My first fossil hunting trips!

[TrooWoo]

Hello all!

 

In my hunt to find crab concretions I started out at the beaches of the Olympic Peninsula. I wanted to share what I have found! I have gone three times so far and the close to six hour round trip was a bit rough, but very well worth it and I can't wait to learn and discover more. I am struggling to find crabs, but I am continuing my research and hope to figure something out soon. If there is anyone that could point me in the right direction that would be greatly appriciated as well!

 

The first concretion I opened, It took no effort to crack. I speculate it could be a piece of bone? Wood?

 

A super lucky find, I cracked this open after returning home and found leaf fossil concretion! I believe that these are not common on the olymipic peninsula?? I think they are Oak? Quercus?

 

I believe a bivalve? 

 

I was confused with this one, could this be a parital crab carapace? Or the shell of a snail?

 

And lastly this claw. Is it shrimp or crab?

 

[Fossildude19]

@RJB

[RJB]

Your last picture is of a shrimp, Callianassa.  Lots of those out there.  There are crabs to be found along the peninsula but they are far and few between.  I did find half of a carapace of a crab Mursa and found 2 Aturia also.  A nice bonus those!  Best of luck

 

RB

[TrooWoo]

4 hours ago, RJB said:

Your last picture is of a shrimp, Callianassa.  Lots of those out there.  There are crabs to be found along the peninsula but they are far and few between.  I did find half of a carapace of a crab Mursa and found 2 Aturia also.  A nice bonus those!  Best of luck

 

RB

Thank you for the ID on the claw! I guess I will have to look elsewhere to have a better chance at the crabs... I appriciate the tip.

[Nimravis]

Nice finds- congrats.

[Neanderthal Shaman]

Paleontology Database | Burke Museum

 

 

Hi TrooWoo, 

 

The Burke Museum paleontology database is a great resource for ID'ing Washington State fossils or just looking at what you can find out there! Simply put the formation in under the Age, Formation, Member, or Zone tab. Up around the Olympic Peninsula, you're probably poking around the Pysht formation, which is Oligocene in age. Nice finds! 

 

 

Edited September 29, 2022 by Neanderthal Shaman
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[TrooWoo]

5 hours ago, Neanderthal Shaman said:

Paleontology Database | Burke Museum

 

 

Hi TrooWoo, 

 

The Burke Museum paleontology database is a great resource for ID'ing Washington State fossils or just looking at what you can find out there! Simply put the formation in under the Age, Formation, Member, or Zone tab. Up around the Olympic Peninsula, you're probably poking around the Pysht formation, which is Oligocene in age. Nice finds! 

 

 

Thank you! I will definitely look into their database.

[crabfossilsteve]

As RB indicated, your last pic is of some Callianassa claws (ghost shrimp) and the previous pic is of a partial crab carapace, not sure, but could be a Mursia crab.  Cool.