The Hunt for Ampyxina
Today's trilobite hunt (March 13, 2004)

Ampyxina bellatula
Ordovician - Maquoketa Formation
Lincoln County, Missouri
near Bowling Green, Missouri

A friend (Kim) came to St. Louis this weekend to see the Lewis and Clark
exhibition and wanted to find some Ampyxina trilobites. Carl and I thought it
would be best to go along to point out the zones and make sure Kim's bug hunt
was successful. We all had a lot of fun.

Click on pictures to Magnify

Kim and one of his children pulling slabs

Barry Sutton standing on the exposure

Barry Sutton and one of Kim's children

Carl Cook helping Kim's children find trilobites

Pulling slabs is hard work ... Time to stop for awhile and just chat.
Some of the slabs that were pulled are on the bank ...
Others are in the stream to loosen the mud.

Close up view of some slabs. We will only find trilobites
in a few slabs. The matrix breaks like mud stone and finding
the bugs depends on a good break.

Here's what we came for!  Kim found this little trophy (left).
These will make neat display pieces after they are trimmed and cleaned.

One of the kids asked us ... Why do you both wear knee pads?
We know that a lot of fossil hunters don't ... But when we are in
the field, we spend a lot of time working where one or both knees
are on rocks. Carl and I avoid pain when ever possible!

Carl and I always have a lot of fun when we go into the field.
We also enjoy sharing our experiences with others.

Barry Sutton & Carl Cook

Go-Back Text Menu or Thumb Menu
Home Page

Photo Album search engine
search the Photo Album or the Web

Top of Page