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Mazon Tuesday #328: The Legacy of Tom Testa
Read more: Mazon Tuesday #328: The Legacy of Tom TestaMichele Micetich, curator of the Carbon Hill School Museum, will host a special event on Saturday, June 27, 2026, celebrating the life and legacy of Tom Testa. A lifelong fossil collector with a passion for Mazon Creek fossils, Tom assembled one of the finest private collections of its kind. In 2015, he generously donated his collection to Jack Wittry and the Field Museum, ensuring that it would remain available for scientific study. The remarkable depth and diversity of Tom’s collection have contributed to numerous scientific discoveries, including research highlighted recently in Mazon Monday #327.
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Mazon Monday #327: Direct development of stem tetrapods across the fin-to-limb transition
Read more: Mazon Monday #327: Direct development of stem tetrapods across the fin-to-limb transitionA significant paper on tetrapod development was published last week, and Mazon Creek fossils played a central role. “Direct Development of Stem Tetrapods Across the Fin-to-Limb Transition” by Jason Pardo and Arjan Mann of the Field Museum appeared in the journal Science. Lauer Foundation for Paleontology, Science, and Education also contributed to the study. The paper presents an important new perspective on the life history of the earliest tetrapods, which are the vertebrates that eventually gave rise to amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Using exceptionally preserved fossils from the Mazon Creek, the authors conclude that these early tetrapods did not…
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ESCONI at the Coal City Library!
Read more: ESCONI at the Coal City Library!On June 4, ESCONI was at the Coal City Library to kick off summer with exhibits of fossils, geodes, and our popular dig box. Jody Gosain and Jim Bigler presented to over 150 people including 100 children. Interestingly, the library itself has three beautiful collection of Mazon Creek fossils donated by locals over the years. So many residents told stories of relatives having “tullies” , buckets full of concretions collected over the years and asking how to get them to open, and playing along the creek and finding beautiful specimens! Many were surprised to learn just how fortunate they were…
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PBS Eons: Why Humanity Has Amnesia About Giant Sloths
Read more: PBS Eons: Why Humanity Has Amnesia About Giant SlothsPBS Eons has a new episode. This one is about human interactions with the giant megafauna of the Pleistocene.
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Fossil Friday #322: Macroneuropteris scheuchzeri from Dresden
Read more: Fossil Friday #322: Macroneuropteris scheuchzeri from DresdenFor this week’s Fossil Friday, we have a very nice Macroneuropteris scheuchzeri (see Mazon Monday #39). Macroneuropteris scheuchzeri is a fairly common seed fern, which is found in many Carboniferous fossil deposits. In some Mazon Creek localities like the Mazon River, it’s a dominant component of the flora. It was called Neuropteris scheuchzeri until 1977, when the classification was changed by Robert Gastaldo after extensive studies on European examples that looked at its frond architecture and cuticle.
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Throwback Thursday #322: An Othniel Charles Marsh “Origin of Species”
Read more: Throwback Thursday #322: An Othniel Charles Marsh “Origin of Species”While speaking with a Field Museum visitor at the recent “Dinopalooza 2026”, I learned about an extraordinary book discovery made at a Salvation Army store in Delaware a few years ago. The visitor shared in a 2025 post he made on the Reddit community r/rarebooks. The book is a signed copy of On the Origin of Species that once belonged to Othniel Charles Marsh. It is a first-edition, second-state American printing, published by Appleton and Company in 1860.
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Video for ESCONI June 2026 General Meeting – “At the Intersection of Art and Science: Outreach in Natural History Museums”
Read more: Video for ESCONI June 2026 General Meeting – “At the Intersection of Art and Science: Outreach in Natural History Museums”The ESCONI June 2026 General Meeting will be held via Zoom at 8:00 PM on Friday, June 12th, 2026. Adrienne Stroup, Geological Collections, Vertebrate Paleontological Loan Manager, PaleoArtist/Scientific Illustrator from The Field Museum will be presenting “At the Intersection of Art and Science: Outreach in Natural History Museums.” Adrienne will talk about the vertebrate paleontological collections at the Field Museum and how she has used her skills as an artist to reach different audiences at the museum. She will go into a brief history of paleoart as well, especially artists that have a connection to the Field Museum such as Charles…
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ESCONI June 2026 Paleontology Study Group Meeting, Saturday, June 20th, 2026 at 7:30 PM via Zoom – “Factors controlling the distribution of Late Ordovician – Silurian crinoids.”
Read more: ESCONI June 2026 Paleontology Study Group Meeting, Saturday, June 20th, 2026 at 7:30 PM via Zoom – “Factors controlling the distribution of Late Ordovician – Silurian crinoids.”The ESCONI June 2026 Paleontology Study Group Meeting will be held on Saturday, June 20th, 2026 at 7:30 PM via Zoom. Lincoln Shoemaker will present “Factors controlling the distribution of Late Ordovician – Silurian crinoids.” Lincoln Shoemaker is currently a master’s student at the University of Cincinnati where he is involved in multiple projects regarding the Late Ordovician Mass Extinction along with minor work involving Mississippian crinoids. Prior to pursing a master’s Lincoln worked as a freelance fossil preparator and commercial dealer of invertebrate fossils. Description: Many crinoid genera well represented in rocks of the Illinois Basin similarly occur in…
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Mazon Monday #326: More Mazon Creek at the 2026 CGMA Show
Read more: Mazon Monday #326: More Mazon Creek at the 2026 CGMA ShowThis is Mazon Monday post #326. What’s your favorite Mazon Creek fossil? Tell us at email:esconi.info@gmail.com. Long-time ESCONI member Rich Rock had an amazing display of Mazon Creek fossils at the CGMA show. There’s a little a bit of everything here, from clams to ferns to spiders to an absolutely breathtaking Alethopteris serlii. Enjoy!
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‘Whoa’: 12-year-old boy finds 80-million-year-old fossil during educational field trip
Read more: ‘Whoa’: 12-year-old boy finds 80-million-year-old fossil during educational field tripKCTV 5 has the story of a 12 year old finding some prehistoric treasure. Corbin Bullard, a budding paleontologist, discovered the skull and some vertebrae of an 80 million year old tylosaurus on a 4-H Geology Club field trip to Sedgwick County, Kansas.
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The Field Museum’s Dinopalooza 2026, Saturday, June 13th, 2026
Read more: The Field Museum’s Dinopalooza 2026, Saturday, June 13th, 2026The Field Museum’s annual paleontology extravaganza “Dinopalooza 2026” is today! Come on out and join the fun!
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Fossil Friday #321: A Large Crenulopteris acadica from the Mazon River
Read more: Fossil Friday #321: A Large Crenulopteris acadica from the Mazon RiverMarie Angkuw sent us these photos of a beautiful Mazon Creek fern. It’s a Crenulopteris acadica from the Mazon River. Crenulopteris acadica is a common fern from Mazon Creek, but this one is very large with multiple fronds. Marie collected this one a few years ago at the I&M Canal Corridor Benefit. The concretion opened up via the Freeze/Thaw method this past winter.
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Throwback Thursday #321: The Fossil Legacy of Thomas Jefferson
Read more: Throwback Thursday #321: The Fossil Legacy of Thomas JeffersonThe following article “The Fossil Legacy of Thomas Jefferson” by Trick Runions, a long-time ESCONI member, first appeared in the May-June edition of the Flatirons Mineral Club newsletter “Flatirons Facets”.
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Protect Yourself from Ticks!
Read more: Protect Yourself from Ticks!It’s a bad year for ticks, so be very careful out there. Remember, do frequent tick checks and use insect repellent!
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ESCONI June 2026 General Meeting, Friday, June 12th, 2026 at 8:00 PM via Zoom – “At the Intersection of Art and Science: Outreach in Natural History Museums”
Read more: ESCONI June 2026 General Meeting, Friday, June 12th, 2026 at 8:00 PM via Zoom – “At the Intersection of Art and Science: Outreach in Natural History Museums”The ESCONI June 2026 General Meeting will be held via Zoom at 8:00 PM on Friday, June 12th, 2026. Adrienne Stroup, Geological Collections, Vertebrate Paleontological Loan Manager, PaleoArtist/Scientific Illustrator from The Field Museum will be presenting “At the Intersection of Art and Science: Outreach in Natural History Museums.” Adrienne will talk about the vertebrate paleontological collections at the Field Museum and how she has used her skills as an artist to reach different audiences at the museum. She will go into a brief history of paleoart as well, especially artists that have a connection to the Field Museum such as…
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Mazon Monday #325: Braceville Spring 2026 Field Trip Report
Read more: Mazon Monday #325: Braceville Spring 2026 Field Trip ReportWe held our spring Braceville field trip a few weeks ago. The weather was nearly perfect… partly cloudy with temperatures in the high 70’s and low 80’s each day.
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High-Energy X-Ray CT Scanning of large, dense fossils
Read more: High-Energy X-Ray CT Scanning of large, dense fossilsToday’s post comes from Ravi Chandran and Tyler Keillor. Ravi Chandran is an ESCONI member and volunteer in Paul Sereno’s lab. Tyler Keiller is Manager of the fossil lab and past ESCONI member. He has presented at Paleofest and for ESCONI in the past. He is also paleo-artist. The Fossil Lab in Washington Park (5437 S Wabash Avenue) holds an Open House each month on the second Thursday (April 9 – November 12) from 3:30-5pm.
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Fossil Friday #320: Tully Monster Repeat!
Read more: Fossil Friday #320: Tully Monster Repeat!For this week’s Fossil Friday, we’re featuring our first-ever repeat fossil. It was special before and you’ll see why it’s even more special now. This remarkable Tully Monster specimen comes from longtime ESCONI member Jeremy Zimmerman. You could even say that this particular fossil is getting its third chance at fame.
ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show
Most Recent Post
- Mazon Tuesday #328: The Legacy of Tom Testa
Michele Micetich, curator of the Carbon Hill School Museum, will host a special event on Saturday, June 27, 2026, celebrating the life and legacy of Tom Testa. A lifelong fossil collector with a passion for Mazon Creek fossils, Tom assembled one of the finest private collections of its kind. In 2015, he generously donated his collection to Jack Wittry and the Field Museum, ensuring that it would remain available for scientific study. The remarkable depth and diversity of Tom’s collection have contributed to numerous scientific discoveries, including research highlighted recently in Mazon Monday #327.
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Field trips require membership, but visitors are welcome at all meetings!
| Friday, June 12th | General Meeting – 8:00 PM via Zoom. Adrienne Stroup of The Field Museum will present “At the Intersection of Art and Science: Outreach in Natural History Museums”. |
| Saturday, June 20th | Paleontology Study Group – 7:30 PM via Zoom. Lincoln Shoemaker will present “Factors controlling the distribution of Late Ordovician – Silurian crinoids.” |
| No meeting this month | Junior Study Group Meeting |
| No meeting this month | Mineralogy Study Group |
