Knowledge (XXG)

Walcott–Rust quarry

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products of bacterial metabolism. The surrounding rock must have consolidated very rapidly to allow the three-dimensional preservation. Organic matter made the closed micro-environment anaerobic; decay proceeded by sulfate reducing bacteria producing bicarbonate and sulfide byproducts (Allison, 1990). A slightly alkaline environment, saturated with carbonate, with bicarbonate build-up may have led to highly localized calcium carbonate precipitation. Pyrite formation, more common in such circumstances, may have been inhibited because of the small amount of iron in the carbonate sediment.
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uniquely preserved as sparry calcite infilings. Exceptionally fine detail of the appendages was preserved and has undergone very little compaction (a contrast to other sites). This type of preservation is only apparent when a specimen is sliced and the cut surface is polished or a thin section made.
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The Walcott–Rust quarry is excavated into beds of the lower part of the Rust Formation and consist of a distinctive one meter package of generally tabular, fine grained lime mudstone with a few bioturbated beds, part of a series of shallowing upward cycles that commence with dark shales that grade
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Walcott left the area and active working of the quarry in 1876 (his wife Lura Ann died of tuberculosis on January 23, 1876) although he returned for brief periods throughout his career. In 1876/7 Walcott published several papers on trilobite appendages, the first documentation of these features. In
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A sequence of events was necessary for this appendage preservation to take place. The trilobites that show the best soft tissue preservation were buried when partially enrolled inside the layer. The burial was in lime sediment and that may have buffered the micro-environment against any acidic
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Rust and his friends continued to extract and sell specimens from the quarry until Rust's death in 1897. It is estimated that over the years 8,600 square feet (800 m) were excavated. The old fossil quarry site was reopened in 1990 by Thomas E. Whiteley (also involved in the rediscovery of
338:. At this meeting between Walcott and Agassiz, Walcott mentioned that he had seen evidence of appendages and soft tissue, which Agassiz recommended he pursue. Discovery of soft body preservation at the Walcott–Rust quarry pre-dates Walcott's discovery of the more famous 310:. The presence of so many well preserved trilobites in one location alone qualifies the beds as an exceptional trilobite site, but the beds are further distinguished as the source of the first trilobites for which appendages were definitively described. 322:
working a new trilobite locality in Upper Ordovician limestones on a creek near the Rust farm, where Walcott had recently moved. Walcott and Rust began to quarry the site with Walcott marrying Rust's daughter Laura Ann on January 9, 1872.
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are found (complete or partially complete) throughout the deposit often associated with echinoderms. 22 of the 50 recognized beds were found to yield at least one complete articulated trilobite and/or echinoderm (primarily
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Fossils occur at the bases, tops and within a number of the storm units. Fossils represented in the Walcott–Rust quarry beds reflect a shelf community that developed during times of rather low net sedimentation and minimal
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Also, only those specimens which are partially enrolled show a significant amount of this type of preservation. For these reasons it is unlikely that this preservation would be obvious to anyone collecting trilobites.
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Carlton E. Brett; Gordon C. Baird (2002). "Revised stratigraphy of the Trenton Group in its type area, central New York State: sedimentology and tectonics of a Middle Ordovician shelf-to-basin succession".
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Walcott–Rust Quarry is the single richest and most varied source of trilobites in the New York Trenton Group limestones and perhaps in the entire suite of New York Paleozoic rocks.
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By 1860 William Palmer Rust (1826–1897) and his father Hiram were actively excavating fossils from quarries on the family farm originally opened for building stone. 1870 saw
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layer") yields specimens that are uniquely preserved with calcified appendages, forming the basis of Walcott's earliest and still classic papers which first documented
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Brett, Carlton E.; Whiteley, Thomas E.; Allison, Peter A.; Yochelson, Ellis L. (1999). "The Walcott–Rust quarry: Middle Ordovician trilobite Konservat-Lagerstatten".
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appendages resulted from early consolidation (cementation) of the surrounding rock, followed by spar filling of the interior cavity within the
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Walcott, C.D. (Dec 1876). "Preliminary notice of the discovery of the remains of the natatory and brachial appendages of trilobites".
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Whiteley, T.; Brett, C.E.; Lehmann, D.F. (1993). "The Walcott–Rust quarry: a unique Ordovician trilobite and crinoid Lagerstätte".
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Exquisitely preserved fossils, including at least 18 species of trilobites, have been documented. The four most common trilobites
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of the bottom. These communities were episodically smothered by sediment layers re-suspended by storms in shallower water.
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Brower, James C. (2008). "Some disparid crinoids from the upper Ordovician (Shermanian) Walcott–Rust quarry of New York".
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into fine-grained limestones. Many of these thin layers yield evidence for rapid deposition as distal carbonate
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Walcott, C.D. (Sep 20, 1877b). "Descriptions of new species of fossils from the Chazy and Trenton limestones".
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Walcott, C.D. (Sep 20, 1877a). "Notes on some sections of trilobites from the Trenton limestone".
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limbs of trilobites. Trilobites appendages are preserved in specimens of
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and sold the fossils he and Rust had collected between 1873 and 1879 to
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Walcott–Rust quarry from the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard
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Yochelson, E. L. (1967). "Charles Doolittle Walcott 1850-1927".
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Whiteley, Thomas E.; Kloc, Gerald J.; Brett, Carlton E. (2002).
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31st Annual Report New York State Museum Natural History (1879)
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31st Annual Report New York State Museum Natural History (1879)
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28th Annual Report New York State Museum Natural History (1879)
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10.1666/0022-3360(2005)079[0831:POTHLS]2.0.CO;2
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Buildings and structures in Herkimer County, New York
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Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs
326:In 1873 Walcott and Rust sold their collections to 276: 265: 260: 252: 244: 225: 186: 181: 173: 165: 160: 152: 144: 132: 122: 32: 523: 637:National Academy of Sciences Biographical Memoirs 909:Paleozoic paleontological sites of North America 568: 566: 564: 562: 560: 558: 556: 554: 794:Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Parts A/B/C 752:Brett, Carlton E.; Whiteley, Thomas E. (2005). 465: 349:1879 Walcott took up his appointment with the 8: 526:Trilobites of New York: an illustrated guide 517:Walcott–Rust quarry summary from Sam Gon III 373:Sedimentology and environment of deposition 29: 656:Charles Doolittle Walcott, Paleontologist 427:). More specifically, the fauna includes 827:Trilobite fauna summary from Sam Gon III 27:Fossil site in Herkimer County, New York 929:Geologic formations of New York (state) 672:; Erwin, D. H.; Collier, F. J. (1995), 581:(2). Paleontological Society: 288–305. 550: 934:Geography of Herkimer County, New York 679:, Washington: Smithsonian Inst Press, 478:Taphonomy and exceptional preservation 7: 625:William Rust biography from Harvard 25: 954:Paleontology in New York (state) 914:Ordovician paleontological sites 41:: Upper Ordovician (Shermanian) 369:) and extensively re-examined. 1: 944:Quarries in the United States 814:10.1016/S1474-7065(01)00007-9 359:Museum of Comparative Zoology 332:Museum of Comparative Zoology 530:. Cornell University Press. 924:Trilobites of North America 975: 939:Mining in New York (state) 435:, 11 described species of 654:Yochelson, E. L. (1998). 595:10.1017/S0022336000027773 320:Charles Doolittle Walcott 302:. Unique preservation of 296:Herkimer County, New York 270:Charles Doolittle Walcott 37: 840:Journal of Paleontology 758:Journal of Paleontology 575:Journal of Paleontology 367:Beecher's Trilobite Bed 475: 210:43.27722°N 75.13889°W 959:1870 in paleontology 127:Geological formation 806:2002PCE....27..231B 587:1999JPal...73..288B 472:Brett et al. (1999) 314:Historical overview 292:Walcott–Rust quarry 215:43.27722; -75.13889 206: /  39:Stratigraphic range 33:Walcott–Rust quarry 18:Walcott-Rust quarry 336:Harvard University 272:& William Rust 169:Micritic limestone 537:978-0-8014-3969-8 382:or storm layers. 355:Alexander Agassiz 288: 287: 16:(Redirected from 966: 894: 889: 883: 882: 870: 864: 863: 852:10.1666/06-077.1 835: 829: 824: 818: 817: 788: 782: 781: 749: 743: 742: 734: 728: 727: 719: 713: 712: 704: 698: 697: 670:Briggs, D. E. G. 666: 660: 659: 651: 645: 644: 632: 626: 621: 615: 614: 570: 541: 529: 482:One layer (the " 473: 221: 220: 218: 217: 216: 211: 207: 204: 203: 202: 199: 118: 48: 30: 21: 974: 973: 969: 968: 967: 965: 964: 963: 899: 898: 897: 890: 886: 872: 871: 867: 837: 836: 832: 825: 821: 800:(1–3): 231–63. 790: 789: 785: 751: 750: 746: 736: 735: 731: 721: 720: 716: 706: 705: 701: 687: 674:Fossils of the 668: 667: 663: 653: 652: 648: 634: 633: 629: 622: 618: 572: 571: 552: 548: 538: 521: 513: 480: 474: 471: 396: 375: 316: 234:Herkimer County 214: 212: 208: 205: 200: 197: 195: 193: 192: 140:Spillway Member 139: 138:Rust Formation, 137: 117: 116: 115: 114: 109: 104: 99: 94: 89: 84: 79: 74: 69: 64: 59: 54: 43: 42: 28: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 972: 970: 962: 961: 956: 951: 946: 941: 936: 931: 926: 921: 916: 911: 901: 900: 896: 895: 884: 865: 830: 819: 783: 744: 729: 714: 699: 685: 661: 646: 627: 616: 549: 547: 544: 543: 542: 536: 519: 512: 509: 500:Meadowtownella 479: 476: 469: 419:Meadowtownella 413:Isotelus gigas 395: 392: 374: 371: 315: 312: 286: 285: 278: 274: 273: 267: 263: 262: 258: 257: 254: 250: 249: 246: 242: 241: 227: 223: 222: 190: 184: 183: 179: 178: 175: 171: 170: 167: 163: 162: 158: 157: 154: 150: 149: 146: 142: 141: 136:Trenton Group, 134: 130: 129: 124: 120: 119: 112: 111: 110: 105: 100: 95: 90: 85: 80: 75: 70: 65: 60: 55: 50: 49: 35: 34: 26: 24: 14: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 971: 960: 957: 955: 952: 950: 947: 945: 942: 940: 937: 935: 932: 930: 927: 925: 922: 920: 917: 915: 912: 910: 907: 906: 904: 893: 888: 885: 880: 876: 869: 866: 861: 857: 853: 849: 845: 841: 834: 831: 828: 823: 820: 815: 811: 807: 803: 799: 795: 787: 784: 779: 775: 771: 767: 763: 759: 755: 748: 745: 740: 733: 730: 725: 718: 715: 710: 703: 700: 696: 692: 688: 686:1-56098-659-X 682: 678: 677: 676:Burgess Shale 671: 665: 662: 657: 650: 647: 642: 638: 631: 628: 624: 620: 617: 612: 608: 604: 600: 596: 592: 588: 584: 580: 576: 569: 567: 565: 563: 561: 559: 557: 555: 551: 545: 539: 533: 528: 527: 520: 518: 515: 514: 510: 508: 504: 501: 497: 496:Flexicalymene 493: 489: 485: 477: 468: 464: 462: 461:edrioasteroid 458: 454: 450: 446: 442: 438: 434: 430: 426: 421: 420: 415: 414: 409: 408: 407:Flexicalymene 403: 402: 393: 391: 389: 383: 381: 372: 370: 368: 362: 360: 356: 352: 346: 345:by 40 years. 344: 341: 340:Burgess Shale 337: 333: 329: 328:Louis Agassiz 324: 321: 313: 311: 309: 305: 301: 297: 293: 283: 279: 275: 271: 268: 264: 259: 255: 251: 247: 243: 239: 238:New York, USA 235: 231: 228: 224: 219: 191: 189: 185: 180: 176: 172: 168: 164: 159: 155: 151: 147: 143: 135: 131: 128: 125: 121: 108: 103: 98: 93: 88: 83: 78: 73: 68: 63: 58: 53: 47: 44:457–454  40: 36: 31: 19: 919:Lagerstätten 887: 878: 874: 868: 846:(1): 57–77. 843: 839: 833: 822: 797: 793: 786: 764:(4): 831–4. 761: 757: 747: 738: 732: 723: 717: 708: 702: 673: 664: 655: 649: 640: 636: 630: 619: 578: 574: 525: 505: 499: 495: 491: 483: 481: 466: 417: 411: 405: 399: 397: 394:Fossil fauna 388:bioturbation 384: 376: 363: 347: 325: 317: 291: 289: 281: 261:Type section 256:Very limited 148:Small quarry 445:rhombiferan 441:paracrinoid 429:brachiopods 343:lagerstätte 300:Lagerstätte 213: / 188:Coordinates 903:Categories 643:: 471–540. 546:References 459:, and one 380:turbidites 308:appendages 198:43°16′38″N 156:c. 1 metre 860:131210892 778:130851276 695:231793738 611:132906923 457:ophiuroid 453:asteroids 433:bryozoans 304:trilobite 266:Named for 201:75°8′20″W 161:Lithology 153:Thickness 881:(4): 89. 741:: 68–71. 711:: 89–92. 511:See also 492:Ceraurus 488:biramous 484:Ceraurus 470:—  449:carpoids 437:crinoids 425:crinoids 401:Ceraurus 277:Named by 182:Location 802:Bibcode 726:: 61–3. 603:1306785 583:Bibcode 451:", two 447:, two " 357:at the 330:at the 245:Country 166:Primary 133:Unit of 113:↓ 858:  776:  693:  683:  609:  601:  534:  498:, and 455:, one 443:, one 439:, one 416:, and 284:(1999) 282:et al. 280:Brett 253:Extent 230:Russia 226:Region 856:S2CID 774:S2CID 607:S2CID 599:JSTOR 294:, in 177:Shale 174:Other 691:OCLC 681:ISBN 532:ISBN 351:USGS 290:The 145:Area 123:Type 52:PreꞒ 848:doi 810:doi 766:doi 591:doi 248:USA 905:: 879:26 877:. 854:. 844:82 842:. 808:. 798:27 796:. 772:. 762:79 760:. 756:. 689:, 641:39 639:. 605:. 597:. 589:. 579:73 577:. 553:^ 494:, 463:. 431:, 410:, 404:, 361:. 334:, 236:, 232:, 102:Pg 46:Ma 862:. 850:: 816:. 812:: 804:: 780:. 768:: 613:. 593:: 585:: 540:. 240:. 107:N 97:K 92:J 87:T 82:P 77:C 72:D 67:S 62:O 57:Ꞓ 20:)

Index

Walcott-Rust quarry
Stratigraphic range
Ma
PreꞒ

O
S
D
C
P
T
J
K
Pg
N
Geological formation
Coordinates
43°16′38″N 75°8′20″W / 43.27722°N 75.13889°W / 43.27722; -75.13889
Russia
Herkimer County
New York, USA
Charles Doolittle Walcott
Herkimer County, New York
Lagerstätte
trilobite
appendages
Charles Doolittle Walcott
Louis Agassiz
Museum of Comparative Zoology
Harvard University

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