In search of rudists

[marguy]

having been unable to go out a full day to search for fossils for several months due to health problems, thanks to a recent improvement I went yesterday about 100 km from my home to see a site where rudists were found.

The first fossil encountered was a huge colony of cone-shaped bryozoans which had fallen and overturned in a depression. (can be 150kg?). I forgot to take my centimeter scale, so in the photos there is my foot, my hand or my fingers ....

Then, I found a rock rich in small Exogyra and rare Rhynchonella.

Finally, the rudists were there, in a wall (only for the photo, impossible to extract without damage, hope they will remain visible for the next visitors) and some specimen more fragile or altered in scree.

I will post photos of the collected samples later because they are very muddy and require a good bath ...(Sorry, Franz, you have to wait some days )

For me it was a great day in the sun, just before the rain returned today!

[marguy]

[JamieLynn]

i do love rudists! 

[erose]

Nice! We see plenty of them in the Cretaceous of Central Texas.  Most are locked in the matrix like yours but occasionally we get lucky and find specimens eroded from the matrix.  I collected some very nice specimens of Toucasia recently. They are Albian in age.

[marguy]

Here are some additional photos of my finds: a set of rhynchonellids, exogyrs, bryozoans and a bioturbation; set of rudists (in 2 crates); detail of structure on a shell fragment; fragments of large hippuritids; wood (jet)

[Monica]

That's an impressive selection of fossils you've found!  Congratulations on the successful rudist hunt 

[FranzBernhard]

You have got a nice collection of radiolitids and brachiopods there, @marguy. Thanks for sharing.

I like also the jet very much! Nice specimen.

Franz Bernhard

[herve]

[herve]

Hello ,French rudist from the Urgonien stage of the barremien. I find in a quarry at Orgon the locality of the Urgonien stage ,you have 2 requiena ammonia and a Tocasia carinata.

[herve]

[herve]

one monopleura and sea urchin   ,2 pygolus desmoulensis and 2heteraster oblongus

[herve]

[herve]

more detail