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Post by pleecan (Peter Lee) on Feb 16, 2011 20:33:48 GMT -5
A package contain Moroccan material arrive today ... Here are some examples of fossils from Early Ordovician Fezouata biota. I am not familiar with this unique biota and I am hoping that our distinguish Admin experts can give some insights to its identity. So here we go: Specimen #1 My guess is some type of graptolite? Joe or Lucy... comments?
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Post by Joe Botting on Feb 17, 2011 7:44:12 GMT -5
I'm leaving this one to the person who happens to be attempting to do the taxonomy and biostrat of these things at the moment! (From the lithology, I reckon this is from Bou Khrebet or an equivalent, from the top of the Upper Fezouata Formation.)
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Post by pleecan (Peter Lee) on Feb 17, 2011 8:36:25 GMT -5
Thanks Joe ... I understand. Are you able to pm me the name of the person so I can watch out for his publication. Thanks.... a I currently know nothing about this unique biota.
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Post by Joe Botting on Feb 17, 2011 8:37:39 GMT -5
Well... I think it might be a secret... ;-)
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Post by hallucygenia on Feb 17, 2011 8:40:34 GMT -5
No need for a pm - I'm the person doing the graptolites! (At the moment, it's looking as though it'll be a long job, not least because the specimens are on a different continent.) You've got a couple of incomplete specimens there - I think it's probably an Expansograptus or possibly a Tetragraptus. Expansograptus is two-stiped, with the stipes at about 180 degrees. It's silly field name is Mustachiograptus. Tetragraptus is four-stiped.
It's nice material - the graptolites do look good, with the colour contrast between them and the matrix. Unfortunately almost all the specimens are weathered pyrite, and I can't see the fine detail that I need in order to do the taxonomy!
What else have you got?
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Post by pleecan (Peter Lee) on Feb 17, 2011 10:08:46 GMT -5
Thanks Lucy for those candid thoughts... I did not want to create an awkward situation as you are in the process of delineating the group. I got about 30 fossils sent to me from this biota to study from... should keep me occupied for the next 10 yrs.... and then the entire collection will be donated to the local museum when I pass on.... no intentions of selling or trading that material. What you are seeing is are macro shots.... I got more advance imaging systems capable of 5 micron resolution which I will image and post... I am having lots of fun with this hobby!
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Post by pleecan (Peter Lee) on Feb 17, 2011 22:44:38 GMT -5
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Post by pleecan (Peter Lee) on Feb 17, 2011 22:48:29 GMT -5
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Post by pleecan (Peter Lee) on Feb 17, 2011 22:52:35 GMT -5
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Post by pleecan (Peter Lee) on Feb 17, 2011 22:55:37 GMT -5
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Post by hallucygenia on Feb 18, 2011 7:37:05 GMT -5
30 specimens! That'll keep you happy for a good long time. The material does photograph very well - the colour contrast looks good. (Just don't try converting to greyscale - all the contrast vanishes!)
I think the latest bunch of photos is a Clonograptus, but would like to see an overall shot to be sure.
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Post by pleecan (Peter Lee) on Feb 18, 2011 8:25:16 GMT -5
Hi Lucy: These are just magnified images of the very first photo... on that first photo appears 2 types of graptolite... one fat one that lookes like a hand saw and the other is skinny twig like ... it is the twig like fossil that I have photographed due to better preservation state.....
So look for the skinny twig like fossil in the first photo... the photo images are un touch as is from the Nikon camera... every thing is on auto including auto focus just point and shoot.... these cameras sell used around $50 -100 usd... one of the best values on the market as I own several of them.
I got enough fossils to keep me occupied in my spare time for at least a good decade. I am going to take my time with each of these fossil... including arthropods... so stay tune.... Thanks for the input.
Peter
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Post by pleecan (Peter Lee) on Feb 20, 2011 12:18:02 GMT -5
Hi Lucy and Joe: Do you see any traces of soft bodied preservation? I have been asked that question and I don't know.... for me this is the first time seeing this kind of material. If you do see soft tissue preservation... could you kindly point it out to me... I am trying to get aquanted with various forms of soft tissue preservation. Peter
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Post by Joe Botting on Feb 20, 2011 19:26:41 GMT -5
Not so far in any graptolites, except for one tuboid specimen - graptolites are notoriously hard to get any soft tissue for, alas. The choiid, though, is a combination of pyrite-replaced silica (merely exceptional articulated preservation) and pyritised soft tissue, sadly weathered. In some sponges it's a lot more obvious that you have some soft bits pyritised, but choiids were largely spicule. It's possible that the slightlywavy strand-like structures on the disc are some form of soft-tissue, but they may also be tracts of monaxon spicules...
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Post by pleecan (Peter Lee) on Feb 20, 2011 19:38:40 GMT -5
Thanks very much Joe for the interesting insight... Ru Smith had asked me that question today and I was not sure... Ru showed me his web site and had a small collection of images of trilobite and furca from Peter Van Roy a few yrs back and he references to Peter Van Roy PhD thesis....
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