Castle Rock Quarry BE0211

Castle Rock Quarry BE0211 - 12/10/2002
Click on any photo to see a larger version

People will do anything to keep the wandering public off their precious quarries. Here's a sign Steven Wallace found that we have used on a regular basis. Have we had any scavengers on our quarry since this sign has been in place? No!

Digging fossils in Colorado in December can occasionally be challenging. Here, snow and ice welcome us (even under the tarp) on the morning of 12/10/2002. But, it turned out to be a beautiful day with 60+ degree F temperatures. Plus, rock is still hard rock, regardless of whether it is frozen or not.

A little stretch saying our site is "Radioactive"? Well, yes! But, it has done a fantastic job at keeping the wandering public out of our quarries! (The snow does look a little like fallout.)

On to the fossil leaves! Some of these may eventually be identified with taxonomic names, but at present, we are tracking them with "morphotype" numbers until further reseach is done. [See the "Morphotype Challenges" page in the Castle Rock section and "The Morphotypes" in this Image Gallery.]

Some of the Castle Rock leaves look like what many of you recently raked from your lawns. The preservation and intact cuticle surprises us to this day. Extra steps are required to slow the drying process of these leaves and their matrix. [See "Drying Process" in the Castle Rock section of Paleocurrents.com.]

We are beginning to realize that the upper side of the leaves, with their beautiful cuticle, aren't always the best specimens to identify our leaves. The cuticle typically flakes off as the matrix dries. The underlying leaf impressions are often unimpressive. The underside, or counterpart as shown in this image, is often the most scientifically important part of the leaf to recover and study.

At Castle Rock, the leaf layers are almost beyond description. A dime in the lower left gives the scale. Where to begin? This layers are very moist and fragile The leaves lay one on top of another. In this section, only a few entire leaves can be recovered. It's often a hard decision!

A rare find of a fern in the Castle Rock quarries.

Jim Sundine loves to be in the Castle Rock quarries. However, most of the work he does is in the DMNS collections room unwrapping the fossils after their long drying process (which takes many weeks). Jim has been a tremendous help on the Castle Rock project. Many of the other team members have been extremely busy digging, colllecting fossils, writing scientific papers, preparing fossils, developing websites, teaching classes, etc. Without the help of Jim, most of our finds would remain in wrap at the DMNS collections room. Thank you Jim!!!!

Regan Dunn and visitor Georgia Hoffman (University of Alberty - Calgary, Canada) work in the quarries.

The finds on 12/10/2002 were simply amazing. A single slab here reveals many beautiful species in perfect preservation. If you wonder why we dig in the middle of December in Colorado, this image should answer your curiousity.....

Some specimens retain their 3-dimensional characteristics as shown in this image. The veins on this leaf energize us to keep digging. This specimen looks as if it could be hanging on a present-day tree, yet it is 64.1 million years old.

Another image of previous specimen....

Most leaves at Castle Rock are on the horizontal plane. However, we occasionally recover specimens that came to rest on the diagonal in a flood event. It seems to indicate that the flood events that preserved the Castle Rock rainforest were small but quick events. Each layer averages no more than 6 inches thick. Most leaves are found in leaf mat layers in a horizontal position. They are in between layers of mud deposition. However, we sometimes find very nice specimens in the middle of the flood event - in an extremely hard grey matrix material. One can just picture the leaf coming to rest in the dynamic sediments - washing up against an enbankment, a tree or some other obstacle - never to move again.

12/10/2002 was an outstanding day. Several new morphotypes (species) were uncovered that day. Even though much work must be done to identify all of our specimens, it was clear to everyone that we were "breaking new ground" in this rainforest immediately following the K-T extinction.

Insect damage is easily reconizable in these images. Castle Rock generally has fewer signs of insect damage than most fossil plant sites. And, the insect tended to prefer only a few of the morphotypes. Did insects recover slowly after the K-T event?

Insect damage is easily reconizable in these images. Castle Rock generally has fewer signs of insect damage than most fossil plant sites. And, the insect tended to prefer only a few of the morphotypes. Did insects recover slowly after the K-T event?

Insect damage is easily reconizable in these images. Castle Rock generally has fewer signs of insect damage than most fossil plant sites. And, the insect tended to prefer only a few of the morphotypes. Did insects recover slowly after the K-T event?

Georgia Hoffman, a visiting paleobotanist from Calgery, Canada (University of Alberta) was a tremendous help on 12/10/2002. She quickly understood our efforts and was a huge help in wrapping the fossils for transport and drying at the DMNS. She was also a joy to talk to in the quarries on this beautiful December day in Colorado.

David Frishman (Ph. D., P. Geol., Golden, CO) was also a huge help on 12/10/2002. He did everything including wrapping, supply runs to the local Walmart, and interesting conversation. His background is in geology and petroleum. He claims that he is "no paleontologist", but his efforts on this day revealed alot. Thank you David for all your hard work You'll be a paleobotanist yet!

The remainder of a practical joke that backfired! I thought I would liven up the day a little and hide the tooth of a Russian cave bear in the quarry. This is what remains of my practical joke - half of the tooth. I guess the joke is on me. [See Castle Rock - "Practical Joke Backfires" for more on this saga...

People will do anything to keep the wandering public off their precious quarries. Here's a sign Steven Wallace found that we have used on a regular basis. Have we had any scavengers on our quarry since this sign has been in place? No!	Digging fossils in Colorado in December can occasionally be challenging. Here, snow and ice welcome us (even under the tarp) on the morning of 12/10/2002. But, it turned out to be a beautiful day with 60+ degree F temperatures. Plus, rock is still hard rock, regardless of whether it is frozen or not.	A little stretch saying our site is "Radioactive"? Well, yes! But, it has done a fantastic job at keeping the wandering public out of our quarries! (The snow does look a little like fallout.)	On to the fossil leaves! Some of these may eventually be identified with taxonomic names, but at present, we are tracking them with "morphotype" numbers until further reseach is done. [See the "Morphotype Challenges" page in the Castle Rock section and "The Morphotypes" in this Image Gallery.]
Some of the Castle Rock leaves look like what many of you recently raked from your lawns. The preservation and intact cuticle surprises us to this day. Extra steps are required to slow the drying process of these leaves and their matrix. [See "Drying Process" in the Castle Rock section of Paleocurrents.com.]	We are beginning to realize that the upper side of the leaves, with their beautiful cuticle, aren't always the best specimens to identify our leaves. The cuticle typically flakes off as the matrix dries. The underlying leaf impressions are often unimpressive. The underside, or counterpart as shown in this image, is often the most scientifically important part of the leaf to recover and study.	At Castle Rock, the leaf layers are almost beyond description. A dime in the lower left gives the scale. Where to begin? This layers are very moist and fragile The leaves lay one on top of another. In this section, only a few entire leaves can be recovered. It's often a hard decision!	A rare find of a fern in the Castle Rock quarries.
Jim Sundine loves to be in the Castle Rock quarries. However, most of the work he does is in the DMNS collections room unwrapping the fossils after their long drying process (which takes many weeks). Jim has been a tremendous help on the Castle Rock project. Many of the other team members have been extremely busy digging, colllecting fossils, writing scientific papers, preparing fossils, developing websites, teaching classes, etc. Without the help of Jim, most of our finds would remain in wrap at the DMNS collections room. Thank you Jim!!!!	Regan Dunn and visitor Georgia Hoffman (University of Alberty - Calgary, Canada) work in the quarries.	The finds on 12/10/2002 were simply amazing. A single slab here reveals many beautiful species in perfect preservation. If you wonder why we dig in the middle of December in Colorado, this image should answer your curiousity.....	Some specimens retain their 3-dimensional characteristics as shown in this image. The veins on this leaf energize us to keep digging. This specimen looks as if it could be hanging on a present-day tree, yet it is 64.1 million years old.
Another image of previous specimen....	Most leaves at Castle Rock are on the horizontal plane. However, we occasionally recover specimens that came to rest on the diagonal in a flood event. It seems to indicate that the flood events that preserved the Castle Rock rainforest were small but quick events. Each layer averages no more than 6 inches thick. Most leaves are found in leaf mat layers in a horizontal position. They are in between layers of mud deposition. However, we sometimes find very nice specimens in the middle of the flood event - in an extremely hard grey matrix material. One can just picture the leaf coming to rest in the dynamic sediments - washing up against an enbankment, a tree or some other obstacle - never to move again.	12/10/2002 was an outstanding day. Several new morphotypes (species) were uncovered that day. Even though much work must be done to identify all of our specimens, it was clear to everyone that we were "breaking new ground" in this rainforest immediately following the K-T extinction.	Insect damage is easily reconizable in these images. Castle Rock generally has fewer signs of insect damage than most fossil plant sites. And, the insect tended to prefer only a few of the morphotypes. Did insects recover slowly after the K-T event?
Insect damage is easily reconizable in these images. Castle Rock generally has fewer signs of insect damage than most fossil plant sites. And, the insect tended to prefer only a few of the morphotypes. Did insects recover slowly after the K-T event?	Insect damage is easily reconizable in these images. Castle Rock generally has fewer signs of insect damage than most fossil plant sites. And, the insect tended to prefer only a few of the morphotypes. Did insects recover slowly after the K-T event?	Georgia Hoffman, a visiting paleobotanist from Calgery, Canada (University of Alberta) was a tremendous help on 12/10/2002. She quickly understood our efforts and was a huge help in wrapping the fossils for transport and drying at the DMNS. She was also a joy to talk to in the quarries on this beautiful December day in Colorado.	David Frishman (Ph. D., P. Geol., Golden, CO) was also a huge help on 12/10/2002. He did everything including wrapping, supply runs to the local Walmart, and interesting conversation. His background is in geology and petroleum. He claims that he is "no paleontologist", but his efforts on this day revealed alot. Thank you David for all your hard work You'll be a paleobotanist yet!
The remainder of a practical joke that backfired! I thought I would liven up the day a little and hide the tooth of a Russian cave bear in the quarry. This is what remains of my practical joke - half of the tooth. I guess the joke is on me. [See Castle Rock - "Practical Joke Backfires" for more on this saga...