This is the “Fossil Friday” post #80.  Expect this to be a somewhat regular feature of the website.  We will post any fossil pictures you send in to esconi.info@gmail.com.  Please include a short description or story.  Check the #FossilFriday Twitter hash tag for contributions from around the world!

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We have something a little different this week, but still Mazon Creek  It’s not exactly a fossil, but very fossil related.  You may remember James Alann with his eye popping Arthrolycosa danielsi in Fossil Friday #71 and his breathtaking euryperid in Fossil Friday #75.  Now, he’s back with a beautiful museum quality diorama of Mazon Creek animals and plants.  Along with the photos, he sent the story of its creation and a little on how he got interested in fossils and paleontology.   Thanks for another great contribution, Jim!  When we get back to live meetings, I’m sure everyone would love seeing it up close!

Enjoy!

Ever since my late father bought me a small fossil collection from the flea market when I was in kindergarten, I have been a lifelong fossil enthusiast.

I was unfortunately born a couple decades too late to participate in the “golden years” of Mazon Creek collecting, but I’ve been able to build a respectable collection over the years. I always wanted something special to go along with, and as a reference to my Mazon Creek fossil collection. Several years back, I made the acquaintance with several exceptionally-talented artists in the model dinosaur industry. I floated my idea and sketches for a life-sized Mazon Creek diorama by them and they agreed to take on my custom project. It took roughly 5 years to complete in their spare time (you can’t rush artists!), but the finished diorama measures approx. 4’ x 2’ and sits on a handsome oak base for the “Smithsonian effect”. I chose this size so it fits nicely atop the large oak flat file that contains most of my Mazon Creek collection and I use the diorama to show interested folks what these fossil critters may have looked like back in the Carboniferous of Illinois. The base of the diorama is constructed of molded fiberglass and the individual critters are made of solid resin. I actually made some of the hardened polymer clay plants myself using some second & third string fossils as molds. The base & all the various animals are air brush painted in colorful tropical schemes. After all, Illinois was basically on the equator back in the Carboniferous!

The diorama is meant to depict a storm surge scenario where the marine Essex fauna has been washed into the Braidwood deltaic environment to mix with the various terrestrial plant material, etc. There are four (4) tullies represented (old depiction), a school of four (4) Bandringa sharks, two (2) limulus horseshoe crabs, a Mayomyzon  lamprey, a Peachocaris shrimp, a couple chitons, a shark egg cluster, a handful of Edmondia, and pectins and an assortment of plant material. It is still a work in progress as I plan to add a few Elonichtys peltigerus, a hatchling coelacanth under the stump, and maybe some Essexella jellies down the road. If anything, the diorama represents the lengths (and expense!) us fossil enthusiasts will endure for the love of this hobby!

I hope the ESCONI members find this interesting and I plan to bring it in to a meeting one day down the road if you think this would be of interest.