Team Paleo Update

Team Paleo enjoyed several years of collaboration, but members moved in their own direction as of September 2014. 

We wish all members good luck in their endeavors and thank them for a wonderful adventure! 

Educational Outreach

This fall, Gwen has had several opportunities to pass along her passion by educating others about geology and anthropology. During a junior high level nature and biology trip, she explained to students how glacial erratics ended up in Central Illinois and gave a bonus lesson on the formation of igneous rock.

Glacial erratic at Forest Park Nature Center

During a homeschool co-operative, Gwen gave a presentation to the younger kids about Native American artifacts and how to collect and catalog them.

Discussing artifacts at a homeschool co-op

Presenting a three-quarter grooved stone axe to the students

 And then Gwen and her brother Ronan headed down to Dickson Mounds to help visitors make origami bats and other crafts for Going Batty! A few weeks later, both Gwen and Ronan volunteered to help with Ancient Arts in Illinois. Many opportunities to pass on their knowledge and sharpen their own skills.

Gwen at the origami station 

Ronan at the bat puppet station

Boxes of Rockses

Recently, Team Paleo member Katie downsized her vast collection of fossils and rocks. Most were donated by her grandfather, who is active in Peoria Academy of Science Geology Section. Contained in several large moving boxes, the collection was jumbled together with little sorting or identification. Being an avid fan of the geological field, I graciously agree to take the extra objects in the collection.

I got the collection home and hauled the ridiculously heavy boxes upstairs to a sorting table, where I laid each specimen out so I could see in entirety the rocks. Some of the objects had been bagged and labeled, while others were thrown higgledy-piggledy into tupperware containers. At this point, I knew I had to further sort and narrow down the specimens in order to make them manageable.

The rock and fossil collection when first unpacked ~ vast and jumbled

Thanks to opportunities to sort and catalog the type collection at Dickson Mounds Museum, I have had experience with sorting specimens into manageable groups for labeling and organizing. I used the same techniques I learned at Dickson Mounds to tackle my own recently acquired rock collection.

My end goal is to have everything carefully cataloged and boxed or bagged, with any duplicates, extras, or unwanted specimens in storage. I would like to eventually have a series of shelves where the specimens can be laid out without being broken or damaged. My criteria for what I would like to keep is 1. things I find interesting, 2. specimens of strange or rare minerals and fossils, and 3. some of the most common fossils and minerals, along with multiple variations of each.

~~~~~

Determining what specimens I have is part of sorting. While some specimens were labeled, others were just stuck in a box with no designation. Using my geology handbooks and research websites, I began to lengthy process of identifying the unlabeled specimens.

I'm not 100% certain what this rock is, but I think it is shale, due to the numerous layers and light color. The sample is very light-weight and chalky, of a mostly fine-grained material like silt or mud. However some layers appear to be made up of  larger grains. 

The top specimen is sandstone, which has become partially geodized. The specimen below is likely limestone, which has also become host to a geode. Both rocks are similar, however the sandstone seems to be made up of larger grains and has cross-bedding and deposits other minerals (beside the geode). Whereas the limestone is much siltier and smooth. The weight of each rock is similar.

Geodes are formed similarly to chert, where a hollow irregularity in sandstone or limestone matrix becomes filled with mineralized water. In some cases, such as in the creation of chert and jasper, the irregularity completely solidifies. In the case of geodes, quartz and other minerals form around the exterior circumference of the hollow area. In most geodes, the crystals never grow enough to completely fill the area, however there are specimens of solid geodes.

This is a GNEISS rock. (You pronounce gneiss as 'nice') Although similar in appearance to granite, gneiss has a different breaking pattern and is generally 'banded' in appearance, displaying the different layers of deposition. If you were to compare a piece of gneiss next to granite, you would see that the particles in gneiss all align in the same direction while the particles in granite are wacko skitzy all over the place. Wacko skitzy meaning muddled and chaotic. Gneiss would shear off with the grain like slices, while granite, since the particles are chaotic, it breaks in many directions at once, or in chunks and crumbles. All rock wants to break along a particle line, but with granite, the particles go in so many directions the break wanders around finding the easiest path.

Volcanic basalt- formed by lava flows and is a classic igneous rock. While hard to see in the picture, the rock has a fine crystalline structure that is often overlooked. 

After much research, I identified this as the petrified branch of a tree. While most people are accustomed to using the term 'petrified', the scientific term is 'permineralized'. Petrified means 'turned to stone, while permineralization is the process by which organic material is turned to stone. When the material is buried by sediment, mineralized water seeps over time into the organic object, replacing organic materials with minerals. In this case, the organic material was a tree branch or wood.

Another possibility is that this is a fossilized long bone, however generally fossilized bone has a porous appearance, while this specimen appears to be smooth. I will continue to research and seek a professional opinion.

Article and commentary written by Gwen McDaniel

Lego Team Paleo

In the late hours of the night, during the goofiness that is a slumber party, Lego Team Paleo was born...

We have Emily, Katie, Dr Mike, Jen, and Gwen....

Coming soon... Lego Team Paleo Junior!

Clay Pots and Porcelain

This week, Team Paleo finished up one project and assisted with another. 

The team has been working on sorting, photographing, and organizing the museum type collection for many months. During the last two weeks, they organized a large collection of lithic points and other objects donated by another local museum. Each piece needed to find a home in the large type collection. 

Later in the day, Team Paleo got to offer a small help to a large project. Dickson Mounds has been adding an exhibition of Illinois life in the early 1800's, so the team got to unpack some of the artifacts that will be displayed. Instead of stone arrow points and earthen clay jars, the collection included steel knives and blue porcelain transferware. 

Sorting lithic points by type and placing them in large wooden drawers for the type collection.

A tiny number of the large lithic point collection to be sorted.

There is always time for some jokes and laughter in the collections room...

Our fearless leader, Dr. Michael Wiant, ponders lithic types.

The Illinois in the 1800's collection- Carefully boxed up and ready to be displayed in the new exhibit.

Early 1800's artifacts. Containers evolve from clay pots to glass and porcelain.

Team Paleo volunteer, Ronan, unpacks a box of interesting artifacts.