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While visiting in Rhode Island recently, my wife and I spent a few hours on the beach at the end of Corys Lane in Portsmouth. While it isn't one of the most productive sites I've had the pleasure of mucking around in, I always feel at home at the edge of the sea. It's a bit of a challenge to find any reasonably well-preserved fossils here, but the challenge just makes it all the more enjoyable. While my wife wandered away, deserting me once again for the lure of an ocean beach, I spread out a square of 4-mil plastic in the always futile attempt to keep the graphite-infused beach gravel off yet another pair of too-good-to-throw-away jeans. The overburden of beach-tumbled shaly gravel and slipper shells (Crepidula) was only 6-inches (15cm) deep here, blanketing a promising layer of Pennsylvanian age shale. Thankfully the tide was low and I could dig without the need to drain water out of the excavation. Regretably, I left my phone/camera in the car and have no current photos to share today, but here's one I took a few years ago: I've had mixed results here at this site, with nothing worth keeping on occasion. This day's finds were slightly above average, by my reckoning. Most of the shale I was uncovering was much too fragile to recover any recognizable plants, but after prying out and splitting a few solid slabs I did come home with some rather nice pieces, even if the preservation wasn't quite as good as I would prefer. I haven't been able to identify these seed ferns. Maybe a species of Pecopteris? The details just aren't preserved very well. The preservation is better in this harder rock. I think these are Cordaites principalis leaves. And a couple additional unknowns: The best find of the day, a modern skull, was found, of course, by my wandering wife. I believe it was formerly put to use by a sea robin (Prionotus carolinus). It was a good day.

Hello, first post from a long time window gazer... I found this small skull, on the james river in Virginia, the backside looks fishy, the front looks curious, seeing a bit of my own reflection I guess. Sea robin maybe? From a beach with Miocene era sharks teeth I believe, any other ideas or directions would be appreciated! Thank you for your time...

I found these sea robin plates and this bone on the beach today. I was wondering if any one could help with what the bone came from. It has dimple looking things on one end that makes it look like a horses snout. Thanks mike