07_10_vl_3marks75
Interesting marks like these sometimes cover entire boulders in the area, probably attachment marks made by a snail-like creature. Probably recent, but in several million years they will be considered fossils.
trace fossils
July 31, 2005 - Pennsylvanian Fossils, Walker Co, AL
BPS members visited a new site this month in Walker county. A starfish had been discovered on the scouting trip, so the group was hoping to find more specimens. This roadcut exposed Pennsylvanian shale which contained a small amount of plant material, including impressions and casts, and a layer containing several nice slabs of starfish casts, vertebrate tracks, and fish fin markings. The starfish are a type of echinoderm, and are in the class Asteroidea. We surveyed a large portion of the cut, but only found the starfish in one small area.
One of the more interesting finds of the day was a young kitten, living in a cave in the wall. It had apparently not eaten in quite a while, as it was nothing but a pile of bones. Several members fed her, and this friendly, loving little kitten now has a good home with Jan and Greg.
(Pictures courtesy Steve Corvin and Vicki Lais.)
Looking over the site, trying to decide where to start.
Calamites rhizome (root) showing distinctive round structures that "could" become new shoots.
Calamites stem section - this is the part that would have been above ground, and looks similar to today's bamboo.
Steve found this shale slab containing 2 very clear starfish on the scouting trip.
A closer look.
Lea digging through the rubble.
Calamites - an impression and an inside mold.
Lea found a slab with a nice starfish cast.
A closer look at Lea's starfish.
Possible raindrops and other trace fossils. Many of the fossil finds at this site were impressions on boulders too large to carry home.
These are impressions of lepidodendrum and calamites.
Bill found this slab of shale with several starfish impressions. He graciously allowed Greg to break it apart and shared it with other members.
A closer view of the slab. There are at least 6 starfish on this slab. 
Bill found the large slab containing several starfish. This is the piece he kept. Thanks for sharing such a wonderful find, Bill!
A closer view.
More plant impression fragments.
We found this newest member living in a cave in the rocks (the kitten, if you had to ask!), and nothing but skin and bones. We fed her and made a friend for life - Jan and Greg took her home to live with them.
July 31, 2004 - Monroe Co, AL
This month BPS members headed to Monroe County in South Alabama, where we collected in the Lisbon Formation and Gosport Sand. Steve and Gilbert took their boats, so we spent the day scouting several miles along the riverbanks. Due to rain earlier in the week, the water level had risen 6-8 feet since the scouting trip, so the ledges were mostly underwater, and our collecting was restricted to the upper reaches. Numerous gastropods, turritella and trace fossils that appear to be burrows of some kind were found, also a few shark teeth, echinoids, and even a piece of permineralized wood were found. Some of the bivalves were complete and hardened. Many of the turritella and other shells found in the Gosport Sand were so fragile that it took careful digging to keep the shells from dissolving as they were touched. When broken open, a number of the "burrows" had shells inside them. Wildlife was also spotted, including an alligator and alligator tracks, numerous herons, and Steve spotted the largest water moccasin he had ever seen in his many years in the outdoors, startled him so much he threw his fossils in the river beating a path back to the boat! Sorry 'bout that, Steve!
Members participating in this long trip were Greg, Jan, Steve, Leisa, Gilbert, Carolyn, Vicki, Nancy and Miss Daisy.
(Photos courtesy Nancy Kenfield, Steve Corvin, and Vicki Lais)
Along the shoreline.
Greg and Steve, getting ready to check out this landing.
Shells in matrix. Sand is wet, and shells will disintegrate at the slightest touch. Careful excavation is essential.
At slightly higher elevations, the shells are dry and hard. Leisa found these.
A representative sampling of shells in this locality.
Shell impressions.
Shell layers in the bank.
Turritella found by Steve.
Sand dollar found by Steve.
Nice collection of sand dollars found by Steve.
Large boulders, appearing to be trace fossils, perhaps burrows.
Many of the burrows had shells inside.
Tooth found by Steve.
Gilbert after a long hard day on the river.
A view of the bluffs, mostly grown over now.
End of another great collecting day!
On the way down, some of us apparently took a wrong fork in the road.... that sign was deceiving.
And we entered into a strange land, populated by the most bizzare critters! (Forkland??)
For scale, note that Vicki is hugging the tin man's leg. Both the ship and car (above) are REAL.
Alabama countryside near Forkland.