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Today and Tomorrow are the 43rd Annual Chicagoland Gem, Mineral, & Fossil Show – May 25th and 26th, 2019
Read more: Today and Tomorrow are the 43rd Annual Chicagoland Gem, Mineral, & Fossil Show – May 25th and 26th, 2019The Chicagoland Gem, Mineral, & Fossil Show will be Memorial Day Weekend – Saturday May 25th and Sunday May 26th 2019, at the Kane County Fairgrounds in St. Charles, IL. Show times are 10 AM – 6 PM on Saturday and 10 AM to 5 PM on Sunday. Check here for all the details. Location Kane County Fairgrounds 525 S Randall RdSt Charles, IL 60174 FREE PARKINGINDOORS – AIR CONDITIONED – FOOD AVAILABLECamping Available – Call (630) 377-0197 Admission Prices* One Day Show Pass $5.00 Adults$3.00 Seniors & Students (ages 13-18)Children (Under 13) Attend Free Two Day Pass $8.00 Adults$5.00 Seniors & Students (ages…
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ESCONI Flashback Friday #3: Chicagoland Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show in 2001
Read more: ESCONI Flashback Friday #3: Chicagoland Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show in 2001As part of the run up to ESCONI’s 70th Anniversary. Here is Flashback Friday post #3. If you have pictures or stories to contribute, please send them over to esconi.info@gmail.com. Thanks! Here are some pictures from the 2001 Chicagoland Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show. Notice that the show was held at the DuPage County Fairgrounds at the time. Jack Wittry, Karen Nordquist, and Wendy Taylor. Dan Damrow setting up his Rib River Fossils display. Rib River Fossils. Jack Wittry and Karen Nordquist. ZRS Fossils and Gifts.
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ESCONI Field Trip Photos: Braceville May 18th – 19th, 2019
Read more: ESCONI Field Trip Photos: Braceville May 18th – 19th, 2019Saturday was a little rainy, but Sunday was a beautiful day as the rain missed us to the north. Turnout was higher on Saturday, probably due to the weather forecast. There were lively discussions. Give away fossils were provided by multiple individuals, thank you Andrew, Ralph, and Roger! Everyone went home with both opened and unopened concretions… Good luck with the freeze thaw! Here are some pictures that hopefully capture some of the fun!
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ESCONI Field Trip to Rockford-area Gravel Pit – June 8th, 2019
Read more: ESCONI Field Trip to Rockford-area Gravel Pit – June 8th, 2019There will be a field trip to a gravel pit in the Rockford area on June 8th, 2019. This is the same location that has been visited before. Because this is a shared trip with the Rockford club (RRVGMS) there is space for 20 ESCONI members. The trip will be from 9 AM to 12 noon. Note: this is a sand and gravel quarry, not the usual hard rock quarry in Rockford. There are fossils, but they come from the glacial till. So, if you are in the mood for a general rock collecting trip, this is for you!
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Happy 220th Birthday, Mary Anning!
Read more: Happy 220th Birthday, Mary Anning!Mary Anning was born on May, 21st, 1799. She was a fossil collector, dealer, and paleontologist that lived in and around Lyme Regis a city on the South coast of England in the early 19th century. She is most famous for her discoveries of the first correctly identifier ichthyosaur, two of the first complete plesiosaurs, the first pterosaur, Dimorphodon, found outside Germany, and numerous important fish fossils. Anning searched for fossils in the area’s Blue Lias cliffs, particularly during the winter months when landslides exposed new fossils that had to be collected quickly before they were lost to the sea. She nearly…
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Reminder: 43rd Annual Chicagoland Gem, Mineral, & Fossil Show – May 25th and 26th, 2019
Read more: Reminder: 43rd Annual Chicagoland Gem, Mineral, & Fossil Show – May 25th and 26th, 2019The Chicagoland Gem, Mineral, & Fossil Show will be Memorial Day Weekend – Saturday May 25th and Sunday May 26th 2019, at the Kane County Fairgrounds in St. Charles, IL. Show times are 10 AM – 6 PM on Saturday and 10 AM to 5 PM on Sunday. Check here for all the details. Location Kane County Fairgrounds 525 S Randall RdSt Charles, IL 60174 FREE PARKINGINDOORS – AIR CONDITIONED – FOOD AVAILABLECamping Available – Call (630) 377-0197 Admission Prices* One Day Show Pass $5.00 Adults$3.00 Seniors & Students (ages 13-18)Children (Under 13) Attend Free Two Day Pass $8.00 Adults$5.00 Seniors & Students (ages…
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Dickson Mounds hosts Rocks, Minerals, Fossils Program For Kids On June 8th, 2019 From 1-3 PM
Read more: Dickson Mounds hosts Rocks, Minerals, Fossils Program For Kids On June 8th, 2019 From 1-3 PMThe Illinois State Museum has a program called "Rocks, Minerals, and Fossils" at the Dickson Mounds on June 8th, 2019. You can find more details here. Saturday, June 8, 2019 – 1:00pm to 3:00pm Location: Dickson Mounds, Lewistown Event Audience: Family, Child Fee: Free, Donations Appreciated Learn about a variety of rocks, minerals, and fossils through viewing collections from area experts and representatives of local clubs. Specimens from the Illinois State Museum’s collection will be on view. Hands-on activities and crafts to take home. Kid's day programs are for kids ages 5+ years and older with an adult. Registration is…
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Reminder: ESCONI Paleontology Study Group Meeting on May 18th – “The Bundenbach Fauna”
Read more: Reminder: ESCONI Paleontology Study Group Meeting on May 18th – “The Bundenbach Fauna”The May Paleontology Study Group Meeting will feature a presentation on the “The Bundenbach Fauna” by ESCONI member Tom Williams. There will some interesting fossils to see. The lower Devonian Lagerstatte of the Hunsruck Slate is known for some amazing specimens. See you there!
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Scientists in Chile have found a 15,000-year-old footprint, the earliest sign of humans’ presence in the Americas
Read more: Scientists in Chile have found a 15,000-year-old footprint, the earliest sign of humans’ presence in the AmericasCNN has a story about the oldest footprint in the Americas. It’s 15,000 years old and was found in Chile. All the details appeared in a paper in the journal PLOS-ONE. A team of scientists in Chile say they’ve found a human footprint that dates back more than 15,000 years — the oldest one ever found in the Americas. The discovery challenges the previous timeline and map of human migration into South America. Most available evidence held that humans did not reach the Patagonia region at the southern tip of South America until 12,000 years ago, Karen Moreno, one of…
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NatGeo: This ancient sea creature fossilized in tree resin. How’d that happen?
Read more: NatGeo: This ancient sea creature fossilized in tree resin. How’d that happen?National Geographic has an article about an ammonite in amber. The amber is from Myanmar and is 99 million years old. The study was published Monday in the journal PNAS by a group led by Chinese paleontologist Tingting Tu. As you might guess, it’s the first known record of an ammonite found in amber. In a study published Monday in the journal PNAS, researchers led by Chinese paleontologist Tingting Yu reveal what is likely the first known record of an ammonite found in amber. These extinct marine mollusks were ancient relatives of octopuses and squid, and they didn’t venture on land. Finding…
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Meteorite Auction On May 18th, 2019 – Donley Auctions in Union, IL
Read more: Meteorite Auction On May 18th, 2019 – Donley Auctions in Union, ILFor those that aren't going to Braceville on May 18th, 2019, remember that there is an auction of meteorites at Donley Auctions in Union IL. Proceeds benefit the Planetary Studies Foundation. See https://www.donleyauctions.com/
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Newly Discovered Bat-Like Dinosaur Reveals the Intricacies of Prehistoric Flight
Read more: Newly Discovered Bat-Like Dinosaur Reveals the Intricacies of Prehistoric FlightThe Smithsonian has a story about a new “bat-like” dinosaur from China. This animal lived about 160 million years ago in the middle Jurassic. It’s called Ambopteryx longibrachium and it’s seems to be related to Yi qi, which was described back in 2015. The description of Ambopteryx appeared recently in the jounal Nature. About 160 million years ago, in the depths of the Jurassic, feathered dinosaurs started to take to the air. Clawed arms that had evolved to snatch and catch began to take on a new aerodynamic role, and feather-coated limbs began flapping as the earliest avian dinosaurs overcame…
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ESCONI Paleontology Study Group Meeting on May 18th – “The Bundenbach Fauna”
Read more: ESCONI Paleontology Study Group Meeting on May 18th – “The Bundenbach Fauna”The May Paleontology Study Group Meeting will feature a presentation on the “The Bundenbach Fauna” by ESCONI member Tom Williams. There will some interesting fossils to see. The lower Devonian Lagerstatte of the Hunsruck Slate is known for some amazing specimens. See you there!
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ESCONI Flashback Friday #2: 1951 Club Officers
Read more: ESCONI Flashback Friday #2: 1951 Club OfficersAs part of the run up to ESCONI’s 70th Anniversary. Here is Flashback Friday post #2. If you have pictures or stories to contribute, please send them over to esconi.info@gmail.com. Thanks! 1951 was the second year of ESCONI’s existence. Membership dues were $2 for an Active Membership. Other memberships included, Associate at $1.25, Junior $0.75, and Non-Resident at $1.25. The list of officers for ESCONI in 1951 was: William H. Allaway – ChairmanRoy Beghtol – Vice ChairmanHerb Beck – Recording SecretaryJay E. Farr – Corresponding SecretaryStevens T. Norvell – TreasurerB. J. Babbitt – EditorHarry Nelson – Associate EditorMrs. Ethel Whitney…
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PBS Eons: The Croc That Ran on Hooves
Read more: PBS Eons: The Croc That Ran on HoovesPBS Eons has an episode about an interesting crocodile. In the Eocene Epoch, there was a reptile that had teeth equipped for biting through flesh, its hind legs were a lot longer than its front legs and instead of claws, its toes were each capped with hooves. How did this living nightmare come to evolve?
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Reminder: ESCONI May Junior Meeting – Topic: Stone Age Tools and Art
Read more: Reminder: ESCONI May Junior Meeting – Topic: Stone Age Tools and ArtFor May, the topic of the Junior Meeting is “Stone Age Tools and Art”. See you there!
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Reminder: ESCONI May General Meeting on May 10th, 2019 – “Evolution of Pectoral Fins in Tetrapodomorph Fishes”
Read more: Reminder: ESCONI May General Meeting on May 10th, 2019 – “Evolution of Pectoral Fins in Tetrapodomorph Fishes”The speaker at our May 10th meeting will be Dr. Thomas Stewart. Dr. Stewart is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the lab of Dr. Neil Shubin at the University of Chicago. He will be speaking about his project with Dr. Shubin on the evolution of pectoral fins in tetrapodomorph fishes. His talk is entitled "Like the Back of My Hand: The Evolution of Dorso-ventral Asymmetry During the Fin-to-Limb Transition".
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Roy Plotnick: The things we leave behind (and shouldn’t)
Read more: Roy Plotnick: The things we leave behind (and shouldn’t)Roy has another post over on Medium. It’s an insightful post about returning what you’ve borrowed. The e-mail from the daughter of a long-retired colleague was unexpected. A paleontologist in a different department from mine, he was now in his early eighties and suffering from dementia. His daughter asked if I would be willing to look at boxes of fossils that he had stored at his now sold house. Agreeing, I was further surprised when she dropped off about eight full boxes of specimens. And I was even more shocked, and frankly mortified, when I realized that nearly all of…
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ESCONI May Junior Meeting on May 10th, 2019 – Topic: Stone Age Tools and Art
Read more: ESCONI May Junior Meeting on May 10th, 2019 – Topic: Stone Age Tools and ArtFor May, the topic of the Junior Meeting is "Stone Age Tools and Art". See you there!
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ESCONI Events May 2019
Read more: ESCONI Events May 2019Field trips require membership, but visitors are welcome at all meetings! Fri, May 3rd ESCONI Field Trip, St. Paul Quarry in St. Paul IN, 8:45 AM to 2:30 PM – Details here Fri, May 10th ESCONI Junior Meeting, 7:00 PM College of Dupage – Tech Ed (TEC) Building, Room 1038B (Map) – Topic: “Stone Age Tools and Art” Fri, May 10th ESCONI General Meeting, 8:00 PM College of Dupage – Tech Ed (TEC) Building, Room 1038B (Map) – Topic: “Like the Back of My Hand: The Evolution of Dorso-ventral Asymmetry During the Fin-to-Limb Transition” by Dr. Thomas Stewart of the University…
ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show
Most Recent Post
- ESCONI Field Trip to the Winfield Mounds “Walking with the Ancestors” – Saturday, May 9th, 2026
There will be a field trip to the Winfield Mounds on Saturday, May 9th, 2026. Meet at Hedge’s Station in Winfield, IL. at 1:00 PM. We will be departing from the meeting spot at 1:15 PM. The field trip ends around 3:00 PM. This guided nature-and-culture hike offers participants an immersive journey through the Winfield Mounds—one of DuPage County’s most significant Indigenous archaeological landscapes—situated along the dynamic ecotones of the West Branch of the DuPage River. Blending natural history with archaeological insight, the experience highlights how ancient peoples selected, shaped, and understood this riverine environment.
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Field trips require membership, but visitors are welcome at all meetings!
| Friday, April 10th | General Meeting – 8:00 PM via Zoom. Jessica Hull will present “Life in the Devonian Period, The Age of Fishes.” |
| Saturday, April 11th | Junior Study Group Meeting – 2:00 PM, in person at the College of DuPage Technical Education Center (TEC) Building – Room 1038A (Map). Katherine Howard will present on Sand and Sediment Collecting. Specifics of this meeting are available from Scott Galloway, 630-670-2591, gallowayscottf@gmail.com. |
| Saturday, April 18th | Paleontology Study Group – 7:30 PM via Zoom and in person at the College of DuPage, TEC, Room 1038B (Map). Keith Robitschek will present “Digging the Marl of the Lance Formation.” |
| Friday, April 24th | MAPS Expo XLVII – Springfield, IL. |
| Saturday, April 25th | MAPS Expo XLVII – Springfield, IL. |
| Sunday, April 26th | MAPS Expo XLVII – Springfield, IL. |
| No meeting this month | Mineralogy Study Group |