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Went on a creek excursion to hunt marine fossils several weeks back. I was hesitant about bringing home micro material because last years material from same site didn't produce any stellar finds, so I thought? I brought home a gallon zip lock bag full hoping to try my luck again and glad I did... not bad for a plastic bag of material in a smaller quantity. Brachiopod steinkern, Pseudocorax, Scapanorynchus teeth, Enchodus and Pachyrhizodus fish tooth. Cretaceous Period, Mooreville Chalk, Southeastern USA. Ya gotta love the color of the teeth!

It had been quite sometime since I got to go do some creek hunting for marine fossils. We get to visit this particular private property site once a year and this year it didn't disappoint. I found my first ever Mosasaur vertebrate! I find its teeth all the time, and my hunting buddies always find the verts... this time it was my day. I found shark and fish teeth, worm burrows and bits of bone. It was a great day and haul of some cool fossils!

We've been getting a lot of rain lately and wondered since the beginning of the new year if we'd ever make it to a creek to do some fossil hunting. This particular Saturday called for 90% rain but was fortunate to have the Friday off, so my hunting buddies and I went to the creek! When we got there we anticipated the water levels would be slightly higher considering the year already, and it was siftable. I found me a gravel bar and wasn't disappointed the entire time there! Above you will see the bottom half of an arrowhead made out of yellow jasper. Shark teeth from the Cretalamna, Scapanorynchus, Squalicorax, Pseudocorax, Ptychodus and two other teeth that I know but slips my mind at the moment! There is also a section of an Ammonite/Baculite, Heteromorph, Gastropod and fish verts. It was a great day and found the variety of fossils I had anticipated. With every fossil trip to the creek I had to bring home a bucket up gravel to micro sift and that didn't disappoint either. One of my favorite teeth that show up in my sifter or when I searching for micros is the Hybodont teeth. I got a surprise when someone told me that the object featured at the top is a Hybodont Cheplalic Clasper, a portion of it. Of course there is the collection of Enchodus teeth I always encounter. The first tooth, I was told is a unworn crown of a Hybodont Cephalic Clasper which would be attached to the other half in the above picture. The second tooth is called a Squatina? This one looks like Bart Simpson's head, does anyone out there have an idea? This one was identified as Ptychodus anonymous symphyseal. Another Ptychodus species to add to my collection. I think this is a badly creek tumbled shark coprolite. There are some inclusions on this piece? Pachyrizodus teeth, first ever found on this creek. These teeth slipped past the 1/4" mesh and wound up in my micro material. Another fish species to add to the collection. There are times when I like solo fossil hunts but we all know that this hobby has its dangers. It even more fun when you can sift side by side with your hunting buddies, share in the camaraderie and treaures that you discover... it was an awesome day!

I've got great hunting buddies! I had to work the day they went to a creek in South Alabama to hunt for fossils. Not being able to go to the creek, they brought the creek to me in a bucket! Nothing like sitting on your balcony sifting for shark teeth! I found several nice sized shark teeth, that got caught in the 1/4" mesh consisting of Scapanorynchus (goblin shark), Squalicorax, (crow shark), fish teeth, Enchodus and Pycnodont. Mid-size teeth that didn't get through my colander such as Scapanorynchus (goblin shark), Squalicorax, (crow shark), two tiny Ptychodus teeth, two Hybodont teeth, and Paranmotodon. Ptychotrygon (sawfish and tiny rostral teeth), two conical fish teeth, or Mosasaur? Myledaphus pustulosus (ray teeth), Pseudocorax, fish vert, gastropod steinkern, fish teeth, Enchodus, Hadrodus priscus, and Pycnodont teeth. Did another sift of what got through the colander, this time through a window screen mesh and got these tiny teeth. Size comparison to a sewing needle. Scapanorynchus, Enchodus, Hadrodus priscus, Ptychotrygon and tiny fish vert? Cretaceous Period, Mooreville Chalk, South Alabama USA.

Hi All! Its been quite some time since I posted but rest assured I've been busy fossil hunting and collecting. Now it's harder to keep up with it all and where I post my finds! A lot of my focus has been on Cretaceous Period formations in the southern part of the state and don't worry I do still hunt the Carboniferous Period formations when I get the chance and still love doing that as well! During the summer months the heat is just unbearable... on a creek it's cooler and the tree canopy along the creek banks offer shade from the beating sun, so ya know I'm gonna choose hanging there than an open air mine area hunting Carboniferous fossils. Now that cooler weather is upon us, you will find me hunting the local reclaimed mines, quarries and rock cuts for Carboniferous fossils! Two weeks ago I got to go on an excursion to a creek to hunt Cretaceous/Pliestocene overlap fossils and it didn't disappoint that's for sure! I found the largest interior Scapanoryhncus (goblin shark) tooth ever, measuring a 1.5 inches tall. Two Mosasaur teeth and a variety of Enchodus... as well as palatine jaw pieces, Squalicorax (crow shark) and sawfish rostrum tooth... for some reason I always find them with the tips broken except the micro ones! Speaking of micros, I did bring back a 2-gallon bucket of gravel to sort through and found some wonderful specimens too. As I've mentioned in previous posts while hunting fossils on a creek, an Native artifact will turn up occasionally in my sifter. As a kiddo 50 something years ago I hunted them while walking across plowed fields near creeks in my state. I was working this sand/gravel mix area when the first arrowhead turns up, then some teeth, several more points as well as broken ones, horse tooth, Mosasaur teeth and so forth! I can understand that the fossilized teeth being in the same area but only can theorize how those arrowheads got there congregating in one area... one of my hunting buddies was right beside me and between the both of us we found around 20 something points in a 10 foot radius! Hundreds, perhaps thousands of years ago there may have been a drop-off, or spillway creating a deep trough where erosion brought them there as their final destination? On that particular day there was a heavy current which explains the sand and gravel mix??? At the end of the day, the pictures tell the story and that includes the micro fossils as well. It was a great day on that creek and look forward to going back when it warms up again and game hunting season is over!

Howdy Y'all! Micro fossilizing is addictive and got bit by the bug sometime last year. I often wondered what actually got through my 1/4" mesh sifter while sifting for marine fossils and shark teeth! Well, wonder no more. After piling the gravel that went through the sifter I would place the gravel in a 2 gallon bucket to take home and inspect later. Now every trip to a creek I do it religiously because of the addiction! Some creeks are really productive and other creeks not so much but what drives me is the thrill of what I'm going to find in the next pour of the red solo cup into the white paper plate. Even when it's time to tend to my responsibilities I tell myself, just one more... I know that type of thing happens to you guys. It's time consuming but it's so worth it! I went on an excursion two weeks ago and brought back a bucket of gravel. Here are my finds for that particular day. I have found more Enchodus teeth on this site than ever! Pictured is a variety of Enchodus front teeth and interior teeth, Enchodus palatine jaw piece with teeth, Pseudocorax, Pyncnodont tooth, dermal plate, tiny Mosasaur tooth, shark Coprolite, and another Enchodus palatine jaw piece. Look forward to visiting this creek when it warms up and game hunting season is over! Happy Hunting Everyone!

Found this in a creek and was wondering what kind of vert it was. It is rather fragile and is about the size of a nickle.

I found this tooth in a creek over the weekend. Next to it I also found what appeared to be just a piece of bone until I looked at it further and saw that the end resembled the tooth I found just before. The larger of the two is very worn but you can still see the details on the "bite" sruface. I have included a picture of the two side by side for comparison. We were thinking the smaller tooth was that of a prehistoric horse maybe??? Any help in identification would be wonderful. Not that this helps, but on the same day in the same spot a friend of mine found a piece of a mastodon tooth.

Hello All! I got another opportunity to visit a new creek in South Alabama a few weeks back and it didn't disappoint! Not only did we find Cretaceous fossils but we found lots of Native American artifacts as well as Pleistocene fossils too. I found mostly fish teeth and a few shark teeth. Any time I visit a creek I always bring home a bucket of gravel to sift for micro fossils and that just extends the time there finding more of the fossils I missed while on that creek sifting with the 1/4" mesh. I look forward to visiting that creek again in the future. Such a beautiful serene place to just sit down with sifter and take in all that surrounds you! My favorite finds from the day, Milky White Quartz arrowhead with two heart breakers...bottom halves of arrowheads, pyritized bivalve, lots of pottery shards, Enchodus teeth, Scapanorynchnus and Squalicorax teeth, Gastropod and Coprolites. When this Coprolite showed up in my sifter I thought it was a bullet...I have old man eyes and when I got home upon closer inspectionI see the spiral which usually indicates a shark coprolite. Also dug up a rusty draft horseshoe and found a nice goose feather on the property. The draft horse shoe is probably from the turn of the 20th century or later. The farmers used draft horses in the area to plow their acreage of fields in the area during the time. When I got home my creative side kicked in and I natived em' up and put them in a display frame. Here is the what was found in the gravel when I got home.This gravel was the prettiest I've ever seen. Most of the pebbles were transparent to translucent when held up to light. Most of the creeks hunted I've never seen so many Enchodus teeth come out of there, these are the micro ones. Scapanorynchnus and Squalicorax teeth Pycnodont teeth and I think a ray tooth? Broken pieces of Gastropods. I think these are Xiphactinus teeth? Micro Quartz crystals that was present in the gravel mix. Fish Coprolites

My daughter found this protruding from the Mooreville Chalk formation (upper Cretaceous) in central Alabama. Unfortunately, it did break when we dug it out but it is otherwise in very good shape. It looks like it may be shaped like a reptile paddle bone. Turtle? Mosasaur? Something else? Anyone have any thoughts about id?

Hello! I found a mysterious fossil bone while looking for shark teeth in NE Mississippi this past weekend. I believe it is from the Eutaw Formation which is Late Cretaceous. This bone appears to be complete, although maybe a bit creek-worn. It is as hard as a chert creek rock with visible minerals present in the pores. Size is 2.75" long, by 2" wide, and around 1.5" thick (including the arches on the other side). I have not studied vertebrates, and have no idea how to technically describe bones, but it looks like the largest surface is a ball (like a ball/socket) and there are two areas on either side that look like contact points. If you turn it over, it is almost heart-shaped with another ball-type surface at the bottom of the "heart shape" and two concave areas on the sides (lots of mineral "stripes" in this area). At the top of the heart shape, there is a dovetail-shaped notch. I am more than happy to take additional photos if requested! I've scoured Google and can't find much to go by, but I am guessing that it is probably some kind of marine reptile or less likely, a dino that had washed out to sea. I know it is a stretch to be able to identify one lonely little bone, but I would love to know anything I can about it, no matter how general. Thanks everyone!!!

Student uncovers Alabama fossils likely from oldest ancestor of modern sea turtles, October 5, 2016 https://www.uab.edu/news/innovation/item/7649-uab-grad-student-uncovers-alabama-fossils-likely-from-oldest-ancestor-of-modern-sea-turtles http://phys.org/news/2016-10-student-uncovers-alabama-fossils-oldest.html https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/10/161003182513.htm Gentry, A. D., 2016, New material of the Late Cretaceous marine turtle Zangerl, 1953 and a phylogenetic reassessment of the 'toxochelyid'-grade taxa, Journal of Systematic Palaeontology DOI: 10.1080/14772019.2016.1217087 http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14772019.2016.1217087 Yours, Paul H.