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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

My sons brought back about 3 gallons of ant hill matrix from their September trip to the Nebraska badlands. The matrix is from the Oligocene Brule Member of the White River Group. All I had to do with the matrix was to fine sift it to remove the fine sand. If you mouse over the pictures you will see the file name which has the specimen size and my best effort at identification. I rarely search terrestrial matrix so I don’t see a lot of terrestrial mammal and reptile micro specimens. 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. Double clique the photo to see an enlarged version. The gem jar cups are 1.75 inches in diameter for size reference of the specimens. Edited per comments from Jean-Pierre 1. Mammal and reptile bones (Most of the bones are little mammal caudal verts.) 2. Mammal and reptile bones (mostly toe bones) 3. Mammal bones (caudal verts) 4. Reptile vertebrae 5. Claws 6. Mammal teeth/jaw fragments 7. Mammal teeth (rodent incisors) 8. Mammal teeth [Paleolagus (rabbit) teeth] 9. Mammal teeth 10. Mammal teeth/jaw fragments 11. Lizard osteoderms (mostly Glyptosaur Changed Peltosaurus to Glyptosaur based upon input from Dr. Krister Smith ) 12. Lizard jaw fragments Continued in the next reply. Marco Sr.

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.

Here are five new claws for ID please. These were all found in TFF member Sacha's new Merritt Island, Florida Pleistocene matrix. I have included the first one I found here again for comparison. Auspex said the #1 is "from a small species, possibly as small as a least bittern." There were several more claws in the matrix, but these were the most complete samples. It would be great if I could get IDs for them. Thanks for looking. 1 2 3 4 5 6

After researching my more obscure fossil finds from Sacha's Rattlesnake Creek matrix, I am left with these four that I am not sure of. (E. Miocene - Coosawatchee Fm., Hawthorn Group.) Please have a look, and let me know if anyone has any ideas. Thanks for looking. 1) 2) 3) 4)

I found this broken tooth in Sacha's Rattlesnake Creek matrix. I am wondering if it is from an alligator, or even a croc. Seems way too big for a fish tooth. Any help would be appreciated. Scale is in mm. Thanks for looking.

I just found this tonight in TFF member Sacha's Rattlesnake Creek matrix from Gainesville Florida. I took photos from both sides, top and bottom, and the joint end. Thanks for looking. Julianna

I found this broken tooth in TFF member Sacha's Gainesville, Florida matrix. I thought this one looks like a cow shark. I compared it to the examples sent to me by sixgill pete, and I can't see a difference. I don't see any serrations either. I am hoping it is not another fragment of some other kind of shark tooth, but I'd really like to know. Thanks for looking.

I found this tonight in Sacha's Rattlesnake Creek, Gainesville, Florida matrix. I know there is some Eocene in it as well as the more recent.

I have been searching some matrix for micros from the MM quarry at Belgrade NC. Late Oligocene. I have lots to post but decided to start with the gastropods as I am without a clue on IDing these. ( I really need to spring and get the new volume from the NC Fossil Club on Fossil Mollusks) There are also a couple ray teeth and a cool bivalve. Looking at all of these by eye you cannot see the wear/damage. The usb microscope I bought is very cool. Takes great pictures with its 2 megapixel camera. First the Gastropods. 1- 5.73mm 2- 5.19mm 3- 4.97mm 4- over 6mm 5-3.26 and 2.51mm 6 - 5.98mm 7- 5.25 to over 10mm

Here is the summary of my finds from the Florida matrix sent to me by TFF member jcbshark. It is his famous Cookie Cutter matrix! It contains fossils from the Miocene thru Pleistocene. Thanks again Jeff for this great matrix. I was very pleased to find these three Isistius teeth. Here is a selection of the shark teeth from this matrix. continued in the next reply

I finally finished sorting and photographing my Rattlesnake Creek , Florida matrix finds. This matrix contains Miocene - Pleistocene fossils and some Eocene. Thank you Sacha for sending me this matrix. There were a lot of good finds and I had a hard time deciding which to show here. I don't have IDs for everything, and some I do might be wrong, so please feel free to correct me. I am here to learn. I found numerous ray teeth. Here is some of the ray material; Dasyatis Rhynchobatus male Dasyatis stingray spines continued in next reply

Here are some of my first finds from the matrix sent to me by member Sacha. It is pebble matrix from the Rattlesnake Creek in Gainesville, Florida. Mostly Miocene. The colours of the teeth are really nice, and the preservation is excellent. I have attempted to ID what I can, but please correct me if I am wrong. First, here are some shark teeth. I think that 'A' and 'D' are Carcharhinus. not sure about the rest... Again, I think 'A', 'D', 'E', and 'I' are Carcharhinus. I had to add this one just to show the great colours! I realize that these are probably too worn to ID, but 'C' looks like a Hemi. Some of these teeth are almost translucent. I already know 'E', and 'F' are Lagodon, as I have found one of those before. And the crushing teeth are 'A', 'C', and 'D'. 'B' and 'G' are new to me tho.

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.

Hello Everyone, I was hoping someone could help me identify two teeth I found in some Lee Creek reject material I brought home from the Aurora Fossil Festival this year. Both teeth are approximately 1cm in length and have rather large roots for their small size. Here is the first tooth: At first I thought maybe a whale shark or possibly a basking shark, but really have no clue. I'm hoping one of the experts could give me a positive ID. Sorry if there is not enough detail in the pictures above to make a positive ID, these little micros are hard to shoot. Here is the second tooth, which I really have no clue what it could be. Thanks in advance for any assistance with the IDs.

Like many people here in eastern NC my first full fledged exposures to fossils was at the Aurora Fossil museum. Growing up here, I had seen and found my share of smaller sharks teeth and "petrified" clams as we called them, but never thought much about it. Never had anyone able to expose me to the world of fossils.(Plus, I was much more interested in baseball ..... then girls.) After I had grandkids a friend said, hey you should take them to the fossil museum in Aurora. So I did and the rest is, as we say, history. I was amazed at the teeth and everything else that was on display there. The first day in the piles there my grandson Nick(who I hunt with regularly and the one who coined me sixgill pete) found a 2 plus inch meg and a 2 plus inch mako. We were hooked. We went back to those piles tirelessly, as often as we could. We found huge numbers of mako's and tiger's and some megs and some cow sharks. Everything the piles had to offer. Then I got into the mine, wow, I found some amazing things in there, my favorite being the cow shark teeth. But there had to be more, so I found GMR and then all the MM quarries here in the eastern part of NC. Did research and found out about the beaches and rivers and much more. Then I discovered micro's and as many of you know, they are among my favorites. Beautiful little things the eye can barely see, but amazing and in many cases some of the rarest teeth. I also discovered shells, and echinoids. Then came The Fossil forum. Without a doubt, the finest fossil site on the web, great people and a plethora of USEFULL information. And the knowledge here is 5 star A+. I have learned so much and continue to learn everyday I am able to log in. I recently was able to get my first trilobite from fantastic forum member xonenine. Here in NC, there is no where to find them. My collection has come along way since its humble beginnings. So here are a few highlight's of it, some of my favorite pieces. Don a.k.a. sixgill pete my first big meg, 4 3/8" from GMR a 2 1/8 lower hastalis from Lee Creek two upper hastalis 2 1/8 and 2 3/8 from Lee Creek my two favorite rics a beautiful gun metal blue perfect 2 1/16 and a very rare parasymphyseal, both found on the same day at the Onslow Martin Marietta Quarry From GMR a very nice about 1 1/4 Great White in matrix Also from GMR a 2 1/2 inch great white