GMS Field Trips

GMS Epic Trip
Tennessee and Mississippi
Friday, Saturday, Sunday
May 20, 21, 22, 2016

The Tennessee impact crater was the first stop on the 2016 epic trip. It rained the day before and it was raining that morning, but by the time we got to the meeting place, the rain had stopped. Our local geologist friend showed us a geologic map of the site and explained what we were seeing. After an informative question and answer session, we headed out to ground zero. Because of the earlier rain, everyone was worried that the site would be too muddy. The road was a little soupy and there were a couple of shallow ponds where there normally aren't any, but it wasn't too wet to collect! Everyone extracted some excellent shatter cones so we called it a day and prepared for the next day of collecting.

Trip 2 of the epic trip was at a quarry in Tennessee for Lower Devonian fossils. Though it was incredibly foggy and we had only a few hours to collect, we were loaded up by the time we had to leave. There weren't as many trilobites as there have been in the past, but there were plenty of crinoids and other fossils to make us happy. Two specimens were the standouts of the day. Al Klatt found a spectacular crinoid calyx that has been identified as Dolatocrinus and Mike & Donna Pause found a specimen that has been identified as a conularid, possibly the first ever found at this location!

After lunch the epic trip continued at Cretaceous fossil location in Mississippi. North Mississippi Gem & Mineral Society members greeted us with supplies and snacks. We splashed around the creek screening for sharks' teeth. The water was warm and it was fun to see a tooth poking out of the gravel every now and then. Charles had to leave early to do a cabbing demo for the North Mississippi club, but I stayed until I was quite the prune.

The last part of the epic trip was the next day at a late Cretaceous fossil location in Mississippi. Another North Mississippi club member walked around the site helping us find and extract decapod fossils. I was on a quest for poo (coprolites) and I think I found a few. I saw more sharks' teeth this year than last year and I saw lots of crabs. There was even a major turtle find!

The epic trip takes a lot of coordination and we were fortunate to have help from many people: our impact crater expert; the quarry personnel; North Mississippi club members Roger Lambert, Jennifer, and Dave Hanes; and George Phillips, Paleontology Curator of the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science as well as the field trip participants who made each part of the epic trip so enjoyable!

For more pictures from each trip, click the corresponding trip photo below.

Lori Carter
On behalf of Charles Carter, GMS Field Trip Chair
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