Spring, 2003
MAJOR DISCOVERIES AT LANG'S QUARRY
RARE FOSSIL ARTHROPODS UNCOVERED DURING ANNUAL SPRING EXCAVATION

By Allan Lang

The Silurian Fiddler's Green Formation occurs near the surface at Lang's Quarry where we have been excavating and researching for over 25 years. A significant number of important finds have been made by my colleagues and myself during this time. These finds have been prepared in our workshop by our expert paleontological preparators, and many of the most interesting and significant specimens can now be seen in the collections of major museums and institutions.

The spring 2003 field season was our twentieth anniversary, work here with noted paleontologists and master preparators Leon Theisen of Custom Paleo, and Zarko Ljuboja of Benthos Projects. This was a particularly happy anniversary for us, as we made some of our best-ever finds.

Top left [click on any picture to enlarge] is a photograph of me with an exceptionally large and well preserved specimen of Eurypterus remipes - an extinct fossil arthropod, which is also the state fossil of New York. This is one of the largest and finest eurypterids I have ever found.

Pictured center is Leon Theisen of Custom Paleo. One of the world's master fossil preparators, Leon made an astonishing discovery this spring: he split open a large block to reveal a magnificent plate 38 by 25 inches, containing 12 complete eurypterids on one face, and 10 complete eurypterids plus two partials on the opposite face. This is one of the best part/counterpart multiple eurypterid plates ever found, and it needed virtually no restoration. This specimen was found and prepared by Leon.

Top right is a picture of paleontologist Zarko Ljuboja of Benthos Projects with a superb part and counterpart pair of the extremely rare
fossil arthropod Dolichopterus macrochirus. In 25 years of intensive fossil hunting we have only found three Dolichopterus specimens, and this is by far the finest. The plate measures 14 1/2 by 15 1/2 inches, and the specimen itself is 10 inches
in length. This specimen was found and prepared by Zarko.

It has been one of our most rewarding seasons, and we are looking forward to continued excavation in the spring of 2004

Allan Lang
Owner, R.A. Langheinrich Meteorites and Lang's Fossils

New accounts of Allan's adventures in the world of fossils and meteorites are added to the site on a regular basis.

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