Wednesday, 10JAN07

Both Guadalupe and Big Bend are full of fossils; below is just a sampler. Under no circumstances do we remove, collect, or disturb fossils in any way. We also will immediately leave any other research sites that we might encounter. At Guadalupe you will see many classic fossils of the Permian era, and earlier.

ammonite, Permian Reef Trail (Guadalupe 2007)	ammonite, Bear Canyon Trail (Guadalupe 2004)
"barnacles", Tejas Trail (Guadalupe 2004)	bivalve, McKittrick Canyon (Guadalupe 2005)
crinoid, McKittrick Canyon (Guadalupe 2007)	fusillinids, Tejas Trail (Guadalupe 2004)
trilobite, Permian Reef Trail (Guadalupe 2004)

At Cuesta Carlota most fossils are Cretaceous or later, and the Permian through Jurassic layers are absent. Big Bend fossils thus are much younger than those at Guadalupe.

brachiopod, Mariscal Mountain (Big Bend 2000)	cephalopod, Mariscal Mountain (Big Bend 2000)
vertebrae, Cuesta Carlota (Big Bend 2007)	"claw", Cuesta Carlota (Big Bend 2006)

We had NO water beyond whatever we carried into the Cretaceous beds near Tornilla Creek and Cuesta Carlotta. There were some steep ravines but roughly equal elevations overall. The afternoon returns were tiring, however, due to aridity and fatigue.

Big Bend Ranch State Park was a bad weather alternative; we never used it. You will have similar field contingencies--but encounter your own discoveries.

Heywood [email] maintains this page, last updated 19AUG09. We monitor our cell phone from 6 to 8 PM CST when in range. That number is (715) 459-8181.

Cuesta Carlota Fossils

Wednesday, 10JAN07