Author: Penn Dixie

To be properly prepared for the Dig With The Experts event, there is certain equipment that is highly recommended:

• Rock pick / Bricklayers hammer
• 1 inch masonry chisel with hand guard (do not bring wood chisels)
• 3-4 lb hand sledge
• Work gloves
• Safety glasses
• Super glue for gluing broken fossils
• Aluminum foil for wrapping fossils
  

*There will a very limited amount of tools available for rent on a first come, first serve basis*

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To learn how to properly split blocks, please refer to this shale splitting tutorial specifically curated for the event:

There are safety rules that must be followed: When splitting you must wear safety glasses. Work gloves are also highly recommended. Never hit two hammers together to try to split a block. This can cause pieces of metal to shoot off the hammer. When flipping large blocks, ask for assistance from a staff member. Lastly we will have people at the event who can cut out your finds with a rock saw. Listen to any instructions they give you as the saws are dangerous.

Other recommended items to bring would be:

• A sun hat
• Sunscreen
• Drinking water
• Proper gear for the weather conditions: rain jacket, waterproof pants, etc. (make sure to check the forecast prior to the dig and dress accordingly)
• Closed-toe footwear (i.e., sneakers or boots) no Crocs, sandals, flip-flops or dress shoes
• Kneepads or a kneeling pad
• Lunch and/or snacks

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Trilobites

Eldredgeops (prev. Phacops) rana is the most common trilobite we find at Penn Dixie. They can be found rolled up or prone. (click on photos for a close-up)

We have two species from the Asteropyginae family, Greenops barberi and Bellacartwrightia undes. These trilobites look very similar but have small differences. The tail spines on a bellacartwrightia are thinner and more straight than the ones on a greenops. The bellas also have axial nodes which are small spines running down the center lobe of the trilobite. (click on photos for a close-up)

Pseudodechenella is the rarest of the trilobites pictured. These trilobites have a defined border around the base of the tail and have much different looking cephalons (heads) than all the other trilobites. (click on photo for a close-up)

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Other fossils

You will also be able to find the more common fossils in the piles. Corals and brachiopods will be common within all of the rock in the piles. There are many different species of both types of fossils to be found. Crinoids can be found in the bayview commonly, calyxes, however, are uncommon. (click on photo for a close-up)

There are other more uncommon fossils that can be found. Various species of bivalves (clams) can be found in the rock
There are a few types of cephalopods (ancient squid fossils) that can be found as well. 2 major genera of straight shelled cephalopods: Dolorthoceras which has a smooth shell and Spyroceras which has ridges on its shell, and curled cephalopods called goniatites—these are much rarer. You can find gastropods of different species within all of the rock as well. There is also some plant material that can be found uncommonly. (click on photo for a close-up)

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Carpoids

Last spring Site Manager Jonathan Hoag and Educator James Hanna discovered a new genus and species of carpoid, an echinoderm, on site. Since then a few other specimens have been discovered. The partial specimens are usually hard to notice so pay close attention as any further discoveries could be a big deal! (click on photos for a close-up)

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The layers within the piles

This is a block of the smoke creek trilobite beds. The smoke creek layer has a healthy mix of fossils and is where most of the trilobites are found. It is also where most of the cephalopods come from. (click on photo for a close-up)

This is a piece of the Bayview coral layer. These pieces are filled with all sorts of corals, brachiopods, and crinoids. This is where we also find most of the gastropods and occasionally the crinoid calyxes.