Andrew Aziz Posted April 18, 2022 Share Posted April 18, 2022 Hello all, Found this on the Maryland side of Assateague Island National Seashore while fishing. Not sure what it is or if it's even a fossil. The grey matter is hard as a rock. Any help is appreciated. I can post more pics if needed after work. (Didn't think to put a ruler with it) 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crusty_Crab Posted April 18, 2022 Share Posted April 18, 2022 Wow, that's a beautiful crab! Someone more familiar with east coast crabs may be able to narrow down the ID for you. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidgy's Dad Posted April 18, 2022 Share Posted April 18, 2022 Beautiful. Nice find. Life's Good! Tortoise Friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsunamix_EDM Posted April 18, 2022 Share Posted April 18, 2022 This fossil is as Maryland as it gets, lol. You just found yourself a crab fossil! See that pincer in the first image, and the hard shell in the second one? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsunamix_EDM Posted April 18, 2022 Share Posted April 18, 2022 Just now, Tsunamix_EDM said: This fossil is as Maryland as it gets, lol. You just found yourself a crab fossil! See that pincer in the first image, and the hard shell in the second one? As for what time period this crab came out of, I'm not sure; maybe sometime after the Mesozoic Era around the age of mammals? The eastern coast has a lot of marine fossils dating back to around the time of the Miocene, Pliocene, and Pleistocene periods, so it could be from around those parts in prehistory. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coco Posted April 18, 2022 Share Posted April 18, 2022 Two crabs in this specimen ? Bravo ! Coco 2 ---------------------- OUTIL POUR MESURER VOS FOSSILES : ici Ma bibliothèque PDF 1 (Poissons et sélaciens récents & fossiles) : ici Ma bibliothèque PDF 2 (Animaux vivants - sans poissons ni sélaciens) : ici Mâchoires sélaciennes récentes : ici Hétérodontiques et sélaciens : ici Oeufs sélaciens récents : ici Otolithes de poissons récents ! ici Un Greg... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plax Posted April 18, 2022 Share Posted April 18, 2022 I suspect Pleistocene. It amazes me that such recent fossils are on the beach when no beach renourishment has been done which I assume is the case here. They find crabs in concretions in North Carolinas Outer Banks which is a similar setting. This will almost surely be a modern species which should make identification easier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Aziz Posted April 18, 2022 Author Share Posted April 18, 2022 Thank you all for the replies. Updated pictures with measurements attached. I've also reached out to a person at the Smithsonian for help. From what I've read, since I found it on Federal land, I need to give it to the park rangers. Apparently, they will put it in their museum, which is far better than it collecting dust in my drawer. It would be nice to understand more about it before I give it up. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidgy's Dad Posted April 18, 2022 Share Posted April 18, 2022 @Coco was right. Two lovely crabs in the piece. 2 1 Life's Good! Tortoise Friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilDAWG Posted April 18, 2022 Share Posted April 18, 2022 @MB should be able to help with an authoritative ID. Don 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fifbrindacier Posted April 18, 2022 Share Posted April 18, 2022 14 hours ago, Andrew Aziz said: Thank you all for the replies. Updated pictures with measurements attached. I've also reached out to a person at the Smithsonian for help. From what I've read, since I found it on Federal land, I need to give it to the park rangers. Apparently, they will put it in their museum, which is far better than it collecting dust in my drawer. It would be nice to understand more about it before I give it up. "On ne voit bien que par le coeur, l'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux." (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry) "We only well see with the heart, the essential is invisible for the eyes." In memory of Doren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MB Posted April 19, 2022 Share Posted April 19, 2022 Hi, I agree with Plax, it looks like relatively recent, Pleistocene? And by the shape of anterolateral teeth and shape of front, I would say that is a Cancridae. Therefore, check the extant species of Cancridae you have there (I'm overseas) and you would have a good clue of what it is. Literature is a good option as well. Good find. 1 http://www.mbfossilcrabs.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.P. Sheridan Posted April 19, 2022 Share Posted April 19, 2022 Crabs in a nodule...very nice. I have found what look to be ancestral blue crabs in concretions along the south bank of the Potomac River in Northern Virginia. Your crustaceans have a different color and structure. Fantastic find! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abyssunder Posted April 19, 2022 Share Posted April 19, 2022 Two crabs in love? " We are not separate and independent entities, but like links in a chain, and we could not by any means be what we are without those who went before us and showed us the way. " Thomas Mann My Library Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidgy's Dad Posted April 19, 2022 Share Posted April 19, 2022 Life's Good! Tortoise Friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted April 19, 2022 Share Posted April 19, 2022 this is a great find and will be a wonderful addition to our National Collections. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now