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Showing results for tags 'Eocene'.
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My First Vertebrate from the Florissant Fossil Beds
Opabinia Blues posted a topic in General Fossil Discussion
Hi all, Last weekend I took a trip, again, to the Florissant Fossil Quarry. The quarry doesn’t normally open until Memorial Day, but I went with the Colorado State University entomology club. I successfully lobbied for the club to take a field trip there, and the club got the trip funded by the student’s association so we got to go in as a by-appointment special group for “free” (at least for us). Perhaps this whole process is a story I’ll tell another time. Anyway, for those not familiar in the upper Eocene Florissant Formation fossils of insects and plants are highly abundant, but fossils of vertebrates are exceptionally rare. This is despite being a superficially similar depositional environment to the Green River Formation, where fish fossils are abundant. Well, after countless total hours of splitting in the quarry over the years I’ve finally come across a vertebrate fossil - the head of a teleost fish! This is exciting simply because fish fossils are very rare in this rock unit. The shale breaking split the fossil, so presumably the body is still out in the quarry somewhere. There are of course fish described from Florissant, but I’m not familiar with them. The only identification I can readily make is teleost. Thought I’d share a rare find! My “white whale” for the Florissant Formation is still a spider fossil. There were three spiders found by entomology club participants, but of course I was not one of them. Of course I’d find the way more rare thing, but not the thing I wanted 😀
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Latest graphite studies of Green River fish. Preliminary sketches for later color illustrations. Quite a challenge getting scientific accuracy, but hopefully I'm improveing.
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I found this tooth at highcliffe in the uk, so it is eocene in age. I have no idea what it is from so I would love some help. Thank you
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Hello all. I have this one shark tooth from the London clay and I’m really stuck on its identity. I’ve already ruled out Striatolamia due to the lack of lingual folding and shape of the cusplets. The only two options I have are Hypotodus verticalis and Glueckmanotodus heinzelini, but it has features of both and also has features that both do not present. It’s from the London Clay formation at Walton-on-the-Naze, UK. The age is early Eocene (Ypresian). Any help would be appreciated.
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Origin of "Equicalastrobus chinleana" strobili
Othniel C. Marsh posted a topic in General Fossil Discussion
I have often seen fossil "Equicalastrobus chinleana" strobili for sale, stated to be from the Eocene of West Sahara, but a formation of origin is never provided. According to Wikipedia there are only 4 fossiliferous geological units in West Sahara: the Spanish Sahara, Frasnian, Samlat and Aridal formations. Only the latter two are of Eocene age, but I cannot find any literature on any "Equicalastrobus chinleana" strobili from either of the aforementioned localities. I have found a single mention of the Samlat Formation, in the description of a strobili for sale at an online fossil shop, but that is all. It may also be the case that there are other fossiliferous localities in West Sahara that weren't included on the Wikipedia list, so there is that to consider too. So where do they come from? -
Could someone tell me what these are (first photo)? They were found on late eocene sediments near Vic, Catalonia, Spain. The only other fossil around were corals/sponges (would also appreciate if someone could confirm) like the one in the second photo attached so these stood out.
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A Fossil Show Victory - My White River Formation displays takes first place at a gem and mineral show!
Opabinia Blues posted a topic in General Fossil Discussion
So this happened back in late March and I’m just now getting around to posting (or boasting?) about it. At this years gem and mineral show in Loveland, Colorado I entered a display case of White River Formation fossils which I have collected mostly in Colorado over the last few years. I emphasized diversity, attempting to show the diversity of the organisms (or at least prominent organisms) in the ecosystem while aiming to educate show visitors about the under-appreciated Eocene to Oligocene transition. Over 4,000 people came to the show, and at the end of the weekend the judges selected my case for first place in the fossils category, which I was very happy with because there were some other really awesome fossil displays people had put together. For the win I received a trophy and blue ribbon. I definitely intend to display again next year at the same show!
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Hi! I recently collected my first fossils and I'm very excited, but I would really appreciated some advice as to how best to care for them. Here in BC anyone who collects fossils from Crown Land is considered a steward of the fossil, as it is legal to collect them however they still belong to the land. This, and the fact that I genuinely care about these fossils, is why I would love some help with learning how best to preserve/stabilize the fossils. I think they're carbon fossils, and are all plants from the Eocene Era. The shale that they're set in is brittle and likes to chip, so one or two specimens have small chips that came off when I opened them and I'd like to re-attatch these (should I just glue them on? What kind of glue is best?). Lastly, I was hoping someone might have advice for making the darker fossils a bit more visible. I heard that dipping the rocks in resin can help the contrast a bit, but that seems blunt and expensive to me. Thanks for the advice and your time!
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Last weekend I headed out to Princeton, BC (Canada) in search of fossils for the very first time. I focused on breaking open shale or similar rocks and was lucky enough to find my very first fossils! I'm trying to learn more about geology, fossils and the likes in my spare time so I would love if someone would be able to help me identify some of my finds. I know that all of the rocks in the Princeton area are Eocene Era, so ~56 to 34 MYA. Here are the fossils, and also a purple rock that I'm stumped on. I suspect the leaves are 'metasequoia' but I'd love more opinions. Thank you and I hope you find these rocks as interesting as I do! Purple rock 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
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Matilija Canyon Plant Fossil - Los Padres Mountains, Southern California
ezeemonee posted a topic in Member Collections
Found a carbonized plant fossil in Sespe formation conglomerate stone in the Matilija Canyon area of the Los Padres Mountains of Southern California. Likely something from the Horsetail family or something in the bamboo family. Based on the below report, these rocks are likely from the Oligocene or Eocene periods. The area has mostly Marine fossils but this was probably a land plant that washed out to sea and was deposited along with other flood debris on the shallow sea floor. Some credit on the geology of the area to: BULLETIN OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA V o l . 39 . pp. 1 0 8 7 - 1 1 0 2 D e c em b e r 30.'1928 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE MATILIJA OVERTURN BY PAUL P. KERR AND HUBERT G. SCHENCK (Read before the Society December SO, 1927)
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Hi all! I made a journey down to Point A Dam today (despite high river levels) just to shuffle about. I came across these two vertebra, the smallest of which is clearly a fish, but I’m not quite sure what the other is. Cetacean? If you have any info on either, please share. Thank you! P.S. I somehow never have a ruler with me so I used the lines of a college ruled notebook, which are separated by 7.1 mm, as a makeshift scale. I apologize for this. 1: 2:
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Yesterday I went to Eastern AR to an Eocene outcrop exposed in a creek. I found about a dozen Venericardia planicosta clam shell fossils and a Mennerotodus shark tooth!
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Brittle Stars - Southern California Fossils - Los Padres Mountains
ezeemonee posted a topic in Member Collections
Just sharing some Fossil Brittle Stars from the Eocene era. Found in remote area of Upper Sespe Creek drainage of the Los Padres Mountains in Southern California. Fossil site location help credit to R. L. Squires 1994 paper on Macropaleontology of Eocene marine rocks, upper Sespe Creek area, Ventura County, southern California.
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Hi, appreciate any ID help on this one from Chivo Canyon in Southern California. About 4-5" in diameter found inside of a roughly 1 foot diameter rock. The area is known for Eocene and Oligocene period fossils. Guessing this may be a sponge, coral, or possibly echinoderm like a Sea Urchin. Stumped on the ID so far. Most of the other fossils in the canyon are mollusks and gastropods. Thanks! -Chris.
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Just posting some pics of some finds from Chivo Canyon from 2020 and 2024. Would really appreciate any ID inputs on the Unknown Fossils especially the roundish one with many circles in it. It was roughly 4-5" in diameter in the center of a roughly 1 foot diameter rock. Guessing Sponge, Coral, or may an Echinoderm like an Urchin. The Chivo Canyon area is known to have fossils from the Eocene, and Oligocene periods. There are also a couple other unknown fossils which could be bones but not sure. The Tower Snails or Turritellas are probably mostly Turritella Uvasana. I don't know what the other Gastropods are. Thanks in advance for any ID ideas! -Chris.
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For a little while now, @Mikrogeophagus and I have been trying to meet off the forum and hit some spots together. With spring break ending yesterday, we finally found the perfect opportunity before our classes resumed. Tyler had recently singled out a promising locale for middle Eocene crabs, one that neither he or I had visited. As it later turned out, I had passed by the spot before but never committed to its investigation. I was pleasantly surprised at its serenity, and Tyler and I found easy conversation as we weaved through beds of touch-me-nots and waded through silty waters. Our first efforts were concentrated on a small tributary that branched off and reconnected with the main stream. We knew we were looking for concretions, but did not know the nature of them and assumed most would be duds. It was with that attitude that it smacked open my first concretion of the day, decimating a crab inside! While certainly disappointed, we were both enthusiastic about the find - it meant we were in the right place and we now knew what to watch out for. Concretions started popping up quickly, sprouting out of the black banks like earthen easter eggs. Many proved fruitful, with a surprising proportion containing the crab Harpactocarinus americanus. At the time, we didn't know the name - content with just the thrill of discovery in a beautiful setting. We soon discovered some crabs were robust enough to have survived the currents of the stream and could be found in gravel - though just their carapaces. We each claimed one side of the bank and enjoyed success, while occasionally checking the gravel islands between us. One of my favorite finds was this unsightly avocado shaped concretion, bearing a claw that promises a beautiful specimen inside: Displaced carapace found among roots on the river bank: Notice the eye holes! Harpactocarinus americanus wasn't the only critter of note at the locale: Giant gastropods were found in unusual proportion compared to the famous Whiskey Bridge locality of equivalent age, but there was a conspicuous lack of shark teeth. Deep into the hunt, Tyler did find two - one irrecoverable blade in a concretion, and a smaller Negaprion(?) to act as the only success on the fossil vertebrate side for the day. Soon after, Tyler found a large Belosaepia ungula prong, shown here from its underside. These are uncommon cuttlefishes that had a horn (called the "prong") growing on its backside like a short, stiff upturned tail, a character that can still be seen reduced and vestigial in some modern cuttlefish. The hash around this spot was thick - so choked with shells that it resembled asphalt in some places: The site even had a nice sampling of extant fauna - a small Thampnophis proximus (western ribbon snake) could not escape gentle capture, and an alligator gar jaw laid out by recent currents caught my attention. I decided to hang on to it - it may prove a handy reference for general fish anatomy. One of the final finds of the day after a long stretch of barren ironstone was another H. americanus, peeking out of hard iron stones and covered by moss. I pulled it away easily, and upon turning it over was met with a beautiful sight: Look at that pincher! And so concluded a successful scout with a new friend, right as storm clouds rolled over and the first heavy drops of rain fell. Tyler and I walked back to our cars with an aura of victory, and I gave him another concretion. I'm excited to see the results of his upcoming freeze-thaw cycles. May y'all enjoy quality preps and fruitful hunts this spring!
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For a little while now, @Mikrogeophagus and I have been trying to meet off the forum and hit some spots together. With spring break ending yesterday, we finally found the perfect opportunity before our classes resumed. Tyler had recently singled out a promising locale for middle Eocene crabs, one that neither he or I had visited. As it later turned out, I had passed by the spot before but never committed to its investigation. I was pleasantly surprised at its serenity, and Tyler and I found easy conversation as we weaved through beds of touch-me-nots and waded through silty waters. Our first efforts were concentrated on a small tributary that branched off and reconnected with the main stream. We knew we were looking for concretions, but did not know the nature of them and assumed most would be duds. It was with that attitude that it smacked open my first concretion of the day, decimating a crab inside! While certainly disappointed, we were both enthusiastic about the find - it meant we were in the right place and we now knew what to watch out for. Concretions started popping up quickly, sprouting out of the black banks like earthen easter eggs. Many proved fruitful, with a surprising proportion containing the crab Harpactocarinus americanus. At the time, we didn't know the name - content with just the thrill of discovery in a beautiful setting. We soon discovered some crabs were robust enough to have survived the currents of the stream and could be found in gravel - though just their carapaces. We each claimed one side of the bank and enjoyed success, while occasionally checking the gravel islands between us. One of my favorite finds was this unsightly avocado shaped concretion, bearing a claw that promises a beautiful specimen inside: Displaced carapace found among roots on the river bank: Notice the eye holes! Harpactocarinus americanus wasn't the only critter of note at the locale: Giant gastropods were found in unusual proportion compared to the famous Whiskey Bridge locality of equivalent age, but there was a conspicuous lack of shark teeth. Deep into the hunt, Tyler did find two - one irrecoverable blade in a concretion, and a smaller Negaprion(?) to act as the only success on the fossil vertebrate side for the day. Soon after, Tyler found a large Belosaepia ungula prong, shown here from its underside. These are uncommon cuttlefishes that had a horn (called the "prong") growing on its backside like a short, stiff upturned tail, a character that can still be seen reduced and vestigial in some modern cuttlefish. The hash around this spot was thick - so choked with shells that it resembled asphalt in some places: The site even had a nice sampling of extant fauna - a small Thampnophis proximus (western ribbon snake) could not escape gentle capture, and an alligator gar jaw laid out by recent currents caught my attention. I decided to hang on to it - it may prove a handy reference for general fish anatomy. One of the final finds of the day after a long stretch of barren ironstone was another H. americanus, peeking out of hard iron stones and covered by moss. I pulled it away easily, and upon turning it over was met with a beautiful sight: Look at that pincher! And so concluded a successful scout with a new friend, right as storm clouds rolled over and the first heavy drops of rain fell. Tyler and I walked back to our cars with an aura of victory, and I gave him another concretion. I'm excited to see the results of his upcoming freeze-thaw cycles. May y'all enjoy quality preps and fruitful hunts this spring!
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From the album: Texas Eocene
Very tough ID- but settling on a species of Callianassa, and C. brazoensis is the species found in the Crockett member of the Cook mountain fm., so perhaps C. brazoensis. Callianassa are a still extant genus of mud shrimp. Middle Eocene Texas (Whiskey Bridge)-
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This was found at the Stonerose fossil site in Washington state. The onsite curator identified it as an questionable egg deposit. I would like to get a definitive id. The entire cluster is 1cm across.
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- amphibian eggs
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I added a couple of threads on Activities connected with FPS field trip to Hallie Quarries in the vicinity of Newberry, Florida. I have some photos of the Quarry to provide a sense of what it was like and some additional finds. The Quarry I visited is just one of many at this location. and the one I was in... huge. A wall in the distance, heavy movers to stay far away from, a "tiny" FPS member searching the low wall ahead. I am walking around this mountain of rock on my left , searching for fossils that may have fallen down the cliff face. I am very careful the few times I attempt to climb the cliff face reaching for a fossil just a little too far away... There can be great rewards... Gorgeous, and and there are lots of potential shell, and echinoids in this semi hard rock, I have a rock hammer and trowel. Can I possible get this out in one piece.. I have already broken others or found that they were already broken before my arrival. So I decided not, and just walked on with a photo and a memory. As I continued around the mountain, I came to this site , took a step forward, and quickly stepped back . A sinkhole about 4 feet across, and with a single glance inside I saw it was at least 25 feet deep. This one is not particularly large. The Quarry has lost a number of large earth movers in sinkholes. This is where I recall signing the waiver stating that I am totally responsible for any of the various dumb things I might do while hunting for fossils and hold the Quarry owners blameless for any/all damages to my body. Roger Portell was our guide and Advisor and we moved a couple of times to locations that might provide different fossils. The last stop was supposed to contained marine (shark teeth) and mammal fossils. As we stepped out of our vehicles, Roger showed us another sinkhole, advised us to be careful , and described recoveries of mammal bones and teeth from this area decades past. I was fortunate to find one of those teeth, described in this TFF thread. https://www.thefossilforum.com/topic/139986-love-the-surprises/#comment-1479029 It was laying on the ground 5 feet to the left of this sinkhole. Sometimes I am just blessed in the right place at the right time. Here are some other finds of the day, with what ever I currently know about them... 1) M. americanum , a Sea Biscuit, approximately 4 inches in width, encased in matrix. 2) What I refer to as Jingle shells, and a small Echinoid...On the Echinoid, I have to wash, brush , scrap off some of that concrete like matrix to figure out what it is.... 3) A couple of Oysters... there few shells free floating from the concrete like matrix like these. 4) More shells, this time in Matrix 5) Did I mention Endocasts ? All over the place.... Sometimes hard to differentiate from shells. 5a) This one reminds me of a cowrie.... but not like any modern or even fossil ones that I have seen... I had previously found exactly like this one in a bone valley creek.. Would like to Identify.. Hope you enjoyed the trip. Comments always appreciated.
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From the album: Fossils
2.4 inch Otodus aksuaticus shark tooth from the Eocene Nanjemoy Formation of Maryland. This is a good example of the transition from obliquus to auriculatus, with serrations extending about halfway down the crown.-
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From the album: Fossils
A nicely preserved one inch Phyllodus toliapicus crushing tooth plate from the Eocene Nanjemoy Formation of Virginia. -
Was wondering if it would be possible to ID this plant, seems to have roots attached. Muddy creek formation Montana usa
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Quick trip report from a rather unsuccessful trip to bracklesham bay. On the lowest tide of the year I was hoping the formation would be exposed but over a metre of sand lay on top of it still. I think some onshore winds had been conspiring against me! However it was fun to hunt and I was rewarded with a beautiful sunset! 1. spot the fossil 2. sunsets 3. total finds 4. brachycarcharias lerichei 5. striatolamia macrota
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Shark Vertebra (possibly Otodus/Carcharocles auriculatus or angustidens) from the New Bern Quarry in North Carolina
shark57 posted a gallery image in Vertebrates
From the album: Fossils
1.5 inch lamnid type shark vertebra in matrix from the New Bern quarry. Not sure if this is from the Oligocene River Bend Formation or the Eocene Castle Hayne Formation. If you think you recognize which formation this is from, leave a comment.
