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The Best Forest Preserves Near Chicago for Hiking, County by County #hiking #nature #summer #Chicago Sam S., the editor of the Chicago Signal, sent us a link to this article about hiking the forest… https://esconi.org/2026/08/the-best-forest-preserves-near-chicago-for-hiking-county-by-county/

The Best Forest Preserves Near Chicago for Hiking, County by CountySam S., the editor of the Chicago Signal, sent us a link to this article about hiking the forest preserves in the Chicago area. There are tips about Cook County and all the surrounding counties, even Midewin in Will County. Summer is slowly slipping away... get out there and enjoy some nature! The Chicago Signal has guides about Food & Drink, Things To Do, Real Estate & Moving, and Outdoors & Recreation.esconi.org

Mazon Monday #334: Mariopteris lobatifolia #fossils #paleontology #paleobotany #MazonCreek #MazonMonday #seedfern #carboniferous #pennsylvanian Mariopteris lobatifolia is one of the rare species of Mariopteris. Its pinnules have… https://esconi.org/2026/08/mazon-monday-334-mariopteris-lobatifolia/

Mazon Monday #334: Mariopteris lobatifoliaMariopteris lobatifolia is one of the rare species of Mariopteris. Its pinnules have a very distinctive wing-like shape. See Mazon Monday #181 for the most common variety of Mariopteris, Mariopteris nervosa.esconi.org

PBS Eons: How Pangea Upended Life on Earth #fossils #paleontology #geology #permian #evolution #pangea https://youtu.be/RY8mipBWjyw PBS Eons has released their TV series about Pangea! Check out Episode 2 on pbs.org…... https://esconi.org/2026/08/pbs-eons-how-pangea-upended-life-on-earth/

PBS Eons: How Pangea Upended Life on EarthPBS Eons has released their TV series about Pangea! Check out Episode 2 on pbs.org. In the Late Carboniferous Period, predatory amphibians and giant arthropods ruled the swamps. But ancient seed plants and amniotes were evolving adaptations to drier climates. These will help them thrive on Pangea in the Permian Period to come. This is the first our our six-part series on life and death during the Permian period.esconi.org

Field Museum – Legendary Late Hours – August 11th, 2026 – Riot Fest Takeover! #FieldMuseum #fossils #paleontology #riotfest #archaeology #geology #lateHours The Field Museum is holding a "Riot Fest… https://esconi.org/2026/08/field-museum-legendary-late-hours-august-11th-2026-riot-fest-takeover/

Field Museum – Legendary Late Hours – August 11th, 2026 – Riot Fest Takeover!The Field Museum is holding a "Riot Fest Takeover" on August 11th, 2026 from 5-9 PM. Enjoy extended museum hours from 9am to 9pm, last entry at 8pm. The Field Museum and Riot Fest are partnering up for a righteous Museum takeover from 5pm-9pm on August 11th, complete with music and some seriously sick specimens, to get you geared up for Riot Fest 2026.esconi.org

Fossil Friday #328: A Pit 11 Octomedusa piekorum #fossils #paleontology #FossilFriday #MazonCreek #pit11 #jellyfish #pennsylvanian #carboniferous Well, we know how Alan Keith is spending his summer vacation...… https://esconi.org/2026/07/fossil-friday-328-a-pit-11-octomedusa-piekorum/

Fossil Friday #328: A Pit 11 Octomedusa piekorumWell, we know how Alan Keith is spending his summer vacation... freeze/thawing his Mazon Creek concretions. Although, probably not out in the hot Texas sun. Alan had this nicely detailed Octomedusa piekorum (see Mazon Monday #54) open up recently.esconi.org

Throwback Thursday #328: Go on… Introduce yourself, tiny frog #TBT #history #ThrowbackThursday #FieldMuseum #taxidermi #frogs The Field Museum made an intriguing historical post to LinkedIn last week. It was a… https://esconi.org/2026/07/throwback-thursday-328-go-on-introduce-yourself-tiny-frog/

Throwback Thursday #328: Go on… Introduce yourself, tiny frogThe Field Museum made an intriguing historical post to LinkedIn last week. It was a meet-and-greet between two frogs...esconi.org

ESCONI Field Trip to Braceville, IL for Mazon Creek Fossils – Saturday, August 29th and Sunday, August… #fossils #paleontology #fieldtrip #Braceville #MazonCreek https://esconi.org/2026/07/esconi-field-trip-to-braceville-il-for-mazon-creek-fossils-saturday-august-29th-and-sunday-august-30th-2026/

ESCONI Field Trip to Braceville, IL for Mazon Creek Fossils – Saturday, August 29th and Sunday, August 30th, 2026Braceville Field Trip Rules for August 2026 The ESCONI field trips to Braceville for Mazon Creek fossils are set for August 29th and 30th, 2026 from 9 AM to 3 PM. You can attend one or the other, but not both days. There is an attendance limit of 60 people each day. You must register to go on this trip…esconi.org

PBS Eons: How the Tibetan Plateau Created the Ultimate Cat #fossils #paleontology #cats #evolution https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zfv8b4R9GuI PBS Eons has a new video. This one is about the evolution and… https://esconi.org/2026/07/pbs-eons-how-the-tibetan-plateau-created-the-ultimate-cat/

PBS Eons: How the Tibetan Plateau Created the Ultimate CatPBS Eons has a new video. This one is about the evolution and migration of Homotherium, a large saber-tooted cat that lived on the Tibetan Plateau. How did Homotherium evolve to be so successful, and so different from basically all other cats, living and extinct? Well the answer may lie in a huge geological event: the rise of the Tibetan plateau.esconi.org

Mazon Monday #333: Interesting Pennsylvanian Fossil Sites – Okmulgee, Oklahoma Way back in Mazon Monday #10, we referenced the paper "Mazon Creek-Type Fossil Assemblages in the U.S. Midcontinent Pennsylvanian" written by G. C. Baird, S. D. Sroka, C. W. Shabica, T. L. Beard, A. C. Scott and F. M.…

Mazon Monday #333: Interesting Pennsylvanian Fossil Sites – Okmulgee, OklahomaWay back in Mazon Monday #10, we referenced the paper "Mazon Creek-Type Fossil Assemblages in the U.S. Midcontinent Pennsylvanian" written by G. C. Baird, S. D. Sroka, C. W. Shabica, T. L. Beard, A. C. Scott and F. M. Broadhurst in October 1985. The paper lists and discusses the various Pennsylvanian fossil sites known to produce fossil bearing concretions similar to what is found at Mazon Creek. Although the list of concretionary sites has grown since the paper was published, it's still relevant and a good read. Check it out, you can download it from ResearchGate.esconi.org

Rare Pompeii Ceiling Is Restored From Fragments, Depicting Scene From Myth #history #archaeology #italy #pompeii https://esconi.org/2026/07/rare-pompeii-ceiling-is-restored-from-fragments-depicting-scene-from-myth/

Rare Pompeii Ceiling Is Restored From Fragments, Depicting Scene From Mythart of the restored ceiling of the House with the Bakery displayed at the Pompeii Archaeological site.Credit...Parco Archeologico di Pompei, via Associated Press The New York Times has an interesting article about the restoration of a fresco at Pompeii. The fresco was restored from hundreds of plaster fragments recovered from the ruins of a house. The house, now called the "House with the Bakery", was discovered by researchers in 2023.esconi.org

PBS Eons: We Made a TV Show! #PBS #PBSEons #fossils #paleontology #science #evolution #fossils https://youtu.be/vWriRbTp4bA PBS Eons has some exciting news... they made a TV show. It's a two episode show called "Live and Death on Pangea".... https://esconi.org/2026/07/pbs-eons-we-made-a-tv-show/

PBS Eons: We Made a TV Show!PBS Eons has some exciting news... they made a TV show. It's a two episode show called "Live and Death on Pangea". It becomes available on July 29th, 2026 at the PBS app, website, and other places (Youtube?). Hey Eons fans, after 8 seasons of exploring deep time we have some very important news to share... we've secretly been working on more stuff!esconi.org

Fossil Friday #327: Danville Fish Scale #fossils #paleontology #Carboniferous #Pennsylvanian #Danville #MazonCreek #fishscale #lungfish Andrew Young sent us these photos of an absolutely breathtaking fish scale from our most recent… https://esconi.org/2026/07/fossil-friday-327-danville-fish-scale/

Fossil Friday #327: Danville Fish ScaleAndrew Young sent us these photos of an absolutely breathtaking fish scale from our most recent Danville field trip in early May 2026. He found it near the top of the slopes. It opened via freeze/thaw. The scale measures just 1.5 cm. The species is unsure, but it's likely a lobe-finned fish. The Danville spoil pile contains the remnants of both the Herrin and Danville coals, which makes it younger than Mazon Creek.esconi.org

Throwback Thursday #327: Walter Cronkite and… dinosaurs! #history #TBT #ThrowbackThursday #dinosaurs David Bressan of the History of Geology group on Facebook has an interesting post about the 1991 A&E documentary… https://esconi.org/2026/07/throwback-thursday-327-walter-cronkite-and-dinosaurs/

Throwback Thursday #327: Walter Cronkite and… dinosaurs!David Bressan of the History of Geology group on Facebook has an interesting post about the 1991 A&E documentary series "Dinosaur!". Walter Cronkite was the host. Several episodes are available to watch on YouTube. I vaguely remember watching the series when it aired. Revisiting it today is fascinating as it offers an opportunity to see what scientists knew about dinosaurs more than thirty years ago. It's remarkable to see just how much our understanding has advanced since then.esconi.org

Dinosaur-loving schoolboy opens natural history museum with astonishing fossil collection #fossils #paleontology #naturalhistory #museum #GuinessWorldRecords #CambridgeIL https://… https://esconi.org/2026/07/dinosaur-loving-schoolboy-opens-natural-history-museum-with-astonishing-fossil-collection/

Dinosaur-loving schoolboy opens natural history museum with astonishing fossil collectionThe Guinness World Records website has a story about a natural history museum in Cambridge, IL. This museum in a small Illinois town is significant becase when it opened in August 2024, the curator and sole owner was just 9 years old! It all started in 2022 after a family trip to Scotland. “When I went to Scotland,” Anderson said, “I went to the Staffin Dinosaur Museum and that’s what inspired me to make this museum.esconi.org

Meteorite That Crashed Into New Jersey Home Contains Rare Ingredients of Life #space #meteorite #NewJersey Gizmodo has news of a meteorite that crashed into a Hillsborough, New Jersey home in… https://esconi.org/2026/07/meteorite-that-crashed-into-new-jersey-home-contains-rare-ingredients-of-life/

Meteorite That Crashed Into New Jersey Home Contains Rare Ingredients of LifeGizmodo has news of a meteorite that crashed into a Hillsborough, New Jersey home in July 2024. A recent paper in the journal Science Advances details research into both the makeup and the potential origin of the meteorite.esconi.org

Mazon Monday #332: Tom Testa Winter Freeze/Thaw Sorry, this is a bit of a repeat... But, Tom Testa has been on our minds lately and we've all been enduring a stretch of hot weather, so here's a post that will cool you off!...

Mazon Monday #332: Tom Testa Winter Freeze/ThawSorry, this is a bit of a repeat... But, Tom Testa has been on our minds lately and we've all been enduring a stretch of hot weather, so here's a post that will cool you off!esconi.org

NPR: Mystery bidder buys T. rex nicknamed ‘Gus’ for a record $50 million #fossils #paleontology #dinosaurs #t-rex https://esconi.org/2026/07/npr-mystery-bidder-buys-t-rex-nicknamed-gus-for-a-record-50-million/

NPR: Mystery bidder buys T. rex nicknamed ‘Gus’ for a record $50 millionThis undated photo provided by Sotheby's on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, shows "Gus," one of the largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus rex specimens ever discovered. NPR has a story about the recent auction of "Gus" the Tyrannosaurus rex at Sotheby's in New York. The winning bid of 50.1 million represents the highest price ever paid for a dinosaur. "Gus" was found by the late Gary "Gus" Licking, a cattle rancher in Harding County, South Dakota.esconi.org

PBS Eons: We found the head of the biggest bug ever #fossils #paleontology #MazonCreek #millipede #carboniferous #pennsylvanian https://www.youtube.com/shorts/krBreJC8E4M?feature=share PBS Eons has a new short. This… https://esconi.org/2026/07/pbs-eons-we-found-the-head-of-the-biggest-bug-ever/

PBS Eons: We found the head of the biggest bug everPBS Eons has a new short. This one is about Arthropleura, the giant millipede... or is it?esconi.org

Fossil Friday #326: Rhacophyllum cornutum from the Mazon River #fossils #paleontology #MazonCreek #FossilFriday #Carboniferous #Pennsylvanian This is a very beautiful Rhacophyllum cornutum (see Mazon Monday… https://esconi.org/2026/07/fossil-friday-326-rhacophyllum-cornutum-from-the-mazon-river/

Fossil Friday #326: Rhacophyllum cornutum from the Mazon RiverThis is a very beautiful Rhacophyllum cornutum (see Mazon Monday #266) from the Mazon River. Lil Magnussen showed me this stunner at the spring 2026 Danville field trip. Lil is a long-time ESCONI member... She joined in the 1960's.esconi.org

Throwback Thursday #326: Photos from a 1970 Lapidary Meeting #TBT #ThrowbackThursday #history #lapidary This is Throwback Thursday #325. In these, we look back into the past at ESCONI specifically and Earth… https://esconi.org/2026/07/throwback-thursday-326-photos-from-a-1970-lapidary-meeting/

Throwback Thursday #326: Photos from a 1970 Lapidary MeetingThis is Throwback Thursday #325. In these, we look back into the past at ESCONI specifically and Earth Science in general. If you have any contributions, (science, pictures, stories, etc …), please send them to esconi.info@gmail.com. Thanks! email:esconi.info@gmail.com. Andy and Rose Jansen recently received two photos from Mary Hason, daughter of Betty and Chet Williamson. The Williamsons were long-time members, joining ESCONI in 1959!esconi.org