It’s a cool breezy day here in Catskill today. The recent heat has given way to what appears to be a perfect early Autumn day. And a brief trip to the farm stand at Story Farms confirms the seasonal changes that we are in the midst of. Gourds, pumpkins, apples and late corn fill the bins. It all seems to move quickly so enjoy this season while its here. “Tempus fugit” as my old Latin teacher would exhort!
I finally managed to get out the other day and explore a new fossil site (new to me, that is). It was a small limestone quarry just outside of town. Not much to find, it turns out, but just good to be out in the field again. These are a few of my discoveries: Above is a trilobite pygidium (always fun to find around here).
Next is a type of brachiopod named Leptaena. I generally don’t find to many of these so any time I find one I think it’s a pretty good day!
Here are a few brachiopods. Upon closer view, in the center of the image, there are small circular objects – crinoid ossicles, small segments of the stem of a crinoid.
These next three images show different views of a coral, Syringopora, that snake through the limestone. It’s pretty common around here. In this case, though, the definition and delineation is particularly noteworthy.
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And here are a few more fossils (not from that quarry trip) that caught my eye starting with this impression of another coral type in sandstone.
Two brachiopods with what I believe to be the impression of a another trilobite pygidium.
And last, a group of various brachiopods sharing a very small space together
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I’ll close out today with more Sci Fi art – covers from 1950s pulp magazines. All the recent events surrounding the Cassini Mission and its descent into the Saturn atmosphere has had me mesmerized! And seeing Saturn in the sky in the above image reminded me of it all the more. Enjoy!
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Thanks for the visit!
artandfossils 