Trilobite Powered Lightbulbs EarthCache
Trilobite Powered Lightbulbs
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-- THIS IS AN EARTHCACHE, READ BELOW FOR LOGGING REQUIREMENTS --
Below your feet are millions of trilobites, which were once ground into oil to power the village.
Trilobites are a type of animal that lived from about 550 million years ago until 250 million years ago. Trilobites defined a distinct class of arthropods that encompasses thousands of known species across the world, and filled ecological niches from plankton eater, to scavenger, to all out hunter. Because of their hard shell, and negative boyancy (they sink when they die), they were easily fossilized.
Shale and Fossilization go hand-in-hand. Shale is sediment that is created when layers of sediment are compressed into rock, a fossil occurs when a dead animal gets in the way of this process, and becomes flattened inside the shale layer. Over time the animal biodegrades until all that is left is mineral deposits in the shape of its original form.
The Fossils that occur in Craigleith come from a period known as the early Ordovician period, about 480 million years ago. Around this time this area was a shallow equatorial sea, that was teeming with life, most commonly Brachiopods (look like clams), Gastropods (looks like conch shells, snails or spirals depending on the angle they were fossilized), nautiliods (unicorn horn shaped spirals), and trilobites. The shale is black because of organic remnants in the rock, in exposed sections it is grey as it becomes bleached by the sun.
Pseudogygites Canadensis
In 1859, a power plant was set up here in the black shale section of the beach. The Shale was ground up, and refined into crude oil, then burned or shipped out to other communities. It was an exhaustive process. 35 Tons of shale were distilled daily to produce 250 gallons of crude oil. Within 4 years the enterprise went broke - It was just too much work, especially when oil could just be pumped from the ground in the Sarnia region and shipped up here at less cost.
There are 2 distinct areas along this beach that are good for fossil collecting.
Oil Shale: The shale here is black, the fossils are plentiful. The most common fossil in this area is the third lobe (tail) of a "Pseudogygites Canadensis" Trilobite. Some of the Fossil Trilobites in this region are highly covetted by fossil collectors as their bodies have been replaced by Iron Sulphide (Fool's gold, or Pyrite), making them golden brown in colour against the black shale. Other Trilobite species in this rock strata include "Triarthrus Eatoni" and "Flexicalymene".
Limestone Shale: At the top of Wards road, the shale here is mixed in with limestone layers. The rocks here are a few million years older then the oil shale and less dense with fossils, but this is a less muggle filled area, and you are more likely to find a pristine specimin. Species of Trilobites in this area are identified as "Asaphus canadensis", "Isotelus Canadensis" and "Hypodicranurotus"
Pseudogygites Canadensis and Asaphus canadensis are the species of trilobite you will most likely find, Another species is often found here called Triarthrus Eatoni. Older shale along the shore actually reveals an interesting evolutionary story. Isotelus Canadensis juvenile individuals have similar identifying features to adult Pseudogygites Canadensis individuals, an evolutionary term applies here called paedomorphism, where the juvenile features of the Isotelus species were seen as "attractive" to other trilobites, and eventually split into a seperate species that outlived its predecessor.
Some amazing fossils found to date:
Paprika819's find
TO LOG THIS FIND:
Fossils they can be found anywhere along the shoreline within 2 kilometers** . Do not smash the rocks, please do your best to keep the beach intact! You will need to post with your found log the following:
1. a picture of your team looking for fossils
2. a picture of a trilobite fossil along with a coin (even if it is just a trilobite tail!)
3. Add to your found log a list and photos of any other rock creatures you might find along the way!
**(but not within Ontario Parks Boundaries unless you are given explicit written permission from an Ontario Parks Superintendant, you are allowed to find fossils in the location if you are not geocaching however.. yadda yadda yadda wink wink...)
PLEASE do your best to make sure that the fossil is in focus, many digital cameras have trouble with close ups!
Click the logo to visit the COG website!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Oynpx funyr vf orfg! Cyndhr nern vf cebonoyl orfg cynpr gb ybbx
Treasures
You'll collect a digital Treasure from one of these collections when you find and log this geocache:
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