HotSauceCommittee Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 Hello all! I made my first trip to the famous Eocene Texas location a few weeks ago and have a few things that remain a mystery to me. I have perused the forum and was able to ID most of my finds from jkfoam's informative replies and many topics from other members. However, several of the gastropods below resemble species I have already identified, but they're not quite the same, so I'm unsure exactly what they are. Not all the images have a scale, but they are all micro fossils under half a centimeter in length. Thank you in advance for any help you can offer! (1) I know this is an ootolith, but I cannot differentiate between the two most common kinds. Help would be appreciated, especially as I only have two of these guys and they are the same. (2) Initially I believed this to be an ootolith as well, but after cleaning it, I really have no idea. Image is front & back. (3) Here is another that I believed to be an ootolith but now have doubts about. Image is front & back. (4) This appears very crab-esque to me, but again, I have no idea. (5) Could this be Bolis enterogramma? I can't find enough images on the web to say I am confident with my ID on this one. (6) I have this (and many others) down as Polinices sp., however I cannot tell the difference between these and Neverita sp. so the ID could be incorrect. Could someone clarify the differences for me? (7) Mystery gastropod (two views; same specimen). (8) Another similar mystery gastropod (two views; same specimen). (9) This is one that looks similar to some I've already IDed, but just different enough to make me believe it is something else. (10) I believe these two are the same species, but when they get this small (some of my smallest; only a few millimeters long), I find it difficult to tell. For all I know, these could be ice cream cones. [ . . .] to a naturalist who is reading in the face of the rocks the annals of a former world, the mossy covering which obstructs his view, and renders indistinguishable the different species of stone, is no less than a serious subject of regret. - James Hutton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 33 minutes ago, HotSauceCommittee said: I know this is an ootolith, but I cannot differentiate between the two most common kinds. Help would be appreciated, especially as I only have two of these guys and they are the same. I think the other side is needed for identification, showing the sulcus which is the indented pattern on the otolith. It’s possible that this is the proper side but is too worn to see the sulcus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotSauceCommittee Posted July 1, 2020 Author Share Posted July 1, 2020 Just now, Al Dente said: I think the other side is needed for identification, showing the sulcus which is the indented pattern on the otolith. It’s possible that this is the proper side but is too worn to see the sulcus. Thank you! Below is a photo (of lesser quality unfortunately) of the other side. [ . . .] to a naturalist who is reading in the face of the rocks the annals of a former world, the mossy covering which obstructs his view, and renders indistinguishable the different species of stone, is no less than a serious subject of regret. - James Hutton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 Thanks for the additional photo. I looked at some references and the genus Signata looks similar. Here is a Texas Eocene Signata from forum member jkfoam’s gallery. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClearLake Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 Polinices aratus has two or three grooves in the callus while Neverita limula has only one groove in the callus. I'd have to see the bottom of your specimen to tell which it is. Your first gastropod looks like a young Athleta sp.. Bolis enterogramma is smooth. Look to see if it has two folds on the columella, if so it is Athleta. Your second mystery gastropod looks like a young Volutocorbis or maybe Ficopsis. Your #9 looks like Eodrilla texana. Do you have the 2001 (Emerson) Middle Eocene Claiborne Group Invertebrate Fossils available from the Houston Gem and Mineral Society? It is a great starter reference for this site. Those are some very nice photographs of small specimens. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotSauceCommittee Posted July 2, 2020 Author Share Posted July 2, 2020 15 hours ago, Al Dente said: Thanks for the additional photo. I looked at some references and the genus Signata looks similar. Here is a Texas Eocene Signata from forum member jkfoam’s gallery. Ah, thank you! I always search the forums, but hadn't thought to check the actual galleries themselves. [ . . .] to a naturalist who is reading in the face of the rocks the annals of a former world, the mossy covering which obstructs his view, and renders indistinguishable the different species of stone, is no less than a serious subject of regret. - James Hutton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotSauceCommittee Posted July 2, 2020 Author Share Posted July 2, 2020 10 hours ago, ClearLake said: Polinices aratus has two or three grooves in the callus while Neverita limula has only one groove in the callus. I'd have to see the bottom of your specimen to tell which it is. Your first gastropod looks like a young Athleta sp.. Bolis enterogramma is smooth. Look to see if it has two folds on the columella, if so it is Athleta. Your second mystery gastropod looks like a young Volutocorbis or maybe Ficopsis. Your #9 looks like Eodrilla texana. Do you have the 2001 (Emerson) Middle Eocene Claiborne Group Invertebrate Fossils available from the Houston Gem and Mineral Society? It is a great starter reference for this site. Those are some very nice photographs of small specimens. Thank you for your help! I appreciate the clarification of the Polinices and the Nerverita; I took some of the photos before I saw others mention the necessity of viewing the underside of the specimen for definitive ID. Oddly enough, I initially had the supposed-Bolis enterogramma identified as Athleta sp. but kept second guessing myself (hence the posting here!). Besides searching TFF, I was utilizing the fossil guide found on the HGMS field trip web page for this location, and the Bolis pictured in that PDF made me wonder about it. I appreciate the gastropod IDs as well! Those genera are unfamiliar to me (especially as I have only been to this site once, and am more comfortable with Cretaceous inverts). I don't have a copy of the Emerson book, but I will certainly look into it now! I have the Cretaceous Ammonites from Emerson; I need to add more of these resources to my bookshelf. The kind words regarding the photography are appreciated as well. I love shooting my collection as much as I do finding them! [ . . .] to a naturalist who is reading in the face of the rocks the annals of a former world, the mossy covering which obstructs his view, and renders indistinguishable the different species of stone, is no less than a serious subject of regret. - James Hutton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 Can I ask how you made the nice photos.... with scale bars? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotSauceCommittee Posted July 2, 2020 Author Share Posted July 2, 2020 16 minutes ago, jpc said: Can I ask how you made the nice photos.... with scale bars? Thanks. Sure! In the original photo I had a ruler lying next to the specimen, and it was edited out and replaced in Photoshop. I’ve been shooting for over a decade, and was a professional photographer (weddings and events) for about half that time before I got burnt out. 1 [ . . .] to a naturalist who is reading in the face of the rocks the annals of a former world, the mossy covering which obstructs his view, and renders indistinguishable the different species of stone, is no less than a serious subject of regret. - James Hutton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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