July 2021 - Finds of the Month Entries

[FranzBernhard]

Already a nice selection of typical and iconic Cretaceous fossils to choose from, so I have to add a rudist again to complete it .

Found: 07/10/2021

Name: Hippuritid rudist Vaccinites sp. (possibly V. sulcatus)

Age and Formation: Upper Santonian - Lower Campanian / Upper Geistthal-formation, Gosau-Group of Kainach, Eastern Alps

Site: Römaskogel hill, Kainach near Voitsberg, Styria, Austria.

For some background information you may have a look at:

Rudist collecting at Römaskogel hill (link to TFF-topic)

I tried to make some new pics, but the pics from the field are better, including the in-situ.

This Vaccinites specimen has a completely preserved apex and the shape of its namesake - the cow horn (The story isn´t totally straightforward, you may have a look here: Vaccinites, thanks, @Tidgy's Dad and @DPS Ammonite!). In the lower right pic, there are three deep furrows, corresponding to the position of the three pillars inside the shell. Transverse sections of similar specimens from this outcrop show pillars with the typical form and distribution for the species V. sulcatus, as well as an arrangement of teeth and myophores typical for that species. So, if this is indeed a Vaccinites sulcatus, it cleary shows off, why it has this name: "Cow horn with furrows" .

Franz Bernhard

[Tidgy's Dad]

2 hours ago, FranzBernhard said:

 

This Vaccinites specimen has a completely preserved apex and the shape of its namesake - the cow horn

Very nice. 

Yup, one could replace a cow's horns with a pair of these and no one would be any the wiser. 

Not even the cow.  

Edited July 29, 2021 by Tidgy's Dad

[Mike from North Queensland]

After a stresfull week I have finally just finished prepping my entry

 

Date of Find 3 May 2021

Date of Prep 31 July 2021

Name Pterosaur sp Wing bone 

Toolbuc Formation

Central Queensland Australia

 

Finder Mike D'Arcy

[Phos_01]

On 7/26/2021 at 10:08 PM, dingo2 said:

I've spent a lot of time running around the badlands and scouring google earth this summer, and finally got the specimen I've been looking for. Before today, the longest tooth I've personally found was around 2.5 inches.

 

Some of the teeth around here are so blue that they almost appear to glow in the sediment. When you see the colour out of the corner of you eye, you immediately know what it is. The first piece I found was the tip, and even that was larger than any other tooth in my collection. At least a minute was spent gawking at its appearance before realizing that there was more to be found. I gathered as many additional pieces as I could from from about 8 feet below where the tip was. It was found in the first hour of designated hunting time, so I was pretty much ineffective at searching for the rest of the day because I was just thinking about the tooth in my backpack the entire time. I ended up cutting the trip short because it had taken over my mind like gollum with the ring of power.

 

After assembly, the tooth is 4 inches and a beauty. I haven't done anything except glue the pieces together due to fear of doing something irreversible. I've noticed that the stone polishing wax that many people use for teeth tends to remove the blue markings that are signature to the teeth found in this area.

•Date of Discovery: July 23rd, 2021

•Scientific and/or Common Name: Tyrannosaurus Rex

•Geologic Age or Geologic Formation: Late Cretaceous, Scollard

•State, Province or Region Found: Alberta, Canada

 

well thats just awesome! What a find im vouching for this . What will you do with it? 

[dingo2]

2 hours ago, Phos_01 said:

What will you do with it? 

It will sit on the top shelf and continue to dwarf everything else in the collection for the foreseeable future. On occasion we pray to it for guidance. I might look at getting a stand for it. 

[PaleoNoel]

Before I miss my chance I wanted to put a couple of my finds from my Hell Creek formation hunt. 

 

Potential Bird Claw (cf. Avisaurus)

Date of Discovery: July 28th, 2021

Age: Late Cretaceous, Maastrichtian (~66 mya).

Hell Creek formation

Baker, Montana, USA

[PaleoNoel]

Ornithomimid foot claw (digit IV) (cf. Struthiomimus/Ornithomimus)

Date of Discovery: July 28th, 2021.

Age: Late Cretaceous, Maastrichtian (~66 mya).
Hell Creek formation.

Baker, Montana, USA.

In situ.

 

[PaleoNoel]

Now for a plant:

Dawn Redwood Cone (Metasequioa sp.)

Date of Discovery: July 27th, 2021.

Age: Late Cretaceous, Maastrichtian (~66 mya).

Hell Creek formation.

Baker, Montana, USA.

[PaleoNoel]

And an invertebrate:

Belemnite (Cf. Pachyteuthis sp.)

Date of Discovery: July 25th, 2021.

Age: Mid/Late Jurassic, Oxfordian (~168-157 mya).

Sundance formation.

Greybull, Wyoming, USA

 

[Opabinia Blues]

I was encouraged by @PaleoNoel to upload something we found on our road trip to the contest, so here’s my last minute entry. Forgive the quality of the pictures, they were literally taken at night under gas station lighting.

 

Indetermimate Dromaeosauridae distal humerus section.

 

 

Name: Indet. Dromaeosauridae

Location: Hell Creek Formation, near Baker, Montana, USA.

Geologic Age: Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian), ~66 MA

 

Hope I’m not embarrassing myself, haha. Wanted to at least throw my hat in the ring with some encouragement from friends.

Edited August 1, 2021 by Opabinia Blues