Death Plates, Crinoids, Brachiopods and Other Fun Fossils

[@teeteepalooza]

I view fossils with the awe and enthusiasm of a child…it’s magical! Thanks for taking some time to share these.

[@MichiganRocks]

Lots of magic on this beach then!

[@laurieowen8696]

So awesome. I know everyone loves the colorful gems, but I love the fossils . I always feel and fathom the history. Thanks for sharing.

[@MichiganRocks]

Personally, I'm more into the colorful rocks because I like to make stuff out of them. Of course Petoskey Stones are a favorite of mine too, and they're not colorful. I enjoy looking for fossils occasionally and I like to make these videos for people like you who prefer them over the "pretty rocks".

[@TheOldladyB]

So many fossils. I would have a hard time leaving any behind. Love this video. Thank you for sharing.

[@MichiganRocks]

I have samples of most of this stuff at home, so once I have a couple, I don't feel the need to collect a bunch more.

[@kims4529]

Such interesting stuff on that beach! The death plates are especially fascinating. Nancy cracked me up when she said she didn't remember being there, but she saw the videos! 😅

[@MichiganRocks]

She's been coming out with me more and more lately. She wasn't really into looking for rocks in the past, but is starting to come around.

[@CarolynMcPherson-r3z]

I am sure, Rob, that she is so enamored of you that all thoughts of boring old rocks fled from her head. PLUS you forget the shovel, right?, Signed, a Fan

[@mjoyparks]

I had no idea horn coral could be so big! Lots of great fossils to see. That was an adventure! Thank you for sharing it, I loved it!

[@MichiganRocks]

I find them that big in Rockport quarry too.

[@mjoyparks]

@@MichiganRocks amazing! I’ve never found one over 2”.

[@berjo77]

Toughing it out for us! SO appreciated! Looks like a load of fun. Glad you got out a bit in the water. What a horn coral to show for it! Nice work, keep safe!

[@MichiganRocks]

Nancy found some really big horn corals. My friend Thomas found a big horn coral at Rockport and polished it up. It turned out really nice. kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5q2e6uVdpeDhbc

[@spencerpearson3688]

Thank you both! Beautiful piece at 3:25, good going Nancy!

[@MichiganRocks]

Nancy found some good ones that day.

[@RockandRoadRockhounding]

Nancy had some really great finds! That one horn coral she picked up was huge!!! Loved seeing all the crinoids, I need to try that sifting method next time I'm at a roadcut with lots of small fossils.

[@MichiganRocks]

The sifter would have been a great idea if the holes were just a little bigger. Nancy found some better stuff than I did that day. The two crinoid calyxes were my favorite finds of hers.

[@salishseaquest7952]

Appreciated Nancy's announcement that it was "Catch and Release Day". No questions about that. Those death plates are fascinating. Truly some unusual finds. Your drone footage was again terrific -- helps to get a bird's eye view of where you are visiting. Thanks, Rob & Nancy!

[@MichiganRocks]

I feel the same way about the drone shots. It's a whole new perspective for me even though I'm right there.

[@sparband]

That beach was different from your usual beaches. I find it interesting how each beach seems to collect different things. Lots of fossils and corals at that beach. Pretty much everything that you picked up.

[@MichiganRocks]

Yes, there are very few glacial rocks here. Everything is gray. Almost everything is a fossil too. If you like fossils, you'd definitely like this spot.

[@c-csmith4815]

I loved this video... the size of those fossils are amazing, here at the southern most tip of Lake Michigan we find these fossil, but nothing like the size of yours ( or at least i haven't) I like the name Death Plate.. I have always called it Fossil Soup Thank you very informative

[@MichiganRocks]

I've also seen it called "fossil hash".

[@melissas.117]

Loved this video, wish I was out searching with you, I love fossils!!

[@kellyharper367]

Old disabled house bound dusty rusty rockhound here: That was sooo fun! Nice big specimens. Thanks for taking this old fossil along for the adventure!

[@Indyanas_ocean_view]

Really awesome finds! My favorite fossil was the one you found at 11:51. all the brachiopods you found were cool too.😍🥰😇👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@MichiganRocks]

Kind of look like a tentacle.

[@Indyanas_ocean_view]

@@MichiganRocks Yes! Super cool!😍🥰😇👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@Justfollowthecrumbs]

I just love those vistas Rob and the sound of the waves, bliss.

[@lindaleehulsey3167]

Went online to find photo of Crinoid Calyx like your friend found.....REALLY STRUCK A CORE PART OF THE ARTIST IN ME DISCOVERING DIVINE GEOMETRY......no body had as BLESSED a gifted fossil photo like his.....EXCEPTIONALLY hypnotic & mesmerizing to me.... WISH I could get a picture of it like you showed. Touched by its POWER & BEAUTY, such symmetry. It moved me to remember a time drawing with my father's drawing compass lines within a circle created that very DIVINE 🌟 The fossil he found has an elaborately creative continuation all around it, different from just straight lines connecting which I was AMAZED with. Thank YOU both.

[@MichiganRocks]

I really like geometry, so putting geometry on a rock really brings it all together for me. Someday I'll find one!

[@thinkcivil1627]

The diversity in the picking you have is incredible! The death plates are beautiful. All I really ever find around here are agates.

[@GregtheGrey6969]

I rarely find agates, and mostly find fossils. I'll trade locations with you

[@MichiganRocks]

Boy, you've got it tough with all those agates! Too bad there isn't an easy way to do a rock hunting exchange program. I move into your house for a summer and you move into mine and we both get to find new stuff.

[@thinkcivil1627]

@@MichiganRocks LOL. I thought you would get a kick out of that one. The only problem with the exchange program is that we both pick in areas that can be hours away from our houses. For me, so much depends on the time of the year for access to certain areas.

[@MichiganRocks]

@@thinkcivil1627 That's true. Still closer than we are now though!

[@rikspector]

Rob, What's really amazing is that the Crinoid family of plant like animals still exist, 300,000,000 years later!!! Cheers, Rik Spector

[@MichiganRocks]

Yes, I know. They must be pretty hardy.

[@emdee7744]

This was a great fossil video. Thank you for sharing your finds. It was a pleasure to follow along with you and Nancy.

[@MichiganRocks]

You're welcome, Em.

[@largent45]

Wow those were some awesome fossils! I love fossils and would love to be able to find the things you were finding! crinoids, and brachiopods, and even the horn corals! to be able to touch and hold something that is as old as those are, is amazing! great video and thanks for handling the weather, to entertain us! its deceiving sometimes because its sunny, and we cant feel the cold! So thanks for the adventure!

[@MichiganRocks]

There are definitely some really cool fossils here. It's a fun spot. The weather was even colder the second day out. I almost went back to the Jeep to warm up, but decided to tough it out.

[@largent45]

@@MichiganRocks well we appreciate your sacrifice! now go drink something warm! lol! seriously awesome finds!

[@Steve_Seese]

I found a crinoids stem today while I was out walking my dog. I didn't know what it was but coincidentally I found this video and you explained what it was! Thank you

[@MichiganRocks]

I thought they looked like petrified bolts the first time I found them.

[@charisjones632]

Wow, cool fossils! Love that you look, touch, then leave them there

[@MichiganRocks]

I don't leave them all there, but I don't take too many home, either.

[@sandmaker]

What a nice walk along the beach. Thanks for sharing.

[@heatherlawrence1896]

Thank you for the video! I wanna come to this spot to get a couple of these fossles. The ones I have are beach worn from lake Michigan (wisconsin side). Would be awesome if I was in Alpina seen you and Nancy. That would make me so happy!!

[@GregtheGrey6969]

Try scupernug state park, or west bend hiking trails for untumbled fossils. Same fossils that are on the beach.

[@heatherlawrence1896]

@@GregtheGrey6969 thank you! And a question..... am I able to take from state parks? Here in Wisconsin we are not able to take anything.

[@MichiganRocks]

That's a long way to drive for fossils with that lake in between you and me. We do have a lot of fossils here though. I know several locations where you can find a pretty good variety of stuff.

[@socalrockhound]

I think it’s interesting that when I lived in St Louis I would find the crinoid stems and horn coral in my garden whenever I would dig. I feel your pain with the wind microphone . I shoot my videos on my iPhone cause it has 4K but you can’t use an external microphone unless you use an app. Enjoy your videos

[@MichiganRocks]

The iPhone was my problem too. I usually shoot outdoor videos with a GoPro 9. I have a tiny external microphone for that with a fuzzy "dead cat" on it. The problem with the GoPro is that it's not good for close ups at all. I've been using my iPhone for close ups since last fall, but I also run the GoPro for recording audio. I just use the audio from the GoPro and the video from the iPhone. That makes editing take a lot longer and uses up a lot more disk space, so I decided to hook a microphone up directly to the phone. I bought an identical microphone to what I have on my GoPro. That has a headphone type plug, so I bought a headphone to Lightning adapter. But the sound quality is just horrible. I did make a mistake of not adjusting the sensitivity in the app I'm using (Filmic Pro), but the wind noise was just awful. I'll keep looking for a better solution.

[@bruninomorin3586]

You guys are great ! Thank you so much for sharing your finds !

[@CityRockhounding]

Thanks Rob, this video is very helpful and informative. I appreciate your work, great fossil finds.

[@MichiganRocks]

I'm glad you found it useful, Nic.

[@chrystal5665]

We have a really amazing fossil park here in Texas that has what look to be the exact same fossils. I loved watching this one. Going to have to load the boys up and hit Mineral Wells Fossil Park again since there is no way we're making it all of the way up there.

[@MichiganRocks]

That's weird that you have the same fossils way down there in Texas. That's fun.

[@chrystal5665]

@@MichiganRocks probably going to botch this one up since I'm not googling first but if my memory serves well enough they are from the Pennsylvanian Era. Pretty close to 300mill years ago. We had an inland sea over the central/northern Texas area. We have a lot of fossils around from the sea but Mineral Wells Fossil Park is the only area with the same ones that you showed. It's a free to take area so I have a few at my place now 🥰

[@davidhile5363]

In my 2+ years of rock hounding in western Mi. we’ve only found one intact Crinoid stem so seeing all of those was a real treat. Also interesting was that there were few glacial rocks. There death plate that we find in western Mi. is usually a blackish rock. The drone footage really showed the iron rich area of the beach and those were some of the biggest horn corals that I’ve ever seen ! Thanks for sharing Rob and Nancy ! Spring has been slow in arriving this year.

[@MichiganRocks]

You should make a trip over here and do a little fossil hunting. We have some really great stuff. I didn't know that the death plates were different over there. I also thought that you'd have similar crinoids. Interesting stuff.

[@davidhile5363]

@@MichiganRocks Yes, we definitely need to make a trip over that way this summer. Also our pudding stones are tiny and elusive to boot. Any recommendations for a good location to find those ?

[@MichiganRocks]

@@davidhile5363 The best spot is that beach that you can't get to. Nancy and I found some at a roadside park just south of Cheboygan. Here's the video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/foatdIyXgN6go7c Another spot that has some is near Ossineke at Negwegon State Park. Negwegon requires walking almost a mile before you get to the rocks, and then you're not guaranteed to find any. It's a beautiful spot though.

[@davidhile5363]

@@MichiganRocks Thanks Rob !!!

[@SherryAustinMcginley]

I’ve found a few death plates walking along the Buffalo River in Arkansas and found crinoids in the loose sand. Also found crinoids in Mississippi. I enjoyed the video very much.

[@MichiganRocks]

They're everywhere! Aren't those death plates fun?

[@debihalsey2247]

Looks like FUN! Wish I was there!

[@MichiganRocks]

It was fun!

[@markattardo]

Always interesting to see the fossils in that area. 👍👍

[@MichiganRocks]

We have a lot of them.

[@berjo77]

Loved the horn coral, one of the few I really like!

[@grandmakellymcdonald]

Fun! 💕👵

[@BeadedbyBettina]

Visited MI for the 1st time last August, didn’t find a petosky or pudding stone but found some nice unakite & a few fossils can’t wait to go back! Mailed myself a box of rocks home to NJ :-)

[@MichiganRocks]

Maybe next time you'll find Petoskey Stones or puddingstones. It's fun looking even if you don't find exactly what you're looking for.

[@Ken_G.]

Some great stuff on that shore for sure. That piece that you had never seen one of before at 13:15 was a fan coral, a.k.a. sea fan.

[@MichiganRocks]

Thanks Ken. I didn't even know we had such a thing here.

[@janicesolie9482]

Thank you for sharing..Great Lakes has such a story..

[@JerrieLegree]

Have you heard of Arkona Ont Canada? People from all over the world come here to hunt for fossils. Lol! We had a load of stone delivered for our Driveway and it was full of fossils! My grandchildren love finding them! The Ausable River is right below us. If you ever want to visit the area we have a trailer out back. Rob, You are welcome to use it!

[@MichiganRocks]

I have not heard of Arkona. What kind of fossils do you have there? I was confused by your Ausable River comment. We have an Ausable River here in Michigan too. It's about an hour south of where I live.

[@j3tts0n65]

This is one of my favourite hobby’s just walking the beach and looking for death plates

[@easterazali9237]

Those fossils are so cool , what an interesting beach that is ! 🥰

[@MichiganRocks]

It really is interesting. It's so different than other beaches in this area.

[@michiganprospectors]

Alpena is one of my favorite places for rock hunting. My wife has a good eye for fossils and has found some very good crinoid heads there.

[@MichiganRocks]

Those calyxes are hard to find. Apparently it's to both of our advantages to take our wives along with us.

[@michiganprospectors]

@@MichiganRocks Haha, yeah seems so. Yesterday out at Elk Rapids my wife and 4 yr old daughter were finding cute tiny fossils. We will use them for crafting.

[@Rocking-SLC]

Right in your own back yard. Amazing!

[@MichiganRocks]

Lots of fossils in this area. Different spots have different fossils too.

[@LadyYoop]

Never did any fossil stuff...except, when it was really obvious, then I'd take it and give it to a friend that works at Michigan Tech, and they like looking at that stuff. This is cool.

[@LadyYoop]

NEVER saw a beach like this either!

[@MichiganRocks]

Pretty much all fossils on this beach.

[@dpunlasmith]

I figured you would no better than to utter the phrase “it finally feels like spring!” As soon as you said it you jinxed the weather and the temperature dropped 20 degrees and then it snowed! 😂 😂

[@MichiganRocks]

You're right, I should know better.

[@markreetz1001]

great fossils, Rob. Nancy was finding some horned coral. Some big stuff. That is all really cool!

[@MichiganRocks]

She wins again!

[@oldgamerchick]

What fun. Fossil hunting is always awesome. 🙃☕❤❤❤❤

[@MichiganRocks]

Yep!

[@donnalantz7981]

Awesome finds. I've been there but the water was really high up. Didn't find anything really interesting to bring home. I really wish I could find some of the brachiopods myself. Never have. Found a few other cool coral branches before. Will have to go back there and look around more.

[@MichiganRocks]

You want brachiopods? Try Burkholder Drive across from Sytek Park. Check the ditch on the river side as soon as you leave Bagely. You can also look around the shallow pond at Sytek Park. Another spot to look is anywhere the DNR puts large blocks of Limestone to block trails. There are some on the Devil's Lake trails. Some of those big rocks have brachiopods in them and the freeze/thaw cycle over the winter pops them out of the rock.

[@donnalantz7981]

Thanks Rob I appreciate that. I will have to do that one of these days.

[@mariekrueger2266]

Oh my! I would absolutely LOVE to have this experience! Great video.

[@MichiganRocks]

Thanks!

[@gwynnfarrell1856]

A plethora of fossils! Thanks for sharing!

[@gregbickford1341]

nice, haven't had very many warm days yet. and black flies already out great fossil hunt for you both

[@MichiganRocks]

Yesterday was warm here and now the rest of the week looks pretty cold again. Will spring ever arrive?

[@nancymcshane3501]

Nancy, most of those larger corals that you and Rob found I believe are varietie of Syringopora. Rob, remember those dots that are too small to be Chain Coral? They are Left from a Bryzoan! I will add the link for you. You found a lot of Bryzoans! You should check out those Death Plates with your UV light! The Crynoids really pop! No Michigan trip for me this Summer! I am going to Graves Mountain in May for their Open House and Rock Swap. It is a Volcano once owned by Tiffany and mined for Rutile with which to polish Diamonds. Then, in June fossil hunt on the James River at Pipsico Scout Reserve. Best spot ever! Everything is a fossil!

[@nancymcshane3501]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3nVZXidfb6Sl80 7:10

[@MichiganRocks]

I think you might be right about the syringopora. I have thought the same thing myself, but I'm never quite sure of my identification of them. I think you forgot the link to the bryozoan fossils. I'll check out a death plate with my UV light.

[@nancymcshane3501]

I added it to replies

[@kimberlyaustin6677]

I have found those fossils on the beaches of Michigan, but threw them away because I thought they were a type of industrial cement screw used for building piers. Yep, I thought it was cement. And that's what my cousin told me. 😕

[@MichiganRocks]

The first time I found crinoid stems (right on this beach), I thought they looked like fossilized bolts too.

[@bluejay3945]

Nancy you always carry the show. You really need to think about your own show.

[@MichiganRocks]

I just read this to Nancy and she laughed. I don't think she plans on doing her own show. There are always positive comments when she's on though, so I'll try to get her into more videos.

[@kimberlyromo3581]

Crinoid is soming I'm learning about and I hope to find some of what you're finding some day it is amazing to see

[@MichiganRocks]

Those are extremely easy to find here.

[@Kerrsartisticgifts]

I'm on the Saugeen Shores part of the Bruce Peninsula in Lake Huron, I notice that your beach has some rocks and fossil types I've yet to come across on my beach. I take photos when I find interesting looking rocks or fossils, I find a lot of flat limestone that has what looks like open fish mouths sticking out of it, I imagine that's actually clams but I don't know. The strangest fossil I've found looks like two bananas, they're sticking out of a large rock/ small boulder and I can't tell if they were a plant or a pair of teeth. Have you ever seen something like that? They're as big as bananas too.

[@MichiganRocks]

No, I can't say that I've seen the banana-esque fossils. There are different formations of limestone that contain different fossils. Rockport is near here and has fossils that I don't find on this beach.

[@chrissignal8857]

That's cool you met up with Kyle and Cris. They are great to hunt with. Really enjoy your videos. I think you've helped convinced the wife we need to take a trip up there😂

[@MichiganRocks]

You've hunted with them too? I really enjoyed that day with them in Florida. It was fun showing Kyle around here last summer too.

[@chrissignal8857]

Yeah we hunted the Peace river a couple times. Met them from the fossilforum members meet up. I've got a few coral fossils from Florida but they're pretty rare and not terribly old. Were you able to find agatized coral when you came down?

[@MichiganRocks]

@@chrissignal8857 No coral, but lots of animal parts. Shark teeth, turtle shells, armadillo plates, deer bones and teeth, etc.kzbin.info/www/bejne/iaeTlYZjhbNprKc

[@GalvestonGuy]

I love beach fossils!

[@MichiganRocks]

You'd love this place then!

[@HoodBillyLife]

I'm going to be in Ionia State Park to pan with a few other KZbin Channels. I am also going to Muskallonge State Park in August. I would love to learn how to rockhound with you.

[@MichiganRocks]

I ran into a guy with a sluice at Muskallonge State Park last summer. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mmbPoaCFrJeAZtk I don't think there's any trick to rock hunting. You just pick up what looks good to you.

[@Crazyman23]

I commented on an older video also. But i was wondering what kind of rocks I should look for in my area and types of fossils. We found a few fossilized shells from a clam in sand stone from a local quarry when we had some gravel dropped off. I'm from the Monroe County area and pretty close to Lake Erie as a general location.

[@MichiganRocks]

I don't know what fossils you have in that area. I'd just get out there and start looking. Then start researching whatever you find. A good site to help you out is the Fossil Forum. thefossilforum.com

[@Crazyman23]

@@MichiganRocks thank you for both your replies and the website. I'll be looking into that. I'll be sure to look for some Petoskey stones at Port Huron next time I'm up there. My kids love collecting rocks and I got an old rock tumbler that just collects dust. Their recent find was a black rock that's really smooth and has bands of dark orange in it. Good luck on your next rock hunt with the weather starting to look better.

[@lushpaw1]

Crinoids are sometimes referred to as sea lillies because of their resemblance to a plant or flower. Crinoids came close to extinction toward the end of the Permian Period, about 252 million years ago. The end of the Permian was marked by the largest extinction event in the history of life. The fossil record shows that nearly all the crinoid species died out at this time. I was curious so posted a little more info. always love hearing about Michigans past. Your beach is so much different than mine in Port Huron. Almost seems less old...

[@MichiganRocks]

This beach is different than other beaches in this area too. It's almost completely fossils and very few glacial rocks. We also have beaches up here that are very similar to the beaches in Port Huron.

[@adamderdzikowski1571]

Great place and great finds.

[@filipar949]

I hear Devonian period and immediately Nightwish’s, Greatest show on earth, comes to mind 🤘🏼 so yep, that’s my next stop ❄️ can’t wait for your canoeing trips

[@MichiganRocks]

I'll assume they mention the Devonian Period in that twenty one minute song somewhere.

[@ruthchapman3847]

Cool day. I have been there before but didn't stop long enuf to see all the fossils. I'll have to try again. Did you find any chain coral? That's my favorite fossil.

[@MichiganRocks]

I have never found chain coral there. I have found it on the beach in last week's video, although not often.

[@ruthchapman3847]

Thank you

[@johncloar1692]

Thanks enjoyed the fossils.

[@icatz]

Fossils yay! Wow, so many. Did you keep any? That star one is awesome. I'd be there all day, till my back gave out. Our area up north has pretty much the same fossils, 400-350 mya. Death plates are great! TFS ❤️💔🦅🦅

[@MichiganRocks]

We kept the crinoid calyxes. I don't tend to keep fossils unless they're something that I don't already have.

[@icatz]

@@MichiganRocks You didn't take that star fossil? Is it common or what? I've never seen anything like that.

[@MichiganRocks]

@@icatz The crinoid disc with the little spikes? Those are fairly common at Rockport quarry near here. If you mean that really cool crinoid calyx in the still shot, that was found by a friend.

[@icatz]

@@MichiganRocks I need to pay attention more. It's hard.

[@ChillyPhilly-]

This is my new favorite channel :)

[@MichiganRocks]

Woo-hoo! Great news, Phil!

[@Chlorate299]

Nancy found some really nice fossils!

[@MichiganRocks]

She sure did!

[@wmarian5027]

Thanks, this was great to watch. Nice variation. Did you manage to stick to catch and release?

[@MichiganRocks]

We brought the crinoid heads home.

[@virginiarocks]

Fascinating!

[@savagesquirrel9828]

Wonderful video. I love fossils. The drone shots are great. Have you ever cut any shells or stems in half?

[@MichiganRocks]

I have not cut many fossils other than Petoskey Stones. I don't think you'd see much inside the brachiopods, but the horn corals might look cool inside. I guess I should do that sometime.

[@michellesadventures7414]

I have a few of those . Love the death slate Very cool

[@MichiganRocks]

Death plates are fun. It’s like a snapshot of the ocean floor from millions of years ago.

[@bettycoffin4206]

Do you ever make beads out of the crinoid stems for jewelry? They look like you could drill them and the shapes are cool.

[@MichiganRocks]

In another spot that I find these, I typically just find the individual discs that get stacked up to make a stem. Those almost always have a hole in the middle. My daughter collected enough to make a bracelet when she was young. I think she still has it. Since these are made of limestone, they're soft and easy to drill. I haven't drilled these in particular, but I have drilled Petoskey Stone which should be a very similar hardness. I'd use my Dremel and 1 mm diamond bits.

[@alexistilley4652]

@@MichiganRocks I actually made one today!

[@Kanjo16]

Hey Rob, I bought my dad some Picasso Jasper to tumble. He also has ceramic media. When should he add the ceramic to the mix? Can it ride through the whole tumble or should it be added later?

[@MichiganRocks]

I add the ceramics in the second stage. Don't use them in the first stage because they'll just wear out really quickly. The ceramics can be moved along with the rocks without a problem.

[@Kanjo16]

@@MichiganRocks Great! Thank you.

[@chrishacker7551]

Keep it up! We love the rock videos, unfortunately our first tumbler from harbor freight just gave out even with weekly oiling.

[@MichiganRocks]

Harbor Freight tumblers don't have a great reputation for longevity. I really like Lortone tumblers.

[@geologyjohnson7700]

That iron patch was interesting. I'm guessing the Fe is being leached from the rocks, but looks like it's being oxidised by some microbes. Nice fossils too, my girlfriend loves crinoids and is very jealous of your finds.

[@MichiganRocks]

You couldn't really see it in the video, but there's also a thin oil slick on the water in that area. I'm not sure what else to call it, but it has the sort of rainbow colors of oil on water. Out on the island, there's a lot of shale, which contains oil. I suspect that there's some shale in that area too. On the island, there are also concretions that tend to have what looks like rusty iron in them sometimes. That could be the source of the iron here too. That's just my uneducated theory.

[@geologyjohnson7700]

@@MichiganRocks organic rich shales usually contain a lot of pyrite which quickly breaks down to Fe-oxides on the surface so that all makes sense. Oily sheen on water could also be bio film of microbes. If you poke it and it breaks into jagged plates, then it's a bio film.

[@MichiganRocks]

@@geologyjohnson7700 I guess there will be poking next time I go there.

[@greatnorthernviews3052]

I love your drone shots fossils are pretty cool we have a lot around here too.

[@MichiganRocks]

That drone has been a really fun thing to have. I thought that I'd think of it like a remote controlled plane, but I think of it more as a flying camera.

[@greatnorthernviews3052]

@@MichiganRocks They are awesome I fly my mini 2 any chance I get it can find rocks for me I can zoom in and go down the beach for a mile easily to not waist time on a bad beach.

[@evanevan6548]

Was just in Alpena and the fossils are so insane and plentiful.

[@MichiganRocks]

Yep, we have some nice stuff here.

[@jmweidner]

Haha! Awesome video! U say u like the calyx? I think I still have a video up. I posted it for a few geologists to look at (from UW Madison, Weis Museum and Milwaukee museum) before I decided to cut it. Don't have a video of it cut but it is gorgeous! And all rose quartz that reflects rainbows! And it's BIG!

[@MichiganRocks]

Our fossils are made of limestone here. Rose quartz would be much nicer!

[@jmweidner]

@@MichiganRocks I should send you some of my silicafied fossils that I polished 😁 I think you would like them😁

[@MichiganRocks]

@@jmweidner I probably would, but I'm a little overloaded with polished rocks as it is.

[@anniewardlow9297]

Hi, I'm new to the channel & so far your content is exactly what I'm looking for. Can you drill holes down the center of the crinoid stems, string them & use them for a necklace, bracelet or earrings? 🤔 They don't look like they'd tumble well or polish up without them losing their individual character. But, they DO look like they'd make interesting jewelry. Thanks & be well!

[@MichiganRocks]

In another spot that I find these, I typically just find the individual discs that get stacked up to make a stem. Those almost always have a hole in the middle. My daughter collected enough to make a bracelet when she was young. I think she still has it. Since these are made of limestone, they're soft and easy to drill. I haven't drilled these in particular, but I have drilled Petoskey Stone which should be a very similar hardness. I'd use my Dremel and 1 mm diamond bits.

[@anniewardlow9297]

@@MichiganRocks WOW... thanks for such a thorough & quick reply.

[@robbybobby6483]

At 3:19 a spider runs across the stones. Not sure if you saw it. Big one too. Fossils are one of my favorites.

[@MichiganRocks]

There are a lot of spiders in those rocks when you start digging around. They don't bother me and I just ignore them. I'm not sure why there are more on this beach than other beaches, but they're thick here.

[@robbybobby6483]

Your a brave man Rob!

[@MichiganRocks]

@@robbybobby6483 Not really. Spiders just aren't much of a threat.

[@teeteepalooza]

I was thinking: where are these fossils coming from? And a beat later you explained! Me: he’s reading my thoughts! 😳 😆

[@MichiganRocks]

The bedrock here is all limestone and it's full of fossils.

[@IvanLopez-zh3xz]

nice episode!!!

[@TheMadFlasher]

Great video! Your channel rocks!

[@MichiganRocks]

Thanks!

[@lorrets9775]

Thank you both for braving it out 😊 It looks quite lifeless there, or is that just that area ?

[@MichiganRocks]

It looks better when the leaves come out on the trees. The rocks here are all gray so that makes it look a little more dull too. There are a lot of birds flying around this area. I showed some geese flying by and there were ducks and gulls there too. The woods here is pretty wet swamp with a lot of cedars. In general in this part of Michigan, there's a lot of woods and water that are both full of life. There's a lot of great fishing and hunting here. We have deer in our yard every day, I just saw a fox run through a couple weeks ago. Other animals that I've seen right in my yard: raccoon, turkey, ruffed grouse, cottontail rabbit, mink, possum, sandhill crane (flying over), Loon (flying over), squirrel, skunk, great horned owl, mice, snakes of various types, turtles (painted and snapping), salamanders, and my father in law actually saw a lizard in my front garden once. Black bears and coyotes have been seen by neighbors, but I haven't seen them in my yard. There's lots of life here.

[@lorrets9775]

@@MichiganRocks wow a lot of wildlife. I guess from the video it is harder to imagine the corals and other life that were there ( maybe still are ? )

[@melindakapp5838]

Both u annnd Nancy! Cant get much better than this! And please tell me u didnt throw back that branching coral Nancy found!!!!

[@olmilfishrock]

Cool fossils!! Have you tried shining your black light on them? Several of the similar fossils I used to find in Illinois glow . Especially the horn coral. Keep rockin!!👍😎

[@MichiganRocks]

I have tried the U.V. light on Petoskey Stones. They have a pale yellow glow.

[@olmilfishrock]

@@MichiganRocks mine glow more of a orange color. Some are much brighter than others. Even some of the crinoid stems glow . 😎

[@MichiganRocks]

@@olmilfishrock I'll check it out.

[@patriciamckean4186]

Looking for a good resource book on Michigan fossil identification and other information...ie locals, host rock etc.

[@MichiganRocks]

I have one fossil book in my Amazon storefront, but it looks like it's out of print. It was pretty good. Not super comprehensive, but a good starter book. One place you could look for some very detailed information is U of M's Deep Blue library. These are papers mostly published in the 1970s and earlier. Here's one about the Alpena area, where I live: deepblue.lib.umich.edu/handle/2027.42/48601

[@no1billiard]

Trachypora looking like the arm of an octopus

[@robertl6196]

Fossil collecting ASMR. Nice. Did the crinoids live in a different environment than the (future) Petosky stones? Something in my head says crinoids lived in a deep-water environment. That may be totally wrong.

[@MichiganRocks]

I really have no idea. This area is often described as having once been a "shallow sea". I never seem to see a definition of what "shallow" means though. Was it 20 feet? 100 feet? 200 feet? Any of those could be considered shallow. I do know that there are various different formations of limestone in the area. There's a U of M paper that calls the limestone here "Thunder Bay Limestone". Partridge point is within Thunder Bay, the bay that Alpena is on. Don't confuse it with the town of Thunder Bay in Canada. It also refers to the "Traverse Group". Here's the paper. I contains a pictures of trilobites found just around the corner from where I was. There are some bluffs that are maybe ten feet high and made of layered limestone there. There are also houses built on top, so digging in them would not be appreciated by the owners of those houses. deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/48269/ID108.pdf;jsessionid=5F8149028AF7497D419C5E52DA30C3F3?sequence=2

[@FriggOff361]

ive dug around beaches my whole life and never found what you find in a day

[@MichiganRocks]

That's a bummer. I am very fortunate to live where I do. There's some really interesting stuff in Michigan.

[@99Rockhounding]

How were the spiders there this time? That horn coral Nancy found was awesome! Do you think it would shine up like the one I did?

[@MichiganRocks]

The spiders were plentiful. I haven't polished enough horn corals to know if Nancy's would shine up. I don't see why it wouldn't. Yours turned out much better than I expected.

[@virginiarockhead237]

Hey I love the way you and wife interact with each other. That's how you stay married. Have you ever tumbled death plates?

[@MichiganRocks]

I have not tumbled death plates. I don't know if the fossils would look very good if they were smoothed out. I'm lucky Nancy puts up with me. We do get along really well.

[@charlesbordner9240]

Have you been to Brown county Indiana?? You can find fossils that have been turned into geodes lots of death plates and crinoids heads in creeks

[@MichiganRocks]

No, I haven't. Sounds a lot like here, except for the geodes.

[@charlesbordner9240]

@@MichiganRocks the geodes are fossils....I found a death plate and the crinoid heads are baby geodes!!!! If you read books on geodes there's usually a section on strange Indiana geodes.....I like to go around this time of year to find morel mushrooms and before the cottonmouths come out

Maravilhoso seu achado e incrivel de se ver. Um esietaculo a parte. Super top. Sua fã da Bahia.

[@MichiganRocks]

Adoro essas ágatas baianas!

[@tracibowman1959]

I’m planning a trip to go there soon because I love those ‘death plates’! Is it easy to get back there? I’m about 4 hours south.

[@MichiganRocks]

The road from the main road to the parking area is short, just a few hundred feet. It's rough with a lot of big puddles, but most cars could get down it without a problem if you just drive slow. The puddles are all very solid on the bottom, not soft mud or sand. I wouldn't take something really low, like a Corvette or something down the road. You could always walk in, it would only take five minutes. If you like fossils and drive that far to come here, check out Burkholder Drive and Sytek Park across the road. Also drive about another 20 minutes north to Rockport. Rockport: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fpS8l3SNl8mBY80 I have other videos showing the sinkholes behind the park, and more of the beach there too. All three places are in this video by 99 Rockhounding: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eGK8fGShgs2ra5I

[@I_wish_I_knew_something]

Very cool

[@Smallathe]

Great fossil hunt :)

[@lindaleehulsey3167]

The STAR design was RELIGIOUS looking. Maybe an INSPIRATION ORIGINATIO of a RELIGIOUS SYMBOL......EARTH geometry,, geometric origination.

[@MichiganRocks]

More like a pentagram. That's not good!

[@leannkennedy6568]

If you were to put that piece of coral in acid, would the coral stay together in one piece?

[@MichiganRocks]

That works with chain coral. I have tried it with something that I thought was syringapora and the whole fossil dissolved equally. I haven't tried it with a wide variety of fossils though.

[@TJP777RPG]

Hey! will you guys be at the Kalamazoo rock and gem expo this weekend? (april 29-may 1) i just discovered this channel as im getting excited for the expo and i absolutely love it. i will be using your content as my definitive guide to my home state. i've been collecting rocks as long as i can remember, and i love Michigan for its wide geological variety

[@MichiganRocks]

I'm not going to be at the Kalamazoo show. I haven't actually ever been to a rock show. Maybe some day I'll do that.

[@TJP777RPG]

@@MichiganRocks from what i've seen of you so far, it may not appeal to you as a guest, however if you're looking to sell your creations and finds then you would do well as a vendor. there are a few educational and interactive booths, usually kid oriented, but mostly its a swap meet

[@MichiganRocks]

@@TJP777RPG Thanks, Tyler. I don't sell much. I sell a few things at a local shop and have trouble keeping up with demand as it is.