historianmichael Posted July 20, 2021 Share Posted July 20, 2021 (edited) This past weekend I had the chance to collect at an exposure of the Paleocene Vincentown Formation in New Jersey. The trip was a lot of fun and a number of really cool fossils were found. I have been able to identify most of my finds except for these two mystery fossils. I recognize the shark tooth as a sand tiger but I was hoping someone might know which sand tiger it is. I saw online that someone listed Carcharias samhammeri in the Vincentown but I am not an expert on shark teeth so I am not sure if that is what this tooth is. Any help is greatly appreciated! #1- bryozoan? #2- Carcharias samhammeri? Edited July 20, 2021 by historianmichael Follow me on Instagram (@fossil_mike) to check out my personal collection of fossils collected and acquired over more than 15 years of fossil hunting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
val horn Posted July 22, 2021 Share Posted July 22, 2021 i am wondering if the first is a fish spine? i leave others to help with shark tooth id. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oyo Posted July 22, 2021 Share Posted July 22, 2021 (edited) 1 is a coral. Isididae or Parisididae family. More probably genus Isis or Parisis. Edited July 23, 2021 by oyo 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
historianmichael Posted July 23, 2021 Author Share Posted July 23, 2021 (edited) @oyo Thank you so much. I just searched Isis and Parisis online and I came across the article Danian cold-water corals from the Baunekule facies, Faxe Formation, Denmark: a rare taphonomic window of a coral mound flank habitat. It had an image of Isis (E in the below diagram) and I think it matches well. The shark tooth has been tentatively identified by the NJSM as Hypotodus verticalis Edited July 23, 2021 by historianmichael 1 Follow me on Instagram (@fossil_mike) to check out my personal collection of fossils collected and acquired over more than 15 years of fossil hunting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oyo Posted July 23, 2021 Share Posted July 23, 2021 Congratulations, you found it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas.Dodson Posted July 23, 2021 Share Posted July 23, 2021 Is this the source that mentions C. samhammeri from the Vincentown? http://digsfossils.com/fossils/nj_shark_vincentown.html All the sources I've read (papers) only list it as limited to the Campanian and Maastrichtian. However, the Hornerstown Formation mentioned in the link above is known for likely reworked Cretaceous fossils. This tooth is in pretty good condition to be reworked though. It doesn't really seem like C. samhammeri compared to anterior teeth listed in Hoganson's 2019 publication (sinuousity and cusp size and shape for one), but Carcharias are tricky and variable. At the moment I only bother IDing them to species when sufficient sources on individual species are available for the specific formation in the specific area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
historianmichael Posted July 23, 2021 Author Share Posted July 23, 2021 @Thomas.Dodson that was the only source that I found online that mentioned a sand tiger shark tooth found in the Vincentown. Since I was unsure of that source and could not find anything else, I sent an email to the NJSM. I received a response back today tentatively identifying it as Hypotodus verticalis based off similar examples in the Aquia Formation of Maryland. Follow me on Instagram (@fossil_mike) to check out my personal collection of fossils collected and acquired over more than 15 years of fossil hunting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
historianmichael Posted July 26, 2021 Author Share Posted July 26, 2021 (edited) I returned today to the exposure of the Paleocene Vincentown Formation. With a better strategy of how to tackle the site I thought I did quite well. Among today's finds was this sixgill shark tooth. Does anyone know what species of Hexanchus this could be? Edited July 26, 2021 by historianmichael 1 3 Follow me on Instagram (@fossil_mike) to check out my personal collection of fossils collected and acquired over more than 15 years of fossil hunting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted July 26, 2021 Share Posted July 26, 2021 16 hours ago, historianmichael said: Does anyone know what species of Hexanchus this could be? Nice tooth. I would call it Hexanchus microdon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rand95 Posted July 26, 2021 Share Posted July 26, 2021 That is a really good find, congrats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
historianmichael Posted July 28, 2021 Author Share Posted July 28, 2021 (edited) Sorry guys. One more mystery fossil from the Vincentown Formation. Are these fish otoliths? What threw me off is their symmetry. I also haven't found any record of fish otoliths in the Vincentown. I found a publication on ostracods of the Vincentown Formation, but these don't strike me as ostracods. Edited July 28, 2021 by historianmichael Follow me on Instagram (@fossil_mike) to check out my personal collection of fossils collected and acquired over more than 15 years of fossil hunting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted July 28, 2021 Share Posted July 28, 2021 30 minutes ago, historianmichael said: Sorry guys. One more mystery fossil from the Vincentown Formation. Are these fish otoliths? What threw me off is their symmetry. I also haven't found any record of fish otoliths in the Vincentown. I found a publication on ostracods of the Vincentown Formation, but these don't strike me as ostracods. These are starfish ossicles. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
historianmichael Posted July 28, 2021 Author Share Posted July 28, 2021 Thank you @Al Dente! That tracks. I found a couple other loose pieces that reminded me of the sea star ossicles I have from Yankeetown, FL Follow me on Instagram (@fossil_mike) to check out my personal collection of fossils collected and acquired over more than 15 years of fossil hunting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixgill pete Posted August 1, 2021 Share Posted August 1, 2021 Very, very nice Hexanchus. I agree with AL Dente's ID. Bulldozers and dirt Bulldozers and dirt behind the trailer, my desert Them red clay piles are heaven on earth I get my rocks off, bulldozers and dirt Patterson Hood; Drive-By Truckers May 2016 May 2012 Aug 2013, May 2016, Apr 2020 Oct 2022 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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