I've spent many days over the last two weeks scouring my new local site. I've pored over the literature and attempted to do a systematic analysis of the fauna in each of the rock types, taking extensive field notes. In terms of finds, not counting the numerous Crassiproetus pygidia and Pseudodechenella pygidia and cheeks, there are more days I go home empty-handed rather than dancing on air. On the third consecutive day at this site, I managed to locate the right type of rock that is generally highly fossiliferous. This type of rock is in a minority at this site, and I've already split through any of the visible examples, leading me to dig under other large rocks in the hopes of finding more of the "good stuff." The trilobites almost exclusively appear in rocks that contain large fenestrate bryozoans. The environment was shallow marine reef (owing to the massive presence of reef-builders). Here is Echinolichas sp. fragment number two: I collected the positive and the impression. It is in pretty rough shape, but any fragment of this lichid will come home with me. So is the matter settled about the strata being Bois Blanc? Hold on. Also in the same rock was this: The top image is a capture from Rolf Ludvigsen's Fossils of Ontario Part 1: The Trilobites, and it shows a cephalon of the lichid Acanthopyge contusa. The image below is my find. But this is reported in the Amherstburg / Formosa Reef. This was already a bit confusing!
Terataspis is only reported in the Bois Blanc Fm. If this were Bois Blanc material, I have not seen even a trace of Anchiopsis in the large volume of material I've gone through. Acanthopyge is only reported in the Amherstburg, and although volumetrically the abundance of Crassiproetus is indicative of this formation, it is also a poor index given that it prevailed across several strata. Riddles upon riddles aside, I am happy to welcome my second Terataspis, and a brand new lichid to my collection! Stay tuned, for there is still a very large source rock for me to break down that weighs in excess of a metric ton. It is where the Terataspis was found. More to come this week, I hope! Update, Sept 18, 2019 I found a second cephalon example of Acanthopyge contusa: Comments are closed.
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Kane Faucher
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February 2024
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