New York Paleontological Society Field Trips

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NEW YORK

PALEONTOLOGICAL SOCIETY

FIELD TRIPS

FIELD TRIP ANNOUNCEMENT

HELDERBERG FOSSIL QUARRIES

OF THE CATSKILL, N.Y. AREA

SATURDAY & SUNDAY, MAY 26 & MAY 27, 2018

Meeting up both days at 9:00 A.M. - Sharp

This Field Trip will include an underground cave, a museum (The Cave House Museum of Mining and Geology), and 2 or 3 quarries in the Catskill area of New York. All of the sites are in the Helderberg Group (Lower Devonian) and are rich in marine invertebrate fossils, including cephalopods and trilobites.

The Catskills represent a diverse range of Paleozoic Phyla.. Some of the more notable items found are the Hindia sp. (Sponges that look like golf balls) and Platyceras gastropods that come in a wide variety of morphologies. Crinoid “hold fasts” are also common in several layers. This site has an enormous variety of brachiopods and some trilobites have been found. Recently, vertebrate (fish) coprolites have also been reported. The limestone formations found at this site are Early Devonian, ranging around 400 million years. Crystals may also be found in this rock.

In addition to fossil collecting, we will also see a museum and go into an underground cave (all free to people on this trip).

A field guide by will be available for those attending at approximately cost.

The Field Trip Leader and Coordinator will be Chris Marotta

Note: All those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

For more information, you can contact Chris at chrismarotta@nyps.org.

FIELD TRIP ANNOUNCEMENT

FOSSIL PLANTS OF PENNSYLVANIA

CENTRALIA, PENNSYLVANIA

SATURDAY, JUNE 2, 2018

Meeting up at 10:00 A.M.

Pennsylvania is well known for its fossil plants. Associated with coal deposits, these plants date to the appropriately named Pennsylvanian Period (300 ma). Although most living plants are either flowering plants or conifers, at this time the flora was dominated by water-loving plants like ferns, club mosses and scouring rushes, some which grew to tree size. Among the ferns are specimens of seed ferns, a now extinct group thought by most to be the distant ancestors of all the living seed plants, which are by far the most common plants today.

The fossil plants we will be searching for are contained in a gray / black shale of the Llewellyn Formation, and many fossils in the locality we’ll be visiting are outlined in pyrophyllite, a hydrous aluminum silicate related to talc. This makes them stand out from the dark rock matrix they are contained in.

More specifically, possible finds include the giant scouring rush Calamites, both trunk impressions and the leaf whorls Annularia and Asterophyllites, as well as the leaves of the smaller, related plant Sphenophyllum You can also find leaflets and sometimes fronds of the true fern Pecopteris as well as leaves of seed ferns such as Neuropteris. Although rarer, specimens of the large lycopsid “trees” Lepidodendron or Sigillaria, as well as their leaves, are sometimes found.

Note: This site has never before been visited by our Society.

The site we will be visiting on this field trip is located near the “town” of Centralia. Anthracite coal was mined in the area since 1856, but mining declined (along with population) into the mid 1900's. The cause of the coal seam fires is still debated, but what follows seems to be the generally accepted cause. In 1962, the town begun to burn trash in a landfill in an abandoned strip-mine pit but the fire spread through the underground mine shafts into the buried coal seams. By the 1990's, most homes and businesses were condemned and demolished, and today only a few people remain in the area. Despite efforts, the fires have not been extinguished and may burn for another 250 years. Note, at the present time, there are no fires burning near the site where we will be collecting.

The area we will be collecting in is coal country. Throughout the later eighteen and nineteen hundreds, this area was a center of anthracite (hard coal) mining in the United States, whose coal fueled the industrial revolution in this country. A few miles to the east of Centralia along PA route 61 is the town of Ashland. Here, you can visit the Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine for a tour of a deep coal mine. There is also a steam train ride available, although, at the time of writing, it is being refurbished but may be running by June 2^nd. More information will be provided to those who register.

For those who would like to learn about the fossil plants of the Llewellyn Formation of Pennsylvania, our Society’s guide to Pennsylvania Plant Fossils will be available. This guide also includes a review of the history of coal mining, steel and the industrialization of the U.S.

And for those who would like to know more about the evolution and relationships of fossil and modern plants, there will be our Evolution of Plants guide. Both will be available at a nominal cost.

The Field Trip Leader and Coordinator will be Donald Phillips

Note, all those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

For more information, contact Don Phillips at president@nyps.org .

FIELD TRIP ANNOUNCEMENT

THE FOSSILS OF MADISON COUNTY

New York State

Saturday & Sunday, June 23^rd & 24^th 2018

Meeting up both days at 8:30 A.M.

Our last field trip of the Spring season will be to five marine fossil sites from the Middle Devonian Hamilton Group.

Trilobites (3 species), rolled & straight cephalopods, gastropods, & large brachiopods will be found as well as many other fossils at all sites on both days..

On Saturday we will visit three sites, all in the Hamilton Group. Time at each site will be based on the quality of collecting at each site. Fossils at all sites can include trilobites Dipleura dekayi, Greenops boothi and Phacops rana, trace fossil (Zoophycus), brachiopods Lingula, Mucrospirifer mucronatus, Spinocyrtia granulosa (very large), cephalopods (Michelinoceras, Tornoceras), bryozoans, bivalves, gastropods, bryozoans, corals, bivalves, gastropods, etc.

On Sunday we will visit two other sites, both also from the Mid Devonian Hamilton Group. They contain fossils including those mentioned above.

Note: one site on Sunday has never before been visited by our Society.

People may come for one or both days. More information will be provided to those who register.

The Field Trip Leaders and Coordinators will be Mike Katsar & Ray McKinney.

Note, all those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

For more information, contact Ray McKinney at raymckinney@nyps.org .

-RECENT FIELD TRIPS-

BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM

ALBANY, N.Y.

Collecting in

RAVENA QUARRY, RAVENA, N.Y.

FRIDAY & SATURDAY, APRIL 27 & 28, 2018

Our second field trip of the season is to the Albany, N.Y. area to search for Devonian fossils and to visit the New York State Museum.

The New York State Museum exhibits include a number of fossils and a display of excellent mineral specimens. In fact, this museum’s collection houses the largest display of minerals from the state to be found anywhere.

We have been given a rare opportunity to go behind the scenes to view the extensive paleontological collection for which the Museum is justly proud. It houses a varied and historic collection of fossils, many collected and described by some of the great names in paleontology. Among many others, it houses a wonderful fossil invertebrate and excellent paleobotanical collections. Among vertebrate fossils, the Museum has a fine Pleistocene collection of mastodont and other Ice Age mammals.

The tours will be led by Dr. Lisa Amati, New York State’s paleontologist.

On Friday, we will visit Lafarge Ravena Quarry in Albany County to collect Devonian fossils. This large quarry and its cement plant produces a lot of the concrete used in the state. The quarry contains most of the formations of the Helderberg Group, such as the Manlius / Coeymans Fm., the Kalkberg Fm. and the New Scotland Fm. Exactly which ones we collect in will be determined by the quarry manager the day that we arrive. The fossils that can be found include: Sponges (Hindia), brachiopods, gastropods such as Platyceras, bivalves, “Orthoceras” cephalopods, bryozoans, crinoid “stems”, disks and holdfasts, and Favosites corals and horn corals. Trilobites include Dalmanitid and Phacops. Also rarely found are the arthropod phyllocarids. Note, this quarry has not been visited before by the membership of our Society.

The Field Trip Leader on Friday & Coordinator on both days will be Don Phillips

Our host on Saturday will be Dr. Lisa Amati, the N. Y. State Paleontologist

Note: All those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

For more information, contact Don Phillips at president@nyps.org

THE "RED HILL" EARLY TETRAPOD SITE

North Central Pennsylvania

Saturday & Sunday, October 7^th & 8^th, 2017

Meeting up at 11:00 A.M. SATURDAY
Meeting up at 10:00 A.M. SUNDAY

We have been offered a return trip to Red Hill on October 8 & 9. This site is known for the early tetrapod finds of Paleontologist Ted Daeschler and N. Douglas Rowe. At this site we may find Devonian fish remains, plants and a variety of other phyla from the Famennian (365m.a.+/- 2). There is also a Field Station with some amazing finds on display.

This trip will include collecting, starting at about 11:00 A.M. on Saturday with visits to the Field Station (Museum) through out the day. Towards evening, we will head to Hyner View State Park and see “Red Hill” from about 1200 feet above. As we did last year, those who choose to do so may meet for dinner at “Yesterday’s Restaurant” in Renovo .

On Sunday, we will start at Red Hill in the morning (10 A.M.) until about 3 p.m. Afterwards we will stop at another site which is on the way home for most of us. The second site is the Middle Devonian Swope’s site in Eastern Pennsylvania.

Members may attend one or both days. More information will be provided to those who register.

The Field Trip Leader and Coordinator will be Chris Marotta.

Note also, all those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society and sign a waiver.

Memberships may be purchased or renewed at the site or by mailing in the online form at www.nyps.org beforehand.

There are two things of which to be aware at “Red Hill” :

1) Red Hill is a hazardous site and is not good for small children. Minimum age to be allowed to collect is 10 years old.

PLEASE REMEMBER: SAFETY FIRST !!! And ALWAYS WEAR GOGGLES !!! Hard hats, Boots and Long Pants are required.

2) When we are allowed to dig here it is only by the permission of the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Science. We must follow their few but important rules: “No digging at all except when the group is accompanied by their designated representatives” and “All finds must be viewed by the representative and if important, must be given to the academy”.

Over the several years and multitudes of finds, I only know of several occasions where researchers wanted a particular fossil found by a collector. All the rest, they were allowed to keep.

There will be a representative here from about 11:00 on each day.

Please do not climb on the hill until Doug Rowe or their other designated representatives are present.

More details will be provided in our next Newsletter or can be obtained by contacting Chris at the email address below.

REGISTRATION: You must register for this trip. You must also obey all the rules and directions of the Field Trip Leader and our hosts while collecting. To register, please read the following note:

“Members are responsible for arranging their own transportation and lodging. The New York Paleontological Society and its Field Trip Leaders / Coordinators are not responsible for any losses incurred through cancellations, etc. by members if there are unavoidable changes made by the Society or the fossil site authorities / owners concerning admissions policy or rules before the trip so as to alter some members’ plans. Therefore, it is recommended that registering members arrange for reservations refundable upon cancellation.”

If you register, it means that you understand and accept the above statement. To complete registration, contact Chris Marotta at chrismarotta@nyps.org.

Please include information as to 1) how many will be attending in your group, 2) will you be attending the Saturday dig 3) will you be attending the Sunday trip. Please leave your name, phone number or email address, and he'll get back to you with a confirmation. All registrations will be confirmed.

Note, if you have any technical questions about the trip or the sites, you can contact Chris at chrismarotta@nyps.org

WAIVER: EACH individual wishing to go must sign waiver forms.

THE FOSSILS OF MADISON COUNTY

New York State

Saturday & Sunday, October 21^st & 22^nd, 2017

Meeting up both days at 8:30 A.M.

at the Super 8 Motel on Rt. 12 in Norwich, N.Y.

Our second field trip of the Fall season will be to five marine fossil sites from the Middle Devonian Hamilton Group.

Trilobites (3 species), rolled & straight cephalopods, gastropods, & large brachiopods will be found as well as many other fossils at all sites on both days..

On Saturday, October 21, we will visit Briggs Rd, Deep Springs Road and Cole Hill Road sites. Time at each site will be based on the quality of collecting at each site. The first site is in the Upper Ludlowville Formation, Middle Devonian, and is very rich in trilobite fossils (Greenops, Phacops). The second site is in the Delphi Station Member of Skaneateles Formation. Fossils include trilobites Dipleura dekayi, Greenops boothi and Phacops rana, trace fossil (Zoophycus), brachiopods Lingula, Mucrospirifer mucronatus, Spinocyrtia granulosa (very large), cephalopods (Michelinoceras, Tornoceras), bryozoans, bivalves, gastropods, etc. The third site is also in the Delphi Station Member. Brachiopods, cephalopods (Spyroceras nuntium), bryozoans, corals, bivalves, gastropods, trilobites (Dipleura dekayi (Green)) and trace fossil (Zoophycus) can be found here.

On Sunday, October 22, we will visit Soule Road and Greer Road - sites from the Mid Devonian Hamilton Group. The second site is from the Cooperstown Member of the Moscow Formation and produces a varied fauna, including a good proportion of coiled cephalopods.

People may come for one or both days. More information will be provided to those who register.

Note, all those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

For more information, contact the Trip Leader Ray McKinney at raymckinney@nyps.org

HELDERBERG FOSSIL QUARRIES

OF THE CATSKILL, N.Y. AREA

SATURDAY & SUNDAY, JULY 22^th & July 23, 2017

9:00 A.M. SHARP - Meeting time both days

This Field Trip will include a new preserved geological park, an underground cave, a museum (The Cave House Museum of Mining and Geology), and 2 or 3 quarries in the Catskill area of New York. All of the sites are in the Helderberg Group (Lower Devonian) and are rich in marine invertebrate fossils, including cephalopods and trilobites.

The Field Trip Leader and Coordinator will be Chris Marotta

Note: All those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

PLEASE NOTE, OUR ITINERARY IS DIFFERENT FROM LAST YEAR'S:

ALSO: YOU MUST BE AT THE MEET UP POINT (to be announced) BY 9:00 A.M. We Will be traveling to several sites in several locations which are locked closed. Our facilitator will not go back to the Quarry Gates for people who are late. If you are late, you miss the morning’s activities.

FINALLY: WE MUST STAY WITH THE FACILITATOR AT ALL TIMES. WE CANNOT DRIVE OFF OR REVISIT OTHER AREAS. WE CANNOT LEAVE EARLY ONCE WE ARE IN A QUARRY. WE MUST STAY WITH THE FACILITATOR, MR. GRIGGS, AT ALL TIMES

Day ONE: (Schedule to be determined)

Day TWO. (Schedule to be determined)

The Catskills represents a diverse range of Paleozoic Phyla.. Some of the more notable items found are the Hindia sp. (Sponges that look like golf balls) and Platycerus gastropods that come in a wide variety of morphologies. Crinoid “hold fasts” are also common in several layers. This site has an enormous variety of Brachiopods and some trilobites have been found. Recently, vertebrate (fish) coprolites have also been reported. The limestone formations found at this site are Early Devonian, ranging around 400 million years. Crystals may also be found in this rock.

In addition to fossil collecting, we will also see a museum and go into an underground cave ( all free to people on this trip).

A field guide by will be available for those attending at approximately cost.

REGISTRATION: Those wishing to attend MUST register for this trip! All attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society. They must also follow the Trip Leader’s rules and directions and obey all laws when collecting.

For more information, you can contact Chris at chrismarotta@nyps.org.

BEHIND THE SCENES AT

THE SMITHSONIAN NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM

WASHINGTON, D.C.

MIOCENE MARINE FOSSILS OF CALVERT COUNTY

MARYLAND

FRIDAY, JUNE 9, through SUNDAY, JUNE 11, 2017

This is a three day event. You may attend one, two or all three days if you prefer.

The National Museum of Natural History of the Smithsonian Institution is one of the world’s greatest natural history museums, and also has one of the finest fossil collections. Although the public exhibit is being renovated, like most major museums, most of their collections are not on display. Our Society has been offered a rare opportunity to visit the behind-the-scenes collections at the Museum on Friday, June 9^th. You’ll also be able to view the public exhibits which have fossils on display.

On Saturday and Sunday, we’ll have a chance to visit and collect at a number of fossil sites along the Chesapeake Bay beaches of Calvert County, Maryland. This area was selected because of its proximity to Washington, so that people wishing to attend all three days need not travel far. The formations are of Miocene age (6-20 my.) and include fossil invertebrates and vertebrates of, depending on the site, the Calvert, Choptank and St. Marys Formation. The fossils include, among myriad others, sharks’ teeth, including (rarely) those of the giant shark Carcharodon megalodon, whale and porpoise teeth and bones, and the beautiful gastropod Ecphora (the state fossil of Maryland). As well as collect, we’ll visit local museums near the sites which specialize in the fossils of the area.

Note, all Friday & Saturday events are free to Society members (except lunch in the Museum cafeteria). Although the Society charges no fee for Sunday’s events, most collecting sites (private & public) and the Calvert Marine Museum do have admission fees.

Friday, we will visit the behind-the-scenes collections at the Museum. Meeting up at 10:00 A.M. at the Constitution Avenue entrance to the Museum, we will be given a tour of the collections, including the vertebrate preparation lab, the vertebrate collections in the “range” (a large area containing large vertebrate fossils, such as dinosaurs, some of which were collected by Othniel Marsh), a tour of Department of Paleobiology areas, and a selection of study and specimen storage areas.

On Saturday, we will meet up at 10:00 A.M. and be taken to the Scientists Cliffs area of the Chesapeake shoreline. We’ll first visit a small museum onsite which specializes in local fossils. Next we’ll collect along the beach. Our expert host will help identify fossils and teach members how to collect and how to distinguish living remains from some lookalike fossils. We may also visit another site nearby if time permits.

On Sunday, we will again visit one or two different sites to collect at, and, for those who prefer, visit the nearby Calvert Marine Museum in Solomons, MD. It houses an excellent collection of fossils of the region, including whale skulls, fossil dolphins and sea birds, and a restoration of the “skeleton” of the giant shark, Carcharodon megalodon, as well as numerous invertebrate fossils. It also has extensive exhibits on local history and industry, including fishing and crabbing in the Chesapeake, coastal marine life, a small boat collection and even a lighthouse.

For more information, contact Don Phillips at president@nyps.org

All attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

ORDOVICIAN AND SILURIAN FOSSILS

OF ONTARIO, CANADA

Saturday & Sunday, June 24 and 25, 2017

Our late June trip is to a well known quarry for Ordovician fossils in Ontario, Canada. This quarry produces some fine fossils, including trilobites and crinoids. The site has some unique requirements, so please read the information below and answer all of the questions when registering.

We will collect both days at the James Dick Quarry - which is about 1½ hours north of Toronto. This is an active working quarry and depending on what and where they have blasted in the preceding week this can be a world class fossil hunting opportunity. This is a location with Isotelus, Flexicalymene and Ceraurus trilobites that you have a reasonable chance of finding. There are also about 20 other species of trilobites that you have a rare chance of finding. Complete crinoids, cystoids and edrioasteroids are also found but again these can be rare. There is also the normal assortment of Ordovician brachiopods, cephalopods and gastropods. This Ordovician aged quarry exposes the bottom 100 feet of the Verulam Formation and a small bit of the top of the Bobcaygeon Formation. You can check out the website http://www.crinus.info/ to see some of the Ontario Ordovician fossils which are from the James Dick and the nearby Carden quarry (which is now closed to collecting). You have the potential of finding some truly amazing fossils here. Last year the group found many amazing fossils here including complete Flexicalymene and a 4 ½” Isotelus, while two years ago Ray found a 7” Isotelus head.

The quarry is in Canada so a Passport or an “Enhanced Drivers License” is required. Children under 18 should bring their Birth Certificate.

This is a working quarry so regulations are very strict. Children under 16 are not allowed into this quarry. Remember, a photo ID will be required to get into Canada and the quarries.

For more information, contact Ray McKinney at raymckinney@nyps.org

Note: All those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

RAMANESSIN BROOK:

THE CRETACEOUS OF NEW JERSEY

SATURDAY, April 29, 2017

Meeting up at the Brook at 10:30 - 11:00 A.M.

The Northeastern U.S. is known for its Paleozoic fossils, but Mesozoic sites are relatively rare in this region. Although there are some Triassic and Early Jurassic locations in the area, the East has few opportunities to collect dinosaur age fossils. But when it comes to accessibility for collecting, you can’t do better than the marine formations from the very Late Cretaceous in New Jersey. Here, on the inner coastal plain, small streams and brooks meander through these formations, exposing fossils from the end of the age of dinosaurs.

Ramanessin Brook is a small stream in Holmdel Township, New Jersey. It contains fossils similar to the ones found in the better known Big Brook, except that it has a higher percentage of vertebrate fossils, especially shark and fish teeth.

The Brook continues to produce a wide variety of fossils for first time collectors and veterans alike. Geologically and paleontologically, the site represents a marine environment from the Late Cretaceous (Campanian). The fossils date from a few million years before the great extinction that ended the age of the dinosaurs. For those not familiar with the site, collecting here is different from most other fossil sites. Instead of hammers and chisels to free fossils from rock, here one sifts the stream sediments for fossils - as if panning for gold.

The site produces a wide range of fossils. Most common (and popular) among these are fossil shark teeth and vertebrae, and the teeth and bones of a wide variety of Cretaceous fish. Rarer vertebrate fossils include parts of bone from huge sea turtles, teeth and bone from crocodiles and periodically the teeth and bone of the extinct marine reptiles - plesiosaurs and mosasaurs. Finally, but very rarely, bones of dinosaur are found. In fact, it was from similar geological layers further south in New Jersey that the first dinosaur skeleton in America - Hadrosaurus foulkii, was excavated in 1858. Its teeth are still sometimes found in Ramanessin Brook. Invertebrate specimens, although rarer, include fossil snails, ammonites and belemnites (extinct, nautilus-like and squid-like creatures), and parts of bivalves such as Exogyra and the brachiopod Choristothyris. One can also find parts of crustaceans like crab pincers, lobsters (Hoploparia) and the burrows of Ghost Shrimp (sometimes with the shrimp inside).

Although most fossils here come from the Cretaceous Period, fossils of much more recent Ice Age mammals and birds are not uncommon.

The Field Trip Leader and Coordinator will be Donald Phillips

Copies of our comprehensive, award winning field guide to Big Brook will be available. This guide also applies equally well to Ramanessin Brook.

Note: All those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

As we have found in previous years, many people who wished to go on our trips couldn't make it due to lack of car transportation. Also, there is very limited parking for cars at the site and you are not allowed to park all along the road. So, once again this year we're providing a full coach bus with a rest room on board, picking up in both Brooklyn and Manhattan. All you need is subway fare and you're off ! Those with cars can also attend, but parking may be limited.

COST: There is no attendance fee. For those going on the bus, there is a $36 per person fee to cover the cost of the bus.

For more information about this trip, contact Donald Phillips at president@nyps.org .

FOSSILS OF PEACE RIVER, FLORIDA

Saturday & Sunday, March 4 & 5, 2017

Saturday & Sunday, April 29 & 30, 2017

As was the case last year, our first field trip this Spring is to the famous Peace River near Wauchula, Florida. Although this may be a stretch distance-wise for many members, last year those of our members who attended had a wonderful time so we are offering it again this year. This year, however, you will have two opportunities to collect at this well known site.

The first will be on the weekend of March 4 & 5. On this trip, Ray McKinney (the Field Trip Leader) will take us collecting along the river both days. On the last weekend in April (29 & 30), Ray will again lead a trip here, as a joint trip with the Tampa Bay Fossil Club (TBFC), as was done last year. As well as two days of collecting, this later trip has a number of social events associated with it not available on the March trip.

The Peace River is a well known collecting site for both marine and land animal fossils. The age ranges from the Miocene through the Pliocene Epochs. You can find both marine and terrestrial fossils together - an unusual occurrence. This results from the fact that Florida’s land has been periodically inundated by the sea, and the fact that the Peace River cuts through different formations, mixing both types of fossils together.

You will definitely find various species of sharks teeth (possibly Megladons), ray throat plates & barbs, barracuda teeth and pufferfish, etc. Other possible finds include horse, alligator, glyptodont, camel or mammoth teeth and bones of these as well as those of dugongs, whale and porpoise.

Collecting is done in the river by shoveling sand into a strainer - similar to Big Brook, New Jersey, but there are fewer restrictions.

Note: All those attending through our Society must be members of the

New York Paleontological Society.

For more information, contact Ray McKinney at raymckinney@nyps.org

-RECENT FIELD TRIPS-

THE "RED HILL" EARLY TETRAPOD SITE

North Central Pennsylvania

Saturday & Sunday, October 8^th & 9^th, 2016

Meeting up at 11:00 A.M. SATURDAY
Meeting up at 10:00 A.M. SUNDAY

On Sunday, we will start at Red Hill in the morning (10 A.M.) until about 2 p.m. Afterwards we will stop at another site which is on the way home for most of us. The second site is the Middle Devonian Swope’s site in Eastern Pennsylvania.

Members may attend one or both days. More information will be provided to those who register.

The Field Trip Leader and Coordinator will be Chris Marotta.

Note also, all those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society and sign a waiver.

Memberships may be purchased or renewed at the site or by mailing in the online form at www.nyps.org beforehand.

There are two things of which to be aware at “Red Hill” :

1) Red Hill is a hazardous site and is not good for small children. Minimum age to be allowed to collect is 10 years old.

PLEASE REMEMBER: SAFETY FIRST !!! And ALWAYS WEAR GOGGLES!!! Hard hats, Boots and Long Pants are required.

There will be a representative here from about 11:00 on each day.

Please do not climb on the hill until the designated representatives are present.

For more information, contact Chris Marotta at chrismarotta@nyps.org .

THE FOSSILS OF MADISON COUNTY

New York State

Saturday & Sunday, October 15^th & 16^th, 2016

Meeting up both days at 8:30 A.M.

at the Super 8 Motel on Rt. 12 in Norwich, N.Y.

Our second field trip of the Fall season will be to five marine fossil sites from the Middle Devonian Hamilton Group.

Trilobites (3 species), rolled & straight cephalopods, gastropods, & large brachiopods will be found as well as many other fossils at all sites on both days..

On Saturday, October 15, we will visit Briggs Road, Deep Springs Road and Cole Hill Road sites. Time at each site will be based on the quality of collecting at each site. The first site is in the Upper Ludlowville Formation, Middle Devonian, and is very rich in trilobite fossils (Greenops, Phacops). The second site is in the Delphi Station Member of Skaneateles Formation. Fossils include trilobites Dipleura dekayi, Greenops boothi and Phacops rana, trace fossil (Zoophycus), brachiopods Lingula, Mucrospirifer mucronatus, Spinocyrtia granulosa (very large), cephalopods (Michelinoceras, Tornoceras), bryozoans, bivalves, gastropods, etc. The third site is also in the Delphi Station Member. Brachiopods, cephalopods (Spyroceras nuntium), bryozoans, corals, bivalves, gastropods, trilobites (Dipleura dekayi (Green)) and trace fossil (Zoophycus) can be found here.

On Sunday, October 16^th, we will visit Soule Road and Greer Road - sites from the Mid Devonian Hamilton Group. The second site is from the Cooperstown Member of the Moscow Formation and produces a varied fauna, including a good proportion of coiled cephalopods.

People may come for one or both days. More information will be provided to those who register.

NOTE: We will meet both days at 8:30 A.M. at the Super 8 Motel on Rt. 12 in Norwich, NY. Eat breakfast before we meet. Also bring drinks and food with you as there are no places nearby to purchase food. We will travel via caravan to the sites. Be on time or we will leave without you. Cell phones are not always working as this area is very hilly and service isn’t always available.

The Field Trip Leader and Coordinator will be Ray McKinney.

Note, all those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society and sign a waiver.

For more information, contact Ray McKinney at raymckinney@nyps.org .

BIG BROOKAND THE CRETACEOUS OF NEW JERSEY

With a Visit to the M.A.P.S. Collection

SATURDAY MAY 21, 2016

Meeting up at the Brook at 10:00 A.M.

Due to a large gap in time between our field trips this Spring, we’ve decided to add a one day trip to a famous collecting site in New Jersey. Also, we’ve included the option of also visiting an outstanding collection display of fossils not far from the collecting site. This collection consists of very fine specimens found at that site and others.

The Northeastern U.S. is known for its Paleozoic fossils, but most of the marine and terrestrial Mesozoic formations are located in the western U.S. and Canada. Although there are some Triassic and Early Jurassic locations in the area, the East has few opportunities to collect dinosaur age fossils. But when it comes to accessibility for collecting, you can’t do better than the marine formations from the very Late Cretaceous in New Jersey. Here, on the inner coastal plain, small streams and brooks meander through these formations, exposing fossils from the end of the age of dinosaurs.

One such stream is Big Brook, which despite its name is actually a small, shallow stream, that continues to produce a wide variety of fossils for first time collectors and veterans alike. Geologically and paleontologically, the site represents a marine environment from the Late Cretaceous (Campanian). The fossils date from a few million years before the great extinction that ended the age of the dinosaurs. For those not familiar with the site, collecting here is different from most other fossil sites. Instead of hammers and chisels to free fossils from rock, here one sifts the stream sediments for fossils - as if panning for gold. Learning this technique will prove useful for collecting fossils at other sifting sites along the Eastern Seaboard and elsewhere.

The site produces a wide range of fossils. Invertebrate specimens commonly found include fossil snails, ammonites and belemnites (extinct, nautilus-like and squid-like creatures), and bivalves such as Exogyra and the brachiopod Choristothyris. One can also find parts of crustaceans like crabs, lobsters (Hoploparia) and the burrows of Ghost Shrimp (sometimes with the shrimp inside). There are also vertebrate fossils. Most common (and popular) among these are fossil shark teeth and vertebrae, and the teeth and bones of a wide variety of Cretaceous fish. Rarer vertebrate fossils include parts of bone from huge sea turtles, teeth and bone from crocodiles and periodically the teeth and bone of the extinct marine reptiles - plesiosaurs and mosasaurs. Finally, but very rarely, bones of dinosaur are found. In fact, it was from similar geological layers further south in New Jersey that the first dinosaur skeleton in America - Hadrosaurus foulkii, was excavated in 1858. Its teeth are still sometimes found in Big Brook.

Although most fossils here come from the Cretaceous Period, fossils of much more recent Ice Age mammals and birds are not uncommon.

Optional: Those interested may also register to tour the Monmouth Amateur Paleontologists' Society (MAPS) Collection. Hosted by Ralph Johnson, it is one of the finest displays of fossils from the Late Cretaceous of New Jersey and the Atlantic Coastal Plain of the eastern U.S. that you are likely to see. And these fossils include some of the finest specimens of the fossils that you will be finding at Big Brook, thus providing an opportunity to compare what you found to these specimens and to get an idea about what else to look for when you again collect at the Brook.

The Field Trip Leader and Coordinator will be Donald Phillips

Note: All those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

For more information, contact Don Phillips at president@nyps.org .

FIELD TRIP ANNOUNCEMENT

ORDOVICIAN AND SILURIAN FOSSILS OF ONTARIO, CANADA

Friday, Saturday & Sunday, June 24 through 26, 2016

Our June trip is to a combination of Ordovician / Silurian fossils sites in Ontario, Canada.

This will be a very interesting trip, but the sites have some unique requirements, so please read the information below and answer all of the questions when registering.

The first stop will be on Friday to a Silurian Period site where we will collect Eurypterids. Eurypterids, sometimes referred to as “sea scorpions”, are some of the most sought after invertebrate fossils. We visited this site last year with mixed results. However, this year we will be collecting in a newly excavated part of the quarry so we expect some very nice finds.

The site is Ridgemount Quarry in Ontario, Canada; about ten miles from the U.S. / Canadian border near Buffalo, N.Y. It is in Canada so a Passport or an “Enhanced Drivers License” is required. Children under 18 should bring their Birth Certificate.

This is a working quarry so regulations are very strict. Children under 14 are not allowed into this quarry. Remember, a photo ID will be required to get into Canada and the quarries.

You must also wear specified safety gear to enter the quarry. (remember it’s a working quarry) and an inspection will be made by the Quarry prior to your entering.

The Quarry is only open on Fridays and reservations must be made in advance so we have to call in all names in advance.

In spite of all the hassles, the trip is well worth it. Ray has been there a number of times and ended up with a complete Eurypterid and lots of partials.

On Saturday and Sunday we will collect at a new site not visited before by our Society - the James Dick Quarry - which is 10 minutes north of the town of Beaverton, Ontario (about 1½ hours north of Toronto). This is an active working quarry and depending on what and where they have blasted in the preceding week this can be a world class fossil hunting opportunity. This is a location with Isotelus, Flexicalymene and Ceraurus trilobites that you have a reasonable chance of finding. There are also about 20 other species of trilobites that you have a rare chance of finding. Complete crinoids, cystoids and edrioasteroids are also found but again these can be rare. There is also the normal assortment of Ordovician brachiopods, cephalopods and gastropods. This Ordovician aged quarry exposes the bottom 100 feet of the Verulam Formation and a small bit of the top of the Bobcaygeon Formation. You can check out the website http://www.crinus.info/ to see some of the Ontario Ordovician fossils which are from the James Dick and the nearby Carden quarry (which is now closed to collecting). You have the potential of finding some truly amazing fossils here. Last fall, Ray found a 7” Isotelus head.

This quarry requires the same safety equipment that you need for Ridgemount quarry to gain entry and a liability waiver must be signed which Ray will provide. Also, once again, the minimum age for admission is 14 years old.

This is not a site for the casual collector - entry and exit is fairly strenuous, so you should be in good health.

Note: All those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

The Field Trip Leader and Coordinator will be Ray McKinney

For more information, you can contact Ray at raymckinney@nyps.org

-RECENT FIELD TRIPS-

FOSSILS OF PEACE RIVER, FLORIDA

Saturday & Sunday, April 16 & 17, 2016

Once again, our first field trip this Spring is to the famous Peace River near Wauchula, Florida. Although this may be a stretch distance-wise for many members, last year those of our members who attended had a wonderful time so we are offering it again this year. It will be a joint trip with the Tampa Bay Fossil Club (TBFC).

Collecting is done in the river by shoveling sand into a strainer - similar to Big Brook, New Jersey, but there are fewer restrictions.

Note: All those attending through our Society must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

The Field Trip Leader and Coordinator will be Ray McKinney

For more information, contact Ray at raymckinney@nyps.org

FIELD TRIP ANNOUNCEMENT

A NEWLY PRESERVED GEOLOGICAL PARK

AND

HELDERBERG FOSSIL QUARRIES OF THE CATSKILL, N.Y. AREA

Saturday & Sunday, April 30^th & May 1st, 2016

(Meeting up at time to be determined)

This Field Trip will include a visit to a completely new preserved geological park, an underground cave, a museum (The Cave House Museum of Mining and Geology), and 2 or 3 quarries in the Catskill area of New York State. All of the sites are in the Helderberg Group (Lower Devonian) and are rich in marine invertebrate fossils, including cephalopods and trilobites.

The Field Trip Leader and Coordinator will be Chris Marotta

PLEASE NOTE, OUR ITINERARY IS DIFFERENT FROM LAST YEAR'S:

Day ONE: A Tour of a newly established Geological Park. We will see many layers from deep in the earth and evidence of prehistoric earthquakes. There may be some fossil collecting here; but not nearly as much as on day two.

Day TWO: The Catskills represents a diverse range of Paleozoic Phyla. Some of the more notable items found are the Hindia sp. (Sponges that look like golf balls) and Platycerus gastropods that come in a wide variety of morphologies. Crinoid “hold fasts” are also common in several layers. This site has an enormous variety of brachiopods and some trilobites have been found. Recently, vertebrate (fish) coprolites have also been reported. The limestone formations found at this site are Early Devonian, ranging around 400 million years. Crystals may also be found in this rock.

In addition to fossil collecting, we will also see a museum and go into an underground cave (all free to people on this trip).

A field guide by will be available for those attending at approximately cost.

Note: All those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

As a member, you are eligible to attend our Field Trips. Note, however, you must register for the trip you are interested in and on the trip you must obey the rules and directions of the Field Trip Leaders and of the landowner(s) or their agents.

For more information, contact Chris at chrismarotta@nyps.org

THE "RED HILL" EARLY TETRAPOD SITE

North Central Pennsylvania

Saturday & Sunday, October 3^rd & 4^th, 2015

Meeting up at between 10 & 11:00 A.M. Saturday

Meeting up at 10:00 A.M. Sunday

We have been given an invitation again this year to return to The “Red Hill” Devonian Tetrapod site and Field Station in central Pennsylvania. The date that we have been given is early in October. We are sending this notice out as an email blast as well as a Newsletter notice to try to get the info out to you as soon as possible. The sites are located near Hyner Bend, PA. Members may attend one or both days.

This now, world renowned site, has been discovered by Paleontologist Ted Daeschler and N. Doug Rowe. Doug has received a national award for his discoveries of many new species, the creation of the Red Hill Field Station Museum and his stewardship of the Red Hill Site.

Red Hill is perhaps the only Devonian tetrapod site in the continental U.S. Two or possibly three new tetrapod species have been discovered. While the tetrapods are extremely rare, the site offers a diverse array of Devonian fish bones, shark teeth and plant fossils.

This is an active research site maintained by the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences. As an important research site there are two rules that we must adhere to. 1) We must only open new bedding plains when the designated people are present at the site. They must be able see if anything important is unearthed. Surface collecting is allowed any time. 2) Additionally, we must also allow the curator(s) to review our finds. If we make any remarkable finds we must yield them to the Academy.

Two other wonderful opportunities await us at Red Hill. Don’t miss the opportunity to see Red Hill from “Hyner View”; a nearby 1,600 ft. overlook. And best of all, don’t forget to visit the Red Hill Field Station. You will see all the wonders that can be found at the site and all that has been learned from these late Devonian fossils.

On Sunday afternoon after Red Hill, we also plan to visit the “Swopes” Site on the way back. (Lower Devonian).

The Field Trip Leader and Coordinator will be Chris Marotta.

Please Note: This site is near a highway and not far from dangerous overhangs. Children attending must be at least 10 years old. All (children and adults) must wear a hardhat and goggles (Bicycle helmets are acceptable). For more information, contact Chris Marotta at chrismarotta@nyps.org

Note also, all those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society and sign a waiver. ONLY MEMBERS of the NYPS who register will be allowed to be there. All of the Site Facilitators rules, N.Y.P.S. rules and local laws must be followed!

For more information, contact Chris Marotta at chrismarotta@nyps.org

THE FOSSILS OF MADISON COUNTY

New York State

Saturday & Sunday, September 26^th & 27^th, 2015

Meeting up both days at 8:30 A.M.

Our first field trip of the Fall season will be to five marine fossil sites from the Middle Devonian Hamilton Group.

Note, at least one of these sites is new to our Society and has not been visited in the past! Trilobites (3 species), rolled & straight cephalopods, gastropods, & large brachiopods will be found as well as many other fossils at all sites on both days..

On Saturday, September 26^th, we will visit Greer Road and Soule Road - sites from the Mid Devonian Hamilton Group. The first site is from the Cooperstown Member of the Moscow Formation and produces a varied fauna, including a good proportion of coiled cephalopods.

We’ll also collect in three sites on Sunday, September 27^th - Briggs Road, Deep Springs Road and Cole Hill Road. The first site is in the Upper Ludlowville Formation, Middle Devonian, and is very rich in trilobite fossils (Greenops, Phacops). The second site is in the Delphi Station Member of Skaneateles Formation. Fossils include trilobites Dipleura dekayi, Greenops boothi and Phacops rana, trace fossil (Zoophycus), brachiopods Lingula, Mucrospirifer mucronatus, Spinocyrtia granulosa (very large), cephalopods (Michelinoceras, Tornoceras), bryozoans, bivalves, gastropods, etc. The third site is also in the Delphi Station Member. Brachiopods, cephalopods (Spyroceras nuntium), bryozoans, corals, bivalves, gastropods, trilobites (Dipleura dekayi (Green)) and trace fossil (Zoophycus) can be found here.

People may come for one or both days. More information will be provided to those who register.

The Field Trip Leader and Coordinator will be Ray McKinney.

Note, all those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

REGISTRATION: Those wishing to attend MUST register for this trip! They must also follow the Trip Leader’s rules and directions and obey all laws when collecting. Ray needs to know how many will be attending and also to send more information about directions, tools needed, etc. to those registered. You must include a phone number or email address where he can contact you about any scheduling changes that may occur. You should register with Ray by email at: raymckinney@nyps.org.

DIRECTIONS: These will be sent to all who register before the trip.

TOOLS: All standard safety equipment is required - eye protection (goggles or safety glasses), long pants and proper footware. Hard hats and gloves are highly recommended. Collecting tools include proper rock hammers, malls and chisels, and newspaper, plastic bags, etc. to wrap your finds. A plastic bucket is also useful to carry your finds.

LODGING: Some lodging ideas in the Hamilton area for Friday & Saturday nights include:

MOTELS:

Madison Motor Court in Madison 315-893-1818 (Ray will probably be staying here.)
Madison Bed Book & Candle B&B in Madison 315-893-7077
Ye Olde Landmark Tavern in Bouckville 315-893-1810
Colgate Inn in Hamilton 315-824-2300

CAMPING:

Lebanon Reservoir Camp in Hamilton 315-824-2278
Buck’s woods Camp in Morrisville 315-684-3286
Canaan Camp in Hubbardsville 315-691-2005

HELDERBERG QUARRIES OF THE ALBANY, N.Y. AREA

SATURDAY & SUNDAY, MAY 23 & 24, 2015

(Memorial Day Weekend)

(Meeting up at 10:00 A.M. each day)

Our Memorial Weekend trip will be to an underground cave, a museum (The Cave House Museum of Mining and Geology), and approximately four quarries in the Albany area of New York. All of the sites are in the Helderberg Group (Lower Devonian) and are rich in marine invertebrate fossils, including cephalopods and trilobites.

The Field Trip Leader and Coordinator will be Chris Marotta

Note: All those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

PLEASE NOTE, OUR ITERNERARY IS DIFFERENT FROM LAST YEAR'S:

On Saturday we'll meet at The Cave House Museum of Mining and Geology Quarry. (Not the same as Howe's Caverns, It is a different Museum and Cave Entrance in the Town of Howe's Cave, NY ). Those who register will be given directions to this location.

We will be collecting at the Howe's Cave quarry and, later on Saturday, also at Schoharie Quarry. Note, we must collect only under the supervision of the Quarry Official, Mr. Paul Griggs. We must stay with Mr. Griggs at all times. The quarry gates are locked while we are inside until the time we leave (quarry rules). If you do not arrive on time you will be locked out!

On Sunday, we will meet up at Colarusso & Son's Quarry (formally Becraft Mt.). We will collect at a number of sites within this quarry.

In the afternoon, we will visit Peckam's Quarry. This last quarry has both fossils and sometimes rare but beautiful “Herkimer” crystals. Once again, for both of Sunday’s quarries, we will be locked in the quarry so we must arrive on time and stay with the group.

NOTE: Special safety equipment & clothing are required!

These sites all feature Lower Devonian limestone that can be quite abundant with aquatic fossils. Among these can be giant cephalopods, corals, trilobites, brachiopods, gastropods and sometimes articulated crinoids. Last year a few spectacular specimens were found. You will be allowed to keep all that you find ( as long as you can get it into your car or truck!).

For more information, please contact Chris at chrismarotta@nyps.org .

SILURIAN AND DEVONIAN FOSSILS OF THE BUFFALO, N.Y. AREA

FRI., SAT. & SUN., JUNE 12, 13 & 14, 2015

Our last trip of the season is to a combination of Silurian / Devonian fossils sites. We visited these sites last year, and members were pleased with the fossils they found. This will be a very interesting trip, but one of the sites has some unique requirements, so please read the information below and answer all of the questions when registering.

The first stop will be on Friday to a Silurian Period site where we will collect Eurypterids. Eurypterids, sometimes referred to as “sea scorpions”, are some of the most sought after invertebrate fossils. The site is Ridgemount Quarry in Ontario, Canada; about ten miles from the U.S. / Canadian border near Buffalo, N.Y. It is in Canada so a Passport or an “Enhanced Drivers License” is required. Children under 18 should bring their Birth Certificate.

This is a working quarry so regulations are very strict. Children under 14 are not allowed into this quarry.

NOTE: Special safety equipment & clothing are required!

The Quarry is only open on Fridays and reservations must be made in advance so we have to call in all names in advance.

In spite of all the hassles, the trip is well worth it. Ray has been there a number of times and ended up with a complete Eurypterid and lots of partials. Note also, that the age restriction for admission only applies to the Friday site at Ridgemount. There is none at the Saturday or Sunday sites.

The second stop will be on Saturday to the famous Penn-Dixie Quarry in Hamburg, NY. (near Buffalo). This site is Devonian and we will collect trilobites (Greenops & Phacops), beautiful Horn Corals, cephalopods, etc. Last year, Ray reports that many people found wonderful specimens in the quarry.

Safety equipment is required here and there is an entrance fee.

For Sunday, if people wish to, we may return to Penn Dixie Quarry. If not, Ray will lead us to a well known site at Alden.

Once again, if will you be attending Penn Dixie Quarry on Saturday (6/13), there are no age limits or border crossings. Also, note, Penn Dixie charges a nominal entrance fee per person. If will you be attending Alden, it is also in the U.S. and there are no age limits or entrance fees.

Note: All those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

The Field Trip Leader and Coordinator will be Ray McKinney

COST: There is no fee charged by the Society. However, Penn Dixie Quarry requires a nominal charge for adults with children allowed in for free. There is no charge for either the Ridgemount Quarry or Alden.

For more information, contact Ray at raymckinney@nyps.org .

-RECENT FIELD TRIPS-

FOSSILS OF PEACE RIVER, FLORIDA

Saturday & Sunday, April 25 & 26, 2015

Our first field trip this Spring is to the famous Peace River near Wauchula, Florida. Although this may be a stretch distance-wise for many members, it should be a very interesting trip for those who can make it. It will be a joint trip with the Tampa Bay Fossil Club (TBFC).

Collecting is done in the river by shoveling sand into a strainer - similar to Big Brook, New Jersey, but there are fewer restrictions.

Water depths can be from a few inches to a few feet depending on where you dig.

Important Note: The River has had a wet winter so far, but the weather should be changing. What that means is the streams have been high and the places where we collect are above waist deep instead of knee deep. The weather cycle is supposed to be changing with the River levels dropping and we anticipate no problems by late April. However, the trip could be cancelled a week or so before it happens - just a heads up.

Also, there will be a Barbecue dinner available on the evening of the 25th at Pioneer Park Campgrounds (where most TBFC members will be camping, including Ray). There is also an auction at the Barbecue (you can bring items to donate to the auction if you wish). The picnic cost is $10.00 per person and reservations must be made by April 10th. There is also a “T” Shirt for those who attend and can be purchased when making reservations. Last year’s cost for the shirt was $13 and they are really nice.

Note: All those attending through our Society must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

The Field Trip Leader and Coordinator will be Ray McKinney

REGISTRATION: You must register for this trip. To register, please contact Ray by email at raymckinney@nyps.org. If you have any technical questions about the trip or the site, you can contact Ray at the email above.

GETTING THERE: You can, of course, drive or else take the train down to a city near the site and then rent a car. If you choose to go by plane, the best airport to arrive at is either in Tampa or St. Petersburg. If possible, Ray will connect all attending with each other for car pooling etc. if desired. Also, extensions of the trip are possible.

TOOLS: Contact Ray about what you’ll need to wear and collect. Depending on how you go, you may not be able to travel with the required tools. Ray needs to know as soon as possible if you’re attending so he can provide them for you.

ACCOMMODATIONS: You can stay at any motels or campgrounds that you’d like, but Ray has given two recommendations:

Pioneer Park Campgrounds – 231 Wilbur C King Blvd. Zolfo Springs, FL 33890. Phone: 863-735-0330. It’s located on the corner of Highway 17 & State Rt 64. Reservations aren’t required.

Best Western Bowling Green – 2727 US Highway 17, Bowling Green, FL 33834. Phone: 863-773-2378. It’s located 10 miles north of Pioneer Park Campgrounds.

WAIVER: EACH individual wishing to go must sign a waiver form.

THOSE REGISTERED WILL BE GIVEN COMPLETE INFORMATION INCLUDING SAFETY INFORMATION, DRIVING DIRECTIONS AND MEETING TIMES, LODGING, ETC. BY EMAIL OR POSTAL MAIL.

RAMANESSIN BROOK:

THE CRETACEOUS OF NEW JERSEY

SATURDAY MAY 2, 2015

Meeting up at the Brook at 10:30 - 11:00 A.M.

Although most fossils here come from the Cretaceous Period, fossils of much more recent Ice Age mammals and birds are not uncommon.

The Field Trip Leader and Coordinator will be Donald Phillips

Copies of our comprehensive, award winning field guide to Big Brook will be available. This guide also applies equally well to Ramanessin Brook.

Note: All those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

COST: There is no attendance fee. For those going on the bus, there is a $34 per person fee to cover the cost of the bus.

For more information about this trip, contact Donald Phillips at president@nyps.org .

MARK TWAIN’S QUARRY FARM

AND DEVONIAN FOSSILS OF THE

FINGER LAKES AREA, NEW YORK STATE

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, MAY 9^th & 10^th, 2015

Mark Twain - author, humorist and - fossil collector? Mark Twain (Sam Clemens), author of such American classics as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and those of Huckleberry Finn, was world renowned in his day. But did you know that he also collected fossils and read and wrote about them and their ancient worlds?

Our third Spring field trip will be a two day affair, the first day to Elmira, N.Y. and the second to collecting sites in the Finger Lakes area. You can attend either one or both days!

Saturday will provide a unique opportunity to learn about and see where Mark Twain lived and worked during one of the most productive periods of his life, producing such works as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and do some collecting at his and his wife’s home at Quarry Farm.

We’ll meet up at Elmira College and visit Twain’s study (now on the campus) and the Mark Twain Exhibit in Cowles Hall. Next, we will have lunch at Quarry Farm, over looking the beautiful Chemung River (part of the Catskill Delta), followed by a half-hour presentation about Twain’s fossil collecting and writing. We’ll then collect at the quarry where Twain & friends once collected. We’ll finish up with a trip to the grave site of Twain and his family.

Note, since the quarry at Quarry Farm is an active Paleontological and Archaeological research site, members can only keep “souvenir” fossils - any of scientific importance must be donated to the college.

NOTE: many of these premises are not open to the public - Michael and Linda have arranged special entry for our members on this day!

For those who would like to familiarize themselves with Twain’s life and ideas, there is a current special edition of Time Magazine entitled Mark Twain: His Dangerous Mind, Remarkable Life and Enduring Legacy which should be available on news stands until June, 2015.

On Sunday, we will be visiting two collecting sites near Lake Owasco, N.Y. about 30 miles north of Ithaca. These sites are Mid Devonian Hamilton Group with an excellent mix of marine invertebrate fossils, including trilobites.

Note: All those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

The Field Trip Leaders on Saturday will be Michael & Linda Pratt

The Field Trip Coordinator for both days will be Donald Phillips

For more information, contact Donald Phillips at president@nyps.org .

THE "RED HILL" EARLY TETRAPOD SITE
North Central Pennsylvania

Saturday & Sunday, September 6th & 7th, 2014
Meeting up at between 10 & 11:00 A.M.
on both Saturday & Sunday

We have been offered a return trip to Red Hill on September 6 & 7. This site is known for the early tetrapod finds of Paleontologist Ted Daeschler and N. Douglas Rowe. At this site we may find Devonian fish remains, plants and a variety of other phyla from the Famennian (365m.a.+/- 2). There is also a Field Station with some amazing finds on display.

This trip will include collecting, starting at about 10-11:00 A.M. on Saturday with visits to the Field Station (Museum) through out the day. Towards evening, we will head to Hyner View State Park and see “Red Hill” from about 1200 feet above. As we did last year; those who chose to do so may meet for dinner at “Yesterday’s Restaurant” in Renovo .

On Sunday, we will start at Red Hill in morning (10-11:00 A.M.) until about 2 p.m. Afterwards we will stop at another site which is on the way home for most of us. The second site is the Middle Devonian Swope’s site in Eastern Pennsylvania.

People may come for one or both days. More information will be provided to those who register. An upgraded version of Chris’ very good field guide to the site will be available for purchase onsite.

The Field Trip Leader and Coordinator will be Chris Marotta.

Please Note: This site is near a highway and not far from dangerous overhangs. Children attending must be at least 10 years old. All must wear a hardhat and goggles (Bicycle helmets are acceptable). Adults must also wear goggles and hardhats. For more information, contact Chris Marotta at chrismarotta@nyps.org .

Note also, all those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society and sign a waiver.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
When we are allowed to dig here it is only by the permission of the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Science. We must follow their few but important rules: “No digging at all except when the group is accompanied by their designated representatives” and “All finds must be viewed by the representative and if important, must be given to the academy”. There will be a representative here from about 10-11:00 on each day. Please do not climb on the hill until the designated representatives are present.

For more information, contact Chris Marotta at chrismarotta@nyps.org .

GEOLOGY AND PALEONTOLOGY OF THE UPPER
ORDOVICIAN OF KENTUCKY AND OHIO
Fossil Collecting in the World Famous
Kentucky and Cincinnati Region

MAY 24 & 25, 2014
(Note: this is the Memorial Day (May 26th) weekend)

Field Trip Leader and Coordinator: Donald Phillips

The area around Cincinnati, Ohio and northern Kentucky are renowned for the richness and diversity of invertebrate marine fossils, especially those of the Ordovician.

There will be two days of excellent collecting (all day Saturday and Sunday) in the world famous Cincinnati Arch Region. On Saturday, we will visit a number of sites in northern Kentucky centered around Maysville. This town is near the Ohio River about equidistant from Cincinnati, OH and Lexington, KY. On Sunday, we will visit a number of sites in the Cincinnati area. Although most members may be familiar with the Devonian of New York, these are earlier Ordovician sites and are extremely rich in marine invertebrate fossils. The Cincinnatian of Ohio is the type series for the Ordovician of North America, so all other Ordovician sites are compared to this area. The fossils are generally excellently preserved.

Note, all the sites in Kentucky have not been visited before by our society, and we have not visited those in Ohio for at least three years.

The fossils are abundant and well preserved. Most are to be found weathered from the matrix and easily collected. Fossils to be found include: bryozoans, brachiopods, corals, gastropods, bivalves, cephalopods, crinoids, trilobites, sponges, edrioasteroids, graptolites, tentaculites and ichno (trace) fossils - the vast majority different species than those found in the Devonian of New York.

Southwest Ohio is approximately a 12-16 hour drive from the NYC area by car or you can take a bus or flight into either Cincinnati, Lexington or Louisville and then rent a vehicle. You should plan on traveling on Friday and returning Monday since we will start early both days. Monday is Memorial Day and most members will have this day off from work. Since this is a long way from our base in New York, there will be plenty of opportunities and sites to collect from. Note, you can attend either Saturday or Sunday’s events, or both (see registration, below).

Based on the successful scheduling of our last trip to the region, we’re planning on visiting five sites in Kentucky on Saturday and three rich sites in Ohio / Indiana on Sunday, and giving members directions to some “bonus” sites in Ohio that they can visit in the late afternoon or evening if they prefer.

In Kentucky, our hosts will be the Kentucky Paleontological Society. The sites we visit may be modified based on our ongoing discussions with this society. Complete directions to the sites and any updates on the trip will be provided to those registering.

A field guide to the geology and paleontology of the Cincinnati region by Erich Rose will be available for those participating for a nominal fee.
You must be a member of the New York Paleontological Society to attend this field trip.

For more information, contact Donald Phillips at president@nyps.org .

SILURIAN AND DEVONIAN FOSSILS
OF THE BUFFALO, N.Y. AREA
FRI., SAT., SUN. & Mon., JUNE 13, 14, 15 & 16, 2014

Our first June trip is to a combination of Silurian / Devonian fossils sites. We visited these sites last year, and members were pleased with the fossils they found. This will be a very interesting trip, but one of the sites has some unique requirements, so please read the information below and answer all of the questions when registering.

The Field Trip Leader and Coordinator will be Ray McKinney

The first stop will be on Friday to a Silurian Period site where we will collect Eurypterids. Eurypterids, sometimes referred to as “sea scorpions”, are some of the most sought after invertebrate fossils. The site is Ridgemount Quarry in Ontario, Canada; about ten miles from the U.S. / Canadian border near Buffalo, N.Y. It is in Canada so a Passport or an “Enhanced Drivers License” is required. Children under 18 should bring their Birth Certificate.

This is a working quarry so regulations are very strict. You must wear required safety gear (remember it’s a working quarry) and an inspection will be made by the Quarry prior to your entering.

The Quarry is only open on Fridays and reservations must be made in advance so we have to call in all names in advance (on June 6th).

Safety equipment is required here and there is an entrance fee.

For Sunday, Ray is working on getting access to 18 Mile Creek (also near Hamburg / Buffalo) where you can find the same basic fossils as Penn Dixie. If he is unable to arrange access, we’ll be visiting the site at Alden.

Finally, on Monday we’ll be visiting either Alden (if we can get into 18 Mile Creek on Sunday), or another site if Ray can’t arrange access to 18 mile.

Once again, if will you be attending Penn Dixie Quarry on Saturday (6/14), there are no age limits or border crossings. Also, note, Penn Dixie charges a nominal entrance fee per person. If will you be attending 18 Mile Creek, Alden or the yet unannounced sites, they are also in the U.S. and there are no age limits or entrance fees.

Note: All those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

For more information, contact Ray McKinney at raymckinney@nyps.org .

HELDERBERG QUARRIES
OF THE ALBANY, N.Y. AREA
SAT. & SUN., June 21 & 22, 2014
Meeting Up at 10:00 A.M. Both Days

Our final trip of the season will be to quarries in the Albany area of New York. All of the sites are in the Helderberg Group (Lower Devonian) and are rich in marine invertebrate fossils, including cephalopods and trilobites.

The Field Trip Leader and Coordinator will be Chris Marotta

Note: All those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

On Saturday, we will meet up at Colarusso & Son’s Quarry (formally Becraft Mt.) at 10:00 A.M. We will collect at a number of sites within this quarry. In the afternoon, we will visit Peckam’s Quarry to collect.

On Sunday, we’ll meet at 10:00 A.M. at Howe Cave Quarry. Note, this quarry is not at the site of the famous Howes Caverns, which many tourists visit. Those registered will be given directions to the quarry itself. We will also visit the cave and a small museum at the quarry, after which we’ll collect in nearby locations. After this, our second stop on Sunday will be to Schoharie Quarry, another impressive quarry rich in fossils..

These sites all feature Lower Devonian limestone that can be quite abundant with aquatic fossils. Among these can be giant cephalopods, corals, trilobites, brachiopods, and gastropods. Last year a few spectacular crystals were found as well. You will be allowed to keep all that you find.

There are safety equipment requirements for these quarries. You will not be allowed to collect without these items.

For more information, contact Chris Marotta at chrismarotta@nyps.org .

THE CRETACEOUS OF NEW JERSEY
SATURDAY MAY 3, 2014

Meeting up at the Brook at 10:30 - 11:00 A.M.

The site produces a wide range of fossils. Invertebrate specimens commonly found include fossil snails, ammonites and belemnites (extinct, nautilus-like and squid-like creatures), and bivalves such as Exogyra and the brachiopod Choristothyris. One can also find parts of crustaceans like crabs, lobsters (Hoploparia) and the burrows of Ghost Shrimp (sometimes with the shrimp inside). There are also vertebrate fossils. Most common (and popular) among these are fossil shark teeth and vertebrae, and the teeth and bones of a wide variety of Cretaceous fish. Rarer vertebrate fossils include parts of bone from huge sea turtles, teeth and bone from crocodiles and periodically the teeth and bone of the extinct marine reptiles - plesiosaurs and mosasaurs. Finally, but very rarely, bones of dinosaur are found. In fact, it was from similar geological layers further south in New Jersey that the first dinosaur skeleton in America - Hadrosaurus foulkii, was excavated in 1858. Its teeth are still sometimes found in Big Brook.

Although most fossils here come from the Cretaceous Period, fossils of much more recent Ice Age mammals and birds are not uncommon.

The Field Trip Leader and Coordinator will be Donald Phillips

Copies of our comprehensive, award winning field guide to Big Brook will be available.

Note: All those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

As we have found in previous years, many people who wished to go on our trips couldn't make it due to lack of car transportation. Also, there is limited parking for cars at the site and you are not allowed to park all along the road. So, once again this year we're providing a full coach bus with a rest room on board, picking up in both Brooklyn and Manhattan. All you need is subway fare and you're off ! Those with cars can also attend, but parking may be limited.

COST: There is no attendance fee. For those going on the bus, there is a $34 per person fee to cover the cost of the bus.

For more information about this trip, contact Donald Phillips at president@nyps.org .

THE FOSSILS OF MADISON COUNTY
New York State

Saturday & Sunday, November 2nd & 3rd, 2013

Although other Madison Counties in the U.S. may be known for their bridges, New York’s is well known for its fossils! Our second field trip of the Fall season will be to four marine fossil sites from the Middle Devonian. There may also be the possibility of a visit to a quarry that has not been collected in for twenty years! (See below).

On Saturday, November 2nd, we will visit Briggs Road and Deep Spring Road - two sites in the Mid Devonian Skaneateles Formation. The first site produces a large proportion of trilobite fossils (Greenops, Phacops). The second site’s fossils include trilobites (Dipleura, Greenops and Phacops) trace fossils (Zoophycus), brachiopods, cephalopods, bryozoans, bivalves, gastropods, etc.

We’ll also collect in two sites on Sunday, November 3rd. The Sheds site is in the Windom Shale (uppermost member of the Moscow Formation), also of Middle Devonian age. This site produces a variety of fossils, including the trilobites Phacops & Greenops. Our second visit that day is to Swamp Road of the Marcellus Formation where one can find fossils such as corals, bryozoans, brachiopods (including the large Spinocyrtia granulosa) many bivalves, gastropods, crinoids and cephalopods.

People may come for one or both days. More information will be provided to those who register.

The Field Trip Leader and Coordinator will be Ray McKinney.

AN IMPORTANT NOTE: This trip is subject to change as Ray is working on a visit to a new quarry that hasn’t been collected in for over 20 years, so the collecting should be excellent. As of this writing, we are still trying to arrange clearance for entry to this quarry. If it comes to fruition it will be in the Albany area and probably a Saturday only trip. For those who wish to register, please contact Ray as soon as you decide to go on this trip so he may contact you with any changes on short notice.

Note also, all those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

For more information, contact Ray at raymckinney@nyps.org .

THE "RED HILL" EARLY TETRAPOD SITE
North Central Pennsylvania

Saturday & Sunday, October 5th & 6th, 2013
Meeting up at 11:00 A.M.
on both Saturday & Sunday

This Fall, we have been invited to return to a favorite site, the famous Red Hill Devonian Tetrapod site which is known for its Devonian fish and plants. We will also visit the Field Station at North Bend in central Pennsylvania.

We have been offered a return trip to Red Hill on October 5 & 6. This site is known for the early tetrapod finds of paleontologist Ted Daeschler and N. Douglas Rowe. At this site we may find Devonian fish remains, plants and a variety of other phyla from the Famennian (365m.a.+/- 2). There is also a Field Station with important finds on display.

We will begin collecting starting at about 11:00 A.M. on Saturday - with visits to the Field Station (Museum) in the afternoon. Towards evening, we will head to Hyner View State Park and see Red Hill from about 1,200 feet above. As we did last year, those who choose to do so may meet for dinner at Yesterday’s Restaurant in Renovo.

On Sunday at about 11:00 A.M., we will again meet our host Doug at the site. In the afternoon, we may visit the Swopes collecting site for Mid Devonian fossils.

People may come for one or both days. More information will be provided to those who register. An upgraded version of Chris’ field guide to the site will be available for purchase onsite.

The Field Trip Leader and Coordinator will be Chris Marotta.

Please Note: This site is near a highway and not far from dangerous overhangs. Children attending must be at least 10 years old. All must wear a hardhat and goggles (Bicycle helmets are acceptable). For more information, contact Chris Marotta at chrismarotta@nyps.org .

Note, All those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society and sign a waiver.

SILURIAN AND DEVONIAN FOSSILS
OF THE BUFFALO, N.Y. AREA

FRI., SAT., SUN. & MON. JUNE 7th To 10th, 2013

Our last trip of the season is to a combination of Silurian / Devonian fossils sites. It will be a joint trip with the Dry Dredgers group from Cincinnati, Ohio. There will also be an Amateur Radio and Astronomy event going on Saturday at Penn Dixie. You can attend one, two, three or all four days of this trip.

The Field Trip Leader and Coordinator will be Ray McKinney.

This should be a very interesting trip, but one of the sites has some unique requirements, so please read the information below.

The first stop will be on Friday to a Silurian Period site where we will collect Eurypterids. Eurypterids, sometimes referred to as “sea scorpions”, are some of the most sought after invertebrate fossils. The site is Ridgemount Quarry in Ontario, Canada; about ten miles from the U.S. / Canadian border near Buffalo, N.Y. It is in Canada so a Passport or an “Enhanced Drivers License” is required. Children under 18 need to bring their Birth Certificate.

This is a working quarry so regulations are very strict.

The Quarry is only open on Fridays and reservations must be made in advance so we have to call all names in one week prior to arrival so please sign up as soon as you know you’ll be coming.

In spite of all the hassles, the trip is well worth it. Ray has been there a number of times and has collected a few complete Eurypterids and lots of partials. There are also so very rare fossils that we have found at this site. Note also, that the age restriction for admission only applies to the Friday site at Ridgemount. There is none at the other sites.

The second stop will be on Saturday to the famous Penn-Dixie Quarry in Hamburg, NY. (near Buffalo). This site is Devonian and we will collect trilobites (Greenops & Phacops), beautiful horn corals, cephalopods, etc. We have collected many multiple trilobite plates here, including one of 40 completes just a few years ago. For pictures of fossils collected here go to their home page at www.penndixie.org . There is an entrance fee of $7 for ($6 for children 12 & under).

The third stop will be on Sunday to 18 Mile Creek (also near Hamburg / Buffalo) where you can find the same basic fossils as Penn Dixie. It’s located along Lake Erie and you need to walk about 1/3 of a mile along the Creek to the site, and may have to wade across a shallow stream. This is a very scenic area, with a distant view of the city of Buffalo across the Lake. Collecting is done at the mouth of the creek and along the lake. Multiple trilobite plates have also been found here (4 completes is the most Ray has collected).

The fourth stop on this trip will be in a stream near Alden, NY, about 15 miles east of Buffalo. Last year was the first official trip to this site and many nice fossils were collected. Trilobites, brachiopods, and cephalopods are the most common fossils we found.

All those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

For more information, contact Ray at raymckinney@nyps.org

HELDERBERG QUARRIES
OF THE ALBANY, N.Y. AREA

SAT. & SUN., MAY 18 & 19, 2013

Meeting Up at 10:00 A.M. Both Days

Our second May trip will be to quarries in the Albany area of New York. All of the sites are in the Helderberg Group (Lower Devonian) and are rich in marine invertebrate fossils, including cephalopods and trilobites.

The Field Trip Leader and Coordinator will be Chris Marotta

Note: All those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

On Saturday, we will meet up at Colarusso & Son’s Quarry (formally Becraft Mt.) at 10:00 A.M. We will collect at a number of sites within this quarry for the rest of the day.

On Sunday, we’ll meet at 10:00 A.M. at Howe Cave Quarry. Note, this quarry is not at the site of the famous Howes Caverns, which many tourists visit. Those registered will be given directions to the quarry itself. We will also visit a small museum at the quarry. After this, our second stop on Sunday will be to Schoharie Quarry.

For more information, contact Chris Marotta at chrismarotta@nyps.org.

BIG BROOK, NEW JERSEY
SATURDAY MAY 4, 2013

Meeting up at the Brook at 10:30 - 11:00 A.M.

Most fossil sites in the New York City area are of Paleozoic dating, with some Triassic and early Jurassic sites, but when it comes to accessibility for collecting, you can’t beat New Jersey. One of the most famous fossil localities in the Eastern United States dates from the Late Cretaceous Period. Big Brook, which despite its name is actually a small, shallow stream, continues to produce a wide variety of fossils for first time collectors and veterans alike. Geologically and paleontologically, the site represents a marine environment from the Late Cretaceous (Campanian). The fossils date from a few million years before the great extinction that ended the age of the dinosaurs. For those not familiar with the site, collecting here is different from most other fossil sites. Instead of hammers and chisels to free fossils from rock, here one sifts the stream sediments for fossils - as if panning for gold. Learning this technique will prove useful for collecting fossils at other sifting sites along the Eastern Seaboard and elsewhere.

The site produces a wide range of fossils. Invertebrate specimens commonly found include fossil snails, ammonites and belemnites (extinct, nautilus-like and squid-like creatures), and bivalves such as Exogyra and the brachiopod Choristothyris. One can also find parts of crustaceans like crabs, lobsters (Hoploparia) and the burrows of Ghost Shrimp (sometimes with the shrimp inside). There are also vertebrate fossils. Most common (and popular) among these are fossil shark teeth and vertebrae, and the teeth and bones of a wide variety of Cretaceous fish. Rarer vertebrate fossils include parts of bone from huge sea turtles, teeth and bone from crocodiles and periodically the teeth and bone of the extinct marine reptiles - plesiosaurs and mosasaurs. Finally, but very rarely, bones of dinosaur are found. In fact, it was from similar geological layers further south in New Jersey that the first dinosaur skeleton in America - Hadrosaurus foulkii, was excavated in 1858. Its teeth are still sometimes found in Big Brook.

Although most fossils here come from the Cretaceous Period, fossils of much more recent Ice Age mammals and birds are not uncommon.

The Field Trip Leader and Coordinator will be Donald Phillips

Copies of our comprehensive, award winning field guide to Big Brook will be available.

Note: All those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

COST: There is no attendance fee. For those going on the bus, there is a $34 per person fee to cover the cost of the bus. This is $1 per person more than last year due to increased cost of the bus.

Note: All those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society

For more information about this trip, contact Donald Phillips at president@nyps.org .

YALE PEABODY MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
Behind-the-Scenes and More
Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut

FRIDAY APRIL 5, 2013
Beginning at about 10:15 A.M.

Founded in 1866, this museum houses one of the classic fossil collections on earth. In the later 1800's, Othniel Marsh's uncle George Peabody, an international financier, funded the establishment of a museum at Yale University to house, among other things, the paleontological collections of his by then renowned nephew. Many are familiar with the exploits afield and in academia of Marsh and his archrival Edward Cope, two of America’s most famous paleontologists, but you may not be aware that to this day Marsh's Mesozoic and Tertiary mammals, Mesozoic reptiles, and Cretaceous birds still form the backbone of both the Peabody's and Smithsonian's fossil collections. Marsh was to remain the head of the paleontology department at Yale for over thirty years, during which time his fossil collections and scholarship continued to grow.

More recently, museum paleontologist John Ostrom’s work on Deinonychus and the possibility of dinosaurs being warm blooded has led to a “dinosaur renaissance”.

The museum is also famous for Rudolph Zallinger’s famous murals The Age of Reptiles and The Age of Mammals. These murals have inspired the public and budding paleontologists for more than a half century.

Although rightfully proud of their vertebrate fossil collection, the museum also houses a fine invertebrate collection and is active in a number of projects in this area. Also, the museum has one of the finest paleobotanical collections in the U.S., some of which consists of the transferred collection of the American Museum of Natural History here in New York. The museum also inherited the Princeton University fossil collection when that institution decided to eliminate its collection.

Members are invited for a unique opportunity to see some of the treasures and ongoing research at the Peabody. There will be coverage of the vertebrate, invertebrate and paleobotanical collections, with special emphasis on some of the historical specimens from Marsh, Cooper, Louis Agassiz, and others. We will also visit the mineral collections.

The day’s events will begin at about 10:30 A.M. with a tour of the museum’s public fossil exhibitions, including the Great Hall (mostly dinosaurs and their contemporaries), the Hall of Mammalian Evolution, the Riddle of Human Origins room, and the Cretaceous Garden, dinosaur trackway and Torosaurus area outside in front of the museum. Note, that the Great Hall will begin renovations in early 2014, so this may be your last chance to see these wonderful specimens for a number of years.

The centerpiece of the day will be the unique opportunity to attend the behind-the scenes tours of the vertebrate, invertebrate and paleobotanical fossil collections, as well as the mineral collections.

Finally, after all the tours are done, you may wish to attend a small wine and cheese get together at an apartment in New Haven near the museum.

Note: All those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

For more information, contact the Field Trip Leader and Coordinator Donald Phillips at president@nyps.org .

HELDERBERG FOSSILS
OF THE CATSKILL, N.Y. AREA

SAT. & SUN., October 13 & 14, 2012
Meeting up at 10:00 A.M. both days

Our October trip will be to two quarries in the Catskill-Albany area of New York. All of the sites are in the Helderberg Group (Lower Devonian) and are rich in marine invertebrate fossils. This will be a very interesting trip, but all of the sites have some safety equipment requirements.

On Saturday, the first stop will be to Howes Cave Quarry and, later in the afternoon, to Schoharie Quarry, both near the towns of Schoharie and Cobleskill. There is a wide variety of fossils found at the site, including brachiopods, bivalves, crinoids, gastropods, ammonoids, trilobites, etc., etc.

On Sunday we will collect in another Lower Devonian site at Greenport Quarry, near the towns of Catskill or Hudson, N.Y. Both quarries are also part of the Helderberg Group. Although both quarries have the same fossil fauna, species rare in one quarry are common in another, so members should get a very good representation of all species found in the Helderberg Group. Our host in the quarries will be Geologist Paul H. Griggs.

All those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

For more information, please contact Ray McKinney at raymckinney@nyps.org

THE "RED HILL" EARLY TETRAPOD SITE
North Central Pennsylvania

Saturday & Sunday, September 29th and 30th, 2012
Meeting up at 11:00 A.M. SATURDAY
Meeting up about 10:00 A.M. SUNDAY

We have been offered a return trip to Red Hill on September 29 & 30th. This site is known for the early tetrapod finds of paleontologist Ted Daeschler and N. Douglas Rowe. At this site we may find Devonian fish remains, plants and a variety of other phyla from the Famennian (365m.a.+/- 2). There is also a Field Station with important finds on display.

We will begin collecting starting at about 11:00 A.M. on Saturday - with visits to the Field Station (Museum) in the afternoon. Towards evening, we will head to Hyner View State Park and see Red Hill from about 1200 feet above. As we did last year, those who choose to do so may meet for dinner at Yesterday’s Restaurant in Renovo.

On Sunday at about 10:00 A.M., we will again meet our host Doug at the site. In the afternoon, we may visit the Swopes collecting site for Mid Devonian fossils.

People may come for one or both days. More information will be provided to those who register.

The Field Trip Leader and Coordinator will be Chris Marotta.

Please Note: This site is near a highway and not far from dangerous overhangs. Children attending must be at least 10 years old. All must wear a hardhat and goggles (Bicycle helmets are acceptable).

NOTE: There are two things of which to be aware at the Red Hill site:
1) PLEASE REMEMBER: SAFETY FIRST ! ! ! and ALWAYS WEAR GOGGLES ! ! ! ! Red Hill is a hazardous site and is not good for small children.
2) When we are allowed to dig here it is only by the permission of the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Science. We must follow their few but important rules: No digging except when the group is accompanied by their designated representatives and All finds must be viewed by the representative and if important, must be given to the academy. Over the several years and multitudes of finds, I only know of six occasions where researchers wanted a particular fossil found by a collector. Collectors were allowed to keep all the rest. There will be a representative here from about 11:00 on each day.

Note, All those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society and sign a waiver.

FOSSILS OF NEW YORK STATE:
COLLECTING FROM EAST TO WEST

Saturday, June 9 through Sunday, June 17, 2012

New York State is well known for its excellent fossils, especially from the Devonian Period. In fact, geologically, New York contains the type series of the Devonian that is used throughout North America.

This extraordinary week long trip will sample fossils from many sites from around the state, moving from east to west. You can attend one, two, three days, etc. or the whole week’s worth of sites. Although our Society has offered many multi-day trips in the past, this one provides the opportunity to collect for up to 9 full days!

The Field Trip Leader and Coordinator will be Ray McKinney.

Here is the itinerary. All sites are Devonian Period in age except where otherwise specified:

Saturday, June 9th, 10:00 A.M. - Greenport Quarry, near Catskill, N.Y. (with Dr. Paul Griggs).
Sunday, June 10th, 10:00 A.M. - Schoharie Quarry, near Catskill, N.Y. (with Dr. Paul Griggs) / Sloansville roadcut / Warnersville Creek.
Monday June 11th - Leesville / Cherry Valley / Swamp Road.
Tuesday June 12th - Briggs Rd / Deep Springs Rd.
Wednesday June 13th - Sheds / Swamp Rd (different than above) / Pompey Center.
Thursday June 14th - Alden / Buffalo Creek / Penn Dixie.
Friday June 15th - Ridgemont Quarry, Ft. Erie, Ontario, Canada. Silurian Period.
Saturday June 16th - Penn Dixie Quarry, Hamburg, NY.
Sunday June 17th - 18 Mile Creek, Hamburg, N.Y.

Each day’s sites are usually located further west than the previous day’s sites. The week begins in the Catskills and ends on the other side of the state near Buffalo, N.Y. If you’d like more information, you can contact Ray at raymckinney@nyps.org .

Note: All those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

BIG BROOK, NEW JERSEY
SATURDAY APRIL 28, 2012

Meeting up at the Brook at 10:30 - 11:00 A.M.

One of the most famous fossil localities in the Eastern United States dates from the Late Cretaceous Period. Big Brook, which despite its name is actually a small, shallow stream, continues to produce a wide variety of fossils for first time collectors and veterans alike. Geologically and paleontologically, the site represents a marine environment from the Late Cretaceous (Campanian). The fossils date from a few million years before the great extinction that ended the age of the dinosaurs. For those not familiar with the site, collecting here is different from most other fossil sites. Instead of hammers and chisels to free fossils from rock, here one sifts the stream sediments for fossils - as if panning for gold. Learning this technique will prove useful for collecting fossils at other sifting sites along the Eastern Seaboard and elsewhere.

The site produces a wide range of fossils. Invertebrate specimens commonly found include fossil snails, ammonites and belemnites (extinct, nautilus-like and squid-like creatures), and bivalves such as Exogyra and the brachiopod Choristothyris. One can also find parts of crustaceans like crabs, lobsters (Hoploparia) and the burrows of Ghost Shrimp (sometimes with the shrimp inside). There are also vertebrate fossils. Most common (and popular) among these are fossil shark teeth and vertebrae, and the teeth and bones of a wide variety of Cretaceous fish. Rarer vertebrate fossils include parts of bone from huge sea turtles, teeth and bone from crocodiles and periodically the teeth and bone of the extinct marine reptiles - plesiosaurs and mosasaurs. Finally, but very rarely, bones of dinosaur are found. In fact, it was from similar geological layers further south in New Jersey that the first dinosaur skeleton in America - Hadrosaurus foulkii, was excavated in 1858. Its teeth and pieces of bone are still sometimes found in Big Brook.

Although most fossils here come from the Cretaceous Period, fossils of much more recent Ice Age mammals and birds are not uncommon.

The Field Trip Leader and Coordinator will be Donald Phillips

Copies of our comprehensive, award winning field guide to Big Brook will be available.

Note: All those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

COST: There is no attendance fee. For those going on the bus, there is a $33 per person fee to cover the cost of the bus. This is $1 per person more than last year due to a surcharge charged by the bus company to cover high fuel costs.

For more information about this trip, contact Donald Phillips at president@nyps.org .

BEHIND-THE-SCENES FOSSIL TOUR
at the
American Museum of Natural History, New York City
Thursdays, April 12 or April 19, 2012

Meeting up at 6:00 P.M.

The American Museum of Natural History houses one of the finest fossil collections on earth. Many readers may be familiar with the public vertebrate fossil exhibits, but there is a whole other world of fossils in the huge research collections which rarely see the light of day in public.

Carl Mehling, the Collections Manager for Fossil Amphibian, Reptile, and Bird Collections (also including Dinosaurs) in the Division of Paleontology, is offering members of our Society a rare glimpse behind the scenes in this great Museum. Carl, who is also a long time member of our New York Paleontological Society, has given wonderful tours in the past and certainly knows quite literally where all the “skeletons in the closet” are in his collection.

There are two requirements for a visit to the collections. 1) all attending must be at least 10 years old and 2) due to some limited space in the collections, only 12 people are allowed on a tour. Since we expect a large number of members will likely want to participate, Carl has graciously offered to do a second tour for us. Each tour will include the Vertebrate Paleontology Lab where specimens are cleaned and/or replicated for study and a dinosaur fossil collection storage area.

The tours will begin at 6:00 P.M. on Thursday, April 12th and again at the same time on Thursday April 19th at the Museum, and should last about an hour each. Since this is after the Museum closes to the public, you do not have to pay an admission fee to the Museum. Also, there is no fee charged by our Society. The Museum is located on Central Park West in Manhattan, between 77th and 81st Streets. We will meet up inside the 77th Street entrance of the Museum.

Telephone registration begins on Wednesday, March 21st.

Note: Again, all those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

The Tour Leader will be Carl Mehling.
The Tour Coordinator will be Donald Phillips.

For more information, contact Don Phillips at president@nyps.org .

PENN DIXIE QUARRY
HAMBURG, N.Y.

FRIDAY, SATURDAY, AND SUNDAY
March 30, 31 & April 1, 2012

Meeting up at 10:00 A.M. each day

The Penn Dixie Paleontological and Outdoor Education Center, is run by the Hamburg Natural History Society, in Hamburg (near Buffalo), NY. This classic fossil locality includes marine fossils dating around 380 million years ago from the Mid Devonian Hamilton Group, with some Upper Devonian Genesee Group layers. The fossils include wonderful specimens of horn corals, cephalopods, etc., as well as beautiful (and fairly common) specimens of the trilobites Phacops rana and Greenops boothi, both flat and enrolled. The trilobites can be found as multiple specimens on slabs of rock.

We have an invitation to visit the Quarry. Since our Society will be one of the first groups allowed in after the season opens, the finds should be very rich - even spectacular. This is a week before their scheduled opening so we will be getting the season's first crack at the rocks.

NOTE: This site is weather dependent. If there is sufficient snow on the ground on March 30th, 31st and/or April 1st the quarry will be closed!

COST: The Penn Dixie Outdoor Education Center charges an annual membership fee. Last year it was $25 per individual or $40 per family.

Note: All those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

The Field Trip Leader and Coordinator will be Chris Marotta.

For more information, contact Chris at chrismarotta@nyps.org .

HELDERBERG FOSSILS
OF THE ALBANY, N.Y. AREA

SAT. & SUN., October 15 & 16, 2011
Meeting up at 10:00 A.M. both days

Our October trip will be to three quarries in the Albany area of New York. All of the sites on this trip are new sites not before visited on any of our Society’s trips in the past. All of the sites are in the Helderberg Group (Lower Devonian) and are rich in marine invertebrate fossils. This will be a very interesting trip, but all of the sites have some safety equipment requirements, so please read the information below and answer all of the questions when registering.

The stop on Saturday will be to a Lower Devonian Period site at Greenport Quarry, near the towns of Catskill or Hudson, N.Y. There is a wide variety of fossils found at the site, including brachiopods, bivalves, crinoids, gastropods, ammonoids, trilobites, etc., etc.

On Sunday we will collect in two more quarries. The first stop will be to Howes Cave Quarry and, later in the afternoon, to Schoharie Quarry, both near the towns of Schoharie and Cobleskill. Note, we have visited the Schoharie road cut in the past, but this is the first time we will be visiting the quarry itself. Both quarries are also part of the Helderberg Group. Although all three quarries have the same fossil fauna, species rare in one quarry are common in another, so members should get a very good representation of all species found in the Helderberg Group. Our host in the quarries will be Geologist Dr. Paul H. Griggs.

Since these are private quarries, all members must wear the following safety gear to enter the quarries, and an inspection will be made by the Quarry prior to your entering:

1) Hard Hat
2) Safety Goggles / Safety Glasses
3) Long Pants
4) Boots (Steel Toed preferred but not mandatory)

Knee pads are nice for comfort if you do a lot of kneeling and work gloves are also a good idea. There is no place nearby for drinks, etc. so plan accordingly with drinks and food.
Note also, that you must arrive on time to get into these quarries - late arrivals can’t enter !

THE CINCINNATIAN
GEOLOGY AND PALEONTOLOGY OF THE UPPER
ORDOVICIAN OF OHIO, KENTUCKY AND INDIANA
FOSSIL COLLECTING IN THE WORLD FAMOUS CINCINNATI REGION

MAY 28 & 29, 2011
(Note: this is the Memorial Day (May 30th) weekend)

Two days of excellent collecting (all day Saturday and Sunday) in the world famous Cincinnati Arch Region. Although most members may be familiar with the Devonian of New York, these are earlier Ordovician sites and are extremely rich in marine invertebrate fossils. The Cincinnatian of Ohio is the type series for the Ordovician of North America, so all other Ordovician sites are compared to this area. The fossils are generally excellently preserved.

Note, our Society has not visited this area for almost a decade.

Southwest Ohio is approximately a 12-16 hour drive from NYC by car or you can take a bus or flight into either Dayton, Cincinnati or Columbus and then rent a vehicle. You should plan on traveling on Friday and returning Monday since we will start early both days. Since this is a long way from our base in New York, there will be plenty of opportunities and sites to collect from. Note, you can attend either Saturday or Sunday’s events, or both (see registration, below).

Based on the successful scheduling of our last trip to the region, we’re planning on visiting two rich sites each day, and giving members directions to some “bonus” sites that they can visit in the late afternoon or evening if they prefer. The sites we visit may be modified before the trip. Complete directions to the sites and any updates on the trip will be provided to those registering.

A field guide to the geology and paleontology of the Cincinnati region by Rich Rose will be available for those participating for a nominal fee.

You must be a member of the New York Paleontological Society to attend this field trip.

Field Trip Leader and Coordinator: Donald Phillips

For more information, contact Don at president@nyps.org

SILURIAN AND DEVONIAN FOSSILS
OF THE BUFFALO, N.Y. AREA
FRI., SAT. & SUN., JUNE 17, 18 & 19, 2011

Our last trip of the season is to a combination of Silurian / Devonian fossils sites. We visited these sites last year,and members were pleased with the fossils they found. This will be a very interesting trip, but one of the sites has some unique requirements, so please read the information below and answer all of the questions when registering.

This is a working quarry so regulations are very strict. Children under 14 are not allowed into this quarry.

You must wear the following safety gear (remember it’s a working quarry) and an inspection will be made by the Quarry prior to your entering: Hard Hat; Safety Goggles / Safety Glasses; Orange Safety Vest; Steel Toed Footware. It’s a long trip back by yourself and they are very strict: Knee pads are nice and as this Silurian rock is very sharp, rock gloves are a very good idea. There is no place nearby for drinks, etc. so plan accordingly with drinks and food.

The Quarry is only open on Fridays and reservations must be made in advance so we have to call in all names in advance (on June 10th).

Once again, if will you be attending Penn Dixie Quarry on Saturday (6/18), there are no age limits or border crossings. Also, note, Penn Dixie charges a nominal entrance fee per person. If will you be attending 18 Mile Creek on Sunday (6/19), it’s also in the U.S. and there are no age limits or entrance fees.

Note: All those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

The Field Trip Leader and Coordinator will be Ray McKinney

For more information, contact Don Phillips at president@nyps.org

BIG BROOK, NEW JERSEY
SATURDAY APRIL 30, 2011

Big Brook is one of the classic fossil localities in the Eastern U.S., and continues to produce a wide variety of fossils for first time collectors and veterans alike. Geologically and paleontologically, the site represents a marine environment from the Late Cretaceous. The fossils date from a few million years before the great extinction that ended the age of the dinosaurs. For those not familiar with the site, collecting here is different than at most fossil sites. Instead of hammers and chisels to free fossils from rock, here one sifts the stream sediments for fossils - as if panning for gold. The site produces a wide range of fossils. Invertebrate specimens commonly found include fossil snails, ammonites and belemnites (extinct, nautilus-like and squid-like creatures), and bivalves such as Exogyra and the brachiopod Choristothyris. One can also find parts of crustaceans like crabs, lobsters (Hoploparia) and the burrows of Ghost Shrimp (sometimes with the shrimp inside). There are also vertebrate fossils. Most common (and popular) among these are fossil shark teeth and vertebrae, and the teeth and bones of a wide variety of Cretaceous fish. Rarer vertebrate fossils include parts of bone from huge sea turtles, teeth and bone from crocodiles and periodically the teeth and bone of the extinct marine reptiles - plesiosaurs and mosasaurs. Finally, but very rarely, bones of dinosaur are found. Although most fossils here come from the Cretaceous Period, fossils of much more recent Ice Age mammals are not uncommon

Copies of our comprehensive, award winning field guide to Big Brook will be available.

This year we're providing a full coach bus with a rest room on board, picking up in both Brooklyn and Manhattan. Although there is no attendance fee, for those going on the bus, there is a $32 per person fee to cover the cost of the bus.

The field trip leader will be Donald Phillips . For more information, contact him at president@nyps.org

DEVONIAN FOSSILS OF NEW YORK
SATURDAY MAY 7, 2011

Our first trip this season to the Devonian will be to a number of sites in the Albany, New York area. We will begin at the well known Schoharie site for members who may like to take a look at this highly fossiliferous site.

This site is loaded with fossils from nearly every phyla. Some of the more notable items found are the Hindia sp. sponges that look like golf balls and Platyceras gastropods that come in a wide variety of morphologies. Crinoid “hold fasts” are also common in several layers as well as some partially articulated crinoid arms. Some very nice straight nautiloids have also been found. This site has an enormous variety of brachiopods and some trilobites have been found. The limestone formations found at this site are Early Devonian, ranging around 390 -380 million years.

We will then also visit a number of other Devonian sites along route 20.

The Field Trip Leader and Coordinator will be Chris Marotta. For more information, please contact Chris at chrismarotta@nyps.org

Note: Membership in the NYPS is required for attendance

MARINE DEVONIAN FOSSILS
Central New York State

Sat. & Sun., October 16 & 17, 2010
Meeting up at 9:00 A.M. both days

Our second trip of the season will be to collect Devonian fossils at a number of sites in the Madison County area in upstate New York.

All of the sites are in the Middle Devonian Delphi Station Member of the Skaneateles Formation, where one can find many marine invertebrate fossils including trilobites such as Dipleura dekayi, Phacops rana and Greenops boothi; cephalopods like Spyroceras nuntium and Striacoceras typum and gastropods - Bembexia sulcomarginata, Ptomatis patulus and Paleozygopleura sp. There are also many species of brachiopods, bivalves, bryozoans, crinoids, etc., etc.

On Saturday, we will visit two sites near the town of Waterville, N.Y. Sunday will include visits to three sites near the town of Hamilton, N.Y. You can make it a one or two day trip if you prefer.

A field guide including plates of fossils likely to be found at these sites will be available.
The Field Trip Leader and Coordinator will be Ray McKinney.

Note: All those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

For more information, contact president@nyps.org

FIELD TRIP ANNOUNCEMENT

LOWER DEVONIAN FOSSILS OF SCHOHARIE, NEW YORK
SATURDAY APRIL 17, 2010

Meeting up about 11:00 a.m.

Hello, NYPS members. This spring we have a lot on our plate. Plans for at least four other trips are being finalized. Last winter I had passed by our familiar Schoharie outcrop and noticed that some of the forward facing limestone blocks on this outcrop had collapsed. This may reveal some fresh material. I am going up there, and leading a one day trip for any members who may like to take a look at this highly fossiliferous site.

This site is loaded with fossils from nearly every phyla. Some of the more notable items found are the Hindia sp. sponges that look like golf balls and Platyceras gastropods that come in a wide variety of morphologies. Crinoid “hold fasts” are also common in several layers. Last winter I noticed a block with many partially articulated crinoid arms. This site has an enormous variety of brachiopods and some trilobites have been found. The limestone formations found at this site are Early Devonian, ranging around 390 -380 million years.

A field guide by Erich Rose will be available for those attending.

The Field Trip Leader and Coordinator will be Chris Marotta. For more information, contact Chris at chrismarotta@nyps.org .

Note: All those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

FIELD TRIP ANNOUNCEMENT

BIG BROOK, NEW JERSEY
SATURDAY APRIL 24, 2010

The field trip leader will be Donald Phillips . For more information, contact him at president@nyps.org

Copies of our comprehensive, award winning field guide to Big Brook will be available.

Note: All those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

FIELD TRIP ANNOUNCEMENT

MARK TWAIN AND DEVONIAN FOSSILS OF CENTRAL NEW YORK
Saturday and Sunday, May 1st & 2nd, 2010

Mark Twain (Sam Clemens), author of such American classics as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and those of Huckleberry Finn, was world renowned in his day. But did you know that he also collected fossils and read and wrote about them and their ancient worlds?

Our second Spring field trip will be a two day affair, the first day to Elmira, N.Y. and the second to a museum and/or collecting sites in the area. You can attend either one or both days!

Saturday will provide a unique opportunity to learn about and see where Mark Twain lived and worked during one of the most productive periods of his life, producing such works as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

We’ll meet up at Elmira College and then drive to Quarry Farm, followed by a visit to the growing Quarry Farm Fossil Collection. We’ll then collect at the quarry where Twain & friends once collected. Next, a tour of the farm house after which we’ll return to campus to see the statue of Twain and visit his study. We may also be allowed to browse the Twain archives (first editions, some books from his own library, etc.), although this has not been finalized as of yet. We’ll finish up with a trip to the grave site of Twain and his family, a visit to his study and a “Twain in Elmira” exhibit. In the evening, Linda and Michael have graciously invited all those members attending the day’s events to come to their home for a barbeque on Saturday evening - an excellent opportunity to socialize and discuss the day’s events.

On Sunday, we will visit a museum and/or a number of collecting sites in Central N.Y. Details are being worked out.

The Field Trip Leaders on Saturday will be Michael & Linda Pratt

The Field Trip Coordinator for both days will be Donald Phillips. For more information, contact him at president@nyps.org

Note: All those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

FIELD TRIP ANNOUNCEMENT

THE FOSSIL PLANTS OF ST. CLAIR, PENNSYLVANIA
SATURDAY, MAY 29, 2010 (rain date May 30th)

This trip will take you to the classic site at St. Clair. The fossils here are renowned for their beauty. Fossils representing the ancestors of almost all living plants are found in the Llewellyn Formation of Eastern Pennsylvania. The gray shales of this site produce some of the finest specimens of fossil plants from the Mid to Upper Pennsylvanian Period in the world, during which time this area was covered by coastal swamps periodically inundated by marine incursions. Many fossils are coated with pyrophyllite - a whitish mineral that makes the fossil stand out in contrast to the dark gray matrix - a phenomena basically found most consistently only in this quarry, making them so sought after.

This is a joint trip with the Suffolk County Science Teachers Association of New York State (STANYS). STANYS will provide a bus for its members and there may be some seats available for our members.

The Field Trip Leader and Coordinator will be Chris Marotta. For more information, contact him at chrismarotta@nyps.org .
.

Note: All those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

FIELD TRIP ANNOUNCEMENT

SILURIAN AND DEVONIAN FOSSILS OF THE BUFFALO, N.Y. AREA
FRI., SAT. & SUN., JUNE 18, 19 & 20, 2010

The following is some preliminary information on a combination of Silurian / Devonian fossils sites that we’ll be visiting. This should be a very interesting trip, but one of the sites has some unique requirements.

The first stop will be on Friday to a Silurian Period site where we will collect Eurypterids. Eurypterids are some of the most sought after invertebrate fossils. The site is Rosemount Quarry in Ontario, Canada; about ten miles from the U.S. / Canadian border near Buffalo, N.Y. It is in Canada so a Passport or an “Enhanced Drivers License” is required. Children under 18 should bring their Birth Certificate.

This is a working quarry so special safety gear is required. There are also age restrictions for youngsters.

Also, the Quarry is only open on Fridays and reservations must be made in advance so we have to call in all names in advance.

In spite of all the hassles, the trip is well worth it. Ray has been there twice and both times ended up with a complete Eurypterid and lots of partials. Note also, that the age restriction for admission only applies to the Friday site at Rosemount. There is none at the Saturday & Sunday sites.

Safety equipment is required here and there is an entrance fee.

We will have some organized meals for all to meet at as well as a trip to a local Rock / Fossil Shop.

Note: All those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

The Field Trip Leader will be Ray McKinney

The Field Trip Coordinator will be Donald Phillips. For more information, contact Don at president@nyps.org

DEVONIAN FOSSILS OF CENTRAL NEW YORK
SYRACUSE AREA, NEW YORK

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2009
Meeting up at 10:30 A.M.

Our second collecting trip of the season will be to Devonian sites in Central New York. The sites are centered about 25 miles south / east of Syracuse, N.Y.

On Saturday, we’ll be visiting three sites from the Devonian Skaneateles Formation in central New York. These are all marine sites from the Middle Devonian, containing fossils such as brachiopods, cephalopods, bryozoans, crinoids, corals, bivalves, gastropods, trilobites, trace fossils, sometimes plants, etc. However, the three sites represent slightly different environments and, hence, a slightly different fossil fauna.

We’ll first be visiting a site representing the Mottville, Delphi Station and Pompey Members of the Skaneateles Formation. This site has a varied fauna, including common, exquisitely preserved specimens of gastropods, bivalves & brachiopods - found ‘in the round’ and easily removed from matrix.

Next, we’ll visit another site from of the Delphi Station Member of the Skaneateles Formation. Unlike the first site, however, this site is well known for its trilobite Dipleura dekayi (which can be huge by New York standards), large pelecypods and trace fossils.

For our third stop, we are at this time working on permission to collect at a large site in the area. This site is rich in fossils, including trilobites. If this site does not work out, however, we will visit another site of the Marcellus Formation.

A field guide containing plates of fossils likely to be found at these sites will be available at a nominal price.

A VISIT TO RED HILL, PENNSYLVANIA

September 26 & 27, 2009
Meeting up at about 10:00 A.M. both days

We have been invited to visit the Red Hill Field Station and fossil site once again this Fall. Our dates are Saturday, September 26th and Sunday, September 27th. These sites are located near Hyner Bend, PA.

This now world-renowned site was discovered by paleontologist Ted Daeschler and curator Doug Rowe. Doug has received a national award for his discoveries of many new species, the creation of the Red Hill Field Station Museum and his stewardship of the Red Hill site.

Red Hill is perhaps the only Devonian tetrapod site in the continental U.S. Two or possibly three new species have been discovered there within the past ten years or so. While tetrapods are extremely rare, the site offers a diverse array of Devonian fish bones, shark teeth and plant fossils.

This is an active research site maintained by the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences. As an important research site there are a few rules we must adhere to: 1) we must only open new bedding planes when designated people are present at the site. They must be able to see if anything important to science is unearthed. Surface collecting is allowed anytime. Additionally, 2) we must also allow curator(s) to review our finds. If we make any remarkable finds we must yield them to the Academy. I have only seen this happen three times in the five years that I have been visiting Red Hill.

Don’t miss the opportunity to see Red Hill from “Hyner View”; a nearby 1,600 ft. overlook. And best of all, don’t forget to visit the Red Hill Field Station. There you will see all of the wonders that can be found at the site and all that has been learned from these Late Devonian fossils. On Sunday, we also plan to visit the “Swopes” site on the way back, and maybe stop at a third site (Lower Devonian).

Saturday meeting time: Between 10:00 & 11:00 A.M. at the Red Hill Site.
Sunday meeting time: 10:00 A.M. at the Red Hill Site.

To register for the trip, contact the Field Trip Leader, Chris Marotta at chrismarotta@nyps.org
He will get back to you with more information and directions.

Note, All those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society and must sign a waiver.

JOURNEY TO THE HOME OF AMERICA’S
FIRST DINOSAUR FOSSILS

Amherst College Museum of Natural History
Including the Hitchcock Collection
Amherst, Massachusetts
AND
A Trip To A Trackway Quarry
South Hadley, Massachusetts

SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2009
Meeting up at 11:00 A.M.

In the early 1800's, Pliny Moody, a farmer in South Hadley, Massachusetts, found what he thought were the fossil tracks of giant birds. Called “Noah’s raven”, these tracks are now known to be those of dinosaurs. Edward Hitchcock, a professor, became interested in them and spent the rest of his life collecting them. Although not bones, these fossils are now recognized as the first dinosaur fossils found in America.

We begin our trip with a visit to the Amherst College Museum of Natural History in Amherst. Here, we will be given a special tour of this paleontology museum, with special emphasis on the tracks and trackways of Hitchcock’s collection. After a break for lunch, we will travel to South Hadley to visit a working paleontological quarry only a little over a mile from where Pliny Moody’s farm stood in the early 19th Century. Here, we will be given a tour of the quarry with a discussion of the tracks and how they are collected. There is also a small museum at the quarry and a gift shop where fossil tracks and other items may be purchased. Note, since this is a working quarry, we will not be allowed to collect here.

The Field Trip Leader and Coordinator will be Donald Phillips.

Our field guide to the paleontology and geology of the Connecticut Valley, by Donald Phillips, will be available for minimal charge to those who’d like a copy.

All those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

For more information, contact Donald Phillips at president@nyps.org

LOWER DEVONIAN FOSSILS
OF SCHOHARIE, NEW YORK

SATURDAY, May 23, 2009
Meet Between 10:00 & 11:00 A.M.

This trip will be a joint function for both The New York Paleontological Society (NYPS) and The Science Teachers Association of New York State (STANYS).

Hello, NYPS fossil collectors! This May, I want to lead our group to a familiar and highly fossiliferous site located in Schoharie, NY. This site has been favorite of one of ours due to its abundance of well preserved lower Devonian fossils. It is also near several other good fossil sites that we will visit.

STOP ONE: The Schoharie represents a diverse range of Paleozoic phyla. Some of the more notable items found are the Hindia sp. (sponges that look like golf balls) and Platyceras gastropods that come in a wide variety of morphologies. Crinoid “hold fasts” are also common in several layers. This site has an enormous variety of brachiopods and some trilobites have been found. Recently, vertebrate (fish) coprolites have also been reported. The limestone formations found at this site are Early Devonian, ranging around 400 million years.

STOP TWO: I will try to arrange car pools to a nearby Manlius Formation outcrop for people to collect Tentaculites (about 4 miles away). (This location is too small to bring the STANYS bus).

STOP THREE: The Old Stone Fort Museum. A great place to eat lunch and learn about a Revolutionary War battle which had taken place in Schoharie. Unfortunately, I believe that the Museum itself is not open until Labor Day.

STOP FOUR: The Kalkberg Formation In Leesville, NY.

A field guide by will be available for those attending at approximately cost.

The Field Trip Leader and Coordinator for the NYPS members is Chris Marotta.

For more information, please contact Chris Marotta at chrismarotta@nyps.org

FOSSIL PLANTS OF PENNSYLVANIA
SAINT CLAIR AREA, PENNSYLVANIA
AND
MARINE DEVONIAN FOSSILS
DEER LAKE AREA

SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 2009
Meet Between 11:00 & 11:15 A.M.

The first of our Spring field trips will be to the mountains of Pennsylvania in the beautiful Schuylkill River Valley area, not far from the Appalachian Trail. We will be visiting two sites near Pottsville, Pennsylvania.

Our first stop will be to a marine Devonian site (Hamilton Gp., Mahantango Fm.). Fossils include brachiopods, gastropods (snails), cephalopods (nautilus-like creatures), pelecypods (“clams”), trilobites and others.

The next site is the world famous quarry at St. Clair. The fossils here are renowned for their beauty. Fossils representing the ancestors of almost all living plants are found in the Llewellyn Formation of Eastern Pennsylvania. The gray shales of this site produce some of the finest specimens of fossil plants from the Mid to Upper Pennsylvanian Period in the world, during which time this area was covered by coastal swamps periodically inundated by marine incursions. Many fossils are coated with pyrophyllite - a whitish mineral that makes the fossil stand out in contrast to the dark gray matrix - a phenomena basically found most consistently only in this quarry, making them so sought after.

The fossil flora consists of extinct water-loving plants and trees, some of which grew to over a hundred feet in height. Included are leaflets and fronds of ferns, including the now extinct seed ferns, believed by most paleobotanists to be ancestral to all modern seed plants. Also found are the whorled leaves of sphenopsid plants - represented today by the scouring rushes - including the leaves and parts of the trunk of the giant Calamites. Also found are the bark and leaves of the tree-sized Lepidodendron, and parts of one of the earliest conifers Cordaites. Preservation is usually excellent, and fine specimens are very common.

The Field Trip Leader and Coordinator will be Donald Phillips.

Our field guide to these sites written by Donald Phillips and edited by Erich Rose will be provided for those who want a copy. Note, there is no attendance fee for this trip. Note also, there is at least about a quarter of a mile walk over level ground from parking to the quarry at the St. Clair site.

All those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

For more information, contact Donald Phillips at president@nyps.org .

REDHILL, PENNSYLVANIA

September 27 & 28, 2008 (tentative dates)

This Fall we have been invited to return to a favorite site, The famous Red Hill Devonian Site and Field Station in Central Pennsylvania.

Red Hill is a Devonian vertebrate and plant site. Two or possibly three new species have been discovered there within the past ten years or so. While tetrapods are extremely rare, the site offers a diverse array of Devonian fish bones, shark teeth and plant fossils.

The trip will include Collecting, Starting at about 11:00 am on Saturday with visits to the Field Station (Museum) in the afternoon. As we did last year, those who choose to do so may meet for dinner at a nearby restaurant. Sunday we will return to Red Hill at about the same time and then go to another site in the afternoon. People may come for one or both days.

There are two things of which to be aware at Red Hill. Firstly, PLEASE REMEMBER: SAFETY FIRST !!! and ALWAYS WEAR GOGGLES !!!! Red Hill is a hazardous site and is not good for small children.

Secondly, when we are allowed to dig here it is only by the permission of the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Science. We must follow their few but important rules: No digging except when the group is accompanied by their designated representatives and All finds must be viewed by the representative and if important, must be given to the academy. Over several years and multitudes of finds, I only know of three occasions where researchers wanted a particular fossil found by a collector. All the rest, we were allowed to keep. There will be a representative here from about 11:00 on each day.

DEVONIAN SEAS OF CENTRAL NEW YORK
SYRACUSE AREA, NEW YORK

SATURDAY &/OR SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11 & 12, 2008
Meeting up at 11:00 A.M. both days

Our second collecting trip of the season will be to Devonian sites in Central New York. It can be either a one or two day collecting trip for members. The sites are centered about 25 miles south / east of Syracuse, N.Y.

Over the course of the weekend, we’ll be visiting four sites from the Middle Devonian in central New York. These are all marine sites from the Middle Devonian, containing fossils such as brachiopods, cephalopods, bryozoans, crinoids, corals, bivalves, gastropods, trilobites, trace fossils, sometimes plants, etc. However, the four sites represent three different stratigraphic formations, and each site has specific features and specimens for which it is known.

On the first day, we’ll first be visiting a site in the Windom Shale (uppermost member of the Moscow Formation). This site is known for unexpected surprise finds and some beautiful, glittering specimens of tiny pyrite crystals and pyritized fossils. Next, we’ll collect in the Skaneateles Formation. This site has a varied fauna, including common, exquisitely preserved specimens of gastropods, bivalves & brachiopods - found ‘in the round’ and easily removed from matrix.

On Sunday, we’ll begin with a visit to another site from of the Delphi Station Member of the Skaneateles Formation. Unlike Saturday’s site, however, this site is well known for its trilobite Dipleura dekayi, which can be huge by New York standards.

For our second stop this day, we hope to be able to visit a new site rich in fossils, including trilobites. The details and land clearance for this site are still being worked out as of this writing, so we can give no more details. If this site doesn’t pan-out, we will collect at a site from the Marcellus Formation; the lowest portion of the Hamilton Group. Among the varied fauna found here are specimens of the huge brachiopod Spinocyrtia.

A field guide containing plates of fossils likely to be found at these sites will be available at a nominal price.

The Field Trip Leader will be Jim Conway.
The Trip Coordinator will be Donald Phillips.

Note: All those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

For more information, contact Don Phillips at president@nyps.org .

-RECENT FIELD TRIPS-

Devonian Fossils of Central New York

Saturday May 24, 2008
Meeting up time between 10:00 and 11:00 A.M

This Spring, I would like to try something that I originally had tried to do last year - coordinate a fossil collecting adventure on a day when a nearby museum is open. Why? Because there happens to be a really nice museum complex, right near an incredibly good Devonian fossil site. Additionally, there are several other good fossil sites in the immediate area.

Our Trip Leader and Coordinator will be Chris Marotta.

Stop Number One: (And Meeting Place)
An old favorite - the Schoharie Site. This site offers diverse and well preserved marine fossils from the end of the Lower Devonian. During the morning we will also make excursions to a nearby site (from the beginning of the Lower Devonian) for the classic fossil Tentaculites.

Stop Number Two: (Optional Museum Visit, about noon)
For those who are interested, we can picnic at the Old Stone Fort Museum Complex. The primary focus of this museum is its Revolutionary War and Mohawk Valley history. However, they also have some local fossils and minerals on display on the second floor of the main building. Notable items include a Devonian Gilboa Tree trunk and a Trilobite that a prehistoric Native American wore.

Stop Number Three: (about 2:00 P.M.)
(In Progress… I am working on getting us permission to a new site.)

Final Stop Number Four: (about 4:30 P.M.)
For those who like to max-out the day; a stop at the Kalkberg Formation at Leesville. A good variety of Devonian fossils are found here. Occasionally nice Favosites coral colonies are collected. The last time we visited, a few trilobites surfaced.

NOTES: All those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society, and all must sign “hold harmless agreements”. Safety Goggles MUST be worn at all times at the collecting sites!

For more information, please contact Chris Marotta at chrismarotta@nyps.org

Again, all those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

DINOSAURS OF CONNECTICUT &
THE EARLY MESOZOIC OF
THE EASTERN U.S.

DINOSAUR STATE PARK
Rocky Hill, Connecticut

SATURDAY MAY 31, 2008
Meeting up at about 10:45 A.M.

The east coast of the United States possesses geology that preserves a record of the formation and breakup of the supercontinent Pangaea during the Late Triassic and Early Jurassic Periods.

And in one place in the Connecticut Valley near Hartford, CT are preserved the finest dinosaur trackways (and those of other creatures) on display in the U.S. - Dinosaur State Park - all nestled under a geodesic dome. As well as dinosaur tracks, the museum houses displays of plant, invertebrate and fish fossils found in the area, as well as magnificent murals and dioramas of life there in the Triassic and Early Jurassic.

Our journey back in time will center around a visit to the museum. There will be a special tour arranged for our group, along with a viewing of the museum’s own film about the park.

In the afternoon, for those interested, we are planning a further event, either visiting sites of geological interest in the area associated with the breakup of Pangaea or a tour of the museum’s arboretum containing descendants of plants that dominated the land here back in the Mesozoic. We will inform registrants as to which plan we’ll follow (any preferences?).

Note, due to land clearance difficulties and the extreme difficulty of removing footprints from bedrock, there will be no collecting on this trip. However, you can make your own cast of dinosaur tracks at a special site outside the museum if you’d like.

Our Field Trip Coordinator will be Donald Phillips.

Our Trip Tour Leaders will be Daniel O’Dea and Donald Phillips.

A special field guide to the dinosaurs of the Connecticut Valley will be available to members attending. There will also be copies of our February 2008 issue of the Newsletter containing Alan Zdinak’s review of the museum.

COSTS: The Society charges no fee for this trip. However, it will be necessary to pay admission to the museum. The cost is $5 for adults and $2 for children between ages 6-12.

INFORMATION: For more information, contact Don Phillips at president@nyps.org .

All those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

BIG BROOK:
A TRIP TO THE CRETACEOUS
OF NEW JERSEY

SATURDAY APRIL 26, 2008

Meeting up at about 10:30 A.M.

Near the end of the Cretaceous Period, parts of east central New Jersey were covered by the sea, and a varied fauna of marine creatures flourished. Fish, squid, shrimp, ammonites and many forms of shellfish made this area home. The largest marine animals included the extinct sea reptiles, the mosasaurs and plesiosaurs, as well as huge crocodiles and sea turtles. Also, since the area was near the coast, some terrestrial animal remains, including dinosaur, were washed into the sea.

Big Brook is one of the classic fossil localities in the Eastern U.S., and continues to produce a wide variety of fossils for first time collectors and veterans alike. Geologically and paleontologically, the site represents a marine environment from the Late Cretaceous. The fossils date from a few million years before the great extinction that ended the age of the dinosaurs. For those not familiar with the site, collecting here is different than at most fossil sites. Instead of hammers and chisels to free fossils from rock, here one sifts the stream sediments for fossils - as if panning for gold. And as with placer gold, the stream acts to concentrate the fossils that are gradually eroding from the banks.

The site produces a wide range of fossils. Invertebrate specimens commonly found include fossil snails, ammonites and belemnites (extinct, nautilus-like and squid-like creatures), and bivalves such as Exogyra and the brachiopod Choristothyris. One can also find parts of crustaceans like crabs, lobsters (Hoploparia) and the burrows of Ghost Shrimp (sometimes with the shrimp inside). There are also vertebrate fossils. Most common (and popular) among these are fossil shark teeth and vertebrae, and the teeth and bones of a wide variety of Cretaceous fish. Rarer vertebrate fossils include parts of bone from huge sea turtles, teeth and bone from crocodiles and periodically the teeth and bone of the extinct marine reptiles - plesiosaurs and mosasaurs. Finally, but very rarely, bones of dinosaur are found. Although most fossils here come from the Cretaceous Period, fossils of much more recent Ice Age fossils are not uncommon.

The field trip leader and coordinator is Donald Phillips.

He can be contacted at president@nyps.org

For those new to the geology and fossils of the area, Don will give a brief talk on the history, geology, stratigraphy and fossils of the site at about 11:00 A.M. There will also be a demonstration on how and where to sift for the fossils.

Copies of our comprehensive, award winning field guide to Big Brook will be available for those who’d like a copy. The price is $7.20 for members.

THOSE REGISTERED WILL BE GIVEN COMPLETE INFORMATION ON TOOLS, CLOTHING, DRIVING DIRECTIONS, ETC. BY EMAIL OR POSTAL MAIL.

All those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

Note: For those going on this trip, see the related talk under “meetings” by Dr. J Bret Bennington on April 13th entitled "When Dinosaurs Ruled New York: the Significance of the Tristate Region to Dinosaur Paleontology."

-RECENT FIELD TRIPS-

FOSSILS BY SUBWAY !
Rockaway, N.Y.C.

Saturday, November 10, 2007
Meeting up at about 10:30 A.M.

The rocks beneath New York City are largely metamorphic and igneous in origin, and, as most fossil buffs know, these types of rock do not contain fossils. It’s been said that the only fossils in the city are either at the Museum of Natural History or in the rocks used in constructing the buildings.

But this is not so! Periodically, fossils are found in nature - some are “float” fossils - rocks brought down by glaciers from further north and then deposited here - but there are some Pleistocene (Ice Age) fossils to be found also. These include rare bits of fossil vertebrates, usually marine mammals, but also even more rarely some terrestrial ones. But most surprising are the invertebrate fossils in concretions sometimes found along the beaches of Long Island, and especially in Brooklyn and Queens. These contain beautifully preserved shellfish, crabs and other invertebrates. Even a starfish and sea cucumber have been found. Most paleontologists believe that these are eroded from the Gardeners Clay, dating from the Sagamon interval between the Illinoisan and Wisconsin Glacial advances (about 100,000 years ago).

And this fossil locality can be reached by subway and buses as well as by cars!

Join us on a collecting trip for fossils to the beaches of Rockaway. Some brief field notes will be provided.

Our Guest Field Trip Leader will be Philip Tates

The Field Trip Coordinator is Donald Phillips

OF WIND AND TIDES: As in all beach collecting, the wind and tides can greatly effect what’s found. This date was selected for the trip because the favorable low tide occurs at around 2:00 P.M. However, note that the fossils are relatively rare. Some days, a person may find none. Phil has reported, however, that on one day he found 30 - so be prepared for good or bad luck. Phil will teach us what to look for and how to find them.

NOTE ALSO: The trip may be cancelled due to continuous rain - this combined with wind and surf are particularly uncomfortable.

For more information and to register, contact the trip coordinator, Don Phillips.

Family Friendly Field Trip

Central New York State

Saturday, September 1 & Sunday, September 2, 2007

Meeting up at 10:00 A.M. Saturday and 9:00 A.M. Sunday

The trip will be led and coordinated by Chris Marotta

This trip is designed to be accommodating to our friends, family members and children who are less inclined to spend the day breaking rocks on a remote mountainside or in a distant quarry. It is a family friendly field trip to two locations. Both allow collecting and they also each provide a museum, gift shops and even a play ground at one location. These are the Petrified Creatures Museum of Natural History and Herkimer Diamond Mines. Both are located about 25 miles apart in central New York. The trip will run rain or shine.

The Petrified Creatures Museum is an original road side attraction on Route 20. They have a museum, a trail of dinosaur statues, and a well stocked fossil shop. In addition, they have a fossil pit in the back, where you can collect and keep Devonian fossils. I believe this exposure may be the Becraft formation, however, unlike other Becraft exposures, trilobites are frequent. Admission is $8 for adults & $4 for children. However, we will get a reduced price if 25 or more attend.

Sunday will be the Herkimer Diamond Mines. What is the Paleontological connection? There are several. First the quarry, where beautiful quartz crystals can be found, is made of Pre-Cambrian / Cambrian limestone. Within this quarry you may also gather the oldest fossils in New York State - stromatolites. If you do find some Herkimer Diamonds, look closely for trapped air pockets or oil droplets that were trapped within these crystals during the Paleozoic. Finally, don’t miss their wonderful museum featuring fossils, minerals, jewelry and a short film. See Andy the genuine dinosaur skull from Madagascar (which bears an striking resemblance to Barney) and try to find the Green River fish that has been mislabeled as a trilobite. They also have a large fossil and mineral shop, anning for fossils sold by the bag) and the aforementioned play ground. A group discount may also be possible at this stop.

REGISTRATION : To register for this trip, please contact Chris at cmmarott@ic.sunysb.edu

Saturday Meeting Time and Place : 10:00 A.M. at the Petrified Creatures Museum of Natural History (P.C.M.) in Warren, N.Y. (Near Richfield Springs).

Sunday Meeting Time and Place : 9:00 A.M. at the Herkimer Diamond Mine (H.D.M.) in Herkimer, NY.

TOOLS : All collectors must wear goggles !!!
For the P.C.M., some tools are provided. Goggles are required. Small hammers (up to 3 pounders) are best. Also bring a chisel and a bucket to carry things in.
For the H. D. M., sledge hammers are needed for this very strong limestone (They allow up to 10 pounders). Goggles are required and must be worn at all times (!), even if you are not hammering! Chisels and buckets or strong sacks are also good. Parking is close enough to the sites so little carrying is necessary.

NOTE TO DRIVERS : When in Central New York avoid driving through the nearby town of Cobleskill, NY. In Cobleskill, NY it is said that they have created an industry of ticketing out-of-towners who drive through the town.

WAIVER : All attending must sign a waiver.

Note also, all those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society

AND, OUR SECOND FALL TRIP TO :

REDHILL, PENNSYLVANIA

Saturday & Sunday, October 6 & 7, 2007

Once again, we’ve been invited for a visit to the Research Station and collecting at the famous Red Hill Site in Hyner, Pennsylvania

We have been given the dates of October 6th and 7th - make a note in your calendar!

More information to follow.

BIG BROOK, NEW JERSEY

SATURDAY APRIL 21, 2007

Copies of our comprehensive, award winning field guide to Big Brook will be available.

In previous years, we found that, despite our best efforts, many people who wished to go on our trips couldn't make it due to lack of transportation. So, once again this year we're providing a full coach bus with a rest room on board. All you need is a subway token and you're off! However, members may also attend by car.

There will be an on-bus lecture on the geologic and life history of the areas we'll be passing through on the way to the brook.

COST: There is no attendance fee. For those going on the bus, there is a $27 per person fee to cover the cost of the bus.

Contact the field trip leader,Donald Phillips at president@nyps.org for more information.

Note: All those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

RETURN TO "RED HILL"
NORTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA

SATURDAY & SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7 & 8, 2006
Meeting up at 11:00 A.M. SATURDAY
Meeting up at 10:00 A.M. SUNDAY

We have been offered a return trip to Red Hill on October 7 & 8. This site is known for the early tetrapod finds of Paleontologist Ted Daeschler and N. Douglas Rowe. At this site we may find Devonian fish remains, plants and a variety of other phyla from the Famennian (365m.a.+,-2).

On the second day, we will visit other collecting sites. One in Pennsylvania will be a Devonian site to collect fossil invertebrates. More information about these will be provided to those who register.

This happens to be Columbus Day Weekend giving many of us an extra day off for more collecting or recuperating.

The Field Trip Leader and Coordinator will be Chris Marotta.

Note: All those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society. Memberships may be purchased or renewed at the site or by mailing in the online form at www.nyps.org beforehand.

Note also, that the Red Hill site is a VERY steep outcrop, and footing can be somewhat precarious. Because of this, young children are not allowed to collect there. Also, hardhats and safety glasses / goggles are required for working at this site. The other sites are easy to work with no restrictions. Complete information will be forwarded to those registered.

For more information, contact Chris Marotta at: fieldtrips@nyps.org

All those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

MARK TWAIN
AND DEVONIAN FOSSILS OF CENTRAL NEW YORK

Saturday and Sunday, October 28 & 29, 2006
MEET AT ABOUT 12:00 NOON ON SATURDAY
MEET AT ABOUT 11:00 A.M. ON SUNDAY

Mark Twain (Sam Clemens), author of such American classics as Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, was world renowned in his day. But did you know that he also collected fossils and read and wrote about them and their ancient worlds?

Our second fall field trip will be a two day affair, the first day to Elmira, N.Y. and the second to collecting sites south of Syracuse.

Saturday will provide a unique opportunity to learn about and see where Mark Twain lived and worked during one of the most productive periods of his life. For those who attended our May meeting remember, Dr. Michael Pratt spoke on Twain and his experiences with fossils and paleontology, with specific reference to his “Was the World made for Man” letter - a thoughtful yet satirical (a la Twain) essay on mankind’s relationship to past geological ages and life. Since many of those members who mostly attend only our field trips may have missed his well received talk, he has offered to repeat it. A meeting room is available on campus.

We’ll meet up at Elmira College and then walk to Twain's study and then to an exhibit about his life in Elmira. I'll will try to make arrangements so we can also visit the Twain archive room in the college library to see some of the books he read and wrote, including first editions! From campus, it's a short drive to where Twain and his family are buried (Woodlawn Cemetery). From there, Quarry Farm, where Twain and friends did some fossil collecting, is just a few miles away, where restroom facilities and refreshments (cider, coffee, pastries, etc.) will await. Those who bring their lunches will enjoy chowing down while gazing over a large, beautiful vista that includes a big chunk of the Catskill Delta. We would then walk around the farm property (and maybe go on a guided tour inside of the house if it can be arranged) and collect a few fossils in the quarry where Twain's study originally stood. Note, since the quarry is an active Paleontological and Archaeological research site, members can only keep “souvenir” fossils - any of scientific importance must be donated to the college.

Throughout the day, Michael will include information about Twain’s life, works and fossil experiences. All the above will take about three hours or so. For those who’d like to know more about the College and Twain, here's a link to Elmira College's website: http://www.elmira.edu/, which has a campus map and travel directions, and also The Center for Mark Twain Studies: http://www.elmira.edu/academics/distinctive_programs/twain_center.

NOTE: many of these premises are not open to the public ever - Michael and Linda have arranged special entry for our members on this day!

On Sunday, we will visit a number of collecting sites south of Syracuse, N.Y., about 1 to 2 hours drive from Elmira. Will be collecting many beautiful (and sometimes rare) Middle Devonian marine fossils including brachiopods, cephalopods (Michelinoceras, Tornoceras), bryozoans, bivalves, gastropods, Tentaculites and trilobites (Greenops boothi (Green), Basidechenella rowi (Green) & Dipleura). One site contains some rocks with beautiful pyrite microcrystals on them. At these Sunday sites, you can keep all the fossils that you collect.

Complete information with directions, lodging, tools, clothing, etc. will be sent to those who register (see below).

The Field Trip Leaders on Saturday will be Michael & Linda Pratt
The Field Trip Leader on Sunday will be James Conway
The Field Trip Coordinator for both days will be Donald Phillips

A collecting field guide will be available for a nominal fee to those attending.

For more information, contact Donald Phillips at : president@nyps.org

Note: All those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

RECENT FIELD TRIPS

EVOLUTION OF PLANTS
A Tour at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden

SATURDAY, MAY 13, 2006
MEET AT ABOUT 12:50 P.M.

Most paleontologists focus on animals - invertebrate and vertebrate - and frequently view plants as incidental material in the rock matrix. Although some well known fossil localities such as St. Clair, Pennsylvania or Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona focus on plant fossils, these are the exceptions. But to ecologists and paleobotanists, plants are the very base of almost all food chains on earth, wresting biomass and energy from the sun itself and feeding itself and all other life - animal and otherwise.

Join us on a tour through the evolution of plants, and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is probably the best place in the greater New York City area to do this. The Garden is unique in having an exhibit called the Trail of Evolution, where the important steps in the evolution of plants are noted with fossils as well as their living descendants nearby. The trail was the idea of the late Dr. Stephen Tim, who was very interested in the role played by plants throughout geologic history.

We will begin with a tour of this trail and will discuss some of the problems with identifying plant species in the fossil record, and discuss Darwin’s “abominable mystery”. From there, we’ll continue through the greenhouses, emphasizing species adaptations to different environments in an evolutionary context, and those species characteristic of continents separated by continental drift.

Finally, we’ll continue into the gardens and woods, noting many “living” fossils and their paleontological pedigree - especially trees.

The tour / lecture lasts from about 1:00 P.M. until 4:00 P.M. However, the Garden is open from 10:00 A.M. until 6:00 P.M.

The Field Trip Leader and coordinator will be Donald Phillips

A handout highlighting major changes in flora and corresponding fauna through geologic time will be provided.

If you arrive early or stay after the tour, the Garden is world renowned for its Japanese Garden.
Because of the unusually warm winter weather this year, the flowers around the city have been blooming at unusual times. However, during May, azaleas and tulips should be in bloom at the Garden. For more information about the Garden, visit their website at www.bbg.org .

REGISTRATION: Since the Garden needs to know about how many will be attending, you must register for this trip. To register, contact Don Phillips at president@nyps.org. Be sure to mention how many people are coming with you.

COST: The tour is free to members. However, you must gain admission to the Garden. If you arrive between 10:00 A.M. and Noon, admission is free. If you arrive after noon, the admission is $5 for adults, $3 for seniors over 65 and for students with I.D.s. Young people under 16 are free. Of course, admission is free to all members of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Also, there may be discounts or free admission to members of the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx (as well as other botanic(al) gardens around the tristate area) through “reciprocal privileges”.

TRANSPORTATION: The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is located adjacent to Prospect Park, and is right next to the Brooklyn Museum of Art.
By Subway : Take the 2 or 3 trains to the Eastern Parkway / Brooklyn Museum Station. After exiting, enter the Garden to th right of the Museum. Or, take the “Q” train to Prospect Park Station. After exiting at the rear of the station (coming from Manhattan), the entrance to the Garden is diagonally across the intersection, and across the street from the Prospect Park entrance. Either way, once in the Garden, go to the Steinhardt Conservatory.
By Train : Take the L.I.R.R. to Flatbush Ave., and then the 2 or Q subways.
By Car : Eastern Parkway or Flatbush Ave. run along the sides of the Garden. There is parking on Washington Ave. off of Eastern Parkway near the Brooklyn Museum. It is $3 for the first hour, $9 up to four hours and $12 all day. It is free to Brooklyn Museum members or certain levels of Brooklyn Botanic Garden membership.

CLOTHING: It will probably be warm, but bring a light jacket or sweater anyway. Also, bring an umbrella or rain gear just in case. Note, although most of the tour will be indoors, if sunny, a hat might be a good idea.

FOOD: The Terrace Café is located right in front of the entrance to the Steinhardt Conservatory - a good place to catch a bite if you arrive early and are waiting to meet us.

Note again: All those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

PENN DIXIE QUARRY AND ENVIRONS
Near Hamburg, New York

SATURDAY, June 10, 2006
MEET AT ABOUT 10:00 A.M.

Our June field trip is to a classic Mid to Upper Devonian fossil locality not far from Buffalo, New York. Once called Bay View Quarry, this site exposes formations from the Hamilton Group (about 380 million years ago), including the Ludlowville, Moscow and Genesee Formations - all rich in marine invertebrate fossils. There is a varied fauna ranging from brachiopods, mollusks, bryozoans, etc., but the site is best known for its fairly common trilobites Phacops rana and Greenops boothi - found both as flat and enrolled specimens. The quarry is a large open area, with easy access to collecting, and the quarry curators will be bulldozing new diggings with fresh exposures, so there should be plenty to find.

We’ll also be visiting a second site not far from Penn Dixie - an intimate site along a small creek exposing the Wanakah Shale Member of the Ludlowville Formation. This site produces many fossils, including some fine brachiopods.

Note: As of this writing, we are attempting to arrange entrance to another site about 50 miles away from Buffalo, but we won’t know for sure if we can gain access until the end of April. If the site is open to us, then we’ll visit on Sunday, June 11th. There will be more information on this in the next issue of the Newsletter and also to all that register for Penn Dixie (see below).

The Field Trip Leader will be James Conway

The coordinators will be James Conway & Donald Phillips

A field guide will be available for a nominal fee to those attending.

REGISTRATION: You must register for this trip. To register please contact Don Phillips at president@nyps.org. Please include information as to 1) how many will be attending in your group, 2) if you need a ride and 3) if you would be willing to offer a ride to one of your fellow members.

Note: All those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

LOWER DEVONIAN FOSSILS OF SCHOHARIE, NEW YORK

SATURDAY, APRIL 29, 2006
MEET BETWEEN 11:00 & 11:15 A.M.

Hello, N.Y.P.S. members. This April, we would like to bring our members to a familiar and highly fossiliferous site located in Schoharie, NY. We will be making a field guide for this site available along with possible additional information.

This site is loaded with fossils with a nearly every phyla represented. Some of the more notable items found are the Hindia sp. sponges that look like golf balls and Platyceras gastropods that come in a wide variety of morphologies. Crinoid "hold fasts" are also common in several layers. This site has an enormous variety of brachiopods and some trilobites have been found. Recently, vertebrate (fish) coprolites have also been reported.

The limestone formations found at this site are Early Devonian, ranging around 400 million years. Most literature describes it as part of the Heiderberg Group, however, the N.Y. Geological Society appears to be calling this part of the Tristates Group with "Schoharie" and "Rickard Hill" Formations named (Educational Leaflet 33, Rogers et al.).

The Field Trip Leader and coordinator will be Chris Marotta.

A field guide by Erich Rose will be available for those attending.

DEVONIAN FOSSILS OF THE MOHAWK VALLEY

Leesville, New York

Saturday, October 22, 2005

Meeting at 11 :OOA.M.

Our second Fall collecting trip will be to an old favorite of the Society that has not been visited for a while in the Mohawk Valley area west of Albany. We will be visiting at least two sites from the Devonian Period. The first will be at Leesville. The rocks we will be searching for fossils in belong to the lower Devonian Kalkberg Formation (Helderberg Group). A variety of marine fossils can be found in this limestone including colonial and horn corals, various species of brachiopods, bryozoans, bivalves, gastropods, crinoids, and the occasional trilobite. We will also be visiting other Devonian sites in the area including a Zoophycus (feeding patterns) site.

The trip will be led by James Conway

A SPECIAL TOUR OF DINOSAURS: ANCIENT FOSSILS, NEW DISCOVERIES

Saturday, May 21, 2005 at 2:00

The Division of Paleontology at the American Museum has put together its first special exhibit on dinosaurs in many years. Entitled Dinosaurs: Ancient Fossils, New Discoveries, this exhibit will tour the country following its premier here at the museum. All of the displays are either new or modified for this special exhibit. The displays consist of many fossil specimens and new art and sculpture depicting the most current understandings about dinosaurs and their relationships. A central exhibit is a diorama depicting the Cretaceous forest of Liaoning, China - an area that today is producing some of the finest and most exciting vertebrate fossils anywhere in the world - and the American Museum is in the forefront of work on its fossils. These fossils include a great variety of small carnivorous dinosaurs, some of which have led to modern birds, while others to strange variants including a flying 'dinosaur' with four wings and a highly modified carnivore which apparently evolved into a herbivore. There is also a specimen of a mammal from Liaoning whose remains include its last meal - a juvenile dinosaur! Other exhibits include a model of T. Rex which illustrates current research on the biomechanics of how these animals actually moved. There is also a large model of a sauropod skeleton generated by computer modeling to study motion and dynamics in these huge beasts. The general theme of the exhibit is not only what is known currently about dinosaurs, but also leaves open questions that have yet to be answered.

Information not available in the exhibit itself will also be provided on this tour.

The tour will be led by Donald Phillips.

Don teaches courses in paleontology and related biology / geology topics at Hofstra and New York Universities. He also teaches a matriculated course at Polytechnic University entitled Dinosaurs: Resurrecting an Extinct Species, which focuses on how paleontologists' understanding of dinosaurs has changed over time and how this is related to concurrent ideas in other sciences, philosophy and to the world view of society at a particular time. This approach is also part of the theme of this special exhibit.

The tour will last about an hour and a half to two hours, after which attendees will have time to study more closely those exhibits of particular interest to themselves. Don will be available for questions throughout our time there.

Those interested can also attend our early dinner after the tour at a restaurant near the museum, over which we can discuss the exhibit, dinosaurs or simply shmooze.

For more information, contact the tour leader at this website.

ORDOVICIAN FOSSILS OF THE MOHAWK VALLEY

Amsterdam, New York

Saturday, June 11, 2005

Meeting up at about 10:00 A.M.

The Valley is a region of deeply cut sedimentary rock in New York State that extends along the Mohawk River roughly between the Catskill and Adirondack Mountain ranges. It is a scenic region that has been important in early American history, as well as Geologic history. (Think "Drums along the Mohawk" or "Last of the Mohegans"). Later, New York's Erie Canal had passed through with some stone structures still remaining along the Mohawk River. Over vast time, this river and its tributaries have cut below the Devonian bedrock of central New York into Silurian, Ordovician, and Cambrian Sediments. We will be collecting at several exposures of the Ordovician.

Our first site will be east of Amsterdam along route 5 N. This and other sites were scouted by a member, Jim Philipps and myself, last summer. Here, we will find an exposure of the Wolf Hollow Limestone and Palatine Bridge Members of the Tribes Hill Formation (Lower Ordovician). A portion of the Palatine member is very rich in pieces of Asaphellus and Symphysurina trilobites. Articulated specimens are possible but infrequent.

The next stop is a site that the N.Y.P.S. had scouted a number of years ago, known as "Manny Corners". It is an abandoned quarry with five members of the Mohawkian Series exposed (Middle Ordovician). Various species are found there. Fine Isotelus trilobites have been found but are rare and take a lot of work removing them from the rock matrix.

A final Ordovician stop will be made on the south side of the Mohawk River near Fultonville. Here, a contact between lower and Middle Ordovician sediments is located. There is a particular layer of coquina that is highly fossiliferous. Last year's "scouting mission" revealed a nice nearly complete trilobite.

Finally, we will take a ride up a hill that illustrates about 50 million years of sedimentation into the Lower Devonian. Afterwards, we can hit a "bonus" site of Devonian age. Attendees will get to vote on a favorite local bonus site.

Note: All sites chosen for this trip have not been visited before by our Society.

The Field Trip Leader and Coordinator will be Chris Marotta.

Note: All those attending must be members of the New York Paleontological Society.

For more information, contact Chris Marotta at this website.

DEVONIAN SEAS OF CENTRAL NEW YORK

SYRACUSE AREA, NEW YORK

SATURDAY &/OR SUNDAY, APRIL 9 & 10, 2005

Our first collecting trip of the season will be to Devonian sites in New York not before visited by our Society. It can be either a one or two day collecting trip for members. The sites are centered about 25 miles south / east of Syracuse, N.Y. For those members who can attend for only one day, the trip leaders' consensus is that the sites on Saturday are richer and the fauna more varied.

Over the course of the weekend, we'll be visiting four sites from the Middle Devonian in central New York. These are all marine sites from the Middle Devonian, containing fossils such as brachiopods, cephalopods, bryozoans, crinoids, corals, bivalves, gastropods, trilobites, trace fossils, sometimes plants, etc. However, the four sites represent three different stratigraphic formations, and each site has specific features and specimens for which it is known.

On the first day, we'll be visiting a site from the Skaneateles Formation. This site has a varied fauna, including common, exquisitely preserved specimens of gastropods, bivalves & brachiopods - found 'in the round' and easily removed from matrix. Next, we'll visit a site in the Windom Shale (uppermost member of the Moscow Formation). This site is known for unexpected surprise finds and beautiful, glittering specimens of tiny pyrite crystals and pyritized fossils.

On Sunday, we'll begin with a visit to a site from the Marcellus Formation; the lowest portion of Hamilton Group. Among the varied fauna found are specimens of the huge brachiopod Spinocyrtia. And finally, a stop at another site from of the Delphi Station Member of the Skaneateles Formation. Unlike Saturday's site, however, this site is well known for its trilobite Dipleura dekayi, which can be huge by New York standards. Although there are no guarantees, in 10 minutes, Jim and I (Phillips) found a head, a pygidium, some pleurons and a small, completely enrolled specimen!

Some literature containing field information about the sites will be available for those attending.

The Field Trip Leader will be Jim Conway.

The Trip Coordinator will be Donald Phillips.

FOSSIL FORESTS OF PENNSYLVANIA

SAINT CLAIR AREA, PENNSYLVANIA

& MARINE DEVONIAN FOSSILS

DEER LAKE AREA

SATURDAY, APRIL 30, 2005

Our April 30th collecting trip will be to two sites near Pottsville, Pennsylvania.

We'll begin the day with a brief stop at a marine Devonian site (Hamilton Gp., Mahantango Fm.). Fossils include brachiopods, gastropods (snails), cephalopods (nautilus-like creatures) and pelecypods ("clams"), and trilobites.

The next site is the world famous quarry at St. Clair, a site that our Society has not visited for many years. The fossils here are renowned for their beauty. Fossils representing the ancestors of almost all living plants are found in the Llewellyn Formation of Eastern Pennsylvania. The gray shales of this site produce some of the finest specimens of fossil plants from the Mid to Upper Pennsylvanian Period in the world, during which time this area was covered by coastal swamps periodically inundated by marine incursions. Many fossils are coated with pyrophyllite - a whitish mineral that makes the fossil stand out in contrast to the dark gray matrix - a phenomena basically found only in this quarry, making them so sought after.

The fossil flora consists of extinct water loving plants and trees, some of which grew to over a hundred feet in height. Included are leaflets and fronds of ferns, including the now extinct seed ferns, believed by most paleobotanists to be ancestral to all modern seed plants. Also found are the whorled leaves of sphenopsid plants - represented today by the scouring rushes - including the leaves and parts of the trunk of the giant Calamites. Also found are the bark and leaves of the tree-like Lepidodendron, and parts of one of the earliest conifers Cordaites. Preservation is usually excellent, and fine specimens are very common.

The Field Trip Leader will be Donald Phillips.

A field guide by Erich Rose and Donald Phillips will be provided for those attending.

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