Pliocene trip

[Al Dente]

Decided to head to a stream with my kayak on my day off recently. I frequently go to this site because it is not too far of a drive. This site gets collected a lot but it looked like no one had been there in a while. Without people walking over the site, small fossils start to be exposed. I crawled around for a couple hours and found many small fish bones and otoliths. Here are some photos.

 

 

 

 

Lots of inarticulate brachiopods. Only two species found here. The round Discinisca and the lingulid Glottidia which is always broken. There is a Lepophidium (Cusk Eel) otolith above the Discinisca

 

 

Edited December 15, 2021 by Al Dente

[Al Dente]

Here are some more otoliths. The first is Cynoscion (Sea Trout), the second Merluccius (Hake).

 

 

 

The next is Leiostomus (Spot), there is another Lepophidium in the same photo. Next is Diplectrum (Sand Perch) and last is Pollachius (Pollack).

 

 

Edited December 15, 2021 by Al Dente

[Al Dente]

This site is not known for shark teeth. I usually find a tooth about every third or fourth visit. The most common tooth is Carcharodon carcharias (Great White). This one is missing the root (second photo). Also found a lower Carcharhinus.

 

 

 

 

Edited December 15, 2021 by Al Dente

[Al Dente]

This site is mostly shells. Geoducks are usually in life position here. They are most likely younger than the surrounding sediment because they burrow about 6 feet down into the sediment when alive. Echphora can be found here but they usually get picked up by collectors. This last photo shows a pecten I've never seen before. It might be Chlamys decemnaria which is a highly variable species. Maybe @MikeR knows what it is. It is 44 millimeters long.

 

 

Edited December 15, 2021 by Al Dente

[RJB]

Even for mostly just lowly sea shells, this was a very good very interesting report. 

 

RB

[Tidgy's Dad]

Great to see the inarticulates still thriving in some places so recently. 

Enjoyed this report.

Thank you. 

[MikeR]

1 hour ago, Al Dente said:

This site is mostly shells. Geoducks are usually in life position here. They are most likely younger than the surrounding sediment because they burrow about 6 feet down into the sediment when alive. Echphora can be found here but they usually get picked up by collectors. This last photo shows a pecten I've never seen before. It might be Chlamys decemnaria which is a highly variable species. Maybe @MikeR knows what it is. It is 44 millimeters long.

Chlamys decemnaria is correct and you are also correct in its variability (See Gibson LCM II).  In my picture below, the three specimens represent some of the variability within the species.  The two on the right are from different sites on the river you collected, while the one on the left is from the type locality of the Rushmere Member of the Yorktown Formation in Virginia and more similar to yours.

 

[fossilnut]

Just wondering if you have found any blister pearls in the Geoduck shells?  What size are the otoliths? I have never found an otolith but would like too. Great finds. In one of the pics looks like a tusk shell.

[RuMert]

Very interesting unusual site. Otoliths abundant like in our Fili Park, but we sift for them, not pick them up

[Al Dente]

1 hour ago, fossilnut said:

Just wondering if you have found any blister pearls in the Geoduck shells?  What size are the otoliths? I have never found an otolith but would like too. Great finds. In one of the pics looks like a tusk shell.

 

I've never seen a blister pearl in a Geoduck shell at this site. The otoliths in these photos range from 4 to 17 millimeters. Here's another pic from the trip with 3 tusk shells and a limpet. Tusk shells are common at this site.

[Al Dente]

40 minutes ago, RuMert said:

Very interesting unusual site. Otoliths abundant like in our Fili Park, but we sift for them, not pick them up

 

I normally do a little sifting at this site. It was below freezing when I arrived and didn't feel like getting wet. That's why I spent so much time crawling around looking for small fossils. I ended up bringing a bulk sample home. Lots of nice little fossils can be found. There was some good wildlife on the paddle up there. Saw a coyote on a sand bar and an otter swimming at the site. Lots of eagles.

[FossilDAWG]

Have to love those Yorktown sites.

Don

[Brett Breakin' Rocks]

2 hours ago, Al Dente said:

Lots of nice little fossils can be found. There was some good wildlife on the paddle up there. Saw a coyote on a sand bar and an otter swimming at the site. Lots of eagles.

Those sites are the special ones .. quiet and peaceful away from the noise. Looks like fun.

 

Cheers,

Brett

[MarcoSr]

Eric

 

Nice report and site.  What resource are you using to ID the otoliths?  elasmo.com Lee Creek teleosts?

 

Marco Sr.

[Al Dente]

2 hours ago, MarcoSr said:

Eric

 

Nice report and site.  What resource are you using to ID the otoliths?  elasmo.com Lee Creek teleosts?

 

Marco Sr.

The elasmo.com site and Lee Creek vol. 1 and Muller 1999. Gary Stringer also has some recent publications that include Pliocene otoliths. I have started a collection of modern otoliths of fish I’ve caught or bought at the grocery. Almost all of the bony fish from the Yorktown Formation are currently found offshore of NC.

Edited December 15, 2021 by Al Dente

[Jeffrey P]

That Discinisca brachiopod would have made the trip worthwhile for me. Certainly, looks like a hot spot! Congrats on your finds and thanks for sharing.

[Shellseeker]

13 hours ago, Al Dente said:

The most common tooth is Carcharodon carcharias (Great White). This one is missing the root (second photo).

I can not quite tell.. Is it one of those blade shells?? tooth in creation process? Nice is either case. I also have not found an Echphora yet.  Great possibilities,  excellent photos,  thanks for sharing !!!!

[fossil_lover_2277]

4 hours ago, Al Dente said:

The elasmo.com site and Lee Creek vol. 1 and Muller 1999. Gary Stringer also has some recent publications that include Pliocene otoliths. I have started a collection of modern otoliths of fish I’ve caught or bought at the grocery. Almost all of the bony fish from the Yorktown Formation are currently found offshore of NC.

What about the dolphin fish, mahi mahi? Has any evidence of them been found in the Yorktown formation? Just curious because I was trying to see how far back remains and/or evidence for them have been found, and a painting from ancient Egypt was as far back as I could find.

[Al Dente]

7 hours ago, Shellseeker said:

I can not quite tell.. Is it one of those blade shells?? tooth in creation process? Nice is either case. I also have not found an Echphora yet.  Great possibilities,  excellent photos,  thanks for sharing !!!!

Thanks Jack. It looks like a recent break on this tooth. There is root material exposed. Usually Great Whites at this site are pristine with nice roots.

[Al Dente]

6 hours ago, fossil_lover_2277 said:

What about the dolphin fish, mahi mahi? Has any evidence of them been found in the Yorktown formation? Just curious because I was trying to see how far back remains and/or evidence for them have been found, and a painting from ancient Egypt was as far back as I could find.

I spent a few minutes looking through my references and online. I couldn’t find any mention of fossil dolphin fish.

[fossil_lover_2277]

3 hours ago, Al Dente said:

I spent a few minutes looking through my references and online. I couldn’t find any mention of fossil dolphin fish.

Thank you. That’s very interesting, since mahi mahi are abundant and have a short and rapid life cycle and live in parts of the ocean similar to wahoo and tuna and billfish, which I know are found fossilized. Apparently they’re most likely not prehistoric then, which is weird since they’re such a unique fish and I believe are somewhat isolated taxonomically.

Edited December 16, 2021 by fossil_lover_2277