-
ESCONI Events October 2017
Read more: ESCONI Events October 2017Field trips require membership, but visitors are welcome at all meetings! Sun, Oct 8th Field Trip – Irene Quarry – see here for details. Fri, Oct 13th ESCONI General Meeting, 8:00 PM College of Dupage – Tech Ed (TEC) Building, Room 1038B (Map) – Topic: “Fluorite and Rare Earth Elements in the Illinois-Kentucky Fluorspar District” by Brett Denny, with the Illinois State Geological Survey Sat, Oct 14th ESCONI Minerology Study Group Meeting, 7:30 PM College of Dupage – Tech Ed (TEC) Building, Room 1038B (Map) – Topic: “Discussion of Fluorites” Wed, Oct 11th Happy National Fossil Day! – see here…
-
ESCONI Field Trip: October 8th, 2017 to Irene Quarry
Read more: ESCONI Field Trip: October 8th, 2017 to Irene QuarryThere will be a field trip to the Irene Quarry near Belvidere, Illinois on Sunday, Oct 8 2017, from 9AM to 12 Noon. The rock is Ordovician, Galena Group. This is a “hard-rock” quarry (dolomite). If you like Hormotoma or Receptaculites, this is the place for you! Rules: 1. Everyone in your group MUST be an ESCONI member. 2. Everyone in your group MUST be at least 18 years of age. 3. Everyone MUST have and wear a hard hat, safety vest, and sturdy boots while in the quarry. No sandals, tennis shoes, and the…
-
Dinner & A Little History: Coal, Shale, and Ironstone: The Geology & Paleontology of Mazon Creek
Read more: Dinner & A Little History: Coal, Shale, and Ironstone: The Geology & Paleontology of Mazon CreekOctober Dinner Lecture October Dinner Lecture October Dinner Lecture October Dinner Lecture October Dinner Lecture October Dinner Lecture 33 Years of Powerful Partnerships Exciting events, engaging lectures, and outdoor activities along the I&M Canal! Dinner & A Little History: Coal, Shale, and Ironstone: The Geology & Paleontology of Mazon Creek Join the Canal Corridor Association, Thursday October 5th 2017, at the Lock 16 Cafe & Visitor Center for our Dinner lecture series: Coal, Shale, and Ironstone: The Geology & Paleontology of Mazon Creek Located in northeastern Illinois, Mazon Creek is an incredible fossil array of associated Upper Carboniferous plants and animals. Considered…
-
October General Meeting on October 13th, 2017: Fluorite and Rare Earth Elements in the Illinois-Kentucky Fluorspar District
Read more: October General Meeting on October 13th, 2017: Fluorite and Rare Earth Elements in the Illinois-Kentucky Fluorspar DistrictThe program at our October 13, 2017 meeting will be presented by F. Brett Denny, Associate Economic Geologist with the Illinois State Geological Survey. His talk is titled “Fluorite and Rare Earth Elements in the Illinois-Kentucky Fluorspar District”. Please bring your best fluorite specimens to show the group!
-
News Flash from Africa
Read more: News Flash from AfricaFormer ESCONI Junior, Rebecca Rogers Ackermann, has been promoted to a full Professor at the University of Cape Town. Professor Ackermann is one of only three women professors of archaeology in Africa. Well done ESCONI!
-
Early trilobites had stomachs, new fossil study finds
Read more: Early trilobites had stomachs, new fossil study findsA specimen of the trilobite Palaeolenus lantenoisi from the Guanshan Biota in southern Yunnan Province, China. Rarely are internal organs preserved in fossils, but this specimen shows the digestive system preserved as reddish iron oxides. The digestive system is comprised of a crop (inflated region at top of specimen), lateral glands, and a central canal that runs along the length of the body; the iron oxides that extend beyond the fossil are the remains of gut contents that were extruded during preservation. Credit: © F. Chen PHYS.ORG has a story about trilobites. Some new 500 million year old fossils from China reveal…
-
Field Trip Report: Braceville – Mazon Creek Fossils
Read more: Field Trip Report: Braceville – Mazon Creek FossilsBoth days had great weather and there was a big turnout… nearly 60 people on Saturday. Many concretions were exposed by the Summer rains. Andrew Young and a few others supplied opened concretions for some of the younger participants. It was a productive trip with many concretions collected for the Winter freeze thaw.
-
Reminder: September General Meeting on Friday, September 8th, 2017 – “Calymene blumenbachii and the Discovery of Trilobites”
Read more: Reminder: September General Meeting on Friday, September 8th, 2017 – “Calymene blumenbachii and the Discovery of Trilobites”The speaker at our September 8, 2017 meeting will be Dr. Don Mikulic, Senior Paleontologist with the Illinois State Geological Survey. The title of his program is “Calymene blumenbachii and the Discovery of Trilobites”. The program is based on a chapter in “Fantastic Fossils – 300 years of worldwide research on trilobites”, New York State Museum Bulletin 507. This book is available for download on ResearchGate under the account of Ed Landing. Account on ReasearchGate are free.
-
Heavily armoured dinosaur had ginger camouflage to deter predators – study
Read more: Heavily armoured dinosaur had ginger camouflage to deter predators – studyThe Guardian has a story about a recent paper that studied coloring in the best-preserved armoured dinosaur ever discovered. The specimen of Ankylosaur named Borealopelta markmitchelli, was discovered back in 2011 at the Suncor Millennium Mine in Canada. The discovery was a surprise as the site had previously only revealed fossils of ancient marine reptiles. The animal was about 18 feet long and lived about 110 million years ago. It was unveiled back in May 2017 and is currently on display at the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology in Alberta, Canada. This study looked at the preserved “skin” and determined…
-
Move over, Sue: World’s largest dinosaur taking center stage at Field Museum
Read more: Move over, Sue: World’s largest dinosaur taking center stage at Field MuseumThe Chicagoist has a great story about changes at the Field Museum. Sue is moving to her own space up inside Evolving Planet, and a new cast of the largest dinosaur every discovered will be installed in Stanley Field Hall. The new dinosaur, Patagotitan mayorum, a titanosaur from South America, will be installed in the Spring of 2018. Some literally massive changes are afoot at the Field Museum, as the beloved SUE the T. Rex will be moving from its famous entryway mount to a new gallery, making way for a touchable cast of a mammoth titanosaur—the world’s largest, in…
-
ESCONI Field Trip Sept 24 2017 to the Cunningham Quarry in Rockford
Read more: ESCONI Field Trip Sept 24 2017 to the Cunningham Quarry in RockfordThere will be a field trip to the Cunningham Quarry in Rockford, Illinois on Sunday, Sept 24 2017, from 9AM to 12 Noon. The rock is Ordovician, Galena Group. This is a “hard-rock” quarry (dolomite). There is a pile of shot rock (large uncrushed stone after a blast) in the middle where there is plenty of access to it. Rules: 1. Everyone in your group MUST be an ESCONI member as of Sept 17, 2017. 2. Everyone in your group MUST be at least 18 years of age. 3. Everyone MUST have and wear a…
-
LOESS Gem Show Oct. 7-8, 2017
Read more: LOESS Gem Show Oct. 7-8, 2017Mark your calendars! October 7 and 8 – the LOESS Mineral, Fossil and Gem Show! POSTERS: We will be having the posters printed up this week or next – once I confirm with a few sponsors, but I am also emailing it to everyone now, even without the sponsors. You can send it on to friends, print to post at work, school, favorite stores. Be creative – help spread the word! This year's show is going to be better than ever. In addition to the fantastic collection from the Illinois State Museum, we are making arrangements to have a…
-
ESCONI Events September 2017
Read more: ESCONI Events September 2017Field trips require membership, but visitors are welcome at all meetings! Fri, Sept 8th ESCONI General Meeting, 8:00 PM College of Dupage – Tech Ed (TEC) Building, Room 1038B (Map) – Topic: “Calymene blumenbachii and the Discovery of Trilobites” by Dr. Don Mikulic, Senior Paleontologist with the Illinois State Geological Survey Sat, Sept 9th and Sun Sept 10th Field Trip – Braceville – see here for details. Sat, Sept 9th ESCONI Minerology Study Group Meeting, 7:30 PM College of Dupage – Tech Ed (TEC) Building, Room 1038B (Map) – Topic: “Show and Tell” Sat, Sept 16th Field Trip – Vulcan…
-
September General Meeting Topic: “Calymene blumenbachii and the Discovery of Trilobites”
Read more: September General Meeting Topic: “Calymene blumenbachii and the Discovery of Trilobites”The speaker at our September 8, 2017 meeting will be Dr. Don Mikulic, Senior Paleontologist with the Illinois State Geological Survey. The title of his program is “Calymene blumenbachii and the Discovery of Trilobites”. The program is based on a chapter in “Fantastic Fossils – 300 years of worldwide research on trilobites”, New York State Museum Bulletin 507. This book is available for download on ResearchGate under the account of Ed Landing. Account on ReasearchGate are free.
-
Membership Is Now Available Via PayPal!
Read more: Membership Is Now Available Via PayPal!Membership is open to all people interested in the earth sciences. Family membership is $20.00 for one year or $50.00 for three years. Membership runs from January through December, applies to immediate family in the same household, and includes an emailed digital Newsletter. Dues are payable either at the monthly meetings, or by mailing a check (payable to ESCONI) to the Membership Chair (Rose Jansen), or by credit card via PayPal at www.esconi.org. Members will be notified when dues are due again. Please note that new (first time) memberships paid on or after September 1st will include September – December, and the following…
-
Field Trip: Vulcan Kankakee Quarry on Saturday Sept 16, 2017 from 8:30 AM to noon
Read more: Field Trip: Vulcan Kankakee Quarry on Saturday Sept 16, 2017 from 8:30 AM to noonThere will be an ESCONI Field Trip to the Vulcan Kankakee Quarry on Saturday Sept 16, 2017 from 8:30 AM to noon. The quarry is located at 1277 County Highway 28.The rules are shown below: 1. You must be an ESCONI member as of September 9th and at least 18 years old to attend this trip. 2. Maximum attendance is 30. 3. Follow any directions given by quarry management on parking. 4. We will have site-specific training, and everyone will sign waivers. I will distribute the waiver forms by email a few days before the trip.…
-
Time: See How the Solar Eclipse Will Look From Anywhere in the U.S.
Read more: Time: See How the Solar Eclipse Will Look From Anywhere in the U.S.Time has a story that does a simulation of the upcoming Solar Eclipse on August 21st. Just enter your zip code and enjoy!
-
CBC Quirks & Quarks – This armoured and spiky dinosaur still had to hide from predators
Read more: CBC Quirks & Quarks – This armoured and spiky dinosaur still had to hide from predatorsCBC Radio’s Quirks & Quarks Show has a segment about an amazing fossil dinosaur specimen. It’s one of the best preserved dinosaur fossils ever found and was discovered in Alberta, Canada. The animal is a nodosaur that lived about 110 million years ago during the Cretaceous Period. The detail is such that researchers can determine what type of camouflage it employed. Research Paper in Current Biology. It weighed a tonne and a half, was five meters long, was covered in thick, bony armour and spikes, and still it had to hide from the terrifying predators of its time. A new…
-
Field Trip: September 9-10, 2017 Braceville – Mazon Creek Fossils
Read more: Field Trip: September 9-10, 2017 Braceville – Mazon Creek FossilsCollecting Mazon Creek Fossils on private property. Meet at 8:00 A.M. Saturday or Sunday at the BP Amoco in Coal City. No Age Limit. Hard Hats not required. Take I-55 to Exit 236 (Coal City). Take a right onto Highway 113 (Division Street). Go west to Broadway Street and Division in Coal City. We will be collecting Mazon Creek concretions from an old spoil pile on private property. Hard hats are not required. Boots are recommended. An Estwing rock hammer is the best tool. A small shovel or pick is helpful. Gardening tools such as a hand rake work also.…
-
Canceled: Professor Reed Scherer to speak at Elgin Library Wed Aug 9
Read more: Canceled: Professor Reed Scherer to speak at Elgin Library Wed Aug 9This event was canceled! Dr. Reed Scherer, Geology Professor at NIU, will speak at the main Elgin library starting at 7 PM on Wednesday, August 9, 2017. He will discuss the patterns of evolution as seen in the fossil record, but using cars as an analogy to illustrate evolutionary principles. Registration is suggested. See https://www.gailborden.info/
ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show
Most Recent Post
- The Field Museum’s Dinopalooza 2026, Saturday, June 13th, 2026
The Field Museum’s annual paleontology extravaganza “Dinopalooza 2026” is today! Come on out and join the fun!
- About ESCONI
- Around the Web
- Calendar of Events
- Code of Ethics and Conduct
- ESCONI Books for Sale
- ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show
- ESCONI in the News
- ESCONI Videos
- Field Trips
- Flashback Friday
- Fossil Friday
- Mazon Creek
- Mazon Monday
- Member Spotlight
- Membership Information
- Reference Material
- Throwback Thursday
- Trilobite Tuesday
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 |