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Hi everyone, A friend found this bone with what looks like a shark tooth embedded into it while he was hunting in Bakersfield near Shark Tooth Hill. Does it look like an embedded shark tooth? and what type of shark do you think it could be from? He found several Hastalis and Planus teeth in the same layer. I really appreciate all the help the community has provided me. I learn something new every time. Thanks!
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Hi everyone, I have a few teeth that I have always wondered about. I found another one the other day looking through washed matrix. Let me know what you think. Largest tooth is 18mm smallest is 9mm. I have only these three from all the years of collecting.
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I have found several smaller fragments before, but never an intact one. This one turned up at the end of a very long day and I fortunately spotted it as my son was shoveling matrix into the sifting table. I startled him mid-shovel by shouting "STOP!" when I saw a row of white points sticking out of some matrix. Son was just about to throw another shovelful on top of it. Nice reflexes by him to change course mid-air to avoid me (now shielding the tooth with my body - LOL). Worth it. :-) Definitely had potential but I didn't know how much root was going to remain. After some careful cleaning I was thrilled. I can see from those cracks why I've had such a hard time finding a complete one.
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- hexanchus
- sharktooth hill
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I recently had a chance to try my hand at a few matrix pieces from Sharktooth Hill. I'm happy with how they came out, although I know I could do a better job next time. Huge shout out to @digit and @ynot for their advice and encouragement. I think the thing I appreciate about matrix pieces like these are that prepping them this way can turn a rather unremarkable tooth into something unique. Anyway, I had fun doing it and I was encouraged to post a "trip report" so here goes... Here's how they looked when I got home. Nice to find out the tooth was intact. WooHoo! I used dental tools (nice set online for <$20) and small paintbrushes to scratch away the matrix. A super soft fluffy brush I found in my wife's makeup kit (shhhh!) was great for removing loosened silt. The matrix looks wet because I was dipping a finger in water and barely touching the matrix to soften it. Not too much though because that Sharktooth Hill matrix can be really soft. When I got more experienced I started using a small paintbrush to apply the water more carefully. Oh nooooooooooo! The tooth fell out. Does that happen to anyone else? I decided that meant the tooth just wanted to be cleaned so I took the opportunity. A quick clean up and a little CA glue and we are back in business. QUESTION: How do the rest of you actually get the tooth clean? There was no way I was going to be able to wash it or use a toothbrush or anything like that. I can tell myself "I like them a little dirty" but can't help but notice that some people get them really nice and clean. Any tips? Esp. with that STH matrix.
- 7 replies
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- 3
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- bakersfield
- prep
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Hello, The indentions in these two pieces of Sharktooth Hill bone are very unlike anything else I've found there and I'm hoping someone recognizes them. Very smooth and very round, about 2-4 mm deep. I'm including pics of the backs of the pieces, not because they seem interesting, but just so you can see that they're not. It's a little hard to tell, but the large piece has a partial indention on one of the broken edges on the right side of the pic. Thanks for any insights you can offer! Larger piece - Front Larger piece - Back Smaller piece - Front Smaller piece - Back
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I had no idea what this one was, probably just a scrap of bone but worth checking I think, sorry for lack of scale but it’s around 14 cm long it’s from STH (also I havent fully prepped it yet as I want to know whether to get someone with air tools to do it or do it myself)
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Found this thing today in my Sharktooth Hill bucket-o-bones and my first thought was "fossil oreo" so I was very intrigued to learn that there actually are fossil "cookies!" I even think I found one (not posted here). But this one is a sandwich cookie. I have pics from top, bottom, and all around the edges. The large hole you can see from the edge view goes straight through all the way. If what I learned about "cookies" is applicable, I would imagine they would be like caps on the two flat surfaces of my bone, and are therefore missing on this specimen? So I guess it's a vertebra? Ideas on what animal, what part of the spine, (or how many million miles off I am) would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!
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Beside all the bone fragments I've seen from Sharktooth Hill, this one really stood out. I'm hoping that the relatively good condition it is in will allow for identification. Taking a swing at it, I'll say turtle but definitely not too sure. All 3 pics are the same bone. Thanks!
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Sorry, but I barely know where to begin describing this. Happy to field questions or take different pics if that helps. What I DO know is that this seems much different from all the other teeth and bones I brought home from Sharktooth Hill. It is lighter weight than the other teeth and bones and seems to be composed of a pair of something with a plate on the bottom and sinuses in the back. The first pic shows what I'm calling the "top." Then if you tip that backwards you can see a smooth plate of some sort on what I'm calling the "bottom" And if you continue to roll it backwards now we see the hollow sinuses on what I'm calling the "back" side. Finally, here's a slightly different view from the front with it tilted just slightly upwards compared to the first pic in this post. Seems to be some wear on the edges pointing forward. Does this ring a bell for anyone? I'd sure love to know what I found. Thank you!
- 7 replies
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- bakersfield
- miocene
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Hello, I am having some trouble IDing this tiny tooth found in some micromatrix from Sharktooth Hill. I believe I've narrowed it down to a smoothhound (Triakidae mustelus) or guitarfish (Rhinobatos) but of course others are probably possible as well. Thank you very much!
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I had few more oddballs. As always your input is appreciated. Here's the first one.
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Hello all! A few weeks ago, @caldigger generously sent me some micromatrix from Sharktooth Hill/Bakersfield in California (Miocene in age), and there is one little fossil that is kind of weird - hopefully someone can help me identify it! It's smooth on one side and has sharp bumps on the other side - please feel free to let me know what you think it might be. If better pictures are required, we'll have to wait until I get some sunlight up here in Mississauga - hopefully soon! Thanks in advance! Monica View of the bumpy side: View of the smooth side: View of the bumps:
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I came across this piece today when going through some matrix that I had received from Doren @caldigger. Anyone have an ID on this piece? I never came across one in the past. Thanks in advance. @MarcoSr
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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?
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Public invert fossil collecting sites in Bakersfield area?
Wendell Ricketts posted a topic in Questions & Answers
Dear FFers: I’ll be in Bakersfield for the week before Christmas, spending some time looking for shark teeth on the hill and doing some research and reporting for Fossil News magazine. I was wondering whether anyone would be willing to share me any information about publicly accessible invert sites within an hour or so of there. I have a vague memory of reading that there were some road cuts with freshwater and marine mollusks, but I’ve no specific information. I was also wondering whether it was still possible to get permission from Chevron to visit the Kettleman Hills site. Does anyone know? I’d be up for a collecting buddy, too, if anyone’s available during that busy week! Wendell -
Going through my recent find from Sharktooth Hill I came across this one that was very different from any others I've seen from there. Possible bramble shark? Not many options that look like this. Your thoughts on it are appreciated! Picture isn't the greatest, but I'm hoping it's distinctive enough.
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- teeth
- bakersfield
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Sharktooth Hill Trip Report Part 1 – building the sifting table Hi everyone, After my first trip to Sharktooth Hill in June, I was hooked. I immediately started making plans to return and, this time I’d come better prepared. This forum has provided an amazing source of ideas and helpful people and inspired me to build a sifting table for my next trip to STH. A huge thanks to those who have helped me by answering questions, providing pictures and ideas, and helping me troubleshoot. I gathered as much info as I could and then tried to combine all the best ideas into one contraption to fit my needs. I’m excited to try this beast out next week! It’s big! The screen is 37.5” x 21” and the table stands about 4 feet tall but I will lower it if the height proves too high to load easily. I don’t want to sacrifice “wobbly-ness” though, because I’m hoping that’s going to do a lot of the sifting work for me. Plus, my son and I are 6’5” and 6’4” so a tall table should be ok. I used SCH 40 PVC and the 2 rectangular bases are glued while the 4 legs are removable to allow for compact storage/transport. In limited testing everything stayed together but I’ll bring some PVC glue with me in case I need to solidify it in the field. I'll also bring my PVC cutter for “disassembly” for the way home if need be. The bottom tier is ¼” mesh and has 6 “T” brackets to make sure it stays on top of the PVC frame. I bolted on a handle to allow it to be shaken one- or two-handed. There are no pointy parts on the inside (trying to avoid bleeding as much as I did on my last visit to STH). The top tier is ½” mesh and sits inside the bottom tier. Corner braces in the bottom tier (see above) allow the upper tier to sit low enough that it won’t dislodge but high enough that the contents can move freely across the bottom mesh. Initially I was disappointed that the large size and my inability to “tighten” that mesh caused it to sag noticeably once it was loaded up with soil. I remedied this with the addition of an adjustable bracket along the midpoint. But then when I put the top tier inside the bottom tier I realized I’d created a teeter-totter (doh!) and had to chisel out a groove on each side to allow it to fit in there. I’m very excited to go give it a try and I hope you all find this pre-trip report interesting. I’m happy to answer any questions and/or accept suggestions for improvement. And thanks again to all the helpful people on this forum whose previous pictures, design notes, and conversations encouraged me to attempt this (and make this post). I’ll send a follow up trip report after I get home. Cheers!
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- shark teeth
- ernst quarry
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From the album Cenozoic Sharks
Colorful Cosmopolitodus planus from Bakersfield, California -
From the album Cenozoic Sharks
Colorful Bakersfield, California Cosmopolitodus planus -
Hello, I returned from Sharktooth Hill (Bakersfield) with a bunch of bone fragments that seem to be mostly whale ribs and unidentifiable fragments. But I did have a few pieces that seemed distinctive enough that I thought someone more knowledgeable than me might be able to recognize. The third one from the top looks very similar to something another member posted (though not identified) - one side looks exactly like driftwood (is this known form STH?) but the other side very different, as shown in the pics. Someday I hope to be on the help-delivering side of the equation in this forum. Until then, much gratitude!
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Hello, Going through some teeth from Sharktooth Hill (Bakersfield) I found one tooth among my "C. planus" teeth that didn't look like the others. I'm wondering if it is natural variation, from a different part of the jaw, or from another species altogether. It has the characteristic curve of a C. planus upper, but is quite a bit narrower than all the others I collected. The pics attached show a "typical" C. planus on the left and the tooth in question on the right. Thanks!
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Hello, I'm new to this but hoping to get more involved. I went to the world-famous Sharktooth Hill (Bakersfield CA) last week and it did not disappoint! I am now trying to ID the ~150 teeth we found but I'm not very good at it (yet?). I did a bunch of the easier ones and had some on-site help from more knowledgeable collectors that was great. Lots of unknowns still, though. If anyone could offer any tips for how to go about IDing these teeth, that would be awesome (ex. Carcharhinus spp. Vs Negaprion? Or Isurus/Carcharodon planus Vs hastalis?) I also suspect I have some Isurus oxyrinchus/desori but not sure how to distinguish them from the rest. So, please feel free to point out what you think any of the pictured teeth are, and/or what features I should look for to get better at this. I can send additional angles of anything that might be helpful, as needed. Thanks in advance!
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I would like to try to prep a whale vertebra I found, but I have a few questions before diving into the preservation part. My questions come in 2 parts: Paraloid suggestions and matrix removal questions. Paraloid: For something this big, should I attempt to find a container and dunk the whole thing in the paraloid solution, or should I use a brush to go around the whole surface? Any suggestions for the ratio of paraloid to acetone? 1:10? 1:20? I've read different ratios thrown around, but I'm not sure what is best for which situation. Matrix removal: There is a large section of material on the under side of the vertebra that I'm unsure about removing. This rectangular section seems to be much harder than the rest of easily removable soil. Even though it transitions from reddish to tan in color, it is all the same hardness. Should I even attempt to remove it, or just leave it? It's clearly not part of the original vertebra, but I'm not sure what it even is. Thanks a lot for any help and/or suggestions! Fossil ID post with additional pictures:
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After posting ID questions on a couple of STH whale bones that were mostly unidentifiable, I decided I'd post images of the one whale fossil I have that seems like a slam dunk ulna (Aside from an easily ID'd ear bone.). It may be debatable as to which specific family category, but at least its location on the whale is pretty certain, right? Too bad it's a partial, but it's all I have. It looks a lot like one that is called Tiphyocetus temblorensis in an image from the California Academy of Sciences. Tiphyocetus Temblorensis Even the mottled coloring is similar. As I mentioned, this specimen is from Bakersfield, Shark Tooth Hill area specifically. While people may have seen a fair number of these, I thought it was cool enough to post an image or two of. And, people will be happy to know, I don't entertain any thoughts of its being part of a whale jaw. In fact, I'm over-jawed about having this one. Cheers.
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- bakersfield
- cetacean
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Hello all my fellow fossil lovers! This is my first post on here for a while, I've been lurking around and admiring everyones finds. But y'all have motivated me to actually get out and start hunting! I will be driving up with my girlfriend from Los Angeles to Ernst Quarries in Bakersfield, CA on March 28th. For people who may not be familiar, this is part of the infamous Shark Tooth Hill, dated to the Miocene at 12-15 mya. It is a pay-to-dig site, and not too bad at $40 for a full day of digging. Is anyone on here planning on going that day or have been recently? How does the quarry look like after all the rain we have been having? Does anyone have any tips on what extra tools that are helpful to bring? From what I have read on here, a Pickaxe is helpful for exposing the bonebed. I will also be purchasing my first Estwing Geologic Hammer (the 22 oz with pick end) for the occasion and also to celebrate finishing my semester of Paleontology. Some brushes are also helpful for cleaning up the teeth in matrix too. Anything else that is suggested? Please feel free to share your Ernst Quarry experiences and advice, if you do feel so inclined I will update the thread with pictures of the results - hopefully we will be able to find some goodies
