pinkpantherbeekeeper Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 So I stumbled (literally) onto bedrock (limestone) in a creek. Decided to see if I could get any to come loose and sure enough it did. To my surprise the chunk I manage to pull up was loaded with brachiopods. I tried to get a grip on some more loose limestone and pulled again and some more brachiopods came up again. However, I can not get a large chunk to pull away from the rest. Only reason I managed to get the first out, was it was undercut by water. I would like to be able to get a nice clean section out. The other problem is the limestone crumbles easily (obviously since it is soaked in water). I stopped messing with it after the second piece came out and basically fell apart. So any ideas? Thanks! Sorry about the water pic... best the camera on my phone would do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Russell Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 Any chance of diverting the water around the area you wish work? Finding my way through life; one fossil at a time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 That it is so friable may keep you from extracting a nice big chunk, no matter what you do. Even a stream-diversion operation and a big gas-powered rock saw might result in gravel. Very nice looking material, but its nature may be to deny you a large slab. "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinkpantherbeekeeper Posted July 24, 2013 Author Share Posted July 24, 2013 (edited) I might be able to bring empty sand bags down to the site. Actually I could block / divert the water around the area but it would a large under taking. Could be cool though as there is a 100 yard strecth of bedrock. Lol Edited July 24, 2013 by pinkpantherbeekeeper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kolleamm Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 Why don't you try shoving a huge metal rod under it, and yank it out? Or pop it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdevey Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 I might be able to bring empty sand bags down to the site. Actually I could block / divert the water around the area but it would a large under taking. Could be cool though as there is a 100 yard strecth of bedrock. Lol Do some homework, diverting water in a creek can be a huge fine, depending on irrigation rites. At lease in my area its a big no no. Jest thought I would give a heads up ,. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AgrilusHunter Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 (edited) Is this spot on public land? Most sites in Indiana the DNR doesn't care if you pick up an occasional fossil. Digging is another thing all together and isn't usually allowed. Diverting a stream to pry out bedrock is even more extreme. To do this the land will certainly need to be privately owned. Edited July 25, 2013 by AgrilusHunter "They ... savoured the strange warm glow of being much more ignorant than ordinary people, who were only ignorant of ordinary things." -- Terry Pratchett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinkpantherbeekeeper Posted July 25, 2013 Author Share Posted July 25, 2013 (edited) Why don't you try shoving a huge metal rod under it, and yank it out? Or pop it out.Might give it a try. The main thing is that it crumbles very easily. Getting a couple of rods under it might work though. Is this how large sections might be removed in conjunction with a gas powered saw?Yes this is on private land thankfully. Diverting the creek wouldn't be to bad in this section. Reason being, the creek splits and runs parallel along the other side of an island for 200 yards or so. So it wouldn't be totally impossible to channel the water away from the site. I probably will do some more research on how to do it proper before I attempt much more. I'd hate to put time, energy, and money into this and only end up destroying the fossils. Plus its not like it is going anywhere! Lol And I will see about any other legalities.Thanks!!! Edited July 25, 2013 by pinkpantherbeekeeper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AgrilusHunter Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 Sounds like you're fine then. Happy hunting ... and swimming! "They ... savoured the strange warm glow of being much more ignorant than ordinary people, who were only ignorant of ordinary things." -- Terry Pratchett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squalicorax Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 Very nice fossils. Im surprised to see well preserved pentamerid brachiopods in Indiana. I am enjoying these Silurian finds. Could you entertain me the county you found them in? My Flickr Page of My Collection: http://www.flickr.com/photos/79424101@N00/sets Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinkpantherbeekeeper Posted July 29, 2013 Author Share Posted July 29, 2013 I am in Cass County and this should be the Wabash formation (if I remember right?).. The layer of these seems to be about 6 to 10 inches thick in places. Also the shells them self seem to be well preserved. There is a thin layer of mineralized shell/material that flakes away easily. After getting the rock out it does seem to "harden" up a bit. Its has been cool these last couple of days (50-70s) but I will try to get some better stuff out today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kolleamm Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 Sweet so how did you manage to pull it out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinkpantherbeekeeper Posted July 30, 2013 Author Share Posted July 30, 2013 Quick update... I was able to get some larger slabs out. None with the volume of brachiopods in them. One has a nice coral in it. I will try to get pictures up tomorrow. I tried using large pry bars and chisels to get under pieces that were undermined by water. To get anything other then the water channeled pieces out will require saws. I haven't been to the Falls of the Ohio, but if you could get rid of the water and clean the algae you might have lots of exposed fossils like there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blastoid Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 Lots of long thin chisels and patience, or wait for a dry spell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinkpantherbeekeeper Posted July 30, 2013 Author Share Posted July 30, 2013 (edited) Here is some pics. Just kind of a variety of bbrachiopods and coral. The coral was found loose within a meter or two of the area. If you notice the brachiopod in the upper right corner of the picture, it is actually two brachiopods that the tail ends are facing each other or over lapping. Edited July 30, 2013 by pinkpantherbeekeeper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinkpantherbeekeeper Posted July 30, 2013 Author Share Posted July 30, 2013 These are two of the large pieces I pulled out. In this second picture you can see a coral to the right and unidentified object to the left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinkpantherbeekeeper Posted July 30, 2013 Author Share Posted July 30, 2013 The other slab. The coral in this one is amazing to me at least. The "tips" of the coral are individually preserved. This is a picture I forgot to add to the brachiopods. You can see the shell color. This did not come off the slab above (for reference). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinkpantherbeekeeper Posted July 30, 2013 Author Share Posted July 30, 2013 More pictures of the slab. This is a brachiopod that is under the chunk or coral. The other part of the coral is still in the bed rock... Not sure but I think there is a gastropod in this picture along with some crinoids. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinkpantherbeekeeper Posted July 30, 2013 Author Share Posted July 30, 2013 Both the slabs were within 2 feet of each other. I have some other pictures on my camera I had at the site I will put up later tonight. One shows a two or three inch brachipod impression in the surface ofnthe bedrock. I would imagine it "popped" out at some point. It is amazing to stand on top of an area thinking of the fossils you find and try to imagine what it would have looked like a few hundred million years ago... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 Highly fossiliferous limestone; neat! "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinkpantherbeekeeper Posted July 31, 2013 Author Share Posted July 31, 2013 Blastoid and Kolleam you are correct and thanks for the ideas for getting it out! I wish I would have found this area last year as we were in a record drought. I would guess most of it was exposed. Auspex you are correct about it being friable. I think the brachiopods are their own worst enemy. There is so many that are in a small area, the limestone tends to fracture around the shells themselves. Thanks everyone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squalicorax Posted July 31, 2013 Share Posted July 31, 2013 I like what you are finding. Fortunate to have a close outcrop, Those brachiopods are looking really nice. Enjoy seeing silurian wabash goodies. My Flickr Page of My Collection: http://www.flickr.com/photos/79424101@N00/sets Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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