Fossil Collecting in the Arbuckle Mountains of Oklahoma

The Arbuckle Mountains expose faulted and folded rocks that formed from the Precambrian to Pennsylvanian periods (over 300 million years in duration). Some of the rocks record ancient seas that covered the continents when sea levels were much higher in the past. The mountains and associated folding formed during the assembly of the last supercontinent (Pangea), when S. America collided with N. America.

Collecting Site #1

White Mound, Sulphur Oklahoma

Age: Early Devonian

Formation: Haragan

Description of site:

The Haragan Formation is a shallow, warm-water environment that was rich with animal life in the

Devonian. It consists of a very soft limestone matrix, with harder fossils that are more resistant to

weathering. Wind and rain erosion remove the soft matrix, exposing the fossils at the surface. White

Mound is a world famous fossil collecting site, and has been visited by thousands of teachers and

students.

Collecting Site #2

177, Sulphur Oklahoma

Age: Ordovician

Formation: Bromide

Description of site:

The Bromide Formation formed as a warm-water, shallow, tropical environment near the equator in the

Ordovician. It's very similar to the Bahamas or other carbonate dominated environments on the Earth

today. It's very diverse with marine life, extraordinarily so. The dominant rock type is limestone and

limestone/shale interbeds. The Viola Formation is also exposed at 177, and is a much deeper, layered,

cooler water type of environment.

Common Fossils of the Bromide

Brachiopods

Echinoderms

Trilobites

Common Fossils of White Mound

Assorted Brachiopods

Trilobites

Ketternaspis Paciphacops

Reedops

Trilobites

Horn Coral

Rugose (“Horn”) Corals

Favosites (Coral)