Earth Science Club of Northern Illinois

Around the Web

LiveScience: How do scientists figure out how old things are?

LiveScience has an informative piece about how scientists measure the age of something. The article mentions radiocarbon dating for more recent organic material and uranium-thorium-lead for older objects. But, there are other radioactive substances that can also be used, such as potassium-argon. Check it out if you’ve been curious how the process works. The ability to precisely date, or identify the age of an object, can teach us when Earth formed, help reveal past climates and tell us how early humans lived. So how do scientists do it? Radiocarbon dating is the most common method by far, according to experts. This method…
Read more: LiveScience: How do scientists figure out how old things are?
Around the Web

Check Out Paleo Nerds: a Prehistoric Podcast

If you’re looking for a new podcast to relax and forget about some of the recent crazy events… have a look at the Paleo Nerds podcast. The hosts are Ray Troll an Alaskan artist and his pal David Strassman. They are just starting their second season. Season 1 was 16 episodes with some very interesting guests, including Kirk Johnson (who did the book “Cruising the Fossil Freeway” with Ray), Jingmai O’Connor (paleontologista at the Field Museum), and Peter Ward (author of many books and expert on Mass Extinctions).
Read more: Check Out Paleo Nerds: a Prehistoric Podcast
Fossil Friday

Fossil Friday #38: Vinlandostrophia ponderosa

This is the “Fossil Friday” post #38. 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! For our post today, we have one of the more common brachiopods of the Cincinnatian Series of the Ordovician System, which dates to about 450 million years ago. This brachiopod is Vinlandostrophia ponderosa, the former Platystrophia ponderosa.. There are other species in the genus Vinlandostrophia, which can be seen here. Vinlandostrophia ponderosa Foerste,…
Read more: Fossil Friday #38: Vinlandostrophia ponderosa
Calendar of Events

ESCONI January 2021 Junior Meeting – My Collection by Scott Galloway on Saturday, January 9th, 2021

“My Collection” – Scott Galloway will talk about and show his lifelong collection of rocks, minerals, fossils, native American artifacts (stone points), and even artifacts from a mining ghost town. The meeting’s activity will be “To draw your favorite specimen or two from your personal earth science collection.” Every child should be equipped with drawing and coloring supplies, paper, and a favorite rock or earth science specimen to draw a picture of. To participate please contact Scott Galloway at gallowayscottf@gmail.com
Read more: ESCONI January 2021 Junior Meeting – My Collection by Scott Galloway on Saturday, January 9th, 2021
Throwback Thursday

Throwback Thursday #40: 25 and 50 Years Ago

This is Throwback Thursday #40. In these, we look back into the past at ESCONI specifically and Earth Science in general. If you have any contributions, (science, pictures, stories, etc …), please send them to esconi.info@gmail.com. Thanks! 25 Years Ago – January 1996 50 Years Ago – January 1971
Read more: Throwback Thursday #40: 25 and 50 Years Ago
Calendar of Events

Reminder ESCONI January 2021 General Meeting – January 8th, 2021 at 8:00 PM via Zoom – “New discoveries at the Burgess Shale”

The speaker at our January 2021 meeting via Zoom will be Dr. Jean-Bernard Caron from the University of Toronto and the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM). Dr. Caron studies the Burgess Shale, the Cambrian Explosion, and the origin of animals. The title of his program is “New discoveries at the Burgess Shale”. Join us via Zoom on Friday Night! Here’s a link to his page at ROM: https://www.rom.on.ca/en/collections-research/rom-staff/jean-bernard-caron Here’s a link to a short video on YouTube narrated by Dr. Caron about the Burgess Shale animal called Hallucigenia.
Read more: Reminder ESCONI January 2021 General Meeting – January 8th, 2021 at 8:00 PM via Zoom – “New discoveries at the Burgess Shale”
Calendar of Events

Field Museum: SUE Science Saturdays: Prehistoric Party January 23rd. 2021 10am-12pm

The Field Museum is having a Prehistoric Party on January 23rd, 2021 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM. All there details are here. Join them and help them through this tough year! And, get your paleontology fix for the New Year! Be a scientist for the day with SUE the T. rex and Field Museum experts. You and your family can explore the Field and its collections from your own home. Join us in this online event series as we chat with scientists, take an interactive brain break, and engage with activities that help you learn something new about science. Each month…
Read more: Field Museum: SUE Science Saturdays: Prehistoric Party January 23rd. 2021 10am-12pm
Mazon Creek, Mazon Monday

Mazon Monday #41: Revisiting the exceptional tetrapod fauna of Mazon Creek, Illinois

This is Mazon Monday post #41. What’s your favorite Mazon Creek fossil? Tell us at email:esconi.info@gmail.com. This article is republished from the January 20201 ESCONI Newsletter. If you are a member, you will receive this newsletter January – June, July/August, and September – December during the year. Please consider joining ESCONI for $20 a year or $50 for 3 years. We have a Paypal link to make it easy. We have general meetings with a stimulating speaker from January – June and September – December. These are currently held via Zoom and will hopefully resume in person some time in…
Read more: Mazon Monday #41: Revisiting the exceptional tetrapod fauna of Mazon Creek, Illinois
ESCONI Gem, Mineral & Fossil Show

Status of the 2021 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show

The ESCONI show is usually held in March of each year. The board evaluated the chances of being able to hold such a show on the usual weekend in March of 2021 and determined that it was very unlikely. Other possibilities were considered, such as a virtual show, and rescheduling an in person show in the fall. The board settled on moving the show to the fall of 2021 for this year only. The show will be reduced in size and duration, and will include those regular activities which are run by the club, with no dealers. The “Fall Sale”…
Read more: Status of the 2021 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show
Around the Web

LiveScience: The 10 biggest archaeology discoveries of 2020

LiveScience has a story about the top 10 biggest archaeology discoveries of 2020.
Read more: LiveScience: The 10 biggest archaeology discoveries of 2020
Fossil Friday, Mazon Creek

Fossil Friday #37: Rhabdoderma exiguum

This is the “Fossil Friday” post #37. 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! This week we have an amazing fossil specimen from David Duck, who is a paleoartist. He makes life-like models of various fossil plants and animals. You might remember that Dave contributed some photos of fossils and a model of Acanthodes beecheri back in Mazon Monday #9. Now, he’s back at it with…
Read more: Fossil Friday #37: Rhabdoderma exiguum
Throwback Thursday

Throwback Thursday #39: Paleontological Ditty

This is Throwback Thursday #39. In these, we look back into the past at ESCONI specifically and Earth Science in general. If you have any contributions, (science, pictures, stories, etc …), please send them to esconi.info@gmail.com. Thanks! Today we have poem from the July – August 1977 edition of the ESCONI newsletter. It’s called “Paleontological Ditty” and was written by Rex Webb, who was a member of the Minnesota Mineral Club. It appeared in their newsletter “Rock Rustlers News”. From the attribution, it may have also appeared in the Ozark Earth Science News. “Paleontological Ditty” The first rockhound was a…
Read more: Throwback Thursday #39: Paleontological Ditty
Calendar of Events

ESCONI Events January 2021

Field trips require membership, but visitors are welcome at all meetings! Fri, Jan 8th ESCONI General Meeting 8:00 PM Zoom – Topic: “New discoveries at the Burgess Shale” by Dr. Jean-Bernard Caron from theUniversity of Toronto and the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM). Zoom link Sat, Jan 9th ESCONI Junior Meeting 7:00 PM Zoom – Topic: “My collection” by ESCONI member Scott Galloway. A Zoom link will be sent via email, contact Scott Galloway (gallowayscottf@gmail.com) to be included. Sat, Jan 16th ESCONI Paleontology Meeting 7:30 PM Zoom – Topic: “Giant Heteromorph Ammonites” by Professor Linda Ivany of Syracuse University. Zoom link
Read more: ESCONI Events January 2021
Around the Web

Smithsonian: Amateur Fossil Hunter Discovers New ‘Sea Dragon’ Species on British Beach

Smithsonian Magazine has a story about the discovery of a new Ichthyosaur in England. The animal, called Thalassodraco etchesi “Sea Dragon”, was discovered on the beach near Dorset, England. It lived about 150 million years ago during the late Jurassic Period. The species name etchesi is for the discoverer Steve Etches. A paper published in PLOS One provides the description of the species. An amateur fossil hunter scouring an English beach discovered a new species of bug-eyed, barrel-chested marine reptile that patrolled the area’s prehistoric seas roughly 150 million years ago, reports Christa Leste-Lasserre for New Scientist. When Steve Etches…
Read more: Smithsonian: Amateur Fossil Hunter Discovers New ‘Sea Dragon’ Species on British Beach
Around the Web

Terrible Lizards Podcast Season 2

Season 2 of the Terrible Lizards podcast is up over on libsyn.com. There’s eight plus a bonus episode. It’s a good way to spend your time during these winter Covid months. Terrible lizards is a podcast about dinosaurs with Dr David Hone and Iszi Lawrence. The podcast is aimed at grown ups but it is clean, so kids can enjoy it too. And, if you didn’t listen to season 1, those episodes are available whereever you get your podcasts.
Read more: Terrible Lizards Podcast Season 2
Mazon Creek, Mazon Monday

Mazon Monday #40: Mazon Creek-type fossil assemblages in the U.S. midcontinent Pennsylvanian

This is Mazon Monday post #40. What’s your favorite Mazon Creek fossil? Tell us at email:esconi.info@gmail.com. Back in Mazon Monday #10, we posted about other siderite concretionary fossil localities from the Pennsylvanian Period. That list was worldwide. Here is an interesting paper from 1985 that discusses some of those Mazon Creek-type fossil localities in the central US. It’s curious how many there are. This map in the paper is proposing there is a certain type of coastal deposit that leads to fossil assemblages like Mazon Creek. This excerpt touches on where they believe these deposits are found. The principal aim of…
Read more: Mazon Monday #40: Mazon Creek-type fossil assemblages in the U.S. midcontinent Pennsylvanian
Around the Web

SciNews: 99-Million-Year-Old Fossil Flower Found Encased in Burmese Amber

SciNews has a story about a flower preserved in amber. The fossil flower is called Valviloculus pleristaminis. It lived about 99 miliion years ago during the Cretaceous Period in what is now Myanmar. Myanmar has amber deposits that have yielded some amazing finds, including dinosaur tails, feathers, wings, and even a skull. The discovery is described in a paper in the Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas. The new fossil flower, named Valviloculus pleristaminis, belongs to the order Laurales, its closest affinities being with the families Monimiaceae and Atherospermataceae. “This isn’t quite a Christmas flower but it is a beauty, especially considering it was part of…
Read more: SciNews: 99-Million-Year-Old Fossil Flower Found Encased in Burmese Amber
Around the Web

PBS Eons: The Triassic Reptile With “Two Faces”

PBS Eons has a new episode. This one is about a strange reptile called Adapodentatus “unusual teeth” from the Triassic Lagerstätte of Luoping in China. It’s one of the rare animals that changed its diet from meat to plants. Figuring out what this creature’s face actually looked like would take paleontologists years. But understanding this weird animal can help us shine a light on at least one way for ecosystems to bounce back from even the worst mass extinction.
Read more: PBS Eons: The Triassic Reptile With “Two Faces”
Calendar of Events

Merry Christmas from ESCONI

Read more: Merry Christmas from ESCONI
Mazon Creek, Throwback Thursday

Throwback Thursday #38: Merry Mazon Christmas from ESCONI

This is Throwback Thursday #38. In these, we look back into the past at ESCONI specifically and Earth Science in general. If you have any contributions, (science, pictures, stories, etc …), please send them to esconi.info@gmail.com. Thanks! This is Synde and George Langford’s Christmas card in 1939. The picture is a view of the strip mines about 1 mile south of Wilmington, IL, at a place that was not far from where Cinder Ridge Golf Course is today. The fossil on the left was identified as Sphenophyllum emarginatum. It was originally named in 1829 by Adolphe-Theodore Brongniart, known as the…
Read more: Throwback Thursday #38: Merry Mazon Christmas from ESCONI

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.”
No meeting this month	Mineralogy Study Group
No meeting this month	Junior Study Group

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