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Discovery of a new Eocene crab, Matutites collinsi


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Hello all,

I was fortunate enough to find a donation worthy specimen last May (2019) during a North Carolina Fossil Club trip to a local quarry. I picked this up while walking along a quarry road and immediately recognized it as being a crab carapace, but I did not know the significance until some members of the NCFC (including our own @sixgill pete) informed me that it was very likely a new species. They then introduced me to Trish Weaver, the collections manager of the NCFC, and I donated it to the museum. Fortunately, Trish and Alessandro Garassino let me contribute to the writing of the manuscript that describes the specimen and let me be a co-author. I am incredibly grateful to all of those people that made this discovery and subsequent publication possible.

 

Common or Scientific Name:  Matutites collinsi

Geologic Formation or Geologic Age:  Spring Garden Member of the Castle Hayne Formation (Middle Eocene

Region the fossil was found:  North Carolina, USA

Museum or University that received the fossil: North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

Link to Publication: https://www.schweizerbart.de/papers/njgpa/detail/296/93733/Matutites_collinsi_n_sp_Crustacea_Decapoda_Matutidae_from_the_Spring_Garden_Member_of_the_Castle_Hayne_Formation_in_North_Carolina_USA

NCSM 12603 - Copy.jpg

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Very cool! :thumbsu:

 

That will be a fossil club trip to the quarry that you won't soon forget. Always a good day when you find an interesting fossil--even better when it is a Scientifically Important Specimen (SIS).

 

If you would, could you please add this specimen to our Fossil Contributions to Paleontology Gallery where we keep track of the awesome specimens our members are sharing with museums or universities to further our collective fossil knowledge:

 

http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/102935-fossil-contributions-to-paleontology-the-gallery/

 

Please follow the format and guidelines below when posting in this topic:

Common or Scientific Name.
Geologic Formation or Geologic Age.
Region the fossil was found.
Museum or University that received the fossil.
A short note explaining the reason for the fossil contribution. Please include a link to the topic about your fossil (if available).
(attach your fossil photos here)

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

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Ah, you are quick! Saw your addition to our gallery as I scrolled down the list of recent posts. ;)

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

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Thanks @digit! Yes, it was certainly a memorable day. There is no better feeling in this hobby (at least for me) than being able to contribute to our scientific understanding of the past.

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Congratulations!  Excellent find and contribution!  Love seeing new crab species.  :)

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The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true.  -  JJ

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1 minute ago, JohnJ said:

Congratulations!  Excellent find and contribution!  Love seeing new crab species.  :)

Thanks! This find has definitely made me appreciate all that invertebrate specimens have to offer! 

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Congratulations! :yay-smiley-1: Fossil forum members seem to be quite active at discovering new crab species.  Good job, and thanks for being generous about donating this for publication.  Even better that you are a coauthor!

 

Don

 

note: too bad the paper is behind a paywall.

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Awesome!! Kudos for helping science!

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“...whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been and are being evolved.” ~ Charles Darwin

Happy hunting,

Mason

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Congratulations on the find, and on co-authoring a scientific paper!!! :yay-smiley-1:

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Congrats!!

That's an amazing contribution :yay-smiley-1:

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Opalised fossils are the best: a wonderful mix between paleontology and mineralogy!

 

Q. Where do dinosaurs study?

A. At Khaan Academy!...

 

My ResearchGate profile

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On 7/17/2020 at 3:03 PM, FossilDAWG said:

Congratulations! :yay-smiley-1: Fossil forum members seem to be quite active at discovering new crab species.  Good job, and thanks for being generous about donating this for publication.  Even better that you are a coauthor!

 

Don

 

note: too bad the paper is behind a paywall.

Thanks Everyone!

Also, @FossilDAWG if you or anyone else would like a pre-print copy of the paper I can freely share that without violating the terms of the paywall. Just let me know! :dinothumb:

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Always cool to find a new crab species.  Congratulations

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That is pretty cool.  The fossil and the paper.  Congrats.  If possible. I would love a pdf of the paper.  

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On 7/17/2020 at 2:31 PM, Rustdee said:

There is no better feeling in this hobby (at least for me) than being able to contribute to our scientific understanding of the past.

I agree! Now if I could just find a fossil worthy of scientific contribution...:look:
 

My hunt continues, but I’m glad you were able to find something! Congrats on the awesome find and thanks for expanding our scientific knowledge!
 

:yay-smiley-1:

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The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it.  -Neil deGrasse Tyson

 

Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don't. -Bill Nye (The Science Guy)

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Excellent contribution!  :dinothumb:

Congratulations.  :) 

    Tim    VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

   MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png      PaleoPartner.png.30c01982e09b0cc0b7d9d6a7a21f56c6.png.a600039856933851eeea617ca3f2d15f.png     Postmaster1.jpg.900efa599049929531fa81981f028e24.jpg    VFOTM.png.f1b09c78bf88298b009b0da14ef44cf0.png  VFOTM APRIL - 2015  

__________________________________________________
"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."
John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~   ><))))( *>  About Me      

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