Trevor Posted August 7, 2020 Share Posted August 7, 2020 Hello everyone, in addition to posting my other topic today, I am going to post this one. With the summer coming to a close, I am preparing to go back to college in Ohio and continue my study of Neuroscience and Mathematics. The rain in Ohio and ID'ing NJ fossils in the ID section often make me lament all of potential NJ hunts I am missing out on because I am at school. So, I thought it would be a good idea to collect micro matrix using a window screen and stock several buckets full of gravel to look through during the semester. Over the last two weeks or so I've had the opportunity to do some early looking and will share my finds in this post. Hopefully I will be able to make many more NJ Micro trip reports during the course of the semester. I am still figuring out the proper mixture of lighting and camera angles. Also, you may notice it in this post, but I am adjusted the properties Exposure, Shadows, and Sharpness to get the optimal view of the fossils. The black borders and resizing of the photos were automatically done by a Python script I wrote. Perhaps with more micro reports I can become better at ID'ing what I find (there are still many things that I have found where I am at a loss for what they are) and taking photos. Enjoy. Here is my setup currently Here is some gravel I've looked through FOSSILS Format: <suspected ID> Maybe Rhombodus laevis AMALGAM OF RAYS 1 (tooth) 2 (tooth) 3 (tooth) 4 (tooth) 5 (tooth) 6 (denticle) 7 (denticle: In middle) Lonchidion babulskii Ptychotrygon sp. 1 2 Ischyrhiza mira 1 2 3 4 5 6 Squatina hassei (potentially) Hadrodus priscus 1 2 3 Ischyodus bifurcatus SHARK TEETH MISCELLANEOUS BUT POSSIBLY DIAGNOSTIC 1 2 GENERAL FINDS 1 2 12 : ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hokietech96 Posted August 7, 2020 Share Posted August 7, 2020 This is a great post! Great pictures! I wish I brought matrix home from all my trips in the fall/winter. I plan on doing it when I eventually get back out. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Jersey Devil Posted August 7, 2020 Share Posted August 7, 2020 Neat micros. 1 “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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKen Posted August 7, 2020 Share Posted August 7, 2020 Thumbs up. The last time I was at Post Oak Creek in North Texas (which passes through similar-aged marine strata as Big Brook) over a month ago, I spent my last ten minutes in the creek shoveling matrix onto my strainer, giving it a quick rinse, and dumping it into my bucket to bring home Now, every time I have a few free minutes, I dig a handful of matrix out of the bucket to sort through, and every handful reveals at least one cool thing (and sometimes two or three). Yet, after a month of doing that, it seems like there is more gravel in that bucket now than when I started. I think it is multipilying. At the rate I am going, it is going to last until I am 90 years old which means your stash is likely to not only get you through to Christmas but probably through the year and probably right through the rest of your degree AND your Master Degree. AND maybe even part way through your PHD. Anyway, enjoy! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankh8147 Posted August 8, 2020 Share Posted August 8, 2020 Awesome!! Keep up the good work and research!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob-ay Posted August 8, 2020 Share Posted August 8, 2020 Amazing work! Real cool to see the NJ Micros! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffrey P Posted August 8, 2020 Share Posted August 8, 2020 That's an amazing micro collection Trevor! You must have found quite the rich layer. Congrats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerseygurl Posted August 8, 2020 Share Posted August 8, 2020 Love this! The fact that you wrote a Python script to auto-format photos is great. Good luck at school! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
butchndad Posted August 8, 2020 Share Posted August 8, 2020 great work what is the magnification of the "jewelers loupe" in photo #2 and do you recommend it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Posted August 8, 2020 Author Share Posted August 8, 2020 40 minutes ago, butchndad said: great work what is the magnification of the "jewelers loupe" in photo #2 and do you recommend it? I have a 30x and 10x lens. I cannot recall where I got them, but they were priced well. Overall, I think having a 10x lens is worth it for occasional inspection of bones and micros. There doesn't seem much difference to me between the two I have. If you don't have one, I would recommend getting one but not one that is very expensive. : ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DPS Ammonite Posted August 8, 2020 Share Posted August 8, 2020 48 minutes ago, butchndad said: great work what is the magnification of the "jewelers loupe" in photo #2 and do you recommend it? BelOMO make a very good one, 10 x triplex, that is recommended by many geology and biology departments. Make sure that you get a landyard. I use another high quality brand, B and L Hastings Triplex loupe, with my phone camera to get good close up shots. https://www.amateurgeologist.com/belomo-10x-triplet-loupe-magnifier.html 1 My goal is to leave no stone or fossil unturned. See my Arizona Paleontology Guide link The best single resource for Arizona paleontology anywhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
butchndad Posted August 9, 2020 Share Posted August 9, 2020 3 hours ago, Trevor said: I have a 30x and 10x lens. I cannot recall where I got them, but they were priced well. Overall, I think having a 10x lens is worth it for occasional inspection of bones and micros. There doesn't seem much difference to me between the two I have. If you don't have one, I would recommend getting one but not one that is very expensive. 3 hours ago, DPS Ammonite said: BelOMO make a very good one, 10 x triplex, that is recommended by many geology and biology departments. Make sure that you get a landyard. I use another high quality brand, B and L Hastings Triplex loupe, with my phone camera to get good close up shots. https://www.amateurgeologist.com/belomo-10x-triplet-loupe-magnifier.html thank you both. Loupe already ordered Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaleoNoel Posted August 9, 2020 Share Posted August 9, 2020 Nice finds! I gotta bring back some matrix next time I hunt in the brooks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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