NJ Cretaceous ID Help

[jerseygurl]

Hello, 

I need some help identifying the owner of my bone collection. Long story short, I have been obessed with collecting some reptile like fossil bones in various states of preservation from my local beach over the last year.  I have probably about 30 in total.   Each day, I'd go back down to the site to see what had rolled in.  Most are small "finger like" bits but, these are my favorites of the bunch.  Anyway please have a look and I would be thrilled if someone might help to id and let me know if I have discovered something cool here. I am in

a nj coastal cretaceous area. 

Thanks so much

[The Jersey Devil]

Cool stuff. They are probably going to be tough to ID. Are you sure they are Cretaceous? I believe a lot of NJ beach fossils are younger.

[jerseygurl]

Hello,

Thank you for the input... i really do appreciate all feedback. 

I believe that most of the material that I find in this area is cretaceous for a couple of reasons. I use the geological maps to verify and to find new places to hunt. I am right smack in the middle of the cretaceous "belt" that runs through Monmouth County.  If I go inland, I'm 10 minutes away from Ram Brook if you are familiar with this area.  Fossil finds vary here (teeth are rare) and preservation is different. Also, I find lots of other cretacesous material on the same stretch of beach like in the pic below.  I also do alot of "research" looking through online resources (like the forum), read to find any hint about the area where I've found a fossil, etc... 

I am very interested in your comment about NJ beaches and newer materials... can you direct me to a resource where I can learn more? Thank you.

[val horn]

wow,  I think it is very interesting, dont have the knowledge to be definitive--  I am wondering about mosasaur for multiple pieces

[jerseygurl]

So glad that you commented on my post... Hello!  I stumbled across one of your @val horn posts, and see that our marine finds are a bit similar.  Sometimes what I find in the jersey muck is really scrappy and everything is to worn that it all looks the same...Today I only found what I think are a few broken very worn baculites.

[val horn]

i am sorry if your material has the same scrappy and rough surface as mine.    Is yours severn formation also?

[Plax]

7 hours ago, The Jersey Devil said:

Cool stuff. They are probably going to be tough to ID. Are you sure they are Cretaceous? I believe a lot of NJ beach fossils are younger.

Atlantic Highlands and other areas have extensive cretaceous exposures. You are thinking of the sandy beaches in the south. This material has a Navesink look to it. Just a guess going by what I've seen from up there. Nice!

[The Jersey Devil]

13 minutes ago, Plax said:

Atlantic Highlands and other areas have extensive cretaceous exposures. You are thinking of the sandy beaches in the south. This material has a Navesink look to it. Just a guess going by what I've seen from up there. Nice!

Yeah, I thought it was big brook at first glance. It seems like the first bone is a mosasaur phalanx with the rest being unIDable.

Edited May 11, 2021 by The Jersey Devil

[jerseygurl]

2 hours ago, val horn said:

i am sorry if your material has the same scrappy and rough surface as mine.    Is yours severn formation also?

OMG, I hope that you did not take offense to my comparison. I appreciate all states of preservation!   It is all beautiful and important to me.  

I am finding these in the areas mentioned below (Navesink) not from the servern in MD. BTW, I had to look that up...thank you for the information.

[val horn]

no offense, I know what my stuff looks like.  I wish it was nicer.    This is what is near me, this is what I most routinely collect.  You must be torn between the richer area you are now exploring and the rarer, but pretty stuff from Big brook .

[jerseygurl]

3 minutes ago, val horn said:

no offense, I know what my stuff looks like.  I wish it was nicer.    This is what is near me, this is what I most routinely collect.  You must be torn between the richer area you are now exploring and the rarer, but pretty stuff from Big brook .

Honestly, I like where I am now. I used to frequest the brooks to surface collect, but since the pandemic I have only gone a few times.  I didn't dig or sift, I only took what fell out with from a swipe of my hand over a gravel bank, or I'd pick up what was right in front of me.  Found some purty things, but beauty is in eye of the beholder. I'd rather stake out new sites.