bthemoose Posted April 6, 2021 Share Posted April 6, 2021 (edited) I was able to get out to Purse State Park this morning for a Maryland Paleocene (Aquia Formation) hunt. I usually prefer the nearby Douglas Point when I hit the Potomac River but I decided to give Purse a try as I haven't been to that stretch in a while. I was the second car in the lot but first on the beach, which is always the best way to start the fossil day. My first good find--a croc tooth, though the enamel is very worn: Followed by an Otodus -- also quite worn but a decent size for the site (approx. 1.25"): It really turned into a gorgeous day! Can you spot the bald eagle? My find of the day: I've been finding ratfish material on most trips lately, but just small fragments. This is my first mostly complete tooth plate. Something interesting in the water... Multiple Otoduses always makes for a very good day. Like the other one (and all of my shark teeth today), this one's river worn. A good sized croc tooth: I did a fair amount of walking and exploring along the shoreline and didn't see too many people along the way, but the entrance to the beach was quite packed by the time I headed for the exit. Thanks for reading! Edited April 6, 2021 by bthemoose 1 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy B Posted April 6, 2021 Share Posted April 6, 2021 Looked like a perfect day there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bthemoose Posted April 6, 2021 Author Share Posted April 6, 2021 1 minute ago, Andy B said: Looked like a perfect day there! Definitely one of the nicest days of the year so far! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hokietech96 Posted April 6, 2021 Share Posted April 6, 2021 Great pictures and great finds! Congrats! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HemiHunter Posted April 6, 2021 Share Posted April 6, 2021 Great finds, Bruce! Otoduses + Crocs = Awesome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharko69 Posted April 6, 2021 Share Posted April 6, 2021 Great finds! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcoSr Posted April 6, 2021 Share Posted April 6, 2021 Really nice. As you said, most specimens are only fragments or small broken pieces. Wow, I haven't been to Purse in a couple of years but I've never seen that many people on the beach. Although I have seen a good number of boats pull in and anchor close to the beach in the summer. Marco Sr. "Any day that you can fossil hunt is a great day." My family fossil website Some Of My Shark, Ray, Fish And Other Micros My Extant Shark Jaw Collection Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilDAWG Posted April 6, 2021 Share Posted April 6, 2021 I suppose it doesn't help that Brownies is still closed so there isn't a lot of alternative sites to take the family shark tooth hunting. Don 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clint08 Posted April 6, 2021 Share Posted April 6, 2021 Great finds, really like the otodus teeth! This summer will be packed with people. Last summer was constantly 20+ cars on weekends and between 20-40 boats in the bay. The times I have gone this year on weekends, even Douglas Point has both parking lots maxed to capacity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bthemoose Posted April 6, 2021 Author Share Posted April 6, 2021 10 hours ago, hokietech96 said: Great pictures and great finds! Congrats! 9 hours ago, HemiHunter said: Great finds, Bruce! Otoduses + Crocs = Awesome 3 hours ago, sharko69 said: Great finds! Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HemiHunter Posted April 6, 2021 Share Posted April 6, 2021 The same has been true at Flag Ponds, Matoaka, CCSP, and Westmoreland. Heck, the Purse lot was full before noon last Monday. I think it has been a combination of COVID limiting indoor options for general beachgoers and so few public places to collect. Have to be strategic about when and where to go collecting to avoid the crowds! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bthemoose Posted April 6, 2021 Author Share Posted April 6, 2021 1 hour ago, MarcoSr said: Really nice. As you said, most specimens are only fragments or small broken pieces. I was pretty excited to find it -- until yesterday, I'd only seen specimens like this on your family's phatfossils.com website. Am I correct that this is Ischyodus dolloi? Do you know which part of the mouth it would have come from? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bthemoose Posted April 6, 2021 Author Share Posted April 6, 2021 12 minutes ago, Clint08 said: Great finds, really like the otodus teeth! This summer will be packed with people. Last summer was constantly 20+ cars on weekends and between 20-40 boats in the bay. The times I have gone this year on weekends, even Douglas Point has both parking lots maxed to capacity. Thanks! Yes, the parking lot was completely overrun with lots of cars parked in front of the "no parking" signs along the road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcoSr Posted April 7, 2021 Share Posted April 7, 2021 22 hours ago, bthemoose said: I was pretty excited to find it -- until yesterday, I'd only seen specimens like this on your family's phatfossils.com website. Am I correct that this is Ischyodus dolloi? Do you know which part of the mouth it would have come from? Ischyodus dolloi is the most common chimaeroid tooth plate collected from Paleocene deposits of Maryland. Your plate is a palatine plate. You may find the attached PDF "Cicimurri Ebersole 2015 Paleocene chimaeroid fishes (Chondrichthyes Holocephali) from the eastern United States, including two new species of Callorhinchus" interesting. Cicimurri Ebersole 2015 Paleocene chimaeroid fishes (Chondrichthyes Holocephali) from the eastern United States, including two new species of Callorhinchus.pdf Marco Sr. "Any day that you can fossil hunt is a great day." My family fossil website Some Of My Shark, Ray, Fish And Other Micros My Extant Shark Jaw Collection Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hemipristis Posted April 7, 2021 Share Posted April 7, 2021 22 hours ago, bthemoose said: I was pretty excited to find it -- until yesterday, I'd only seen specimens like this on your family's phatfossils.com website. Am I correct that this is Ischyodus dolloi? Do you know which part of the mouth it would have come from? A superb find, btw! 'Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.' George Santayana Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bjohn170 Posted April 7, 2021 Share Posted April 7, 2021 And all those people at the entrance is why I stop fossil hunting this time of year. Oct-Mar is the best time in Maryland imo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bthemoose Posted April 7, 2021 Author Share Posted April 7, 2021 1 hour ago, MarcoSr said: Ischyodus dolloi is the most common chimaeroid tooth plate collected from Paleocene deposits of Maryland. Your plate is a palatine plate. You may find the attached PDF "Cicimurri Ebersole 2015 Paleocene chimaeroid fishes (Chondrichthyes Holocephali) from the eastern United States, including two new species of Callorhinchus" interesting. Thanks, Marco! That’s a really helpful paper. Looks like my plate is a left palatine. 1 hour ago, hemipristis said: A superb find, btw! Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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