1/6/2023 0 Comments Udig fossils![]() ![]() In later periods, fossils of early mammals like giant ground sloths and saber-toothed cats have been found. You can even find fossilized dinosaur footprints in Utah. ![]() Beyond things like trilobites, people have found many of the dinosaurs listed above and things like prehistoric crocodiles and turtles. What types of fossils can I find in Utah?Īfter discovering where to dig up fossils in Utah, you can look forward to digging up some fascinating finds. Needless to say, dinosaurs most certainly lived in Utah! In fact, the Utahraptor is the biggest known raptor of them all – even larger than the popularly known Velociraptors. Dinosaurs like the Allosaurus, which looks right out of the movies, Ankylosaurs, and even creatures named after the state like the Utahceratops and Utahraptor were found here. In fact, the Beehive State was perfect for dinosaurs during times like the Jurassic period – and had great conditions to preserve fossils and bones. They were all incredibly friendly and helped out in any way possible!īelow are tons of photos and a sample of some of the trilobites and other fossils from the Utah trip.This park with fossils in Utah is just one of many places remnants of the prehistoric have been discovered. Jason, Jake, and the rest of the crew did a wonderful job hosting the jam. The event was run very well and the site couldn't have been better. The best one is a beautiful complete ~3" carmel colored Asaphiscus wheeleri specimen. However, we still ended up with eight complete ones (minus the dozen or so agnostids and some tiny Elrathia). Most of them turned out to be cheekless, headless, or crushed. We ended up brining home two boxes of specimens. We learned later that we carried way more back to the camp than what actually turned out to be great specimens. ![]() As novices here, we were unable to tell which specimens would be complete when prepped. Since this was our first time in this type of fossil shale, we mainly stayed in quarries that had the more common trilobites. Then in the evening we headed to a spring a few miles away to wash up. We picked one for in the morning, took a short rest, food, and water break in the extreme heat of the day, then headed to one or two more in the late afternoon. The Marjum formation has some rare, beautiful, and large trilobite fossils! These include Modocia sp., Bathyuriscus fimbriatus, the 5" Hemirhodon amplipyge, and the prized 6" Olenoides superbus with its incredible axial spines!Įach day, we picked a couple different quarries to collect at. The wheeler shale produces bugs that range in colors from black and orange to a beautiful red! Besides trilobites, there is an echinoderm called a Gogia spiralis that looks like a water hydra with little plates all over it. Other trilobites include Asaphiscus wheeleri, small agnostid trilobites such as Peronopsis, and the rare Olenoides nevadensis with cool axial spines. ![]() The Wheeler shale supplies the world with Elrathia kingii trilobites, probably the most well known trilobite on earth. The Wheeler and Marjum formations at the House Range are world renowned. They have numerous small quarries dotting the property exposing the two Cambrian formations. Their property in the House Range contains the Wheeler and Marjum formations. The American Trilobite Suppliers generously host a 4 day "Trilobite Jam" at one of their properties in Utah. Tomorrow would be a busy day of digging, as this was the 2nd Trilobite Jam and we were camping in the House Range of Utah, a world famous trilobite locality. Leisurely, as the night went on, one by one, people retired to their tents and campers that were haphazardly scattered around the "base camp."Īfter Amy and I had downed a bottle of wine around the fire and finished marveling at Van Gogh's "Starry Night," painted overhead, we too returned to our tent, planning the next day's events. Eventually, when everyone had their fill of scorpions, they returned to the campfire. "Look, he's in his attack position." After marveling for a moment, the two groups separated, looking for more critters. Evading the prickly flora, the two groups quickly came together encircling a neon green scorpion. "There's one!" shouted someone from one of the groups. Armed with UV lights, two small groups slowly crept through the desert. The silence was deafening, save for an occasional "rattle" from a nearby dead rattlesnake blowing in the wind. The darkness was deep, as civilization was far beyond the horizon. The night air was cool and crisp, quite contrary to the day. The tiny white dot near the horizon is base camp ![]()
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