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Some Fossils From The Nanaimo Group


palaeopix

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I have both the first and second (revised) editions of this book. The second edition is dated 1997. There are several new additions to the book including the first Triassic fish from Vancouver Island and the Cranberry Arms Site (a site world renown for its Cretaceous plant fossils including flowers). Either one of these books is essential and highly recommended reading if you are interested in fossils from Vancouver Island.

The photographs in the book may appear washed out because they are photographed in a tradition used by most if not all scholarly paleontological journals. That is to say that the fossils are usually painted with a matte black pigment and then coated with a fine dusting of sublimated ammonium chloride salts. This method is used to accentuate the fossil's shape and surface texture while eliminating surface gloss and colouration. Of course this is covered in both editions of the book.

Palaeopix,

Thanks for the info on the revised edition. I will have to get that one too.

Yes, I know about different coatings sometimes used in fossil photography and did read it in the first edition. However, that does not explain the shots where a fossil's edge appears to fade into the white background. I thought this might be a problem from harsh lighting, but a friend who is a photographer and knows the book, thinks it was more of a printing problem. It was really only something I noticed in a few photos (page 93, scaphopods; p.100, Polyptychoceras; p.102 Bostrychoceras and p. 130 Cyclothyris). In any case I also recommend it.

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Palaeopix,

Thanks for the info on the revised edition. I will have to get that one too.

Yes, I know about different coatings sometimes used in fossil photography and did read it in the first edition. However, that does not explain the shots where a fossil's edge appears to fade into the white background. I thought this might be a problem from harsh lighting, but a friend who is a photographer and knows the book, thinks it was more of a printing problem. It was really only something I noticed in a few photos (page 93, scaphopods; p.100, Polyptychoceras; p.102 Bostrychoceras and p. 130 Cyclothyris). In any case I also recommend it.

I think it is a combination of the harsh lighting and a printing problem. The photos in the book were photographed (as mentioned in previous post by myself), printed in a conventional darkroom (no digital here!) and then cut out and pasted to a white page and then re-photographed and susequently re-printed before being sent to the publisher (now that is work flow). I know this because I participated in the process in the early 90s under the supervision of both Rolf Ludvigsen and Brian Chatterton. Bottom line is that there is a bit too much contrast due to all the re-photographing and printing.

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  • 1 month later...

Here are some new finds from a recent trip to Hornby Island

Diplomoceras

Archaeopus

Baculites

Archaeopus

Cephalopods rule!!

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  • 1 month later...

New Hornby Island ammonites

Anagaudryceras

Gaudryceras

Pseudophyllites

Edited by fossisle

Cephalopods rule!!

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I love this book. Ever since I bought my copy (1994 version) I've wanted to go find fossils on Vancouver Island. Thanks for the cool pix of your fossils.

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  • 4 months later...

Here is my latest fossil from Hornby Island. Found this summer and just prepped out.

post-0-000705900 1290082224_thumb.jpg

post-0-016283500 1290082212_thumb.jpg

post-0-026685600 1290082197_thumb.jpg

Pachydiscus suciaensis

Cephalopods rule!!

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Nice finds Rick!

I need to get back down your way to do some collecting.

I've been away far too long!

Dan

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Quite a transformation. At first I thought the whole thing was the fossil.

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Quite a transformation. At first I thought the whole thing was the fossil.

MikeD yes the weathered side I left intact, the large concretion on the back contained some shell which I tried to follow but it was too fragmented and not well preserved. I chiseled off most of the concretion and exposed a small area of white shell which I then followed around.The front weathered side looks the same as the first picture and is in 2 pieces the top one removable to show of the ammonite center.

Cephalopods rule!!

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Every time I think I have something to show people I see things like that multiple Glyptoxoceras shown above and I want to give up... but maybe I've still got some interesting things.... (Part of my problem is I am not set up to prep my finds so my stuff isn't as presentable - the other problem is the stuff from around here in Duncan is often more distorted and fragile, while that from up-Island is more pristine and often more complete.)

Here's a couple echinoids, the first from Chemainus and the 2nd from the Lake Cowichan Highway.

post-4372-065641200 1290165352_thumb.jpg

post-4372-049817500 1290165556_thumb.jpg

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Mt. Tz(o)uhalem near Duncan, Vancouver Island (Haslam Fm, as are the echinoids above)

1. Leaf (Platanus/Sycamore?) - the middle of the leaf is raised like it is hiding something disc-shaped underneath!

2. Ammonite: Phylloceras sp.

3. Echinoid (imprint) - could not excavate this one.

post-4372-035057900 1290166407_thumb.jpg

post-4372-038867100 1290166486_thumb.jpg

post-4372-073408600 1290166737_thumb.jpg

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  • 4 weeks later...

It's been some time since I posted anything on this thread so I dug some specimens out of storage and took some photos to share with everyone here on the Forum.

post-2629-0-01732300-1292466298_thumb.jpg Hauericeras gardeni. Haslam Formation, Brannan Lake, Nanaimo, BC. Specimen is 3.7 cm across.

post-2629-0-24759100-1292466304_thumb.jpg Hauericeras gardeni. Lower Trent River Formation, Brown's River, Courtenay, BC. Specimen is 5.2 cm across.

post-2629-0-07485700-1292466311_thumb.jpg I think this is Eupachydiscus perplicatus. Lower Trent River Formation, Brown's River, Courtenay, BC. Specimen is 3.7 cm across.

Next are two heteromorphic ammonites commonly encountered in the Nanaimo Group.

post-2629-0-83798400-1292466313_thumb.jpg Three specimens of Glyptoxoceras subcompressum. Lower Trent River Formation, Brown's River, Courtenay, BC. First specimen is 4.0 cm long.

post-2629-0-56793600-1292466307_thumb.jpg Eubostrychoceras elongatum. Lower Trent River Formation, Brown's River, Courtenay, BC. Specimen is 6.3 cm across.

Next is another heteromorphic ammonite that is apparently found only in Japan and at a specific location (Poly Zone) on the Trent River near Courtenay, British Columbia.

post-2629-0-29458400-1292466301_thumb.jpg Polyptchycoeras vancouverense. Lower Trent River Formation, Trent River, near Courtenay, BC. Specimen is 2.7 cm long.

And Finally for the crab lovers out there.

post-2629-0-87066600-1292466328_thumb.jpg Not certain of the i.d. on this one yet. Lower Trent River Formation, Brown's River, Courtenay, BC. Specimen is 3.4 cm across.

post-2629-0-57503100-1292466319_thumb.jpgpost-2629-0-16777600-1292466325_thumb.jpg Part and counterpart of Longusorbis cuniculosus. Oyster Bay Formation, Shelter Point, near Campbell River, BC. Specimen is 6.7 cm across.

Dan

Edited by palaeopix
  • I found this Informative 1
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I haven't seen a crab that resembles that first one Dan

Yeah,

it's definitely a weird one. It's the only specimen I've ever found. I'm thinking about having it prepped out but I'm not sure I want to do it myself in case I ruin it, especially if it's something new.

Dan

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Here are some other Nanaimo Group crabs

Eucorystes platys

Preclarocarcinus parvus

Bicornisranina bocki

smile.gif

Cephalopods rule!!

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Yes very weird series of spines on the right hand side

Yeah,

it's definitely a weird one. It's the only specimen I've ever found. I'm thinking about having it prepped out but I'm not sure I want to do it myself in case I ruin it, especially if it's something new.

Dan

Cephalopods rule!!

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I also noticed that weird cab in the first crabphoto... could it be a raninid seen from a funny angle? The triple spikey thing on the upper right of the right photo is what I amlooking atthat looks raninid-like.

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I'm thinking about having it prepped out but I'm not sure I want to do it myself in case I ruin it, especially if it's something new.

Dan

Hi Dan. Thanks for showing us the new ones. What are the chances of tickling out the Longusorbis? Looks like that could turn into a nice presentation.

Roger

 

Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger

http://www.steinkern.de/

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I also noticed that weird cab in the first crabphoto... could it be a raninid seen from a funny angle? The triple spikey thing on the upper right of the right photo is what I amlooking atthat looks raninid-like.

Yes,

I'm thinking the same thing now after looking at the specimen more closely and I'm definitely going to have it prepped sometime in the future. I have a feeling the crab probably extends down into the concretion so I'm going to have to think about how to go about prepping it. As an aside the chela (claw) preserved on the left side of the crab (the part or positive) is identical to another (from the same location) I've just tracked down in my collection.

Dan

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Hi Dan. Thanks for showing us the new ones. What are the chances of tickling out the Longusorbis? Looks like that could turn into a nice presentation.

Roger

Hey Roger,

I've not really thought about having it prepped because I'm holding out until I can find a better specimen. The crabs from Shelter point can be spectacular once prepped, but I hesitate to spend too much time or money on an average specimen. That and I enjoy the specimen the way is. Besides if I have it prepped I'm going to loose one half of the pair!

Dan

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Yeah,

it's definitely a weird one. It's the only specimen I've ever found. I'm thinking about having it prepped out but I'm not sure I want to do it myself in case I ruin it, especially if it's something new.

Dan

Im agree, it seems something quite different.. or perhaps a raninoid type with the half of carapace under the rock still.. I don't know by the moment :)

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Hey Roger,

I've not really thought about having it prepped because I'm holding out until I can find a better specimen. The crabs from Shelter point can be spectacular once prepped, but I hesitate to spend too much time or money on an average specimen. That and I enjoy the specimen the way is. Besides if I have it prepped I'm going to loose one half of the pair!

Dan

OK. Those are a lot of good reasons.

 

Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger

http://www.steinkern.de/

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  • 3 months later...

Ok a couple of new ammonites from the last couple of weeks

2 Pachydiscids from Hornby Island

and a Gaudryceras denmanense from Denman Island

biggrin.gif

Edited by fossisle

Cephalopods rule!!

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