The Cretaceous-Jurassic exposures near Harrison Lake,
British Columbia are an easy two hour drive from Vancouver and another hour or
so to our final destination, the unyielding siltstone of the Callovian, 166 million year old, Mysterious Creek Formation.
A few hours of collecting yield multiple bivalves,
ammonites, including what looks to be two new species.
Amongst the best
specimens of the day are several small, fairly well preserved Cadoceras (Paracadoceras)
tonniense, a few Cadoceras (Pseudocadoceras) grewingki and two relatively
complete specimens of the larger, smooth Cadoceras comma. Further up the road,
we photograph blocks of buchia and large boulders encrusted with perfectly
preserved belemnites from ancient squid.
Interestingly, the ammonites from here are quite similar to
the ones found within the lower part of the Chinitna Formation, Alaska and
Jurassic Point, Kyuquot, on the west coast of Vancouver Island. The siltstone here at Harrison has also offered up a small
section of vertebra from a poorly preserved marine reptile, a find I'm rather
keen to make one day. So, after much hammer swinging, I've enjoyed a splendid
day, collected beautiful specimens and feel a wee bit closer to the big find.
