fossilsonwheels Posted April 16, 2021 Share Posted April 16, 2021 I wanted to very briefly share something really pretty awesome. Some folks here know that in addition to Fossils on Wheels, I also work for the Gateway Science Museum. It’s a small children’s science museum and our fall exhibit is going to be about fossils. We are part of CSU Chico and the Geology Department is using our facilities to do some preparation work on a few fossils for the exhibit. I took some pictures of one awesome specimen. The table in the center of the frame contains multiple pieces of a Shastasaurus. It is a remarkable and scientifically important specimen. It was found near Shasta Lake and it’s Triassic. Close to complete and containing something special that I can’t really elaborate on. All of those bundles are ribs and verts. The second picture is a close up of one slab. I got to pick it up and it is really quite heavy but not everybody gets to hug a Shastasaurus so totally worth it lol In the far right of the picture, you can see the edge of a table and on that table is a partial Mastodon jaw includes a complete tusk though in two pieces. I’ll take pictures of that and a baby whale piece next time I’m at work. My desk is to the left of the whiteboard you see in the frame. My workspace has been taken over by large fossil critters ! 3 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macrophyseter Posted April 17, 2021 Share Posted April 17, 2021 Awesome! If you're a fossil nut from Palos Verdes, San Pedro, Redondo Beach, or Torrance, feel free to shoot me a PM! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted April 17, 2021 Share Posted April 17, 2021 Nice to know you are at least allowed to hug something like this during the pandemic Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulgdls Posted April 17, 2021 Share Posted April 17, 2021 Thanks for posting. What are the width and height measurements of individual vertebrae? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sjfriend Posted April 18, 2021 Share Posted April 18, 2021 Nice! Didn't know anything like that had been found around Shasta! I'll be near Trinity lake for a bit this summer, maybe I'll get digging lol 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilsonwheels Posted April 18, 2021 Author Share Posted April 18, 2021 18 hours ago, Ludwigia said: Nice to know you are at least allowed to hug something like this during the pandemic Hugging 210 million year old fossils is probably ok since it is already dead right ? lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilsonwheels Posted April 18, 2021 Author Share Posted April 18, 2021 On 4/16/2021 at 8:48 PM, Macrophyseter said: Awesome! The other various large pieces of it are even cooler. When it was being prepped in the lab after CSUC got it, i saw several jaw and skull pieces plus paddles. It is really got an amazing fossil to see up close. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilsonwheels Posted April 18, 2021 Author Share Posted April 18, 2021 14 hours ago, paulgdls said: Thanks for posting. What are the width and height measurements of individual vertebrae? No clue. I can measure it sometime in the near future. We have only unwrapped two of the bundles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilsonwheels Posted April 18, 2021 Author Share Posted April 18, 2021 11 minutes ago, Sjfriend said: Nice! Didn't know anything like that had been found around Shasta! I'll be near Trinity lake for a bit this summer, maybe I'll get digging lol There are some interesting formations in Shasta County. The Hosselkus Limestone produces Californosaurus fossils and Palaeobates teeth. Some of the Shastasaurus fossils found probably come from that formation. I know the Budden Canyon Formation in Shasta County which is Albian in age produced the oldest North American Notidanodon specimen too. I have not asked about the specific geology related to this Shastasaurus but my guess is Hosselkus Limestone. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sjfriend Posted April 18, 2021 Share Posted April 18, 2021 Great info. Grew up in Sac and have family around there and near Weaverville so go back once in a while. Will have to look up the geology around Lewiston while there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted April 19, 2021 Share Posted April 19, 2021 Cool. Is Shastasuarus the same genus that is at the Ichthyosaur State Park in Nevada? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilsonwheels Posted April 19, 2021 Author Share Posted April 19, 2021 1 hour ago, jpc said: Cool. Is Shastasuarus the same genus that is at the Ichthyosaur State Park in Nevada? I believe those are Shonisaurus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon Posted April 21, 2021 Share Posted April 21, 2021 (edited) On 4/18/2021 at 8:31 AM, fossilsonwheels said: Hugging 210 million year old fossils is probably ok since it is already dead right ? lol Well, as long as you keep your social distance Impressive specimen, though! Hope you'll post more photographs of it in the future Edited April 21, 2021 by pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon 'There's nothing like millions of years of really frustrating trial and error to give a species moral fibre and, in some cases, backbone' -- Terry Pratchett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilsonwheels Posted April 29, 2021 Author Share Posted April 29, 2021 (edited) Some additional pieces of the Shastasaurus were unpacked. Beautiful fossils. The third photo is the Mastodon tusks being prepped. Edited April 29, 2021 by fossilsonwheels Spelling change 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon Posted April 29, 2021 Share Posted April 29, 2021 11 hours ago, fossilsonwheels said: Some additional pieces of the Shastasaurus were unpacked. Beautiful fossils. The third photo is the Mastodon tusks being prepped. That looks pretty cool! I can only imagine how impressive these pieces must be up close, when you're fully able to appreciate the size of them! Thanks for sharing! 1 'There's nothing like millions of years of really frustrating trial and error to give a species moral fibre and, in some cases, backbone' -- Terry Pratchett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilsonwheels Posted May 9, 2021 Author Share Posted May 9, 2021 The Mastadon tusks are pretty much done except for some additional cleaning and preservation work. The concern is further matrix removal will possibly break the tusks. I am super excited because starting next week, I will be doing some prep work myself. I can’t do it during our hours of operation due to my supervisory duties so I’ll be going in on my off day and learning how to prep fossils ! This is a good start in the transition from amateur to professional plus a chance to further connections in the Geology Dept at CSU Chico. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon Posted May 9, 2021 Share Posted May 9, 2021 Wow! That's an amazing specimen! And in an only imagine how stoked you must be in anticipation of a chance to learn/do some prepping! 1 'There's nothing like millions of years of really frustrating trial and error to give a species moral fibre and, in some cases, backbone' -- Terry Pratchett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilsonwheels Posted May 17, 2021 Author Share Posted May 17, 2021 On 5/9/2021 at 1:51 AM, pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon said: Wow! That's an amazing specimen! And in an only imagine how stoked you must be in anticipation of a chance to learn/do some prepping! Very excited. I start this week. It’s a fantastic specimen to see up close. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilsonwheels Posted May 17, 2021 Author Share Posted May 17, 2021 Super cool. Merton Formation Tortoise shells ! Not from the same animal and I’ve got no idea on the ID yet but there is a plastron and a carapace. I was very lucky to do some field work with Actinemys marmorata when I still got to go out in the wilderness for work. My kids also got to grow up around a Desert Tortoise and my son in particular really loved that tortoise. Turtles and Tortoises hold a soft spot in my family so these fossils are really pretty awesome to see up close. The note on the carapace says Do Not Touch Very Fragile. I have gotten to touch it though Rhino jaw and tooth. No clue on the species but it’s cool to have some fossil rhino bits 10 feet from my desk lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilsonwheels Posted June 24, 2021 Author Share Posted June 24, 2021 The publicity for the Merton Formation fossils has been insane. There have been quite a few media outlets that have done stories on this including a French TV crew this week. The prep work continues on the Miocene fossils and I’m starting to do a bit myself. We learned the skull and tusks could possibly be Gomphothere. Could be Mastodon. It will eventually end up at Berkeley for study. 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilsonwheels Posted June 24, 2021 Author Share Posted June 24, 2021 Aepycamelus foot bone. We learned the camel foot bone belonged to the Long neck Camel. Pretty cool. No bones assigned to any Ground Sloths yet but there are one or two that might be including this one. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilsonwheels Posted June 24, 2021 Author Share Posted June 24, 2021 Not sure what skull this is but the hope is something in Carnivora. So far only two pieces are definitely a carnivore. A potential canid jaw fragment and I think a Mustelid of some kind. A piece of Tortoise that I am getting to do some prep work on. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon Posted June 24, 2021 Share Posted June 24, 2021 Pretty cool collection of fossils, especially to have lying next to your desk like that! 'There's nothing like millions of years of really frustrating trial and error to give a species moral fibre and, in some cases, backbone' -- Terry Pratchett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troodon Posted June 24, 2021 Share Posted June 24, 2021 Just saw this topic, pretty cool and exciting, have fun playing in the dirt..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now