Leptaena Brachiopod with Cornulites Worm Tubes

These images are of a Leptaena waldronensis? brachiopod that has two Cornulites sp. worm tubes attached. It somewhat rare to find the Cornulites worm tubes on fossils found in the Clark County, Indiana Waldron Shale. These fossils date to the Silurian Period (425-420 million years ago).

I encountered this fossil while volunteering at Earth Discovery Day at the Falls of the Ohio State Park in Clarksville, Indiana, USA. It is a good event to help the general public to learn about fossils and minerals found on our planet. The specimen shown was found by visitor on August 24, 2013.

Earth Discovery Day - August 2013

Today was Earth Discovery Day at the Falls of the Ohio State Park in Clarksville, Indiana. It is an event that focuses on educational activities for public. I have been volunteering over the last several years and it is a good feeling helping young students learn more about the mineral world around them while teaching about the fossil world of the past. Even though I have been really busy teaching, it is good to help out at an event like this.

The fossil pile was sparse in finds this year but the mineral pile while very dusty was a mountain of exploration for those willing to search for buried mineral treasure. The material is from a fluorite processing mill in southern Illinois that processed minerals from that area. Normally one sees four types of minerals: fluorite, barite, calcite, and sphalerite. The fluorite is usually purple, yellow or clear. Occasionally, green and blue fluorite will be found. A child found a nice fluorite cube corner shown in the first picture above. It has some nice purple phantom cubes that show through when held up to a light source.

Another child found a greenish-blue fluorite fragment while another found several aqua blue fluorite pieces. My challenge to visitors is to find pieces like this and usually about 4-6 specimens are found during my volunteer shift.

I was also told some material from China was processed there as well. So I am not sure what that might look like. A red or crimson colored rock was being found this year that was not seen in past years. It might be something from China. It is thought to be some type of reddish fluorite.

Fossils found were a number of brachiopods, corals, and snails from the Devonian fossil pile. The Silurian pile was being a bit more stingy. It did yield some nice brachiopods, a trilobite fragment, and a cephalopod fossil. Silurian Period Waldron Shale fossils are as shown: probably the tail (pygidium) of an Arctinurus sp. trilobite (I think it is upside down), next a fragment of a shell of a Dawsonoceras cephalopod, third is the index fossil of the Waldron Shale Eucalyptocrinus crassus crinoid calyx cup, and last an uncompressed Leptaena sp. brachiopod that has Cornulites sp. worm tubes on it.

Earth Discovery Day 2012

The Falls of the Ohio State Park (Clarksville, Indiana, USA) hosted a geology education day with lots of activities the general public around the Louisville, Kentucky area could participate in. My contribution to the event was helping with identification of minerals and fossils being found in the collecting piles. I have been participating in events like this at the state park for the last 3 years.

This year was nice as a mix of adults and students visited the piles next to the main parking lot. Some visitors were from geology clubs in Illinois and Fort Wayne, Indiana. It was a nice weather and the visitors seemed enthused about the collecting and learning about minerals and fossils.
Inside the Interpretive Center a number of tables were set up showing micro-minerals and fossils, 12 mineral/fossil specimens for a $1, books by local geology professors, and fossil identifications. Also a number of talks were given by local experts and teachers on geological subjects.

I stayed on my shift a lot longer than planned since a lot of people had questions. Most questions were about minerals but I had some fossil questions dealing with Devonian corals and Silurian brachiopods. Fossil collecting was sparse as the piles were not yielding very many fossils. See picture of the only fossils I saw collected by a fossil enthusiast from Marion, Indiana. He found two Eucalyptocrinus crinoid cups plus some nice brachiopods. All the fossils had to be extracted from a large matrix piece.

The mineral pile was getting the most activity with tons of material from southern Illinois mine tailings. Yellow and purple fluorite was the most prevalent though clear was found as well. My challenge to the visitors was to find the blue and green fluorite specimens and at least 6 people found blue transparent/semi-transparent minerals. See picture below on a blue one. A couple of kids found small green fluorite crystals. So that was fun to see! Other minerals being found were calcite, sphalerite, barite, and pyrite.

A number of college groups seemed to be visiting, I did not get any school names but here is a picture of what appears to be a school group meeting on the fossil bed.

Plant Fossils at State Park

Last week, I visited the interpretive center at the Falls of the Ohio State Park in Clarksville, Indiana located across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky. They have two temporary fossil displays that have nice specimens to observe. One on paleoecology and the second on plants from the fossil collection of Herb Miracle. These pictures represent just a small sample of the specimens on display so if you get a chance visit and check out all the fossils.

The first fossil shown is of a long (30+ cm) section of Calamites from the Pennsylvanian Period layers of eastern Kentucky. The next image if a Lepidodendron aculeatum imprint found the Carboniferous of France.

Next is another French plant fossil called Syringodendron.

The following image is an eastern Kentucky plant fossil identified as Lescuropteris.

The next pictures shows two segments of a Stigmaria fucoides from eastern Kentucky.

Last picture is of another eastern Kentucky Pennsylvanian Period plant fossil Neuropteris.

Visit Falls of the Ohio State Park

Recently, I visited the interpretive center at the Falls of the Ohio State Park in Clarksville, Indiana located across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky. They have two temporary fossil displays that have nice specimens to observe. The first image is of an enrolled Flexicalymene meeki trilobite from the Ordovican found in Hamilton County, Ohio.

This next image is of the Eocene fish fossil Knightea sp. found in the famous locality of Green River Formation (Kemmerer, Wyoming).

Followed by an imprint of snail in a stromatoporoid of the Jeffersonville Limestone (Middle Devonian) Oldham County, Kentucky.

Above are images of Baculites cephalopod fossils of Upper Cretaceous of South Dakota.

Pelecypod fossil embedded in an ironstone nodule of the Upper Pennsylvanian Period found in Grundy County, Illinois.

Calamites plant fossil found in the Pennsylvanian Period layers of Vigo County, Indiana. Plant is similar to the modern horsetail rush (Equisetum hyemele).

Fossil Festival Fun

Saturday was a full day at the Fossil Festival at the Falls of the Ohio State Park in Clarksville, Indiana. The morning started out breezy and chilly with a sunny sky.  Good hiking and fossil collecting weather.  The first photo shows a group returning from across the Ohio River spill way which is a path to the outer Devonian and Silurian coral beds.

Visitors started visiting the collecting piles of Silurian and Devonian fossils along with the Illinois mineral pile. I mostly identified brachiopods for visitors but saw a number of Eucalyptocrinus calyx cups being found.  I got worn out digging through the pile to try and find fossils for visitors.  Using a shovel was somewhat successful in breaking up some of the compacted shale but a pick would have worked better.

A young woman found the corner of a clear-to-purple fluorite cube with a phantom cube corner inside.  That was a nice piece to see.  Later some trilobite pieces were found including an imprint of an Arctinerus.  Jack, the fossil dog, showed up to see how every one was doing with their collection efforts.

Later, I was shown a blastoid that might be a Troosticrinus (Shumard, 1866) which is really rare.  It was fun meeting some of the dedicated fossil collectors at the piles.

The Interpretive Center has been receiving upgrades so I checked them out.  The lobby displays have been removed to allow social gatherings to be held there instead.  The mastodon did remain but moved to the side.

Large glass sculptures hang from the ceiling.

I finished out the day at the KYANA Geological Society table selling fossils/minerals/rocks as a fundraiser and telling visitors about the upcoming club show.  We were next to students from Indiana University and University of Cincinnati.  It had really warmed up by the afternoon, I wished I brought some shorts and a T-shirt to change into.

My walk back to the car I came across a flint knapper with some of his work.  I believe his name was Steve and he had some very nice pieces.

2011 Falls Fossil Festival

The Falls of the Ohio State Park will be holding their 17th Falls Fossil Festival highlighting the Middle Devonian coral beds exposed by the Ohio River across from Louisville, Kentucky.  I will be there helping identify fossils and minerals in the collecting piles.  Later, I will help out at the KYANA Geological Society table with the fossil and mineral cartons.

If the spillway gates are closed which exposes the fossil beds, guided tours occur.  Different groups will be on hand to talk about geology and paleontology. The speaking schedule is as follows:

September 17, 2011 (all times EST)

1:30 PM Climate Through Time at the Falls by David Polly
Indiana University, Department of Geological Sciences, Bloomington

2:30 PM Drifting Continents by Dan Phelps
Kentucky Paleontogical Society, Lexington, Kentucky

3:30 PM Stories of the New Madrid Earthquakes 200 Years Age by Dr. Steve Greb
Kentucky Geological Survey, Lexington

4:30 PM Keynote Presentation: The Birth of the Ohio River by Dr. Drew Andrews
Kentucky Geological Survey, Lexington

September 18, 2011 (all times EST)

2:30 PM Fossil Collecting Tips by Rick Schrantz
Kentucky Paleontological Society, Lexington, Kentucky

3:30 PM Mineral Collecting Tips by Steve Garza
Corydon, Indiana

Learn more at the Falls of the Ohio State Park web site: CLICK HERE

Fossil Festival 2010

If you are any where near Louisville, Kentucky this weekend (September 18-19, 2010) stop by the Falls of the Ohio State Park's 16th Annual Fossil Festival.  Learn more at their web site: http://fallsoftheohio.org/FallsFossilFestivalProgram.html

I will be giving a presentation Saturday on Fossils and the Internet.  A short presentation about different websites on the Internet pertaining to fossils.  The image above is a sheet, entitled "Fossils of the Waldron Shale".  I created it to help visitors identify the fossils they can find in the Silurian aged rock pile at the edge of the parking lot.  There will also be piles of dirt to find Devonian fossils and fluorite minerals from Illinois.

If any one would like a PDF version of the Waldron Shale Fossils identification page, e-mail me at louisvillefossils@gmail.com.  The Blogger software does not let me post PDF files.

Attack of the Trilobite!

The local television station in Louisville FOX41 is promoting the Falls of the Ohio State Park fossil hikes and the capital campaign.  They also have some fun with the fossils and you can see it on a video in this link: Attack of the Trilobite Video


Volunteer naturalist Paul Olliges is on the video explaining the fossils beds of the Falls of the Ohio State Park on morning news program.  At they end though they are chased by a trilobite.  Whew!  I hope they survived that attack.

Of course, if the Syfy Channel sees this video, there could be a B-movie in the near future.  It can join the ranks of classics such as Anonymous Rex, Dinocroc vs. Supergator. Dinoshark, Kraken: Tentacles of the Deep,  Mega Snake, and Sea Beast.

Visit Falls of the Ohio State Park

Happy Independence Day, USA!

As one can see from the picture the ancient Devonian Period sea beds are now becoming exposed in this summer season at the Falls of the Ohio State Park. Granted most of the visitors appear to be fishing from them but it is a great time to visit the park. If fossils or fishing are not your game, a large selection of day lily varieties are now blooming. It seems like 50+ types are flowering and the great part is they are mostly labeled with names.

The flowers were planted by the Louisville Daylily Society many years ago. Today Terry Martin maintains them and he has quite a collection to tend to. Learn more at the Falls of the Ohio State Park Facebook page.

Louisville Fossil Bed Hikes 2010

 Falls of the Ohio State Park

Fossil Bed Hike - September 2009

Photos courtesy of Michael Popp

The Falls of the Ohio State Park of Clarksville, Indiana (on the state line with Louisville, Kentucky) has posted their schedule for 2010 outer fossil bed hikes.  These hikes take place on the exposed river bed later in the year when the Army Corp of Engineers lower the spillway doors cutting the flow of the Ohio River.  

Below is information taken from the Falls of the Ohio website.  The tours are led by 2008 Volunteer of the Year Paul Olliges who has been the tour guide for years.  He reminded me in a e-mail that the outer bed hikes are only available from late August to mid-October if river conditions allow.  Since Paul has retired, his flexible schedule allows week day tours during this time, contact the state park office at (812) 280-9970 or park@fallsoftheohio.org.

2011 Outer Fossil Bed Hikes
August 20, 9:30 a.m.
September 10, 9:30 a.m.
September 17, 9:30 a.m. (part of Falls Fossil Festival weekend)
September 18, 9:30 a.m. (part of Falls Fossil Festival weekend)
September 28, 12:30 p.m.
October 1, 9:30 a.m.
October 8, 9:30 a.m.

                                                                                                                                                                  

On the hike large colonies of corals will
be encountered like this Silurian Period
Halysites maybe a meter across in size

The website describes the hike as 3 to 3 1/2 hour hike this is moderate to strenuous. I was on this hike last year and you will get a workout.  I would suggest bring an extra pair of shoes and socks to change into because you will get wet crossing the spillway.  Also bring a walking stick or cane because the spillway is mossy in place thus slick.

 

 

Below is the rest of the text from the Falls of the Ohio web site that describes the hikes.  The website also contains information about canoe tours.

Meet on the Interpretive Center deck. If you have difficulty walking on rocks, uneven ground, rough terrain, this hike isn't for you. We will walk several minutes in water about six inches to as much as three feet deep with little to moderate current. Guide will talk about the history, flora & fauna, the river and the engineering behind the McAlpine dam and locks. Expect to see thousands of fossils! Some are the best ones to be seen on the fossil beds.

Bring water to drink, a hat, good hiking shoes - no sandals or flip-flops! Old athletic shoes will work. A walking stick is helpful. If you don't have one, you can find one among the driftwood. This hike is a terrific photo-op. Call the Park office (812-280-9970) the day before to verify the hike is on, because the hike is dependent on river conditions. If the one gate on the dam is open even a few inches, we can't go.

 Mystery photo of Ohio River Bed

Go on the tour and the guide will explain

what this is from Louisville's history