Fossil Hunting Trip

[Architeuthoceras]

From the Cretaceous (Coniacian) part of the Mancos Shale, a cute little Yezoites, about 1/2" long, and a view of the Wasatch Plateau.

 

[POD-L]

My latest Coniacian find


My latest Coniacian (Comox Formation) ammonite from Vancouver Island
Prionocycloceras

 

[cuttlegirl]

I'm making a trip to South Dakota (in-laws...), Sioux Falls to be exact. Is there a place where really amateur fossil hunters can collect/see fossils? Do you need a permit to collect fossils?

 

[Architeuthoceras]

My latest Coniacian (Comox Formation) ammonite from Vancouver Island
Prionocycloceras

Nice spiny ammonite POD-L, are they common on the island?

I'm making a trip to South Dakota (in-laws...), Sioux Falls to be exact. Is there a place where really amateur fossil hunters can collect/see fossils? Do you need a permit to collect fossils?

No clue on a site near Sioux Falls CG
On most federal land in the US you can collect a reasonable amount of invertebrate or plant fossils for your own personal use, no selling or trading, this does not include National Parks or Monuments. A Memo Here.

 

[POD-L]

Coniacian

Kevin
They are only found at two sites in the mountains outside of Courtenay, so fairly rare. We escourted a team of Paleobotanists to the site, they have found some very interesting plants in the concretions from this quarry in the mountains,my friend and I stayed a little longer and were rewarded with several ammonites.
Rick

 

[Architeuthoceras]

They look like very nice fossils, I can sure see the resemblance of Prionocycloceras to Prionocyclus. I sure would like to find one with the spines intact. The spines I find have been plugged closer to the base so the spine is usually made of shell material, which usually isnt preserved, yours looks like they are hollow farther up the spine. Below is a picture of a spine and a pic of a plug in the spine base.

 

[POD-L]

Kevin
Yes I was lucky to find this specimen in the matrix most are found in concretions and it is very hard to prep out the whole spines. Here is an example from a concretion.
Rick

 

[Architeuthoceras]

Thanks for that pic Rick. I notice even the serrations on the keel dont come out as nice on the concretion fossil.

Are they Early Coniacian? Those look very close to Prionocyclus quadratus, probably a very close Late Turonian cousin.

 

[POD-L]

Kevin
They are presently being studied by Jim Haggart at the Geological Survey of Canada,our B.C. ammonite specialist. There were Prionocyclus found as well which reminded me of the P.hyatti on your webpages.
Rick

 

[Architeuthoceras]

Also check out P. germari, They look alike. Here is a reference for the Turonian Collignoniceratids.

 

[POD-L]

Thanks Kevin
The reference is great, I have actually felt that we are finding dimorphic Prionocycloceras, we seem to have gracile and robust forms from both sites. These are the first Coniacian sites from Vancouver Island, Dr. Haggart recently described our only Turonian and earliest Cretaceous site from the Gulf Islands near Victoria,B.C.

 

[POD-L]

Kevin
here is an example of a more Gracile form which looks more like PrionocerasCheers
Rick

 

[ckeiser]

Hey Kevin, where would be the closest someone from Pennsylvania could go (with any luck) to search for fossil cephs? I have found fossilized crinoids in West Virginia.
Cheers.

 

[Architeuthoceras]

Hey Kevin, where would be the closest someone from Pennsylvania could go (with any luck) to search for fossil cephs? I have found fossilized crinoids in West Virginia.
Cheers.

The closest I know of would be Devonian Goniatites and Ordovician Nautiloids in New York State, or Ordovician Nautiloids around Cincinatti, or maybe Cretaceous in New Jersey. Its all kinda far from my house.

 

[Architeuthoceras]

Kevin
here is an example of a more Gracile form which looks more like PrionocerasCheers
Rick

Rick, The ventro-lateral nodes look clavate, if so you probably have a dimorphic pair much like Prionocyclus macombi, where the gracile form has clavate nodes. The double umbilical nodes dont match the robust form in your other pic, were they found in the same horizon or bed?