March 18, 2006 - Mississippian Fossils, St. Clair Co, AL
BPS members collected in St. Clair county,
Alabama this
month.
The weather started out a little chilly, but turned into a
perfect, pleasant day. The first stop was a
Mississippian
age road cut, where geologic uplift is obvious. There we
found several varieties of coral, including quite a few large
horned coral, brachiopods, and sponges in layers of the
Tuscumbia Limestone. The Ft. Payne chert contained numerous
hollow molds left by archimedes and crinoids. After we had
decided to stop collecting (let's see, Leisa decided this how
many times???) and were winding up to go to the the next site,
Michael split open a rock and found a trilobite. Well, we
had been looking for the correct layer for several hours with no
luck, so this set off another search for the "correct" rocks in
the "correct" layer, and everyone began splitting rocks, hoping
for a nice trilobite. A local landowner stopped by to ask
what we were doing, and once he found out, offered to let us
drive across his property to an old quarry and check it
out. We already had a second quarry site in mind where local
people fish, however, both quarries turned out to be overgrown, with
large boulders, and in a very quick assessment,
we found no fossils. All was not lost - the ride to the
quarries was quite exciting, and we enjoyed the scouting trips
and being out in the woods on such a glorious day. Good
memories of time spent with friends.
(photos courtesy Steve Corvin and Vicki Lais)
![geologic layers](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_layers625.jpg)
![hunting fossils](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_group622.jpg)
Greg is explaining how to spot the fossils.
![fossil coral](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_rubble614.jpg)
Look closely in the rocks and several horned corals and broken pieces can be spotted. They blend in well.
![fossil brachiopod](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_shell650.jpg)
![fossil sponge](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_sponge644.jpg)
Michael has found a couple of items we believe to be sponges.
![fossil sponge](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_sponge646.jpg)
![fossil coral](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_rubble615.jpg)
More rocky area, with numerous fossils waiting to be collected.
![hunting fossils](/system/files/images/06_mar_sc_group009.jpg)
![fossil coral](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_rubble616.jpg)
Another view of the ground littered with broken and whole fossils.
![hunting fossils](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_steve630.jpg)
Steve is heading to the top, to see if there are different fossils up there. Or, maybe he just likes to climb!
![fossil coral](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_rubble617.jpg)
![fossil coral](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_rubble619.jpg)
![fossil coral](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_bag639.jpg)
![fossils](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_bag645.jpg)
Some interesting fossil material found by Steve.
![fossil brachiopod](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_shell638.jpg)
Note the nice brachiopods.
![hunting fossils](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_claire628.jpg)
![fossil coral](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_coralhead659.jpg)
Claire has found a nice coral head.
More nice finds by
Claire.
![fossil coral](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_shell662.jpg)
Another nice specimen, probably coral, found by Vicki.
![fossil coral](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_sylvie643.jpg)
Michael and Sylvie showing off their coral and sponges.
![fossil crinoid](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_crinoid654.jpg)
![fossil brachiopod](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_shell634.jpg)
Note the nice shell on the upper rock in the middle. When the fossils are the same color as the matrix, they are difficult to spot.
![fossil crinoid](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_shell633.jpg)
Crinoids have left impressions on these rocks. A different area from where the coral is found.
![examining the geologic layers](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_greg629.jpg)
Greg and Michael searching for the trilobite layer.
![hunting fossils](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_leisa647.jpg)
Leisa has found some nice horned coral.
![fossil coral and others](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_leisa651.jpg)
A closer look at Leisa's finds.
![hunting fossils](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_group624.jpg)
![fossil trilobite](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_trilobite661.jpg)
After diligent searching, Michael found the trilobite layer!
![fossil trilobite](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_trilobite663.jpg)
Greg has found part of a trilobite - the black coloration at top of rock. The larger oval is the head, the smaller one is an eye.
![fossil trilobite](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_trilobite665.jpg)
![fossil trilobite eye](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_trilobite673.jpg)
A close view of a trilobite.
![quarry where we hunted fossils](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_quar_698.jpg)
We briefly scouted this quarry and found some interesting structures and fish, but no fossils.
Edited by Vicki Lais
(photos courtesy Steve Corvin and Vicki Lais)
![geologic layers](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_layers625.jpg)
![hunting fossils](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_group622.jpg)
Greg is explaining how to spot the fossils.
![fossil coral](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_rubble614.jpg)
Look closely in the rocks and several horned corals and broken pieces can be spotted. They blend in well.
![fossil brachiopod](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_shell650.jpg)
![fossil sponge](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_sponge644.jpg)
Michael has found a couple of items we believe to be sponges.
![fossil sponge](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_sponge646.jpg)
![fossil coral](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_rubble615.jpg)
More rocky area, with numerous fossils waiting to be collected.
![hunting fossils](/system/files/images/06_mar_sc_group009.jpg)
![fossil coral](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_rubble616.jpg)
Another view of the ground littered with broken and whole fossils.
![hunting fossils](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_steve630.jpg)
Steve is heading to the top, to see if there are different fossils up there. Or, maybe he just likes to climb!
![fossil coral](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_rubble617.jpg)
![fossil coral](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_rubble619.jpg)
![fossil coral](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_bag639.jpg)
![fossils](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_bag645.jpg)
Some interesting fossil material found by Steve.
![fossil brachiopod](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_shell638.jpg)
Note the nice brachiopods.
![hunting fossils](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_claire628.jpg)
![fossil coral](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_coralhead659.jpg)
Claire has found a nice coral head.
![fossil coral](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_claire652.jpg)
![fossil coral](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_shell662.jpg)
Another nice specimen, probably coral, found by Vicki.
![fossil coral](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_sylvie643.jpg)
Michael and Sylvie showing off their coral and sponges.
![fossil crinoid](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_crinoid654.jpg)
![fossil brachiopod](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_shell634.jpg)
Note the nice shell on the upper rock in the middle. When the fossils are the same color as the matrix, they are difficult to spot.
![fossil crinoid](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_shell633.jpg)
Crinoids have left impressions on these rocks. A different area from where the coral is found.
![examining the geologic layers](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_greg629.jpg)
Greg and Michael searching for the trilobite layer.
![hunting fossils](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_leisa647.jpg)
Leisa has found some nice horned coral.
![fossil coral and others](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_leisa651.jpg)
A closer look at Leisa's finds.
![hunting fossils](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_group624.jpg)
![fossil trilobite](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_trilobite661.jpg)
After diligent searching, Michael found the trilobite layer!
![fossil trilobite](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_trilobite663.jpg)
Greg has found part of a trilobite - the black coloration at top of rock. The larger oval is the head, the smaller one is an eye.
![fossil trilobite](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_trilobite665.jpg)
![fossil trilobite eye](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_trilobite673.jpg)
A close view of a trilobite.
![quarry where we hunted fossils](/system/files/images/06_mar_vl_quar_698.jpg)
We briefly scouted this quarry and found some interesting structures and fish, but no fossils.