Hlb22 Posted March 22, 2021 Share Posted March 22, 2021 Hello, I am a newbie here and hoping to get some help IDing some what I believe to be fossils I found at Murdock and the Twin Rivers beaches (both are along the strait of Juan de Fuca coastline). These beaches are well known for having lots of concretion fossils. From what I’ve heard lot of sand shrimp, clams, and sometimes even whale or other mammal bones. Pic 1 &2:I think this giant rock is a fossilized whale vertebrae... I had one other person who is a fossil expert say that but looking for second opinions. Pic 3: Smaller fossilized bone? Pic 4 &6: my biggest interesting mystery!! Is this fossilized kelp, Crinoid or something else???? Pic 5& 9: curious what the cylinder long fossils are... many of them are hollow in the middle and have calcite/quartz crystals inside. I read another persons post about those strange tubes possibly being burrow tubes for mud shrimp. I originally thought crinoid stems or kelp tubes. Thoughts? Pic 7: Just a nice example of a concretion with a claw (crab or shrimp) round in this area Pic 8: Sea slug? I have no idea... Pic 10 & 11: Again I am wondering if it is a bone (my initial reaction) or if it’s fossilized kelp? Thoughts? Thank you for any help you can provide! I am teaching my sons who I homeschool along with myself as we get more into rockhounding and fossil hunting! -Holly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted March 22, 2021 Share Posted March 22, 2021 The 7th photo is a crab claw. There is a bivalve, and some bore holes likely made by other bivalves in the assortment. Otherwise I believe all are forms taken by concretion. The longer shapes have been called coprolites, but the ID is not well accepted by professionals. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossil_finder_ Posted March 22, 2021 Share Posted March 22, 2021 I think the whale vertebrae is a concretion 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted March 22, 2021 Share Posted March 22, 2021 Whale vert is a concretion with what my buddy calls a sudo fossil in the middle. Lots of those around that area. Long tube thing is a shrimp burro. Crab claw is a shrimp claw called Callianassa. RB 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossilis Willis Posted March 22, 2021 Share Posted March 22, 2021 Yes, the claws are Callianassa clallamensis, the tubes seem to be their burrows. Picture 5 (I think) has a piece of teredo wood along with a couple bivalves. Most of the rest appear to be pseudomorphs. More of those than actual fossils at Murdock in my experience. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilDAWG Posted March 22, 2021 Share Posted March 22, 2021 The current name for "Callianassa" clallamensis is Callianopsis clallamensis (Withers, 1924). Withers described two species from the Pysht Formation, Callianassa clallamensis and Callianassa twinensis, but these are now recognized as the male and female of the same species. The name Callianassa (now Callianopsis) clallamensis was retained as that species was described first (law of priority, the oldest name is the valid one). Don 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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