

 

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Meeting ID: 819 6237 7736

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Video for ESCONI January 2025 Mineralogy Study Group Meeting - "Kentucky Agate" #minerals #kentucky #agate #kentuckyagate

The January Mineralogy Study Group Meeting was held on Saturday, January 4th, 2025.  The topic was "Kentucky Agate".  The presenter was Matthew Bentley, who is the Geologist for the State of Kentucky. Matthew attended Morehead State University and Western Kentucky University. He has been collecting Kentucky Agates for the past 10 years.

Kentucky Agate is the state rock and mineral of Kentucky.  If you are not familiar with it, a good resource with information and pictures is: https://www.uky.edu/KGS/rocksmineral/state-agate.php

Agate is a microscopically crystalline variety of the mineral quartz. In 2024, Governor Beshear signed House Bill 378 to have agate declared as the official State Gemstone.

Agate has delicate and varying shades of color arranged in layers. In the typical occurrence, the bands are irregular, curved, or in concentric patterns. Agate is used as an ornamental material or in semi-precious jewelry. The color banding is usually related to chemical impurities; for example, iron gives a red or orange color and manganese or calcium give black or blue colors.

For the past couple decades, beautiful specimens of red, black, yellow, and gray banded agate have been discovered in Estill, Jackson, Powell, Madison, and Rockcastle Counties. These Kentucky agates are derived from the Renfro-Borden Formation of Early Mississippian age and can be collected along some river drainages where the Borden is exposed to weathering. Many of these agates are displayed at local rock shows. More pictures of Kentucky agates can be seen in the Kentucky Agate section of this website and in the book, "Kentucky Agate: State Rock and Mineral Treasure of the Commonwealth" (McIntosh and Anderson, 2014).

ESCONI January 2025 Mineralogy Study Group Meeting - "Kentucky Agate" #minerals #kentucky #agate #kentuckyagate

The January Mineralogy Study Group Meeting will be held via Zoom on Saturday, January 4th, 2025 at 7:30 PM.  The topic is "Kentucky Agate".  The presenter is Matthew Bentley, who is the Geologist for the State of Kentucky. Matthew attended Morehead State University and Western Kentucky University. He has been collecting Kentucky Agates for the past 10 years.

Kentucky Agate is the state rock and mineral of Kentucky.  If you are not familiar with it, a good resource with information and pictures is: https://www.uky.edu/KGS/rocksmineral/state-agate.php

Agate is a microscopically crystalline variety of the mineral quartz. In 2024, Governor Beshear signed House Bill 378 to have agate declared as the official State Gemstone.

Agate has delicate and varying shades of color arranged in layers. In the typical occurrence, the bands are irregular, curved, or in concentric patterns. Agate is used as an ornamental material or in semi-precious jewelry. The color banding is usually related to chemical impurities; for example, iron gives a red or orange color and manganese or calcium give black or blue colors.

For the past couple decades, beautiful specimens of red, black, yellow, and gray banded agate have been discovered in Estill, Jackson, Powell, Madison, and Rockcastle Counties. These Kentucky agates are derived from the Renfro-Borden Formation of Early Mississippian age and can be collected along some river drainages where the Borden is exposed to weathering. Many of these agates are displayed at local rock shows. More pictures of Kentucky agates can be seen in the Kentucky Agate section of this website and in the book, "Kentucky Agate: State Rock and Mineral Treasure of the Commonwealth" (McIntosh and Anderson, 2014).

 

PLEASE JOIN US VIA ZOOM FOR THIS INFORMATIVE PRESENTATION!

 

Join Zoom Meeting link: (Please join promptly as the link will be closed after 7:45.)

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Meeting ID: 882 4517 6607

Passcode: 066581

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Meeting ID: 882 4517 6607

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ESCONI Events for January 2025 #events

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

Sat, Jan 4th	ESCONI Mineralogy Study Group - 7:30 PM - Topic: "Kentucky Agate" by Matt Bentley, a geologist for the State of Kentucky Zoom link
Fri, Jan 10th	ESCONI General Meeting - 8:00 PM via Zoom - Topic: "Early Jurassic Extinction Events in Morocco and Other Lagerstatten Fossils" by Sinjini Sinhi Zoom link
Sat, Jan 11th	ESCONI Junior Meeting - 6:30 PM (starts at 7:00 PM) at College of DuPage Room HEC 1020 - Topic: the graphic novel "Dinosaur Empire" Specifics of this meeting are available from Scott Galloway, 630-670-2591, [email protected]. The meeting will be in person at the College of DuPage Homeland Security Education Center (HEC), Room 1020 (Map).
Sat, Jan 18th	ESCONI Paleontology Study Group  - 7:30 PM via Zoom - Topic: "The Arctic Fauna" by John Catalani Zoom link

 

Scenes from the 2024 Holiday Party and 75th Birthday Celebration #holiday #party #birthday #75years

ESCONI held a Holiday Party on December 7th, 2024.  There was a Birthday cake to celebrate ESCONI's 75th Anniversary!

Here are various photos supplied by Rose Jansen, Chuck Styles, and Rhonda Gates!  Thanks!

Sharon and Scott Galloway

Mike Litt with Rich and Peggy Rock

Phil and Valerie Anderson

Mary Ann and Don Cronauer and Jeff Allen

The Jansen Family - Andy, Rose, Laura, and Kevin

Marie Angkuw and Rhonda Gates - What have you been eating, Marie?!?

Jann Bergsten, Marie Angkuw, and Rhonda Gates

Dave Carlson and Mary Hogan

Jack Wittry, Bill Vinikour, and Andy Jansen

Chuck and Lori Styles

Keith Robitschek and Kristi Overgaard

ESCONI Board Members

ESCONI Holiday Lunch - Saturday, December 7, 2024, 12:00 noon at Warren’s Ale House #holidayparty #happyholidays #anniversary

Celebrate ESCONI'S 75th Anniversary with Luncheon and a Celebration Cake at the Club's Holiday Luncheon

ESCONI Holiday Lunch will be on Saturday, December 7, 2024, 12:00 noon at Warren’s Ale House, 51 Town Square, Wheaton. (Just north of Danada Square East.)

Website for Warren's Ale House with Map & Menu: https://warrensalehouse.com/contact/

Please note: ESCONI will be providing the cake. Attendees will be ordering off the menu. Everyone is responsible for their own bill. Warren's Ale House has a Brunch menu on Saturday along with their regular menu. Holiday attire is welcome. If you got it, wear it! Sweaters, hats, scarves, socks, lighted necklaces, jewelry; the possibilities are endless!

Katherine Howard is taking reservations: RSVP to Katherine via email with your name and how many will be attending so we have an approximate count. [email protected]

Hope to see you there!

 

ESCONI Events for December 2024 #events

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

Sat, Dec 7th	ESCONI Holiday Party - 12:00 noon  Warren’s Ale House, 51 Town Square, Wheaton, IL
Fri, Dec 13th	ESCONI General Meeting - 8:00 PM via Zoom - Topic: "Dinosaur Dinner: How Geochemistry Can Show Us the Diets of Extinct Animals" by Liam Norris  Zoom link
	ESCONI Junior Meeting No meeting... see you next month!
	ESCONI Paleontology Study Group  No meeting... see you next month!
	ESCONI Mineralogy Study Group  No meeting... see you next month!

 

Video for ESCONI Paleontology Meeting November 2024 - "Devonian Fossils From Independence" #fossils #paleontology #cephalopods #iowa #devonian

The ESCONI Paleontology Study Group Meeting for November 2024 featured an interesting presentation by Jim Preslicka. His presentation was titled "Devonian Fossils From Independence". Jim has a deep interest in cephalopods. The eastern Iowan deposit was discovered by the Blackhawk Gem and Mineral Society in 2007. A joint project between the BHGMS and the University of Iowa's Paleontology Repository have uncovered many new and rare cephalopods at the locality.

Video for ESCONI General Meeting November 2024 - "From Muldraugh to Museum: Amphoracrinus tenax" #fossils #paleontology #crinoids #kentucky

The topic of the November 2024 Paleontology meeting was "From Muldraugh to Museum: The Unexpected Journey of Crinoid Amphoracrinus tenax". It was presented by ESCONI member Gretel Monreal. This presentation will include the investigative process for recognizing a new species of crinoid and explaining what this simple fossil can tell us. 

Amphoracrinus tenax was described in a paper published in the Journal of Paleontology.

Abstract

The youngest species of Amphoracrinus, A. tenax new species, is described from the Muldraugh Member of the Borden Formation (early Viséan) of north-central Kentucky. With this new occurrence, both the oldest and youngest named species of Amphoracrinus are from North America. Numerous Tournaisian and Viséan crinoid faunas are documented in the United States, but only four are known to contain Amphoracrinus. Morphological analysis indicates that A. tenax is more closely aligned with species from China than with species from Western Europe or other species from North America, where Amphoracrinus was most diverse and abundant, which has implications for understanding paleogeographic dispersal. The holotype of A. tenax was partially disarticulated on the seafloor before burial, and final burial occurred early during disarticulation. The relative state of disarticulation from pinnules to columnals suggests that plates bound only with ligaments disarticulated as a function of surface area of ligaments binding an articulation.

 

ESCONI Events for November 2024 #events #fieldtrips

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

Sat, Nov 2nd	ESCONI Mineralogy Study Group  - Cancelled!
Fri, Nov 8th	ESCONI General Meeting - 8:00 PM via Zoom - Topic: "From Muldraugh to Museum: The unexpected journey of Amphoracrinus tenax" by Gretel Monreal Zoom link
Sat, Nov 9th	ESCONI Junior Meeting - 6:30 PM (starts at 7:00 PM) at College of DuPage Room 1038A - Topic: "Crystallgraphic Systems" by Scott Galloway Specifics of this meeting are available from Scott Galloway, 630-670-2591, [email protected]. The meeting will be in person at the College of DuPage Technical Education Center (TEC), Room 1038A (Map).
Sat, Nov 16th	ESCONI Paleontology Study Group  - 7:30 PM via Zoom - Topic: "The Devonian Period" by Jim Preslicka Zoom link

 

ESCONI November 2024 Mineralogy Study Group Meeting has been cancelled!

The Mineralogy Study Group meeting, which was scheduled for Saturday, November 2, 2024, has been canceled.

We are in the process of moving all the material from the warehouse to a new site. Due to the nature of this move, and the manpower and time required, we are making it our main focus.

Thank you for your understanding. We apologize for any inconvenience. Another meeting will be scheduled at a later date.

 

ESCONI November 2024 Mineralogy Study Group Meeting #minerals #fluorescent #fluorescentminerals #calcite

Yooperite from Lake Superior

The next meeting of the Mineralogy Study Group will be om November 2, 2024 starting at 7:30 PM I TEC 1038B. The program will be “Fluorescent Minerals” by Dave Carlson. The presentation will cover fluorescence, phosphorescence, tenebrescence and triboluminescence, fluorescent minerals and where they can be found, and modern sources of UV light. If you have fluorescent minerals or a portable UV light source, please bring them to the meeting for everyone to see.

Here's a website about fluorescent minerals.

 

ESCONI October 2024 General Meeting - October 11th, 2024 - "Hoyo Negro: A Spectacular Natural Trap on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula" #fossils #paleontology #mexico #yucatan #pleistocene

The ESCONI October 2024 General Meeting will be held on October 11th, 2024 at 8:00 via Zoom.  The topic of the meeting is "Hoyo Negro: A Spectacular Natural Trap on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula".  It will be presented by Jim Chatters, who has studied human history here in the Americas for many years.  Here is an article about the discovery of a 13,000 year old human found in Hoyo Negro.

Hoyo Negra is a submerged late Pleistocene cave site in Quintana Roo, Mexico.  

The cenotes and underwater cave systems of the Yucatan Peninsula are emerging as one of the most promising frontiers for Paleoamerican studies. Following the end of the last glacial maximum, rising sea levels flooded the region’s maze of underground passageways and preserved a diverse Late Pleistocene fossil assemblage. A female human skeleton, named "Naia," found in spatial association with the remains of now-extinct fauna in the submerged subterranean pit of Hoyo Negro presents a unique opportunity for interdisciplinary Paleoamerican and paleoenvironmental research in Quintana Roo, Mexico. At 13,000-12,000 years BP, the young woman’s skeleton represents the oldest nearly complete individual yet found in the Americas.

Topic: ESCONI General Meeting - 8:00 PM via Zoom - Topic: "Hoyo Negro: A Spectacular Natural Trap on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula" by Jim Chatters

Time: Oct 11, 2024 08:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

 

Join Zoom Meeting

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Meeting ID: 858 1431 8647

Passcode: 107227

 

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Meeting ID: 858 1431 8647

Passcode: 107227

 

Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdlHX545Za

ESCONI October 2024 Mineralogy Study Group Meeting - October 5th, 2024 - "Geodes from Around the World" #mineralogy #geodes #calcite

Just a reminder of our new Mineralogy Study Group's first meeting later this week! Please join us for a great presentation about geodes! All are welcome - bring family and friends! They do not have to be ESCONI members to attend meetings.

MINERALOGY STUDY GROUP MEETING

Saturday, October 5, 2024 - 7:30 PM

College of DuPage

Technical Education Center (TEC Building) (Map)

Room 1038B

Program: “Geodes from Around the World”

By: Dave Carlson

 

Illinois is not a great place for mineral collecting, but it has geodes! In this program, I’ll talk about geodes from Illinois and many other places around the world including the western and midwestern U.S., Mexico, South America, England, Asia and Australia. I will describe different types of geodes, where they form, how they form, and what they look like. I’ll discuss methods of opening geodes and cleaning them. There will be lots of pictures and example specimens.

 

If you have geodes, please bring them to show to the group.  

 

MAPS EXPO 2024 - October 18th-20th, 2024 in Springfield, IL #fossils #paleontology #show #maps #midamericanpaleo

EXPO 2024

October 18-20, 2024

Hours: 9am-5pm Fri, 8am-5pm Sat, 8am-3pm Sun

The Orr Building on the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, IL.

The keynote topic for EXPO 2024 is The Carboniferous Period.

Keynote Speaker: Joe Devera - "Late Mississippian Vertebrate Fossils from the Buncimbe Red Bed, Southern Illinois"

EXPO Info 2024 Newsletter

ESCONI Events for October 2024 #events #fieldtrips

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

Sat, Oct 5th	ESCONI Mineralogy Study Group  - 7:30 PM at College of DuPage Room TEC 1038B - Topic "Geodes from Around the World" by Dave Carlson More details soon!
Fri, Oct 11th	ESCONI General Meeting - 8:00 PM via Zoom - Topic: "Hoyo Negro: A Spectacular Natural Trap on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula" by Jim Chatters Zoom link
Sat, Oct 12th	ESCONI Mazon Creek Fossil Day - Coal City, IL Details can be found here.
Sat, Oct 18th - 20th	M.A.P.S. National Fossil Exposition 2024 in Springfield, IL Details can be found here.
Sat, Oct 26th	ESCONI Field Trip to a Napolean Quarry in Napolean, IN for Silurian/Ordovician fossils Details can be found here.
	ESCONI Junior Meeting - no meeting. See you next month!
	ESCONI Paleontology Study Group  - no meeting. See you next month!