Search the Community

These specimens are from the Pittsburg Bluff (lower) formation - late Eocene. Given the body whorl differences as well as difference in penultimate whorl, suture, and apex/apical whorls (as much as one can tell from these specimens, I believe the Genus of the one on the left is Molopophorus. Any opinions?

Here is a series of four images of what I believe to be a bone. Don't know what kind of bone, but it appears to be hollow. In the paper: Giant Late Eocene Marine Birds (PELECANIFORMES:pelagornithidade) from NorthWestern Oregon by James L. Goedert, he states the abstract of this paper: "ABsTRACr-Fossil bird bones from the late Eocene Keasey Formation and the latest Eocene Pittsburg Bluff Formation in northwestern Oregon are the earliest records of the pelecaniform family Pelagornithidae for the Pacific Basin. These fossils also represent late Eocene records of the family from the Northern Hemisphere, the second late Eocene record worldwide, and indicate animals were among the largest of flying birds. Unfortunately, the fragmentary condition of these fossils and the currently state of pelagornithid systematics prevents the assignment of these specimens to new species at this time." If this is, I will forward to folks working on this issue (Goedert was an associate of the Natural History Museum of LA). I don't want to take the chance of damage of further matix removal. Images are of the object that is 6.7mm x 6.5mm located from the lower portion of the Pittsburg Bluff Formation between Pittsburg and Mist, Oregon. Anyone have any idea of what this is? I've been examining the PBF "fall out" along the road for about two years and have never seen anything like this specimen. Am forwarding the same images to the Paleo Dept. at Oregon State. I've included an image (Marked with a red T for where the specimen was fund under the top matrix cover, and an image of the collection location. Red T is where specimen was found after removing matrix. Collecting Location:

I found these shells extracted from the matrix. While I've not ID them all yet there is at least one or more of the family Bruclarkia. In Geological Survey Professional paper 922 -Oligocene Marine Mollusks from the Pittsburg Bluff Formation in Oregon, the following is stated: "Bruclarkia, Perse, and Molopophorus, which lack the round aperture usually possessed by herbivorous snails, have long siphonal canals, indicating that they may have been detritus feeders or carnivores, preying upon clams; their familial assignments". Bruclarkia family is now extinct. The top left Gastropod is a Bruclarkia (90% sure) and measures 26.87mm (for reference). My guess is that it is Bruclarkia columbiana. Here is location information on this species: I will get all of these cleaned up and post some complete views so any of you Gastropod fans can ID them if I can't. I was quite excited to find of these fossils within a square foot.