Jurassic Gar

[Microraptorfan]

Hi I came across this while searching for gar fossils, it allegedly  represents a Jurassic gar, which is significant.  I enquired about it's current whereabouts from the site owner, but they said it was sold about 10-15 years ago. This is a shot in the dark but I was wondering if anyone here might know of it's current whereabouts? It's from the Jurassic of the Twin Creek Formation  of Utah.

 

 

[piranha]

The oldest lepisosteoid is from the upper Jurassic of Mexico and was described from cranial elements and scales by Brito et al. 2017. The previous oldest known species (Dentilolepisosteus laevis) is from the lower Cretaceous of Brazil.

 

Brito, P.M., Alvarado-Ortega, J., Meunier, F.J. 2017

Earliest Known Lepisosteoid Extends the Range of Anatomically Modern Gars to the Late Jurassic. Nature Scientific Reports, 7(17830):1-8  PDF LINK

 

 

 

figures from:

 

Grande, L. 2010

An Empirical Synthetic Pattern Study of Gars (Lepisosteiformes) and Closely Related Species, Based Mostly on Skeletal Anatomy. The Resurrection of Holostei.

Copeia, Special Publication 6, 10(2A):1-871

[oilshale]

4 hours ago, Microraptorfan said:

Hi I came across this while searching for gar fossils, it allegedly  represents a Jurassic gar, which is significant.  I enquired about it's current whereabouts from the site owner, but they said it was sold about 10-15 years ago. This is a shot in the dark but I was wondering if anyone here might know of it's current whereabouts? It's from the Jurassic of the Twin Creek Formation  of Utah.

 

 

 

Has ended up in my collection.
I once showed Lance Grande pictures of this fish. He said it is very likely a Cuneatus cuneatus. At least not from the Jurassic and not from the Twin Creek Formation.

Thomas

[DPS Ammonite]

Thomas, where is your gar from? @oilshale

Edited April 9, 2021 by DPS Ammonite

[DPS Ammonite]

Here it is right where it belongs: in Collections.

 

 

Edited April 9, 2021 by DPS Ammonite

[piranha]

"The earlier Paleocene phase of Lake Uinta had two species and one genus of gar (Cuneatus cuneatus and Cuneatus wileyi) not yet known from the FBM (Grande 2010)."

 

Grande, L. 2013. The Lost World of Fossil Lake: Snapshots From Deep Time. University of Chicago Press, 425 pp.

 

 

 

figures from:

 

Grande, L. 2010

An Empirical Synthetic Pattern Study of Gars (Lepisosteiformes) and Closely Related Species, Based Mostly on Skeletal Anatomy. The Resurrection of Holostei.

Copeia, Special Publication 6, 10(2A):1-871

[oilshale]

Lance said the fish probably came from Soldier Summit, Provo. Cuneatus cuneatus was found there more often and the preservation would be typical for the locality

[piranha]

Grande 2010:

 

Discussions with Jim Madsen, Wade Miller, and Sue Ann Bilbey (pers. comm., 2003) suggest that based on the lithology of the matrix (white oolitic dolomite containing light tan colored bone), the type locality may be from within the late Paleocene deposits of the Flagstaff Member of the Green River Formation, near Manti. According to Cockerell (1909:796), the Manti shales are approximately 50 miles south-southwest of Tucker, Utah. The other specimens I refer to this species, were collected by a Mr. Sid Crystal (now deceased) and/or H.-P Schultze (KUVP) from the nearby Soldier Summit region of north central Utah. These specimens (preserved as black bone in dark bluish gray shales that weather to a light brown or a pinkish color) are also evidently from Lake Uinta deposits of the Green River Formation and of similar age.

[DPS Ammonite]

2 minutes ago, oilshale said:

Lance said the fish probably came from Soldier Summit, Provo. Cuneatus cuneatus was found there more often and the preservation would be typical for the locality

That would be useful info to put in the More Info section in Collections. 

[piranha]

Another update for the collections entry: Grande has dated this taxon in the Paleocene.

[RCFossils]

Here is a specimen in my collection from Soldier Summit in Utah.

 

[jpc]

This is something that might only happen on The Fossil Forum...

recap...

"I saw this fossil on the internet.  It was sold 10 years ago.  Does anyone know anything about it?"

"Yes, it right here in my collection"

[Microraptorfan]

Thanks very much, I owe you one lol