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Fossil Friday #315: Eubleptus danielsi
Read more: Fossil Friday #315: Eubleptus danielsiEubleptus danielsi belongs to the Palaeodictyoptera an extinct order of medium-sized to very large, primitive Palaeozoic paleopterous insects. E. danielsi was described by Anton Handlirsch in 1906. Handlirsch (1865 – 1935) was an Austrian entomologist, who worked extensively on many insect orders. He did significant work studying of fossil insects. Handlirsch described E. danielsi in “Revision of American Paleozoic insects. Proceedings of the United States National Museum“.
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ESCONI Field Trip to Braceville, IL for Mazon Creek Fossils – Saturday, May 30th and Sunday, May 31st, 2026
Read more: ESCONI Field Trip to Braceville, IL for Mazon Creek Fossils – Saturday, May 30th and Sunday, May 31st, 2026The ESCONI field trips to Braceville for Mazon Creek fossils are set for May 30th and 31st, 2026 from 9 AM to 3 PM. You can attend one or the other, but not both days. There is an attendance limit of 50 people each day. You must register to go on this trip. See rule 6 below for instructions. This is the ONLY way to register.
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Throwback Thursday #315: Empire Quarry in Bloomington, Indiana
Read more: Throwback Thursday #315: Empire Quarry in Bloomington, IndianaAtlas Obscura has an interesting post about the Empire Quarry located in the area of Bloomington, Indiana. This quarry supplied the 18,630 tons of stone used to build the Empire State Building in the 1920’s. Indiana is known for its rocks. Some of the world’s finest limestone hails from the area surrounding Bloomington and Bedford, Indiana. Many of our iconic building are constructed of Indiana limestone, including the Empire State Building, the Washington National Cathedral, the Pentagon, and many current state capital buildings.
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PBS Eons: When the Earth Had Supermountains
Read more: PBS Eons: When the Earth Had SupermountainsPBS Eons has a new episode. This one is about some truly giant mountains and the evolutionary changes they drove.
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Science Quickly: The dinosaurs at your window: How birds survived the asteroid that killed all other dinosaurs
Read more: Science Quickly: The dinosaurs at your window: How birds survived the asteroid that killed all other dinosaursScientific American’s “Science Quickly” had an interview with Steve Brusatte on a recent episode. Steve’s new book “The Story of Birds” is available to day April 28th, 2026.
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Mazon Monday #319: ESCONI Braceville Trip Spring 2005
Read more: Mazon Monday #319: ESCONI Braceville Trip Spring 2005Our spring trip to Braceville Spoil Pile is coming up in May. The sign-up will kick off very soon. We have been going there for many years. For the spring trip in 2005, Barbara Brotman, a reporter for the Chicago Tribune was there to talk to a few ESCONI members and talk about ESCONI.
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Early Triassic Cyclidan Crustacean Had Powerful Jaws
Read more: Early Triassic Cyclidan Crustacean Had Powerful JawsSci-News has an article about a distinctive, but enigmatic, group of arthropods called Cyclidans. Cyclidans appeared during the Carboniferous and hung around until the Late Cretaceous.
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Science Quickly: The fans who went from collecting Pokémon to studying bugs and fossils
Read more: Science Quickly: The fans who went from collecting Pokémon to studying bugs and fossilsScience American’s “Science Quickly” had a recent episode about the upcoming Pokemon display at the Field Museum. Arjan Mann, Field Museum Curator of Early Tetrapods, was one of the guests.
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Fossil Friday #314: Kellibrooksia macrogaster
Read more: Fossil Friday #314: Kellibrooksia macrogasterFor today’s fossil, we have a beautiful specimen of Kellibrooksia macrogaster, which was a species of mantis shrimp (see Mazon Monday #105). This rare animal was described by Frederick Schram in 1973. It was named in honor of Harold Kelly Brooks, who published the first well-illustrated modern account of Mazon Creek crustaceans. A pdf of his work is available. Have a look as it has some amazing illustrations! This contribution comes from Alan Keith. Alan is a very serious Mazon Creek collector. He travels up here from Texas multiple times each year to collect concretions he can process back home. Thanks for sharing,…
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Throwback Thursday #314: Collecting from 1954
Read more: Throwback Thursday #314: Collecting from 1954We are in the midst of the spring field trip season and this article by Roy Beghtol from the May 1954 edition of the ESCONI newsletter seemed appropriate.
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Happy Earth Day 2026!
Read more: Happy Earth Day 2026!For more information see the Earth Day website.
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Video for ESCONI April 2026 Paleontology Meeting – “Digging the Marl of the Lance Formation”
Read more: Video for ESCONI April 2026 Paleontology Meeting – “Digging the Marl of the Lance Formation”The April 2026 Paleontology Study Group Meeting featured Keith Robitschek and his presentation “Digging the Marl of the Lance Formation”.
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Video for ESCONI April 2026 General Meeting – “Life in the Devonian Period, The Age of Fishes”
Read more: Video for ESCONI April 2026 General Meeting – “Life in the Devonian Period, The Age of Fishes”The April 2026 General Meeting was held on April 10th, 2026 at 8:00 via Zoom. At the meeting, Jessica Hull presented “Life in the Devonian Period, The Age of Fishes.”
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Mazon Monday #318: Eusphenopteris neuropteroides
Read more: Mazon Monday #318: Eusphenopteris neuropteroidesEusphenopteris neuropteroides is an extinct seed fern species that is relatively uncommon, though it is primarily known from the terrestrial deposits of Mazon Creek. It was originally described as Pseudopecopteris anceps by Leo Lesquereux, but its classification has shifted over time as its relationships to other taxa became better understood. Over the years, it has been reassigned among several genera, including Sphenopteris and Mariopteris, before being placed in its current genus.
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The revolution in dinosaur science started 50 years ago—here’s what we have learned
Read more: The revolution in dinosaur science started 50 years ago—here’s what we have learnedPhys.org has a story about the dinosaur renaissance that started about 50 years ago. Before the research that led to the revolution in dinosaur science, dinosaurs were thought to dumb, slow, lumbering animals that went extinct because mammals were faster and smarter. Bone histology, birds as dinosaurs, feathers, lifespan, diet, and behavior are just a few of the advances we now understand to a greater extent than before the change in view that led to the renaissance.
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Reminder: MAPS Expo XLVII – April 24-26, 2026 in Springfield, IL
Read more: Reminder: MAPS Expo XLVII – April 24-26, 2026 in Springfield, ILThe Mid-America Paleontology Society (MAPS) 2026 Expo XLVII is being held from April 24th to 26th, 2026 at the Joe Orr Building on the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Illinois. The topic for the show is “Fossil Preparation and Archiving”.
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Fossil Friday #313: Mazonomya mazonensis
Read more: Fossil Friday #313: Mazonomya mazonensisGeorge Witaszek sent us this breathtaking plate platter of Mazonomya mazonensis (see Mazon Monday #25). This animal was called “clam-clam” by collectors. Mazonomya mazonensis was known incorrectly as Edmondia for a long time. It was redescribed by Jack Bailey in the book “Paleobiology, Paleoecology, and Systematics of Solemyidae (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Protobranchia) from the Mazon Creek Lagerstätte, Pennsylvanian of Illinois” in 2011.
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Throwback Thursday #313: Who Was DuPage? How the River and County Were Named
Read more: Throwback Thursday #313: Who Was DuPage? How the River and County Were NamedThe BeHistoric channel on Youtube has a fascinating video about the history behind the name of the DuPage River and DuPage County.
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ESCONI April 2026 Paleontology Meeting via Zoom and in-person – “Digging the Marl of the Lance Formation”
Read more: ESCONI April 2026 Paleontology Meeting via Zoom and in-person – “Digging the Marl of the Lance Formation”The April 2026 Paleontology Study Group Meeting will feature Keith Robitschek and his presentation “Digging the Marl of the Lance Formation”. You can attend in-person at the College of DuPage, TEC, Room 1038B (Map). The meeting will also be available via Zoom.
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49th Annual CGMA Show – May 23rd and 24th, 2026
Read more: 49th Annual CGMA Show – May 23rd and 24th, 2026The 49th Annual CGMA Show will be held May 23rd and 24th, 2026 at the Expo Center of the Kane County Fairgrounds.
ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show
Most Recent Post
- Fossil Friday #315: Eubleptus danielsi
Eubleptus danielsi belongs to the Palaeodictyoptera an extinct order of medium-sized to very large, primitive Palaeozoic paleopterous insects. E. danielsi was described by Anton Handlirsch in 1906. Handlirsch (1865 – 1935) was an Austrian entomologist, who worked extensively on many insect orders. He did significant work studying of fossil insects. Handlirsch described E. danielsi in “Revision of American Paleozoic insects. Proceedings of the United States National Museum“.
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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 |