January 13-14, 2007 - Cambrian Fossils, Cherokee Co, AL
This month BPS members made an overnight trip to Cherokee County, Alabama to collect from the Conasauga formation. With a good turn out (approx 20 members), ample fossils, and temperatures hovering in the low 70's, the universe cooperated in creating a great outdoor experience for us.
Stop 1 was a late Cambrian site, Dresdachian stage, (515 MYA) which yielded a number of Brooksella.
Stop 2 was in the Albertan stage approx 530MYA. Thanks to Capt. Steve, a short boat trip to the collecting site yielded some good specimens of trilobites which appear to be Kingstonia, Densonella, Norwoodella, and Cossella.
The evening of the first day was spent at a local Seafood house followed by a delightful evening spent at a cabin rented by BPS. We celebrated Jan and Lea Novaks birthdays; Lea baked her own cake, a Czech trilobite cake, which was great. This was followed by much good drink, a spirited backgammon game, Pro football on the big screen TV (yes we were roughing it), more good drink, talk and blues on the radio.
Day 2 was another warm day for January starting with a good and inexpensive breakfast at the local fish camp. There was more fossil hunting on the local beach followed by several hours of splitting shale on another beach which was also fruitful. Later in the afternoon, a number of members decided to scout some new sites which we were told about by a local fossil hunter we met at our first stop.
Stop 1 was a late Cambrian site, Dresdachian stage, (515 MYA) which yielded a number of Brooksella.
Stop 2 was in the Albertan stage approx 530MYA. Thanks to Capt. Steve, a short boat trip to the collecting site yielded some good specimens of trilobites which appear to be Kingstonia, Densonella, Norwoodella, and Cossella.
The evening of the first day was spent at a local Seafood house followed by a delightful evening spent at a cabin rented by BPS. We celebrated Jan and Lea Novaks birthdays; Lea baked her own cake, a Czech trilobite cake, which was great. This was followed by much good drink, a spirited backgammon game, Pro football on the big screen TV (yes we were roughing it), more good drink, talk and blues on the radio.
Day 2 was another warm day for January starting with a good and inexpensive breakfast at the local fish camp. There was more fossil hunting on the local beach followed by several hours of splitting shale on another beach which was also fruitful. Later in the afternoon, a number of members decided to scout some new sites which we were told about by a local fossil hunter we met at our first stop.
--Edited by Vicki Lais
(Photos courtesy Bill Fowler, Steve Corvin, and Vicki Lais)
Everyone is anticipating a great day of collecting!
Samples of the nice brooksellas that were found.
Lea and Claire surveying the area.
Steve found a nice point in the area.
Nice stromatolite found by Vicki.
Bill and some of his small trilobite finds under the microscope. Click photo (then click photo) for larger image.
The next site required a short boat trip. The shoreline in this area is composed of deteriorated Conasauga shale.
Nancy found some nice (but decidedly muddy!) brooksella.
Steven with his trilobite find.
Searching for trilobites in the broken shale.
Bob found a double brooksella.
We learned the meaning of "don't leave any rock unturned" today . . .
Samples of what was found on day 1.
More trilobite specimens from day 1.
People were scattered all up and down the shoreline.
Another find by Bill, shown under the microscope.
A pebble filled with small trilobites, found by Bill.
Claire and her best finds of the day - very nice brooksella and trilobites.
Very nice trilobite found by Bobby.
On day 2 we collected at a different site. Large outcrops of Conasauga shale turned on edge held numerous trilobites.
Becky is extracting small hunks of the shale to carefully split apart.
Nice trilobite specimen found at this site, found by Pam and Bob.
Leisa was having very good luck splitting the shale.
(Photos courtesy Bill Fowler, Steve Corvin, and Vicki Lais)
Everyone is anticipating a great day of collecting!
Samples of the nice brooksellas that were found.
Lea and Claire surveying the area.
Steve found a nice point in the area.
Nice stromatolite found by Vicki.
Bill and some of his small trilobite finds under the microscope. Click photo (then click photo) for larger image.
The next site required a short boat trip. The shoreline in this area is composed of deteriorated Conasauga shale.
Nancy found some nice (but decidedly muddy!) brooksella.
Steven with his trilobite find.
Searching for trilobites in the broken shale.
Bob found a double brooksella.
We learned the meaning of "don't leave any rock unturned" today . . .
Samples of what was found on day 1.
More trilobite specimens from day 1.
People were scattered all up and down the shoreline.
Another find by Bill, shown under the microscope.
A pebble filled with small trilobites, found by Bill.
Claire and her best finds of the day - very nice brooksella and trilobites.
Very nice trilobite found by Bobby.
On day 2 we collected at a different site. Large outcrops of Conasauga shale turned on edge held numerous trilobites.
Becky is extracting small hunks of the shale to carefully split apart.
Nice trilobite specimen found at this site, found by Pam and Bob.
Leisa was having very good luck splitting the shale.