Isle of Wight 2022

[Al Dente]

6 hours ago, minnbuckeye said:

I found a piece identical to this in the Peace River that was IDed as "shark skin". In fact, I was doing a fossil shark presentation at  local fair Sunday for our fossil club and had a few questions about the specimen. I would like to correct my labeling if shark skin can not look like this. After reading a few articles on prismatic cartilage, I am ALMOST convinced mine is mislabeled. But your thoughts would be appreciated.

 

I would have to see a photo. True shark skin would have enamel denticles in it. Pretty rare to find as a fossil. 

[siteseer]

8 hours ago, minnbuckeye said:

 

@Al Dente, I found a piece identical to this in the Peace River that was IDed as "shark skin". In fact, I was doing a fossil shark presentation at  local fair Sunday for our fossil club and had a few questions about the specimen. I would like to correct my labeling if shark skin can not look like this. After reading a few articles on prismatic cartilage, I am ALMOST convinced mine is mislabeled. But your thoughts would be appreciated.

 

@will stevenson, great report!! My wife and I were planning to visit southern England. However, Covid put our trip off. Your finds may hasten my re-planning of a delayed trip! 

 

You'd have to show us a photo of your specimen but Al Dente identified the one Will found.  That is what fossilized cartilage can look like.  You don't find many specimens of fossilized skin of many vertebrates because skin rots away after death.  I'd have to read up on it but I think some of those cases may be imprints of the skin rather than fossilized skin itself.  Shark skin is covered with scales or dermal denticles.  The scales do fossilize but not the skin.  You'd be incredibly lucky to find a couple of dermal denticles still connected but the skin and connective tissue is long gone.

 

You might ask, "Well if the skin doesn't fossilize, how did the cartilage?"  As a shark ages, some of the cartilage in its skeleton can calcify in patches and these pieces of calcified cartilage can survive as fossils.

 

Edit: I see Al Dente replied during the time I was putting together a reply (I ate lunch in between) but I'll leave it as-is.

 

Edited September 13, 2022 by siteseer

[Notidanodon]

8 hours ago, digit said:

That view makes a worthy consolation prize.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

Hi Ken it sure does, this Isle of Wight is a beautiful place  

8 hours ago, minnbuckeye said:

 

@Al Dente, I found a piece identical to this in the Peace River that was IDed as "shark skin". In fact, I was doing a fossil shark presentation at  local fair Sunday for our fossil club and had a few questions about the specimen. I would like to correct my labeling if shark skin can not look like this. After reading a few articles on prismatic cartilage, I am ALMOST convinced mine is mislabeled. But your thoughts would be appreciated.

 

@will stevenson, great report!! My wife and I were planning to visit southern England. However, Covid put our trip off. Your finds may hasten my re-planning of a delayed trip! 

thanks! I have a lot more exciting fossils to show, a lot of cretaceous vertebrate material which should excite a lot of people 

[Notidanodon]

Onto shepards chine, this definitely made up for Compton as there were a lot of finds to be made despite relatively poor conditions  not quite the pliosaur tooth of last year though. My main hunting methods was finding bits of coquina limestone and smashing them to look for teeth and spines etc. i made about 10 of these and it’s safe to say my arm hurt afterwards. 

there were also bits of greensand beds from which I collected these  

i have many tiny finds that I’m in the process of cutting down and identifying so in the meantime here are a few of the bigger bits (they need some expensive prep)

1. fish jaw

2. hybodus spine not much too look at but I’ll post the prepped result !

3. fin spine also being prepped

4. fish tooth (other half will be stuck back on)

6. something unidentified?

Anyway the exciting stuff will be shown soon but I am making sure it’s all properly done  hope you enjoy!

Edited September 20, 2022 by will stevenson

[Notidanodon]

Now some micros from shepards chine, do chime in if you disagree with any of the IDs  

1. Lonchidion spp. 1

2. Lonchidion spp. 2

3. Scheenstia spp.

4. Scheenstia spp.

5. Vectiselachos ornatus 

5. Scheenstia

6. Belonomostomus fish tooth?

7.?

7. Vectiselachos ornatus

8. fish jaw, Belonomostomus

9. fish vertebra (or maybe reptilian)

10. unsure

11. Lonchidion spp.

12. Coelodus spp.

[Notidanodon]

Round two of the micros  I did these using my digital microscope as they are typically only a few mm.

1. Lonchidion spp.

2. Lonchidion spp.

3. any ideas?

4. Very large section of Coelodus spp.

5. Scheenstia spp.

6. insert 

7. part of a spine or tooth needs prepping

8. either a scale or a dinosaur tooth? Thoughts anyone.

9. Unsure

10. Fish tooth

11. fish tooth, greensand

12. unsure

13. lonchidion

14. unsure

[jpc]

I think #9 is not a fish vert but probably a reptile of some sort.  Nice finds.

 

[Notidanodon]

20 minutes ago, jpc said:

I think #9 is not a fish vert but probably a reptile of some sort.  Nice finds.

 

thanks  yeah it doesnt have the typical beam structures of fish vertebrae

[Notidanodon]

Here we have the prepped version of those finds from shepards chine

1. Lungfish plate?

2. fin spine looks like asteracanthus but wrong age so Hybodus

3. little bone (very hollow so I don’t think fish)

4. hybodus cephalic spine