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PBS Eons: Nautiloids Thrived For 500 Million Years Until These Guys Showed Up
Read more: PBS Eons: Nautiloids Thrived For 500 Million Years Until These Guys Showed UpPBS Eons has a new episode. Nautiloids were once much more common, then something happened to threaten their existence. Around 30 million years ago, a new group of predators began to push nautiloids from their former global range into a single remaining refuge. But who were these predators?
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ESCONI Events April 2023
Read more: ESCONI Events April 2023Field trips require membership, but visitors are welcome at all meetings! Sat, Apr 8th ESCONI General Meeting 1:00 PM – Topic: “Beasts Before Us; the Untold Story of Mammal Origins and Evolutions” by Dr. Elsa Panciroli of the National Museum of Scotland. Note: this is an afternoon meeting due to the location of the speaker. Zoom link Sat, Apr 15th ESCONI Junior Meeting – 6:30 PM at College of DuPage – Topic: “Collecting Modern and Fossil Shells” by Irene Brode. Specifics of this meeting are available from Scott Galloway, 630-670-2591, gallowayscottf@gmail.com. The meeting will be in person at the College…
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Fossil Friday #154: Platysomus circularis
Read more: Fossil Friday #154: Platysomus circularisThis is the “Fossil Friday” post #154. 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! We have a real treat today… a very rare, some would say “Holy Grail”, Mazon Creek fish… Platysomus circularis! Known as the “panfish” due to its likeness to some modern day freshwater fish. We looked at P. circularis in Mazon Monday #157. This small concretion includes another rare animal Pemphilimnadiopsis ortoni, a…
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Throwback Thursday #155: Diary of a Snakebite Death
Read more: Throwback Thursday #155: Diary of a Snakebite DeathThis is Throwback Thursday #155. 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! Ran across the interesting story of Karl Patterson Schmidt recently. Schmidt was a world renowned herpetologist and curator at Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History. He worked at the Field Museum from 1922 to 1957. Starting as an assistant curator of reptiles and amphibians, he became chief curator of zoology in 1941. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1956. …
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Hollow bones that let dinosaurs become giants evolved at least three times independently, shows study
Read more: Hollow bones that let dinosaurs become giants evolved at least three times independently, shows studyPhys.org has an interesting story about dinosaur evolution. Dinosaurs had hollow bones, which made it possible for them to grow as large as they did. A new study published in the journal Scientific Reports looked at three Brazilian specimens from the late Triassic and found they had hollow places in their vertebra similar to later animals like tyrannosaurs and velociraptors. The common ancestor to these early dinosaurs did not have this trait, which leads the researchers to conclude that it evolved independently in each lineage. Dinosaurs as big as buses or five-story buildings would not be possible if their bones…
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Ancient platypus-like fossil could rewrite the history of egg-laying mammals
Read more: Ancient platypus-like fossil could rewrite the history of egg-laying mammalsLiveScience has a story about an platypus-like animal from… South America. Patagorhynchus pascuali lived about 70 million years ago in what is now Argentina. It’s was a monotreme, which is an egg laying mammal like Australia’s platypus. This fossil represents the oldest evidence of egg laying mammals ever found in South America. This fossil was described in a paper in the journal Communications Biology and has the potential to write the history of monotremes. Millions of years ago, Australia, South America and Antarctica (as well as parts of Africa and Asia) were smooshed together in a supercontinent called Gondwana. This mega…
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Mazon Monday #157: Platysomus circularis
Read more: Mazon Monday #157: Platysomus circularisThis is Mazon Monday post #157. What’s your favorite Mazon Creek fossil? Tell us at email:esconi.info@gmail.com. The list of truly rare, desirable Mazon Creek animals is long. It includes spiders, scorpions, insects, tetrapods, cephalopods, and fish. Of the fish, one of the holy grail species is Platysomus circularis. Many refer to it as the “panfish” as it resembles some modern day fresh water fish which are known by the same nickname. P. circularis is a ray-finned fish that lived during the Carboniferous and the Triassic periods. While Platysomus is known worldwide, P. circularis is only known from Mazon Creek. It…
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‘Extremely rare’ fossilized dinosaur voice box suggests they sounded birdlike
Read more: ‘Extremely rare’ fossilized dinosaur voice box suggests they sounded birdlikeLive Science has a story about the discovery of a dinosaur voice box. So, did T-rex sound like tweety bird? Probably not, but with the discovery of a larynx from a Pinacosaurus grangeri, we have a few clues of how they made sounds. This dinosaur was a armor plated ankylosaur that lived about 80 million years ago in what is now Mongolia. The description of the find and its implications were published in the journal Communication Biology. The “extremely rare” discovery of an 80 million-year-old fossilized voice box that belonged to an armored dinosaur reveals that the ancient beast may…
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PBS Eons: Does Our “Junk” DNA Make Us Human?
Read more: PBS Eons: Does Our “Junk” DNA Make Us Human?PBS Eons has a new episode on Youtube. This one is about us and what is it that makes us, us. In the search for the genes that make us human, some of the most important answers were hiding not in the genes themselves, but in what was once considered genomic junk.
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Fossil Friday #153: UK Neuropteris
Read more: Fossil Friday #153: UK NeuropterisThis is the “Fossil Friday” post #153. 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! —————————————————– Now for something completely… well slightly… different. This is a Neuropteris from the Cutacre Opencast in Manchester, England. It dates to about 320 million years ago. Very similar plants and animal fossils are known from the coal mines in the UK. Fossiliferous concretions are sometimes referred to as “pebbles” in the…
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Throwback Thursday #154: 1985 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show
Read more: Throwback Thursday #154: 1985 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil ShowThis is Throwback Thursday #154. 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 probably the last show related post for a while. Let’s take a peek back at 1985. Don Brazda was ESCONI president. How many names do you recognize on the ESCONI Board of Directors? Oh, those phone number probably won’t work anymore… Announcement by Show Chairman Jim Daly. The show was held on March 2nd and 3rd, 1985 at the Glen Crest…
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PBS Eons: That Time the American West Blew Up
Read more: PBS Eons: That Time the American West Blew UpPBS Eons has a new video on Youtube. This one is about volcanism in North America during the Eocene Epoch some 50 million years ago. Why didn't these supervolcanoes produce extinction? How is it possible to have cataclysmic eruptions without any real cataclysm?
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2023 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show – Final Report!
Read more: 2023 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show – Final Report!Well, the show is over. From all accounts, attendees had a good time. Here’s a few more scenes from day 2 at the show. Burpee Museum display Lizzaddro Museum display Junior Tables Geodes Faces in the crowd Fluffy prehistoric creatures
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Mazon Monday #156: Charles Shabica and the Tully Monster
Read more: Mazon Monday #156: Charles Shabica and the Tully MonsterThis is Mazon Monday post #156. What’s your favorite Mazon Creek fossil? Tell us at email:esconi.info@gmail.com. Charles Shabica stopped by the ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show on Saturday. Just in case you don’t know who he is… Shabica edited the “Richardson’s Gulde to the Fossil Fauna of Mazon Creek”, which was published in 1997. He is author/co-author of many Mazon Creek scientific papers, including “Biota of a Pennsylvanian Muddy Coast: Habitats Within the Mazonian Delta Complex, Northeast Illinois” with Gordon Baird, which helped create a picture of the geography of Northern Illinois during the Pennsylvanian Period, about 307 million…
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2023 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show – Day 1 is done… on to Day 2!
Read more: 2023 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show – Day 1 is done… on to Day 2!Everyone had a great time at the show yesterday! Come on out… there’s one day left! The fun starts at 10 AM. Charles Shabica stopped by! It’s been a busy few days, Keith are you asleep? Random Photos from the day The book table Tony Bellos and Debra Lovely Auction Material for Sunday Displays
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2023 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show – Show Setup!
Read more: 2023 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show – Show Setup!We spent the day setting up the show. We have lots and lots of Live and Silent Auction material. There will be an ESCONI sale table for some larger bargains! There’s books, hats, t-shirts, patches, geodes, and a large junior area. We loaded the truck up. Heck, we brought everything except the kitchen sink! The vendors are working hard to get ready for you! Both the Field Museum and the Burpee Museum have displays. Here’s a sneak peek at some of the vendor materials. Come out to see it in all it’s glory! Books… And, last but certainly not least,…
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2023 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show – Preview #25!
Read more: 2023 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show – Preview #25!This is the preview post #25 for the 2023 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show Live Auction. The ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show for 2023 will be held on March 18th and 19th at the DuPage Fairgrounds in Wheaton, IL, which is the same location as last year. All details can be found here. Yes, time for yet another preview for the 2023 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show. Last one… come out tomorrow! It’s should be a fun time! This is a beautiful Aquamarine crystal from Erongo, Namibia. Pictures do not do it justice!
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2023 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show – Preview #24!
Read more: 2023 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show – Preview #24!This is the preview post #24 for the 2023 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show Live Auction. The ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show for 2023 will be held on March 18th and 19th at the DuPage Fairgrounds in Wheaton, IL, which is the same location as last year. All details can be found here. Yes, time for yet another preview for the 2023 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show. A dinosaur… who doesn’t love T-rex?!? This is very nice Tyrannosaurus rex dinosaur model.
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2023 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show – Preview #23!
Read more: 2023 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show – Preview #23!This is the preview post #23 for the 2023 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show Live Auction. The ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show for 2023 will be held on March 18th and 19th at the DuPage Fairgrounds in Wheaton, IL, which is the same location as last year. All details can be found here. Yes, time for yet another preview for the 2023 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show. Back to minerals… Amethyst. It is a very large chunk and has beautiful crystals!
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2023 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show – Preview #22!
Read more: 2023 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show – Preview #22!This is the preview post #22 for the 2023 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show Live Auction. The ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show for 2023 will be held on March 18th and 19th at the DuPage Fairgrounds in Wheaton, IL, which is the same location as last year. All details can be found here. Yes, time for yet another preview for the 2023 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show. Another Mazon Creek plant fossil! This is another Macroneuropteris scheuchzeri, a seed fern from Mazon Creek. It comes from the Wilbert Rath collection. He was an active ESCONI during the…
ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show
Most Recent Post
- ESCONI April 2026 General Meeting via Zoom – “Life in the Devonian Period, The Age of Fishes”
The April 2026 General Meeting will be held on April 10th, 2026 at 8:00 via Zoom. At the meeting, Jessica Hull will present “Life in the Devonian Period, The Age of Fishes.” The Devonian Period was a crucial moment in the history of life. In this presentation, Jessica Hull will bring fossils to life by describing how they would have lived based on the most up to date research. Dunkleosteus fans won’t want to miss this!
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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 |