flipper559 Posted December 28, 2022 Share Posted December 28, 2022 (edited) The fossil of the month does not yet include a Mazon Creek fossil, nor a plant fossil !! This one covers both of those categories !! This concretion was found in the spring of 2022, and opened on the 4th of Dec. 2022. 6 1/2 inch fern !! Date of Discovery : Opened December 4 , 2022 Scientific or Common name : Fern Geologic Age / Formation : Pennsylvanian, Francis Creek Shale , Mazon Creek Fossil State/region found : Illinois, Grundy county, Mazon Creek region Edited December 28, 2022 by flipper559 16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SomethingIsFishy Posted December 28, 2022 Share Posted December 28, 2022 Cool! Nice to finally see a plant. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted December 28, 2022 Author Share Posted December 28, 2022 That there is the Clovis Point of fern concretions. Cheers. -Ken 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SomethingIsFishy Posted December 28, 2022 Share Posted December 28, 2022 There is one reward for vertebrates and another one for plants/invertebrates right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flipper559 Posted December 28, 2022 Share Posted December 28, 2022 Just now, SomethingIsFishy said: There is one reward for vertebrates and another one for plants/invertebrates right? Yes sir !! That's how it works !! Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SomethingIsFishy Posted December 28, 2022 Share Posted December 28, 2022 Thanks! I just joined TFF yesterday so I am new to this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted December 28, 2022 Author Share Posted December 28, 2022 ...and one for penguins. Breaking out inverts/plants from the shadow of things with backbones years ago helped to allow some stunning non-vert entries capture some drool-worthy honors. We get periodic requests for more categories to allow more entries a chance. We've held firm on any further categorizing mainly due to the fact that we receive around a dozen entries in total in most months with a bit more than that when the weather allows more folks to be out hunting. Too many categories reduces all competition and results in a "trophies for all" type result. Keep in mind that "winning" the contest should not really be the absolute most important thing. We've always hoped this this little competitive corner of the forum would be a wonderful showcase of the special specimens found each month--a place to share drool-worthy finds. Hopefully, the real prize is the addition of a top-shelf display case kind of find to your collection and the digital award badge is merely a reminder of that and not the entire goal. The current entries (and any we get in the next few days) will make another enviable slate of options upon which we'll have to vote. The fossils of the creatures with backbones will be separated from those without (especially if they contain chlorophyll) and we'll have our chance to award one last winner in each category for 2022. Then, soon after, this year's winners will have a bit of a run-off for the Fossil Of The Year competition coming in the new year. Cheers. -Ken 1 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SomethingIsFishy Posted December 28, 2022 Share Posted December 28, 2022 Thanks!! Sounds good. I think that penguin fossil is going to win fossil of the year. That fossil is so cool!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted December 28, 2022 Author Share Posted December 28, 2022 But I hope it doesn't put a damper on additional entries. The FOTM section of our forum is a place where the best finds of our members get aggregated and archived. I've occasionally scanned back through the entries and winners from years past to see what enviable fossils now reside in our member's collections. I've also used it to educate myself as to what types of fossils are being found in different areas. Absolutely no guarantee that I could hunt in similar locations and come away with specimens of matching quality but it does let you know it is possible. Cheers. -Ken P.S.: Anybody have a walrus fossil from this month? 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Top Trilo Posted December 28, 2022 Share Posted December 28, 2022 1 hour ago, digit said: I've occasionally scanned back through the entries and winners from years past to see what enviable fossils now reside in our member's collections. I have too, mostly looking for cool fossils to draw. There is such a variety of really amazing fossils in these FOTM threads, even the ones that don't win. 1 “If fossils are not "boggling" your mind then you are simply not doing it right” -Ken (digit) "No fossil is garbage, it´s just not completely preserved” -Franz (FranzBernhard) "With hammer in hand, the open horizon of time, and dear friends by my side, what can we not accomplish together?" -Kane (Kane) "We are in a way conquering time, reuniting members of a long lost family" -Quincy (Opabinia Blues) "I loved reading the trip reports, I loved the sharing, I loved the educational aspect, I loved the humor. It felt like home. It still does" -Mike (Pagurus) “The best deal I ever got was getting accepted as a member on The Fossil Forum. Not only got an invaluable pool of knowledge, but gained a loving family as well.” -Doren (caldigger) "it really is nice, to visit the oasis that is TFF" -Tim (fossildude19) "Life's Good! -Adam (Tidgy's Dad) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jared C Posted December 28, 2022 Share Posted December 28, 2022 (edited) Well, seeing @mamlambo's penguin really stirred the pot! Though it's nearly audacious to suggest one now, may I humbly present a competitor? This is the plesiosaur found while @Ptychodus04 was giving me my first north texas tour. In January, I will be returning in an effort to find the rest of the skeleton, but for now, enjoy this block of verts, the only fossiliferous block extracted from the dig so far. When excavation and prep is complete, I'll be donating it. The folks at SMU are optimistic that it's a Polycotylid. Date of Discovery: Found in July, bulk of prep completed Dec 8-15 Scientific and/or Common Name: unidentified plesiosaur (perhaps a Polycotylid) Geologic Age or Geologic Formation: Eagle Ford formation, cenomanian (95 myo) State, Province, or Region Found: Texas Edited December 28, 2022 by Jared C clarification 16 “Not only is the universe stranger than we think, it is stranger than we can think” -Werner Heisenberg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meganeura Posted December 28, 2022 Share Posted December 28, 2022 (edited) 1 minute ago, Jared C said: Well, seeing @mamlambo's penguin really stirred the pot! Though it's nearly audacious to suggest one now, may I humbly present a competitor? This is the plesiosaur found while @Ptychodus04 was giving me my first north texas tour. In January, I will be returning in an effort to find the rest of the skeleton, but for now, enjoy this block of verts, the only one to be extracted from the dig so far. When excavation and prep is complete, I'll be donating it. The folks at SMU are optimistic that it's a Polycotylid. Date of Discovery: Found in July, bulk of prep completed Dec 8-15 Scientific and/or Common Name: unidentified plesiosaur (perhaps a Polycotylid) Geologic Age or Geologic Formation: Eagle Ford formation, cenomanian (95 myo) State, Province, or Region Found: Texas At this point I know that if I see the "@Jared C has commented on FOTM" notification pop up, I'll be seeing something amazing. @digit Can I suggest a Jared C FOTM alongside the Penguin FOTM poll? Those verts are awesome though, what an awesome find! Edited December 28, 2022 by Meganeura 2 1 Fossils? I dig it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SomethingIsFishy Posted December 28, 2022 Share Posted December 28, 2022 That plesiosaur is cool! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon Posted December 28, 2022 Share Posted December 28, 2022 This is definitely making it a difficult one to call for me, seeing as the simple fact that @Jared C's entry is marine reptile, which scores points with me just on that alone! Amazing fossil! 1 1 1 'There's nothing like millions of years of really frustrating trial and error to give a species moral fibre and, in some cases, backbone' -- Terry Pratchett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikrogeophagus Posted December 29, 2022 Share Posted December 29, 2022 We've got a real heavyweight battle! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SomethingIsFishy Posted December 29, 2022 Share Posted December 29, 2022 And I though my entry was good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FranzBernhard Posted December 29, 2022 Share Posted December 29, 2022 (edited) 4 hours ago, SomethingIsFishy said: And I thought my entry was good! It is very good! But sometimes, strange things happen...! As already said, its not about winning, its about showing off, enjoying fossils and some education. Franz Bernhard Edited December 29, 2022 by FranzBernhard 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDiggs Posted December 30, 2022 Share Posted December 30, 2022 At this point I'd be actually mad if anyone voted for it but I've been meaning to upload a candidate since I found it on Dec. 6th just because I'm so obsessed with ground sloths and I love finding even the smallest bits. ID'd as a maxillary molariform. • December, 6th, 2022 • Megalonyx, (Possibly Jeffersonii) • Pleistocene, Beaumont Formation • Texas, Fort Bend County 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor Mud Posted December 30, 2022 Share Posted December 30, 2022 On 12/28/2022 at 2:26 PM, flipper559 said: The fossil of the month does not yet include a Mazon Creek fossil, nor a plant fossil !! This one covers both of those categories !! This concretion was found in the spring of 2022, and opened on the 4th of Dec. 2022. 6 1/2 inch fern !! Date of Discovery : Opened December 4 , 2022 Scientific or Common name : Fern Geologic Age / Formation : Pennsylvanian, Francis Creek Shale , Mazon Creek Fossil State/region found : Illinois, Grundy county, Mazon Creek region Ooooh that’s really nice! How many freeze thaws till that one popped? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor Mud Posted December 30, 2022 Share Posted December 30, 2022 On 12/18/2022 at 4:35 AM, LiamL said: • Date of Discovery (month, day, year) 05/12/2022 Prepared 17/12/2022 By Malcolm Sharp • Scientific and/or Common Name Pseudolioceras lythense • Geologic Age or Geologic Formation Upper Lias, Lower Jurassic • State, Province, or Region Found Whitby, Yorkshire Coast • Photos of Find As Found What a beauty! And nice prep too 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor Mud Posted December 30, 2022 Share Posted December 30, 2022 On 12/23/2022 at 8:23 AM, EPIKLULSXDDDDD said: It's a longshot, but here's my personal fossil of the month. I revisited an old Pawpaw site (where the ammonite in my pfp came from). I was worried it would be developed while I was gone, but it seems construction was slow. Not only that, but the site is 100x more productive since then! There were ammonites and crustacean bits everywhere. This specimen is my most detailed crab carapace from the hunt. I believe it's Xanthosia wintoni, but I have also seen the name Feldmannia wintoni and others thrown around as well. The carapace is only 15mm by 9mm, yet it is still extremely detailed. The face is especially well preserved. I think picking up blue crab from the market earlier that day gave me good luck Date of Discovery: December 21, 2022 Scientific and/or Common name: Feldmannia wintoni carapace Geological Age and Formation: Pawpaw, Upper Albian of the Cretaceous Location: Tarrant County, TX Amazing - and that you managed to spot this little beauty. So we’ll preserved! Did you have to prep it? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikrogeophagus Posted December 31, 2022 Share Posted December 31, 2022 @Doctor MudJust a toothbrush and water thankfully Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flipper559 Posted December 31, 2022 Share Posted December 31, 2022 3 hours ago, Doctor Mud said: Ooooh that’s really nice! How many freeze thaws till that one popped? That one took about 15-18 cycles. Rock On !! Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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