Teeth Found in Big Brook, NJ

[fossilisa]

I have found several teeth in Big Brook over the past few weeks and am hoping someone may be able to help identify them for me.  I am very new at this.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Top Trilo]

looks like a bunch of megalodon parts a partial sand tiger and a beautiful otodus tooth, not sure the species, my guess would be O. Auriculatus

Edited April 24, 2021 by Top Trilo

[Fossildude19]

These are not native to Big Brook - someone's dumping out of place shark's teeth.   

[fossilisa]

Tim, thanks, that is interesting as they were found on different days and in very different areas (driving distances apart).  I am curious as to why anyone would do that.

[Fossildude19]

Well, these are pretty beat up. They are not pristine teeth, and I am guessing not overly expensive/or carry little sentimental value .

The teeth generally found at Big Brook are usually much smaller, and not easily seen by people who are not used to finding shark teeth.

 

Perhaps they are seeding it for their younger kids or groups of kids, so that they actually find some shark teeth.  This is what I'd like to believe.

 

But some people have a strange sense of humor, and may do it just to mess with people. 

Who knows, for sure? 

Whoever dumped them there.   

 

[fossilisa]

Well, I believe the smallest of the teeth if a sand tiger, as Top Trilo suggests, is at the very least, native.  

 

[FossilDAWG]

Were there photos?  Where did they go?

 

Don

[Anna Marie]

Pics???

[Fossildude19]

3 hours ago, Anna Marie said:

Pics???

 

14 hours ago, FossilDAWG said:

Were there photos?  Where did they go?

 

Don

 

 

Pics have been replaced.  

 

There was a small issue with expiration of editing rights that created a situation, one that was able to be worked out.  

[FossilDAWG]

Thanks!

 

I've seen too many threads gutted when someone decided to remove their photos.  The "favorite trilobites in your collection" thread is a great example.  I guess that has made me sensitive to the issue.  It's great that this thread has been restored.

 

Don

[frankh8147]

@Fossildude19New Jersey has only had one group trip this year with kids involved and I was the trip leader. Fossils are never planted, I can promise you that!

 

Not a single Cretaceous specimen was found by the poster, based on the specimens in the photo; and I have walked every part of Big Brook, including tributaries in the last few months and haven't seen any fossils 'out of place'.

 

Unfortunately, I don't think there is anything to be learned from this thread

 

Edited April 25, 2021 by frankh8147

[fossilisa]

@frankh8147 I am obviously a novice, and I had been wanting to join this forum for some time. I was excited having finally found a significant number of specimens, but since I couldn't find any photos on any of the Big Brook pages that looked like them, I finally joined yesterday in the hopes that someone could provide answers.  It never once crossed my mind that someone would do something as dishonest and intentionally deceptive as putting fossils in the brook that did not belong there.  The majority (all but two) were found yesterday morning within minutes of each other by my husband and I very close to the side of the bridge over Hillsdale Rd.  My husband's theory after hearing all of this is that someone dumped them off the bridge.  For what purpose, I really can't imagine. It just seems mean. They were all very close together in proximity.  The one fairly intact large black tooth I found a much further downstream, just past the the area where the bench is on the bank. The smallest tooth (in the photo that shows all of them together) was found at the Boundary Rd. location on a different day.  I only started looking for fossils in Big Brook about 6 weeks ago, and as wildly disappointing and sadly humbling as posting this has proved to be, it has certainly been educational.  So even if no one else learned anything from this, I definitely did. However they got there, I can say that it has taken the wind out of my sails a bit both for hunting and in terms of trusting what I find. It sounds like you believe this to be an anomaly, which is encouraging to hear.  I had hoped after hearing everyone's initial comments that the small partial tooth was at least legitimate, but it appears you are indicating that even that is not from the correct period.

 

In any case, I appreciate everyone's comments and patience, and hope to continue to gain more knowledge from you and others who are experts.  Thankfully, I have found other nice specimens (mostly belemnite, but a couple of other "non-tooth" items too) and look forward to continuing to explore and learn. 

 

Also, I think it is awesome that you lead tours for kids!  I wish I had experienced searching Big Brook when I was a child!

Edited April 25, 2021 by fossilisa
added line letting him know I think it's great he is leading tours for kids

[Anna Marie]

5 hours ago, fossilisa said:

 The majority (all but two) were found yesterday morning within minutes of each other by my husband and I very close to the side of the bridge over Hillsdale Rd.  My husband's theory after hearing all of this is that someone dumped them off the bridge.  For what purpose, I really can't imagine. It just seems mean. They were all very close together in proximity.  

 

Is it possible your husband could have dumped them there for you guys to find as a good deed to make you happy?? 

[The Jersey Devil]

You did find 1 native cretaceous tooth, a goblin (smallest tooth pictured). That's quite a lot of teeth to be dumped. They look like stuff from SC.

Edited April 26, 2021 by The Jersey Devil

[fossilisa]

@Anna Marie Hi Anna Marie, thanks for your post.  I can see how to some folks that might seem like a nice gesture, but it was definitely not my husband.  He knows how strong my feelings are against mis-representation, any sort of deception, and cheating (which I would consider that) even when the intention is good.  I think having genuine experiences is extremely important, even if they don't always yield what you are hoping for, and the thrill with fossil hunting for me is the hunt.  He knows I'd rather find nothing than be helped under false pretenses.  Also, logistically, he was not in the area when I found the black tooth downstream.  My only guess is that, as was mentioned in an earlier comment, perhaps someone did something similar to what you have described either for their own friends or kids to find.  Who knows.  My husband is also the one who suggested I post the photos when I couldn't find anything like them associated with Big Brook online. He knows that if he did something like that, I would eventually find out, and it would likely not end well, LOL .

 

@The Jersey Devil Thanks so much for confirming that at least the little tooth is native!  That gives me some hope.  I very much appreciate it!

 

 

Edited April 26, 2021 by fossilisa
removed inadvertently added word

[Anna Marie]

3 hours ago, fossilisa said:

@Anna Marie Hi Anna Marie, thanks for your post.  I can see how to some folks that might seem like a nice gesture, but it was definitely not my husband.  He knows how strong my feelings are against mis-representation, any sort of deception, and cheating (which I would consider that) even when the intention is good.  I think having genuine experiences is extremely important, even if they don't always yield what you are hoping for, and the thrill with fossil hunting for me is the hunt.  He knows I'd rather find nothing than be helped under false pretenses.  Also, logistically, he was not in the area when I found the black tooth downstream.  My only guess is that, as was mentioned in an earlier comment, perhaps someone did something similar to what you have described either for their own friends or kids to find.  Who knows.  My husband is also the one who suggested I post the photos when I couldn't find anything like them associated with Big Brook online. He knows that if he did something like that, I would eventually find out, and it would likely not end well, LOL .

 

 

 

 

I got ya! Well someone put them there obviously and the only logical reason why anyone would throw fossils in there would be for someone else to find them. Prob their own kids. Well now you have yourself some interesting fossils anyway! 

[Plax]

I can't imagine anyone throwing that auriculatis/angustidens away. Maybe the OP was at Shark or Manasquan rivers also?

[Fossildude19]

2 minutes ago, Plax said:

I can't imagine anyone throwing that auriculatis/angustidens away. Maybe the OP was at Shark or Manasquan rivers also?

 

No, she mentions where she was - she was definitely at Big Brook. 

[JohnJ]

Whether it is 'seeding', a backpack malfunction, or a domestic dispute, I can imagine many scenarios for non-native fossils to make it into the creek.  The number of scenarios multiplies when closer to higher population centers.

[Plax]

agreed

[erose]

1 hour ago, JohnJ said:

Whether it is 'seeding', a backpack malfunction, or a domestic dispute, I can imagine many scenarios for non-native fossils to make it into the creek.  The number of scenarios multiplies when closer to higher population centers.

Yep, most likely a dump of unwanted scraps.  I knew a few spitefull characters back when I lived that-a-ways that would have done something like this.

 

Not too long ago some one here in Austin found an enrolled Phacopsid in our Upper Cretaceous.  That one was probably dropped by accident.