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So I was recently lucky enough to very generously receive some amazing and very very rich STH micro matrix! So here’s the finds, ID help courtesy of @digit and @MarcoSr’s website. Starting off with the shark teeth - alongside the micro mix I was given a very nice C. planus tooth. So here’s that alongside the 2 C. hastalis teeth I found: Bigger other shark teeth - Negaprion, Carcharhinus: Squatina - Angel Shark: Squalus - dog shark: Cretorhinus - Basking Shark: Galeorhinus - Tope Shark: Symphyseal tope shark: Triakis sp. - Hound Shark: Heterodontus sp. - Horn Shark: Posterior: Anterior: Dermal denticles: Vertebrae and fish spines: Fish teeth: Pharyngeal fish teeth: Now onto the Ray teeth - Dasyatis and Gymnura cause I can’t tell the difference - there were SO MANY OF THESE! Easily 300+. The nuptial/male/breeding teeth from Dasyatis and Gymnura: Mustelus sp (Smooth-hound shark) and Rhinobatus sp. (Guitarfish) cause I really can’t tell the difference either: Mobula sp: And finally, the 3 Raja (Skate) teeth I found: There were a couple other finds - couple triggerfish teeth, a barracuda tooth, etc as well! I went through the matrix twice and I know I’ve missed stuff too. Im surprised I didn’t find any shark denticles, but ah well. Also not included is all the Ray mouth plates and broken shark and Ray teeth I found! Tons of stuff that I’m very happy with! If anyone wants pictures of anything in particular do let me know!

Here is a series of five images showcasing some of my finds from the first hunt through the Merritt Island matrix. I have just begun to study the fossils in this intriguing matrix, and hope that I haven't got too many wrong. There are so many possibilities when you find a bone in this stuff. It might be mammal, or reptile...amphibian, or even fish. The variety is one thing I wanted to showcase. Of course, the amphibian fossils are the really exciting finds, but they are the most difficult to identify. These images will be featured on episode 5 of 'Fossil Hunters'. continued in next reply

Hello all! Sorting through some new Cretaceous Post Oak Creek matrix and have a few questions on what some of these might be. Thanks for any help! First is this round tooth....could it be croc? It doesn't have any striations, which I think croc would, but it is perfectly round so not a worn shark blade, I think. Anyways, any suggestions would be appreciated! 1. Tooth? 5 mm 2. This little piece...may not be identifiable as anything, but the surface texture is just interesting. 2mm other side 3. Possibly a denticle? Or tooth? I've found lots of sawfish teeth but this one doesn't seem to match anything else. 2mm other side 4. is this turtle? 1.5 cm 6, And lastly....this "claw" thingie. . 2 mm Thanks for looking!

Hello everyone, I hope life has been pacing along well for all of you. At the moment, I find myself at school and away from my idealistic home, that is, buried alongside the Cretaceous fossils swimming in the various soils of NJ. No worry though! I have been going through some micro gravel in Ohio and today will present you with my second batch of finds. I believe I've found some cool things so far. The most notable differences between this post and my previous (besides the fossils of course) is that I post fewer photos and more group shots. Enjoy. Meristodonoides sp. Rhombodus laevis + Other Rays Scapanorhynchus texanus (symphesial) Paralbula casei Hadrodus priscus Lonchidion babulskii Ischyrhiza mira Other Shark's Teeth Ptychotrygon sp. Osteichthyan Vertebrae Unidentified

Hello everyone, in addition to posting my other topic today, I am going to post this one. With the summer coming to a close, I am preparing to go back to college in Ohio and continue my study of Neuroscience and Mathematics. The rain in Ohio and ID'ing NJ fossils in the ID section often make me lament all of potential NJ hunts I am missing out on because I am at school. So, I thought it would be a good idea to collect micro matrix using a window screen and stock several buckets full of gravel to look through during the semester. Over the last two weeks or so I've had the opportunity to do some early looking and will share my finds in this post. Hopefully I will be able to make many more NJ Micro trip reports during the course of the semester. I am still figuring out the proper mixture of lighting and camera angles. Also, you may notice it in this post, but I am adjusted the properties Exposure, Shadows, and Sharpness to get the optimal view of the fossils. The black borders and resizing of the photos were automatically done by a Python script I wrote. Perhaps with more micro reports I can become better at ID'ing what I find (there are still many things that I have found where I am at a loss for what they are) and taking photos. Enjoy. Here is my setup currently Here is some gravel I've looked through FOSSILS Format: <suspected ID> Maybe Rhombodus laevis AMALGAM OF RAYS 1 (tooth) 2 (tooth) 3 (tooth) 4 (tooth) 5 (tooth) 6 (denticle) 7 (denticle: In middle) Lonchidion babulskii Ptychotrygon sp. 1 2 Ischyrhiza mira 1 2 3 4 5 6 Squatina hassei (potentially) Hadrodus priscus 1 2 3 Ischyodus bifurcatus SHARK TEETH MISCELLANEOUS BUT POSSIBLY DIAGNOSTIC 1 2 GENERAL FINDS 1 2

I found these fossils in matrix from the Aurora spoil pile. What kind of shark teeth are these two specimens, please. Can the coral be ID'd? Thanks for looking.

I did not see a posts for sea shells. all from sand deep into a local farm pond dug in the 1990s. and left on the ground. Filtered the sand to remove many fine stones with nylon window screen. One tiny crinoid bead and taken at 2X with my microscope. Put them in a squeeze type loose tea strainer into ultrasonic cleaner removing much dirt. #86 may be an olive shell.

I and others have been finding these in the matrix I've been collecting about a mile East of the Ernst Quarry in Bakersfield, California. Mid. Miocene, Temblor Formation. I have never found them from the Sharktooth Hill matrix I used to collect. Items all average about 3mm in diameter. Some sort of dermal denticle or fish scale? I hope the phone picture is adequate. Any ideas?

This is a chunk of Michigan clay with sand and probably calcium. I do not know yet if I can do much with it other than perhaps cut down the size to have the fossils. Don't know if a hack saw would help much. all are like micro size and one looks like an Crinoid Archimedes screw 0.7 cm x 0.3 cm. I would like to know what is the tire track like tract line? 5/8th inch, or 0.1 x 1.59 cm or 15.8750 mm. Is this an actual fossil or impression left by a life form. Two are with my phone zoomed in about 1.7.

I am offering up some Lee Creek micro matrix up for trade. I looking to trade mainly for other micro matrix, nothing that can only be sorted with a microscope please. I will entertain other offers as well. Adam

I have a pretty extensive collection of shark, ray, fish and other micros from sites all over the US, Europe, North Africa and Australia. You can see a very small part of my collection in my TFF posts at the below links. As I add new posts to TFF I'll update this list. I want to thank Earl M. for organizing my micro posts as shown below, which is a much more useful listing than in my original post: Paleozoic Silurian E. m. Silurian (Wenlockian) - Rochester Sh. – Niagara Co., New York http://www.thefossil.../?hl=+new +york Devonian E. m. Devonian (Eifelian) – Columbus Lmst. – Columbus, Franklin Co., C. Ohio (see Martin, 2002) http://www.thefossil...ork#entry441978 (placoid scales, bony fish teeth) Lt. m. Devonian (Givetian) – Darien bed, Wanakah Sh., Ludlowville Fm., Hamilton Grp. – Bethany, Genesee Co., NW New York http://www.thefossil.../?hl=+new +york E. lt. Devonian (Frasnian) – North Evans Lmst. Mbr., Genesee Fm. – Hamburg, Erie Co., New York http://www.thefossil.../?hl=+new +york Mesozoic Jurassic M. m. Jurassic (Bathonian) – Great Oolite lmst. – England, U.K. http://www.thefossil...united-kingdom/ (incl. Acrodus) E. lt. Jurassic (Oxfordian) - Kellaways Clay, lw. Oxford Clay – Peterborough, England, U.K. http://www.thefossil...o +sr +jurassic (onychites, bony fish teeth) http://www.thefossil...art-2/?p=489587 (Protospinax, serpulid worm tubes, etc.) http://www.thefossil...kingdom-part-3/ (more onychites, belemnites, serpulid worm tubes, Protospinax, Omatoscyllium) Cretaceous Early Cretaceous Lt. E. (“m.”) Cret. (Albian) – Kiowa Sh. Fm., m. Dakota Grp. – Kansas http://www.thefossil...ros#entry433986 (incl. Onchopristis dunklei) Late Cretaceous Lt. m. Cenomanian – Graneros Sh. Fm., basal Colorado Grp. – Kansas http://www.thefossil...ansas/?p=507345 E. lt. Cenomanian – basal Lincoln Lmst. Mbr., basal Greenhorn Fm., lower Colorado Grp. (transgressive lag) – Kansas http://www.thefossil...os-from-kansas/ http://www.thefossil...ansas/?p=507330 (Squalicorax falcatus; Onchopristis dunklei, Ptychodus decurrens, Rhinobatos; Enchodus petrosus) Lt. m. Turonian – Blue Hill Sh. Mbr., m. Carlile Sh. Fm., m. Colorado Grp. (regressive) – Kansas (see Everhart et al., 2003) http://www.thefossil...os-from-kansas/ (Chiloscyllium greeni, Scapanorhynchus r. raphiodon, Squalicorax falcatus; Ptychotrygon spp., Ischyrhiza m. schneideri, common Rhinobatos incertus) http://www.thefossil...ros#entry437979 E. lt. Turonian – Codell Ss. Mbr., upper Carlile Sh. Fm., m. Colorado Grp. - Kansas http://www.thefossil...os-from-kansas/ (Hybodus, Scapanorhynchus r. raphiodon; Ptychotrygon, Rhinobatos) E. lt. Turonian – Turner Sandy Mbr., m. Codell Ss. Mbr., upper Carlile Fm., m. Colorado Grp. – Grant Co., NE South Dakota (see Stewart & Martin, 1993; Jorgensen and Larson, 1996; Lewis, 1999; & Lewis et al., 2000) http://www.thefossil...o-south-dakota/ (Ptychotrygon, Ischyrhiza, Brachyrhizodus mcnultyi) http://www.thefossil...-dakota-part-2/ (Squalicorax falcatus, Rhinobatos, Enchodus) Latest Turonian (not e. Coniacian) – basal Atco Fm. (transgressive lag), basal Austin Grp. – TXI Q., Midlothian, Johnson Co., NE Texas (mostly a shallow-water fauna, except for the Ptychodus and Pseudocorax) (see Meyer, 1974; Welton & Farish, 1993) http://www.thefossil...ros#entry417293 (Scapanorhynchus raphiodon, Onchopristis dunklei, Paralbula, Ptychotrygon) http://www.thefossil...i-quarry-texas/ (Scapanorhynchus r. raphiodon, Squalicorax falcatus, Onchopristis dunklei, Ptychotrygon triangularis, Ischyrhiza m. schneideri, Hadrodus priscus, Paralbula) Santonian – Hosta Tongue, Pt. Lookout Ss. – C. New Mexico (see Bourdon et al., 2011) http://www.thefossil...rom-new-mexico/ (Hybodus, Squatina/Cedarstroemia/Columbusia, Cantioscyllium descipiens; Ptychotrygon, Ischyrhiza, Rhinobatos, Brachyrhizodus mcnulti, Ptychodus mortoni, assorted ray dermal denticles; Enchodus petrosus; juv. croc tooth crown) Early Campanian – Menefee Fm., m. Mesa Verde Grp. – eastern San Juan Basin, Rio Arriba Co., NW New Mexico http://www.thefossil...-of-new-mexico/ E. m. Campanian – basal Ozan Fm., basal Taylor Grp. – North Sulphur River?, Fannin Co., Texas (see McKinzie et al., 2001) http://www.thefossil...ation-of-texas/ (Chiloscyllium greeni, Scyliorhinus, Odontaspis aculeatus, Carcharias holmdeli, Pseudocorax laevis, Squalicorax kaupi – mostly deep-water sharks) http://www.thefossil...ation-of-texas/ (Ptychotrygon, Sclerorhynchus, Ischyrhiza; Rhinobatos) http://www.thefossil...ation-of-texas/ (Hadrodus priscus branchials, Anomoeodus phaseolus prearticular (lw. toothplate) teeth, Enchodus petrosus dentary fangs, sm. dercetid scales, misl. bony fish teeth) Campanian – hard chalk, Fm.? – Hallencourt, France http://www.thefossil...ros#entry411927 (partial squid beak, centrodorsal ossicles of free-swimming comatulid crinoids, calcified chitin lobster claw knobs; Chiloscyllium, Squatirina kannensis, Anomotodon, Galeorhinus girardoti [usus. Maastr.], Paraorthacodus conicus, etc.) Lt. Campanian – Kirtland & Fruitland fms. (estuarine/fluviatile) – New Mexico http://www.thefossil...-of-new-mexico/ (with Myledaphus bipartitus, Protoplatyrhina renae, gar & croc) Lt. Maastrichtian – Escondido Fm. – south Texas (see Case & Cappetta, 1997) http://www.thefossil...ation-of-texas/ Cretaceous, Maastrichtian,Tchivoula Quarry, near Hinda, Congo http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/80695-micro-shark-ray-and-bony-fish-specimens-from-the-miocene-of-france-and-cretaceous-of-the-congo/ Cenozoic Paleocene Lt. Paleocene (Thanetian) – zone 4, Aquia Fm.– Maryland and Virginia (see Ward & Wiest, 1990) http://www.thefossil...on-of-maryland/ http://www.thefossil...on-of-virginia/ Eocene Eocene - Orangeburg Formation - LaFarge Quarry - Harleyville, South Carolina http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/82895-micro-shark-ray-and-fish-teeth-from-the-eocene-of-south-carolina/ E. Eocene (Ypresian) – Nanjemoy Fm. – Stafford Co., Virginia (see Ward & Wiest, 1990; Weems & Grimsley, 1999) http://www.thefossil...ginia/?p=510087 L. Eocene - Chadron Formation - White River Group - Sioux County Nebraska (terrestrial) http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/66750-terrestrial-micros-from-the-eocene-chadron-formationoligocene-brule-formation-white-river-group-sioux-county-nebraska/#entry699681 Oligocene E. Oligocene? (Rupelian?) (incl. Hemipristis curvatus & Isogomphodon frequens) – in coarse gravel – Alafia River bed, Florida http://www.thefossil...ver-in-florida/ Oligocene - Brule Member of the White River Group - Sioux County, Nebraska http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/59218-oligocene-terrestrial-micros-from-nebraska/ http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/66138-oligocene-micros-from-the-m-m-ranch-in-nebraska/ Miocene E. Miocene – Coosawhatchee Fm., Hawthorn Grp. – Gainesville, Alachua Co., N. peninsular Florida http://www.thefossil...sville-florida/ http://www.thefossil...art-3/?p=482047 M. Miocene – Round Mtn. Silt Fm. – Sharktooth Hill site, Ernst Ranch, near Bakersfield, Kern Co., SC California http://www.thefossil...eld-california/ Miocene – zone 16, Choptank Fm. – Virginia http://www.thefossil...ros#entry427430 (sharks, rays, Lagodon, Pogonias) http://www.thefossil...ros#entry433798 (a var. of rays, bony fish otoliths) http://www.thefossil...ros#entry460266 Miocene, Langhian Age, lower "dark" horizon, Loupian Quarry, France http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/80695-micro-shark-ray-and-bony-fish-specimens-from-the-miocene-of-france-and-cretaceous-of-the-congo/ M. Miocene? – Pungo R. Fm.? – Lee Crk. (phosphate) Mine, N. of Aurora, Beaufort Co., CE. North Carolina (see Purdy et al., 2001) http://www.thefossil...from-aurora-nc/ (Alopias, Rhincodon, Dasyatis, Raja, Paramobula, etc.) http://www.thefossil...-window-screen/ http://www.thefossil...ros#entry453842 Lt. Miocene?– upper Bone Valley Fm.?, in coarse gravel – Alafia River bed, Florida http://www.thefossil...ver-in-florida/ (incl. Dasyatis and Rhynchobatus teeth) Lt. Miocene? – upper Bone Valley Fm.? – Joshua Crk. bed coarse gravel, Florida http://www.thefossil...orida/?p=477293 Lt. Miocene – upper Bone Valley Fm. – phosphate mine, Polk Co., C. peninsular Florida http://www.thefossil...ine-in-florida/ Lt. Miocene? – upper Bone Valley Fm.? – Peace River bed gravel, nr. Rt. 17 bridge, nr. Zolfo Sprs., Hardee Co., C. peninsular Florida http://www.thefossil...ver-of-florida/ http://www.thefossil...florida-part-2/ http://www.thefossil...eek-in-florida/ (with Isistius teeth) Pleistocene Pleistocene - Melbourne Bone Bed - Merritt Island, Florida http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/58306-pleistocene-micros-from-merritt-island-florida/?p=620548 References Bourdon, J., K. Wright, S. G. Lucas, J. A. Spielmann, and R. Pence, 2011. Selachians from the Upper Cretaceous (Santonian) Hosta Tongue of the Point Lookout Sandstone, central New Mexico. Bull., New Mexico Mus. Nat. Hist. & Sci., no. 52, iv + 54 p., 28 figs. Case, G. R., and H. Cappetta, 1997. A new selachian fauna from the late Maastrichtian of Texas (Upper Cretaceous/Navarroan; Kemp Formation). Munchner Geowissenschaftliche Abhandlung, Reihe A, vol. 34, pp. 131-189, 15 pl. Duffin, C. J., 2001. Synopsis of the selachian genus Lissodus Brough, 1935. Neues Jahrbuch fur Geologische und Paleontologische Abhandlungen, vol. 221, no. 2, pp. 145-218. Everhart, M., P. Everhart, E. M. Manning, and D. E. Hattin, 2003. A middle Turonian marine fish fauna from the upper Blue Hill Shale Member, Carlile Shale, of north central Kansas (abstract). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, vol. 23, supplement to no. 3, p. 49A. Goody, P. C., 1976. Enchodus (Teleostei: Enchodontidae) from the Upper Cretaceous Pierre Shale of Wyoming and South Dakota, with an evaluation of the North American enchodontid species. Palaeontographica, Abteilung A, vol. 152, no. 4-6, pp. 91-112, 3 pl. Jorgensen, S. D., and N. L. Larson, 1996. The Carlile Shale of the Milbank Granite District, Grant County, South Dakota; with regional correlations based on ammonite and shark faunas (abstract). Geological Society of America, Rocky Mountain Section, Abstracts with Programs, vol. 28, no. 4, pp. 12-13. Kelly, S. R. A., and R. G. Bromley, 1984. Ichnological nomenclature of clavate borings. Paleontology, vol. 27, no. 4, pp. 793-807. Lewis, S. E., 1999. Selachians from the Carlile Formation (Cretaceous-Turonian) of Grant County, South Dakota. St. Cloud State University (St. Cloud, Minnesota), Occasional Papers in Paleobiology, vol. 9, no. 1, 27 p. Lewis, S. E., T. J. Kunkel, S. M. Matrious, and T. T. Behnke, 2000. Invertebrate and vertebrate fauna from the Carlile Formation (Cretaceous-Turonian) of Grant County, South Dakota. St. Cloud State University (St. Cloud, Minnesota), Occasional Papers in Paleobiology, vol. 10, no. 1, 39 p. Martin, R. L., 2002. Taxonomic revision and paleoecology of middle Devonian (Eifelian) fishes of the Onondaga, Columbus, and Delaware limestones of the eastern United States. McKinzie, M. G., R. Morin, and E. Swiatovy, 2001. Fossil collector's guide to the North Sulphur River. Dallas Paleontological Society, Occasional Papers, vol. 4, 119 p., 20 pl. McNulty, C. L., Jr., and B. H. Slaughter, 1972. The Cretaceous selachian genus Ptychotrygon Jaekel, 1894. Eclogae Geologie Helvetiae, vol. 65, no. 3, pp. 647-655, 1 pl. Meyer, R. L., 1974. Late Cretaceous elasmobranchs from the Mississippi and East Texas embayments of the Gulf Coastal Plain. Unpublished PhD dissertation, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, xiv + 419 p. Purdy, R. W., V. P. Schneider, S. P. Applegate, J. H. McLellan, R. L. Meyer, and B. H. Slaughter, 2001. The Neogene sharks, rays, and bony fishes from Lee Creek Mine, Aurora, North Carolina. In C. E. Ray and D. J. Bohaska, eds., Geology and Paleontology of the Lee Creek Mine, North Carolina, III. Smithsonian Contributions to Paleontology, no. 90, p. 71-202. Rees, J., and C. J. Underwood, 2002. The status of the shark genus Lissodus Brough, 1935, and the position of nominal Lissodus species within the Hybodontoidea (Selachii). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, vol. 22, no. 3, pp. 471-479. Schwimmer, D. R., J. D. Stewart, and G. D. Williams, 1997. Scavenging by sharks of the genus Squalicorax in the Late Cretaceous of North America. Palaios, vol. 12, pp. 71-83. Slaughter, B. H., and M. Steiner, 1968. Notes on the rostral teeth of ganopristine sawfishes, with special reference to Texas material. Journal of Paleontology, vol. 42, no. 1, pp. 233-239. Stewart, J. D., and J. E. Martin, 1993. Late Cretaceous selachians and associated marine vertebrates from the Dakota Rose granite quarry, Grant County, South Dakota. South Dakota Academy of Science, Proceedings, vol. 72, pp. 241-248, 1 pl. Ward, D. J., and R. L. Wiest, 1990. A checklist of Paleocene and Eocene sharks and rays (Chondrichthyes) from the Pamunkey Group, Maryland and Virginia, U.S.A.. Tertiary Research (Leiden, Holland), vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 81-88. Weems, R. E., and Grimsley, G. J. (eds.), 1999. Early Eocene vertebrates and plants from the Fisher/Sullivan site (Nanjemoy Formation), Safford County, Virginia. Virginia Div. of Min. Res., Publication 152, 159 p. Welton, B. J., and R. F. Farish, 1993. The collector’s guide to fossil sharks and rays from the Cretaceous of Texas. Horton Printing Co., Dallas, xviii + 204 p. Marco Sr.

Here's a couple more finds from my Fla "Cookie Cutter" Creek matrix that have me stumped. No idea what they are, but the two look similar enough they may be variations of the same thing; or maybe they're just two similar looking rocks! (1st post has pics of the initial find, 2nd post has the other find plus comparison of the two. Scale is 1mm increments.) Hopefully some of you "CC Creek" or micro experts can point me in the right direction on these. Sorry for the lousy pics but its the best I could do with such small specimens without some better equip -- any suggestions? Thanks for looking.

Do microfossils come as small as the grains of sand, and if so, how do you separate them?

Hello; Does anyone here has a good way to get micro shark teeth out of the hard chalk of hallencourt(FR) Greetings

Pleistocene ray, fish, salamander, frog, snake, lizard and mammal specimens from matrix from the Melbourne Bone Bed from the Indian River, Florida. I want to thank John Sacha for supplying the matrix. This matrix was basically shells with fossil specimens. This was an extremely interesting matrix to search because of the large number of mammal and small reptile specimens. It also contained a good amount of amphibian specimens which I haven’t seen before in matrix. There were marine specimens also like fish specimens but the shark teeth were pretty beat and there were only a couple of ray specimens. Julianna has made extensive posts on Merritt Island micros. This post does contain some additional/different examples of specimens from the matrix. http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/57198-merritt-island-florida-pleistocene-fossils/ http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/59507-merritt-island-florida-pleistocene-fossils-part-2/ http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/60385-merritt-island-florida-pleistocene-fossil-photos/ If you mouse over the pictures you will see the file name which has the specimen size and my best effort at identification. If you can identify anything further or you see id errors please contribute to this post. Below is a gem jar display which shows some of the nicer specimens that I found. Clique the photo to see an enlarged version. The gem jar cups are 1.75 inches in diameter for size reference of the specimens. This is what is in each gem jar: 1 Lizard and snake vertebrae 2 Lizard and snake vertebrae 3 Interesting specimens that I need to id 4 Lizard jaws, mostly anole 5 Salamander vertebrae 6 Mammal teeth 7 Mammal teeth 8 Amphibian jaws (or don’t look like lizard) 9 Frog specimens 10 Mammal bones 11 Crab claw tips 12 Fish specimens (jaw fragments, teeth, scales, otoliths, and vertebrae) 13 Claws 14 Scales/Diodontid tooth plates 15 Ray tooth and barb 16 Scale/turtle shell fragments Below are some pictures of some individual specimens Ray: I found a single Dasyatis tooth: Fish: Otolith: Drum Tooth: Fish jaws/plates: Continued in the next reply. Marco Sr.

This is a quick post, with a few group pictures, on the anthill matrix that I recently collected from my sons’ Nebraska ranch this May. The specimens in this post are from anthill matrix that was collected from anthills that are in the flats of the ranch which are Oligocene, Lower Scenic Member, Brule Formation. I’m currently working with 2 amphibian (frog and salamander) researchers, 1 squamate researcher (lizards, legless lizards and snakes), 1 mammal researcher (rodents) and 1 bird researcher. I’ll soon be also working with an eggshell researcher and another mammal researcher (insectivores especially bats). I’ve been asked about trading some of this matrix by TFF members but can not do so until the research is finished and the papers are published. I finished searching one gallon of the seven gallons of anthill matrix that I just collected this May. I continue to be amazed at both the fossil density and quality of specimens that I’m finding in this anthill matrix from the ranch. So far the fossil density of this batch of anthill matrix from the ranch is actually higher than what was in the matrix from my September and May 2016 trips. One reason for that may be the 3 inches of rain that we had at the ranch the four days or so before I started collecting the matrix. To get that much rain is unusual with the rain probably breaking down and washing away a bit of the matrix itself. I’ve attached a number of group pictures of what I picked from this first gallon of anthill matrix. The white paper plates are 9 inches in diameter and the gem jar cups are 1.75 inches in diameter for size reference. There are lots of mammal specimens with rodent specimens by far the most common. There are also a good number of Lagomorph specimens. There are also a decent number of really nice insectivore specimens and other small mammal specimens. There are a large number of squamate specimens, with a good number of these being Glyptosaur especially Glyptosaur osteoderms. I’m not seeing anything that jumps out as being new from what I’ve previously sent to the squamate researcher but there are a lot of nice jaw pieces and vertebrae. I’ve only found at best two amphibian specimens so far. One looks like a frog humerus and the other possibly a damaged salamander vertebra. I’m not seeing bird bones that I recognize so far. However, based upon the squamate researcher finding eggshell pieces in the previous specimens that I sent, I did intentionally look for eggshell specimens. So I think there are also eggshell pieces in this matrix also. I decided to pick everything from this matrix, versus only specimens that I could recognize, like I did with the September 2016 matrix. There are a tremendous number of bone and tooth fragment specimens. Picking everything is taking a long time and I may not be through searching all 7 gallons of this matrix by the end of August as I had originally hoped. I wish I could recognize the diagnostic cranial elements but unfortunately I don’t have that expertise requiring that I pick everything so as to not lose something that might be of scientific importance. All and all I’m extremely happy with what I’m finding so far in the anthill matrix from the ranch. I also did take a quick look at some of the 1 gallon of Eocene anthill matrix from a neighboring ranch that I also collected in May. That result was not encouraging with only a few mammal specimens that were damaged found so far. Marco Sr.

I will be traveling to North Carolina in the next couple of weeks and will be within striking distance of Aurora, NC. Aside from across from the museum are there any other public access points to spoils piles from the Lee Creek mine that people are willing to divulge. I figure with the Aurora, NC fossil fair having just wrapped up that maybe there are some other access piles in the vicinity. My primary interest is screening some of the material to take with me to search for mircos. What I want to avoid is filling a five gallon bucket to then only be visited by the police. I don't get to this area very often so I am not at all familiar with the etiquette or regulations to be aware of. Any insight that anyone would be willing to share would be greatly appreciated. Feel free to PM me if that's easier.

Sometimes it can take me a while to do a trip report, but i feel like better late than never right? I headed out to Douglas Point for the main reason of getting some sand material that Ive been told is good for micro teeth. I found the material that i was looking for and loaded my backpack(way to full). I had just made a new sifter for micros and was looking to test it out, and I know literally nothing about them so if anyone wants to chime in on some resources i can study go right ahead. Anyways, I did my regular fossil hunting and didn't find much other than some nice Sand Tigers. I had a disposable camera with me that day that I was trying to use the rest of so I took some scenic shots with it. Enjoy!

I’m posting a few pictures from the trip I took with my sons in September 2016 to our Eocene/Oligocene Nebraska ranch. There are a couple of really neat areas on the ranch itself of which pictures are shown below. This is one small area of Eocene Chadron Formation on the ranch. The vast majority of the ranch is Oligocene Brule Formation. It is difficult to see clearly in these pictures but this area of the ranch has many visible different layers of the Brule Formation. The layers really stand out when the formation is wet and the colors are much more vibrant. These are two different dens in another part of the ranch. One had large footprints with five toes and claws all round it, probably from a bear. The other had large footprints with four toes and no claws all around it, probably from a mountain lion. I really wanted to get closer and get pictures inside the den but didn’t think that would be wise with the fresh footprints all around. We took out a good number of jacketed mammals and tortoises/turtles. However, none have been prepped yet. We still have over twenty specimens to prep from our May 2016 trip. I spent a couple of days collecting anthill matrix for the micro terrestrial vertebrate specimens that it contains. Below are a couple of the anthills I collected from with a garden trowel for size reference. I wound up with around 8 ½ gallons of processed matrix from 8 areas in the ranch. Below are group pictures of the nicer specimens that I found so far in the matrix. I still have 1 ½ gallons of matrix to search. The fossil hackberry seeds and rodent incisors really stand out in the group pictures but there are a myriad of other specimen types if you really look closely. I also have thousands of bone fragments that I picked to send to Dr. Krister Smith who will search them for squamate skull fragments. You need quite a bit of experience and expertise to recognize these skull fragments which I can’t recognize currently. Continued in next reply Marco Sr.