Fossil Finds
FOSSIL HUNTING IN THE CINCINNATI ARCH
BY JOSEPH “PALEOJOE” KCHODL
During periods of ancient history, a large portion of the central United States was a warm tropical or sub-tropical sea. Rocks of the Ordovician Period (485 to 443 million years ago), Silurian Period (433 to 419 million years ago ), and Devonian Period (419 to 358 million years ago) can be found in many states of the central U.S. But the Ordovician makes up the fossiliferous area called the Cincinnati Arch.
WHAT IS THE CINCINNATI ARCH?
What is known as the Cincinnati Arch is a large and broad area of structural uplift between several major basins. The Illinois Basin to the west, the Michigan Basin to the north and the Appalachian Basin to the east.