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Can We Play West Va Fossil Shell Id?


fosceal2

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Shell One- Like paper I am suprised I got it home this intact!post-218-1242000762_thumb.jpg Shell two, front and back- only found one like thispost-218-1242000820_thumb.jpgpost-218-1242000837_thumb.jpg Shell type three-some kid of Spirifer? Am I even close?post-218-1242000906_thumb.jpg

Hmmm These look familiar Shell type 4post-218-1242000983_thumb.jpg

Thank you in advance!

Fosceal

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1 and 4 look like halves of bivalves to me, 2 I couldn't tell you, and 3 are definitely brachiopods.

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I agree with Solius above. Are you hunting Devonian or Mississippian rocks?

If Devonian age then the second set of pics looks like a deformed (during the fossilization process) Athryis sp.?

and the third looks like Strophodonta maybe? Makes me want to go collecting where ever you found these! :)

-Dave

__________________________________________________

Geologists on the whole are inconsistent drivers. When a roadcut presents itself, they tend to lurch and weave. To them, the roadcut is a portal, a fragment of a regional story, a proscenium arch that leads their imaginations into the earth and through the surrounding terrain. - John McPhee

If I'm going to drive safely, I can't do geology. - John McPhee

Check out my Blog for more fossils I've found: http://viewsofthemahantango.blogspot.com/

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West Va has both of those eras and I am on a different part of the mountain- I was hoping for a guess from you guys! I have never found a blastoid on my Brother in laws land. On this road cut is yellowish aged limestone like I see near my sisters' and also layers of dark shale like stuff, but no visible coal band. I will ask my sister tom take a pic, maybe that would help.

Fosceal

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Can you give us a clue to narrow down location? I might be able to find a geologic map to help you out if you give me a county or region.

-Dave

__________________________________________________

Geologists on the whole are inconsistent drivers. When a roadcut presents itself, they tend to lurch and weave. To them, the roadcut is a portal, a fragment of a regional story, a proscenium arch that leads their imaginations into the earth and through the surrounding terrain. - John McPhee

If I'm going to drive safely, I can't do geology. - John McPhee

Check out my Blog for more fossils I've found: http://viewsofthemahantango.blogspot.com/

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Pocahontas County, West VA

Cheat Mountain-Below 3000 feet ( same mountain Snowshoe Ski resort is on, near Cass WV)

My sister lives at about 3000 ft-I go down and around and it take me about 25 minutes to get there.

Ok lets see if this works-

Cass, West Virginia 24927

Link:

<http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=cass+wv+map&ie=UTF8&split=0&gl=us&ei=Bd8ISuGCM9eMtgf--IHeCw&ll=38.396702,-79.970512&spn=0.080587,0.181274&t=h&z=13>

If this link works I can tell you I come down from Cloverlick ( down to left of mononghala on map) on back mountain rd, turn onto 66 towards Cass and it is between there and where 66 runs into 92/28. I am terrible with directions- I am a bit dyslexic it is not unusual for me to circle the mountain as I am distracted looking at road cuts and wildflowers!

Hope this helps.

Fosceal

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Okay, Looks like you are in Mississippian formations. See the pic below for more info. If you narrow down the area you are in to the formation (different colors on map) then I could give you a better idea. For now, the shells you found fit a Mississippian age profile.

Hope this helps!

post-1408-1242128414_thumb.jpg

-Dave

__________________________________________________

Geologists on the whole are inconsistent drivers. When a roadcut presents itself, they tend to lurch and weave. To them, the roadcut is a portal, a fragment of a regional story, a proscenium arch that leads their imaginations into the earth and through the surrounding terrain. - John McPhee

If I'm going to drive safely, I can't do geology. - John McPhee

Check out my Blog for more fossils I've found: http://viewsofthemahantango.blogspot.com/

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In the set of 5 photos I believe all are Brachiopods

First is something in the spirifer-ids families of anthraco- or mucro-spirifer

Second may be herbertella speces

Fourth Orthotetes or similar genus

3 and 5 are common but I can't remember their names.

In the fist set of pics

The 4th photo and first group of shells are spirifer-ids

%th Photo large pile of fan-shaped shells are rafinesquina-ids

That is all I can make out on sight this late at night and I am not too informed on Carboniferous marine species in general.

Eman

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Guest solius symbiosus
In the set of 5 photos I believe all are Brachiopods

First is something in the spirifer-ids families of anthraco- or mucro-spirifer

Second may be herbertella speces

Fourth Orthotetes or similar genus

3 and 5 are common but I can't remember their names.

In the fist set of pics

The 4th photo and first group of shells are spirifer-ids

%th Photo large pile of fan-shaped shells are rafinesquina-ids

That is all I can make out on sight this late at night and I am not too informed on Carboniferous marine species in general.

Eman

Both Rafinesquina sp., and Hebertella sp. are index fossils for the Ordovician, so it can't be those.

Curious... I see strophomenids where you see spiriferids, but you seem to recognize that the last group in the first set are strophomenids???

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Curious... I see strophomenids where you see spiriferids, but you seem to recognize that the last group in the first set are strophomenids???

How does one admit their skills are far behind what they thought they were? I apologize for being too casual. I was sorting a through a large box of bagged specimens and looking for specimens that resembled the photos and..well...I screwed the up majorly. I'll rightly refrain from attempting brach and fossil ID's in general-- especially at 3 am. The bulk of the discussion was in establishing age, which I knew was critical information yet jumped the gun. I have no excuse.

I am 0 for 4 so back to the minors for me. I do have a firm belief that we should be sure of our facts before we let the post out the door and I let us all down.

Thank you for letting me down without a flame and please accept my apologies for the failing to be sure before opening my mouth. This was an eye opening opportunity to reassess the reliability of my knowledge.

Eman

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I am 0 for 4 so back to the minors for me. I do have a firm belief that we should be sure of our facts before we let the post out the door and I let us all down.

Thank you for letting me down without a flame and please accept my apologies for the failing to be sure before opening my mouth. This was an eye opening opportunity to reassess the reliability of my knowledge.

Eman

You didn't let anyone down at all. I have been in the minors for a long time.

I like trying to ID things even if I am not sure. Only way I will learn..

So keep offering your opinions. One of the reasons I like this forum.

{pterosaur}

Welcome to the forum!

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I am 0 for 4 so back to the minors for me. I do have a firm belief that we should be sure of our facts before we let the post out the door and I let us all down.

Thank you for letting me down without a flame and please accept my apologies for the failing to be sure before opening my mouth. This was an eye opening opportunity to reassess the reliability of my knowledge.

Eman

Welcome to the ballpark... err... forum! :) I swing and miss a lot too because I get overly excited. It's nothing to get upset about as there are plenty of others on here who can correct any mistakes. Not a bad thing to hit foul ball every now and again, how else will one learn about their mistakes?

-Dave

__________________________________________________

Geologists on the whole are inconsistent drivers. When a roadcut presents itself, they tend to lurch and weave. To them, the roadcut is a portal, a fragment of a regional story, a proscenium arch that leads their imaginations into the earth and through the surrounding terrain. - John McPhee

If I'm going to drive safely, I can't do geology. - John McPhee

Check out my Blog for more fossils I've found: http://viewsofthemahantango.blogspot.com/

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I appreciate all help and all opinions!

My 17 year old daughter tells me NOT to discuss rock or fossils with her friends,

My 11 year old son thinks It's "Kinda Cool" but not enough to actually go fossil hunting with me.

My dear husband says "thats nice" and secretly hopes I have not brought over 300 lbs worth of rocks home in the trunk of my old Altima. :P

My lady customers' in my jewelry store ask me why I look for fossils when I am surrounded by jewelry!

Fellow fossil hunters- if they have to ask it can't be explained.

Best regards,

Fosceal

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Guest solius symbiosus
I do have a firm belief that we should be sure of our facts before we let the post out the door and I let us all down.

Thank you for letting me down without a flame and please accept my apologies for the failing to be sure before opening my mouth. This was an eye opening opportunity to reassess the reliability of my knowledge.

Eman

No need to apologize. Rarely, will an ID generate a consensus of opinion, too, I am not an expert on brachiopods, and rarely can ID them beyond the Order.

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My turn to embarrass myself;

"Type 3" looks a lot like the Mucrospirifers I used to find in a Devonian exposure.

"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!

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