will brake for brachipods.....

My job recently brought me to Nashville and after my inspection decided to check out the area fossils later that evening.  I found a promising site almost three miles away from the apartment complex I was at. 

http://www.nashvillefossils.com/fieldtrips/taylorsknob/maysville.html

I came up to the road that I needed to take a left on and noticed it was barricaded with signage stating the road was closed.  I drove past and observed that the whole area was fenced off and secured.  They were conducting some serious rock drilling, blasting with all sorts of large scale dump trucks / earth movers.  Almost made me cry knowing how many fossils were being unearth from this former Upper Ordovician exposure that were now were being relocated as fill and being graded over to make the site’s topography level.

Luckily I had a backup site from another “Google” lead / site I found.  I made correspondence with an area high school geology teacher who was kind enough to recommend one of his sites he takes his class to.

The site was similar, an Upper Ordovician Period, Leipers Formation (Maysville Group) that was deposited approximately 445 million years ago.  The formation was accessed on foot by crossing a gated roadway that led downhill to this exposure.  The site was secluded other than the hum of traffic just over the upper cliff top.  The cliff sides, in general, were accessible; however were some pretty steep drop offs / sheer walls.  Definitely made sure I had my cell on me.   “Slid” down a couple of times and skinned up my hands / forearms trying to reach that “elusive” fossil.

Found primarily brachipods with mainly Platystrophia, some Rafinesquina and a handful of Hebertella, gastropods, various bryozoans and Streptelasma (coral).

It was some very tranquil hunting but would have paid to have a rock hammer with me.  Took me forever to “weasel” out some finds with a small screwdriver I had with me.  There were localized deposits of calcite with some being formed in the brachipods like geodes. 

enjoy…