minnbuckeye Posted January 9, 2020 Share Posted January 9, 2020 My son invited me down to visit him in Bradenton, Florida and to take in the Minnesota Auburn football game at the Outback Bowl in Tampa. Of course, I couldn't visit Florida without taking a few fossils home with me. Normally I search the countyside with forum members @jcbshark, @Sacha, and @Shellseeker. But I thought this time I am going out on my own. One afternoon was spent looking at unfinished housing developments around Sarasota. Another afternoon took me to Polk County phosphate mine areas where I scoured any exposed material along backroads. I think I did alright!!! First, Polk County: Now, Sarasota County: 14 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max-fossils Posted January 9, 2020 Share Posted January 9, 2020 2 minutes ago, minnbuckeye said: I think I did alright!!! No need to be modest, this is a fantastic haul! Well done!!! Max Derème "I feel an echo of the lightning each time I find a fossil. [...] That is why I am a hunter: to feel that bolt of lightning every day." - Mary Anning >< Remarkable Creatures, Tracy Chevalier Instagram: @world_of_fossils Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caldigger Posted January 9, 2020 Share Posted January 9, 2020 I would say you did more than just all right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
facehugger Posted January 9, 2020 Share Posted January 9, 2020 You did great! I also recently went to central/south Florida to find my first meg. Heck of a drive from Houston... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellseeker Posted January 9, 2020 Share Posted January 9, 2020 Mike, You are getting to be the TFF fossil seashell expert. I am impressed!!! I live here and do not know all these seashell IDs. Plus finding a decent Meg on the side of the road takes talent. The 2nd osterderm is not turtle. Either Glyptodon or Armadillo On the Dichocoenia, might have found something similar a week ago, but then again maybe not . Your polyps seem much more neighborly. There is a LOT of fossil diversity here in Florida. 2 The White Queen ".... in her youth she could believe "six impossible things before breakfast" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidgy's Dad Posted January 9, 2020 Share Posted January 9, 2020 Super finds and a nice variety. I love the gastropod covered in coral. Life's Good! Tortoise Friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeymig Posted January 9, 2020 Share Posted January 9, 2020 The fossil cowrie shell looks more like Siphocypraea carolinensis (Conrad, 1841). Many times I've wondered how much there is to know. led zeppelin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max-fossils Posted January 9, 2020 Share Posted January 9, 2020 1 hour ago, minnbuckeye said: Hope you don't mind if I make some comments/corrections to your ID's You're hunting in Sarasota County, and I feel like the most likely formation you've been hunting in is the Tamiami Formation (possibly Pinecrest Beds?), which is Late Pliocene, and the species (and specimens) I'm showing all do come from that formation. This one is definitely not an Arcinella cornuta, but rather a type of oyster. Here is what Arcinella cornuta looks like: The closest I could find to your specimen was Ostrea sculpturata (left) or Plicatula hunterae (right), which you can see in these pictures have a similar crenulated margin: *** 1 hour ago, minnbuckeye said: I feel like what you have here is more likely to be a (young?) Mercenaria campechiensis, although it's not a perfect match: I said it might be a younger specimen, because yours definitely does have less concentric ridges than the specimen I've shown a picture of here. But it might be because it's a different species (your specimen does also appear to be more 'elongated', and the angle at the opposite end of the hinge is not as pointy). Maybe keep your specimen as Mercenaria sp. to be safe. For reference, here's what a Dosinia (Dosinia concentrica) looks like: *** 2 hours ago, minnbuckeye said: How about Fusinus florida? Triplofusus giganteus is not a very good match I find. Fusinus carolinensis does work pretty well too, so I'm really unsure between that and F. florida, but I feel like the latter maybe fits slightly better? More of a gut feeling really... *** 2 hours ago, minnbuckeye said: I can't find any good match myself, but they do remind me a lot of the modern Mediterranean Bolinus brandaris, so I think they're probably from the same family, the Muricidae. Maybe that can help you find a suitable species? The rest looks good to me. Then again it might be wise to make sure that @MikeR agrees with my proposals, he is the best-versed in terms of Floridian mollusks; they're a bit more unfamiliar to a Dutchie like me By the way, I really recommend this website, it's great to ID your fossil shells! You'll notice the pictures I've used all come from there Hope this helps! 2 Max Derème "I feel an echo of the lightning each time I find a fossil. [...] That is why I am a hunter: to feel that bolt of lightning every day." - Mary Anning >< Remarkable Creatures, Tracy Chevalier Instagram: @world_of_fossils Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcbshark Posted January 9, 2020 Share Posted January 9, 2020 Great finds Mike, awesome colors on that meg Every once in a great while it's not just a big rock down there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted January 9, 2020 Share Posted January 9, 2020 4 hours ago, minnbuckeye said: I think I did alright!!! You certainly did! Fantastic finds and extremely well presented! Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellseeker Posted January 9, 2020 Share Posted January 9, 2020 2 hours ago, Max-fossils said: By the way, I really recommend this website, it's great to ID your fossil shells! You'll notice the pictures I've used all come from there Thank you, excellent resource. The White Queen ".... in her youth she could believe "six impossible things before breakfast" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monica Posted January 10, 2020 Share Posted January 10, 2020 Wonderful variety, Mike! Like Adam, my favourite is the coral-encrusted gastropod - it's looks awesome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeR Posted January 10, 2020 Share Posted January 10, 2020 The Naticids and Septastrea are correct. Agnocardia spinosiphrons is much spinier with a different shape. I believe yours is Trachycardium oedalium. I would identify the Busycotypus as B. bicoronatum, however it is not listed in the FLMNH IP database so it might not be valid. Not arcinella (Chamidae) but Hyotissa haitensis (Gryphaidae) Heilprinia carolinensis Mercenaria corrugata Next three are correct Siphocypraea carolinesis floridana LINK Hystrivasum is correct Not rotunda but Cancellaria depressa The rest I commented on in another post except for the Dichocoenia which is correct. 5 "A problem solved is a problem caused"--Karl Pilkington "I was dead for millions of years before I was born and it never inconvenienced me a bit." -- Mark Twain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minnbuckeye Posted January 11, 2020 Author Share Posted January 11, 2020 My pictures now have updated identification thanks to many individuals, especially @MikeR who ALWAYS deserves a special thanks! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmwilson101 Posted December 5, 2020 Share Posted December 5, 2020 These are absolutely stunning! I would be dancing with joy to find even a small portion of it! Congrats. 2 Cheers, Cheryl “It is perhaps a more fortunate destiny to have a taste for collecting shells than to be born a millionaire.” ~RL Stevenson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob-ay Posted December 5, 2020 Share Posted December 5, 2020 Nice finds! sent you a message. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nimravis Posted December 5, 2020 Share Posted December 5, 2020 @minnbuckeye like you, I do enjoy collecting the Florida shells. We are heading down to Sanibel in May with my 7 year old grandson and I am going to try to get him out collecting. Thanks for the post and great finds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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