Trace, Cast, and Pseudo Fossils EarthCache
Hidden : 7/25/2020
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size: other (other)

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Geocache Description:


Trace Cast and Pseudo Fossil Wall






TRACE FOSSIL is the product of an organism interacting with a substrate in an environment that generates a three-dimensional physical structure. Due to the silt grain size in the Farmers Member, trace fossils, and inorganic sedimentary structures are well preserved. The upper surfaces of the siltstone beds grade into the overlying shales and show evidence of extensive restructuring of sedimentary deposits by moving organisms.

Figure 2: TRACE FOSSIL ZOOPHYCOS Vertical shafts of the Zoophycos pierces the siltstones to mine the silty shales below. This feeding activity left trace fossils commonly called rooster tails and are found along the upper and lower surfaces of the coarser grained beds.



Figure 3: TRACE FOSSIL UNDICHNIA Undichnia made by the tail of a fish swimming along the bottom.



CAST AND MOLD In some cases, the original remains of the organism completely dissolve or are otherwise destroyed. The remaining organism-shaped hole in the rock is called an external mold. If this hole is later filled with other minerals, it is a cast.


Figure 4: CAST FOSSIL CRONOID STEM.



Figure 5: CAST FOSSIL TREE.



PSEUDOFOSSIL are inorganic objects, markings, or impressions that might be mistaken for fossils. Pseudofossils may be misleading, as some types of mineral deposits can mimic lifeforms by forming what appear to be highly detailed or organized structures


Figure 6: PSEUDOFOSSIL LOAD CASTS are bulges, lumps, and lobes that can form on the bedding planes that separate the layers of sedimentary rocks. The lumps "hang down" from the upper layer into the lower layer, and typically form with fairly equal spacing. These features form during soft-sediment deformation shortly after sediment burial, before the sediments lithify. They can be created when a denser layer of sediment is deposited on top of a less-dense sediment.



Figure 7: PSEUDOFOSSIL TOOL MARKS are a type of sole marking formed by grooves left in a bed by things like sticks being dragged along by a current. The average direction of these can be assumed to be the flow direction.



The side of the this mountain was removed for commercial retail development exposing a treasure trove of fossils in the retaining wall that was left. If you walk the L shape wall starting at the bank parking lot around to retail store at the end you will find the fossils above.

EarthCache Logging requirements visit the posted coordinates, answer the following questions and message the cache owner with the answers below (Pictures are optional).
All logs that do not meet these requirements will be deleted.

1. ZOOPHYCOS - What is the measurement of the web radii (center to perimeter of the web) ?
2. UNDICHNIA - What is the length and width of the fossil?
3. LOAD CAST - What is the width of the LOAD CAST lobes at it widest point?
4. TOOL MARKS - How do you think these were created?
5. TREE FOSSILS - Which bedding rock layer is the tree fossil found in?


https://scholarworks.moreheadstate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1769&context=msu_faculty_research

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