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Calvert Cliffs Shells - Modern/Fossil


The Jersey Devil

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Hi everyone,

I would like to ask about some brownies beach shells and corals from a while back.


I think the first 3 pics including the corals and Scaphopod are modern, but I want to make sure before I discard them.

 

The last two pics seem like fossils - is there an ID?

 

Thanks!

 

Modern??:
 

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Fossil??:

 

4CE5AE85-D33A-4E6B-A8C6-D4F62070DB55.jpeg

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“You must take your opponent into a deep dark forest where 2+2=5, and the path leading out is only wide enough for one.” ― Mikhail Tal

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Those all look like typical Calvert marine fossils to me, the oyster, Pycnodonte percrassa. The corals are definitely fossils and it looks like you have a partial tusk shell, Dentalium attenuatum. Calvert Miocene shells can fool us into thinking they're modern because they usually have original shell material. I wouldn't discard those. 

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25 minutes ago, Jeffrey P said:

Those all look like typical Calvert marine fossils to me, the oyster, Pycnodonte percrassa. The corals are definitely fossils and it looks like you have a partial tusk shell, Dentalium attenuatum. Calvert Miocene shells can fool us into thinking they're modern because they usually have original shell material. I wouldn't discard those. 


Interesting. I knew some of them were fossils because they have matrix attached but others I thought were modern.

 

Is the dentalium also fossil? Do you know what the fossil scallop species is?
 

The corals are actually from Flag ponds. I’ll have to sort them out.

“You must take your opponent into a deep dark forest where 2+2=5, and the path leading out is only wide enough for one.” ― Mikhail Tal

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Dentalium would also be a fossil. The scallop shell is a Chesapecten. I'm not sure what species. Chesapeake Bay is primarily freshwater so it supports a lower diversity of mollusk species. Back in Miocene times however, the coastline was further west and north and this was a marine environment. The climate was milder too, more like Florida, hence the corals. 

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10 minutes ago, The Jersey Devil said:

Do you know what the fossil scallop species is?

Do it your self kit from the Museum there.

IMG_1683.JPG

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Thanks guys.

Here is another curiosity from Matoaka Cabins. I think it’s a sand dollar, don’t know if it’s IDable though.

5A1DCFC6-0468-4D52-859E-C7E133C940AC.jpeg

“You must take your opponent into a deep dark forest where 2+2=5, and the path leading out is only wide enough for one.” ― Mikhail Tal

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19 minutes ago, The Jersey Devil said:

Here is another curiosity from Matoaka Cabins.

Abertalla aberti

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  • 2 weeks later...

@Jeffrey P @Rockwood

 

I thought these were modern because they’re really light, what do you think? Also seem a little too well preserved.

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“You must take your opponent into a deep dark forest where 2+2=5, and the path leading out is only wide enough for one.” ― Mikhail Tal

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To me they appear to be fossil fish vertebrae. Modern one would be whitish in color. Excellently preserved. Note hand held is difficult to see. Photos on a plane background better light would aid in iD.

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3 hours ago, fossilnut said:

To me they appear to be fossil fish vertebrae. Modern one would be whitish in color. Excellently preserved. Note hand held is difficult to see. Photos on a plane background better light would aid in iD.

Can the maryland ones be very light/not dense?

“You must take your opponent into a deep dark forest where 2+2=5, and the path leading out is only wide enough for one.” ― Mikhail Tal

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16 hours ago, The Jersey Devil said:

I thought these were modern because they’re really light, what do you think? Also seem a little too well preserved.

Fish bone is not as heavy as say the fossil marine mammal bones found there. Modern bone does stain dark in the bay because of the ironstone present though.

These appear to be fossils. But if they seem pliable at all I might have to change that opinion.

A tooth tap test may be informative.

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19 hours ago, Rockwood said:

Fish bone is not as heavy as say the fossil marine mammal bones found there. Modern bone does stain dark in the bay because of the ironstone present though.

These appear to be fossils. But if they seem pliable at all I might have to change that opinion.

A tooth tap test may be informative.


They’re as light as I would expect a modern one to be. They also have a bit of white showing I think.

“You must take your opponent into a deep dark forest where 2+2=5, and the path leading out is only wide enough for one.” ― Mikhail Tal

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@MarcoSr

Do you possibly have any insight on these fish vertebrae? Are modern stained vertebrae found pretty often at the cliffs?

“You must take your opponent into a deep dark forest where 2+2=5, and the path leading out is only wide enough for one.” ― Mikhail Tal

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As distasteful as it is, you may have to burn test it. You know, the old stink check. :wacko:

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6 hours ago, The Jersey Devil said:

@MarcoSr

Do you possibly have any insight on these fish vertebrae? Are modern stained vertebrae found pretty often at the cliffs?

 

Modern fish bony parts stain very quickly brown to black.  Typically if you see any white at all they are modern.  If they are soft, pliable and light weight they are modern.  Usually modern fish bones retain a smell for a good while.  Put them right up to your nose and smell them.  If there is any odor at all they are modern.  From the below picture, the first vertebra looks modern.  The second like it could be fossilized.

 

 

image.png.c03add3fd00a357c740c76ec3caa6985.png

 

 

Marco Sr.

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"Any day that you can fossil hunt is a great day."

My family fossil website     Some Of My Shark, Ray, Fish And Other Micros     My Extant Shark Jaw Collection

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