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97myo Shark Teeth, Urchins, Corals, Crab Claws, and Brittlestar & Starfish Fragments in the Grayson Marl of North Texas


Aidan Campos

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On Wednesday, November 30th, I took yet another trip to my micromorph spot in the Graysonites wacoense Zone of the Grayson Marl Formation, Washita Group of north Texas (Lower Cenomanian, ~97mya), laterally equivalent to the Waco Pit in the Del Rio Fm. further south. This time I focused mainly on looking for shark teeth which was a massive success, and I ended up finding a few new species to add to my faunal list for this location as well. 
 

The first find of the day was this nice small lateral Cretalamna catoxodon (Otodontidae) shark tooth, the most common shark species at this site: 7E97D384-6F3A-4B06-982A-A36D9FA15E1C.thumb.jpeg.925b39bb32340eaaad2cd940387b638c.jpeg

 

Ex situ: 9A8A87BB-E664-4DDC-A581-1964D4EFF6D5.thumb.jpeg.7bef76476d807c8665186e8f71570eb2.jpeg

 

My second Haimirichia amonensis (Haimirichiidae) from the site: 2DED2582-1EA6-48EE-A098-068C3BA51F41.thumb.jpeg.db7bcd5076e0d81516f56a22573da71f.jpeg

 

Ex situ: 102452CB-97FE-497B-93DB-0B16ACA7C45D.thumb.jpeg.b9b9ba177325d829489b4933b82d15f6.jpeg

 

Cretalamna catoxodon (Otodontidae) with a broken root:E902F3BF-8D91-432F-9721-6787B5442343.thumb.jpeg.bd1ac8701487d649e2b506015dace321.jpeg

 

Cretalamna catoxodon (Otodontidae) with a broken crown: 37EDFFB1-564E-4890-9529-41BD2726D58A.thumb.jpeg.bb415c1e0499905ae4f6e29fb3f005fc.jpeg

 

Ophiura graysonensis (Ophiuridae) brittlestar arm fragment: 527CA366-0704-4D60-8329-25C8704C98A0.thumb.jpeg.d203c4591fdf226ebc82020d7ab97251.jpeg

 

Pagurus banderensis (Paguridae) hermit crab claw, new for the site: 5582E6B3-B91A-46A7-9B55-583CC1C90393.thumb.jpeg.01fbf788efceeff3fa948a7e16cef87e.jpeg

 

Ex situ:

7CF3752B-90D1-46AD-B49A-238CC3B545CC.thumb.jpeg.989e54e3ec2d30b22615af50da7339a2.jpeg

 

7204E2CE-05B8-40B5-959C-EED80EA71E9B.jpeg.a330491b6209adea0cbe4e092c0fa6bc.jpeg

 

Crateraster "sp. A" Blake & Reid, 1998 (Goniasteridae) starfish fragment, an unnamed species close to C. texensis, new to the site: 4DEF5E9C-6C00-4BA6-9A50-DC78F7B2CEC9.thumb.jpeg.a1e24295fb2c49dd6a061bb33aec9e1b.jpeg


Ex situ:

3482B22C-9FE6-4A7A-A303-4BBB79EB3423.thumb.jpeg.8686db7858f0738ee83bcd101d6b0c95.jpeg


One of three similar fish vertebra: 1B78BECE-7252-49B6-913B-767027937751.thumb.jpeg.061dfdf2456078068e54383c1e4a5641.jpeg

 

Small Goniophorus scotti (Goniophoridae) urchin: 8E9A5C68-2C19-4582-A736-9807C5B5C8A6.thumb.jpeg.59eca9d75bc3684f47282f219ae37b54.jpeg

 

86F6766A-A3C7-4D4D-BB63-954BAD6508B5.thumb.jpeg.b13423f9eef7c5a7aab9690a889b9045.jpeg

 

Cretalamna catoxodon (Otodontidae) tooth:30979D93-D424-43D2-98EA-D04DA60EBABC.thumb.jpeg.ca4414cac4f0874fc084b80093aeacd4.jpeg

 

Ex situ: 

D194D26D-58DC-4290-9A72-4240ECA6A1DF.thumb.jpeg.8085e9ccde785a2a237638ed470eec99.jpeg
 

Another C. catoxodon (Otodontidae): 

4B29751D-602C-4356-B5C5-9531C99F0C04.thumb.jpeg.0e39aab05a04d88331e09414f6739b54.jpeg
 

Ex situ:F50F6CBF-E1CD-4768-8AD0-C8E77FA90288.thumb.jpeg.617ddb498fd046590a0c7732327e4197.jpeg

 

Squalicorax sp. nov. (Anacoracidae) shark tooth, an unnamed species known from the Grayson/Del Rio Formation of Texas: 

010EDD59-56E1-4284-8392-603FD874247A.thumb.jpeg.d051710b5d52b052b26c53d6f21332a1.jpeg

 

Cretalamna catoxodon (Otodontidae) with a chipped crown: 

DD6669B7-AA8B-4E35-9B62-45403154024C.thumb.jpeg.70524c60f55202a7b9144c56a8b2c749.jpeg

 

Ex situ:

5331F2DA-1EB3-4014-9FF6-71254800C195.thumb.jpeg.48834be7a6357ab2189874e8fa6fe49a.jpeg


Goniophorus scotti (Goniophoridae) urchin: 48CFF194-1CC1-4B3B-AD2F-2BBC8B11D805.thumb.jpeg.6b87e07c1c4e4f4153e61d39d9fce683.jpeg

 

03374226-9884-4887-9AAD-6D6D7B765718.thumb.jpeg.0e4dc23818453d65b3cd547e424fcfae.jpeg

 

Another of the same undescribed Squalicorax (Anacoracidae): 15FEFA9A-CFAE-425C-93C1-BFCFECB54DDF.thumb.jpeg.e3e0181c463b7526575a3d4c55267526.jpeg

 

42DE33F4-8C58-45D7-9F93-3B0D130D3BB2.thumb.jpeg.211897c233c68445e1343d331ca6d4b6.jpeg

 

Ex situ:

5EBFE2BC-D1C0-4ACF-AD93-2F8E92330107.thumb.jpeg.585c96fa411ff348d800ff45a1ea38d2.jpeg

 

Graysonites wacoense (Acanthoceratidae) ammonite nucleus: 

15991412-0A90-4C48-97D1-2B41723320EF.thumb.jpeg.e80b5e3efeab698d7edd2f4e366bc1c7.jpeg

 

Shark vertebra: F1C634D7-11C1-4322-870D-147742C8E7C5.thumb.jpeg.44aa40960a6c1f4212b913d4e0b7e7c9.jpeg

 

A couple more Ophiura graysonensis (Ophiuridae) brittlestar arm fragments:FCB05B34-7A74-4CD2-8002-557767E07CEB.thumb.jpeg.b3e4f3a331c7e43ba1826d5ad2431cd0.jpeg

 

296F344F-15A2-4873-97B8-58D3E37B7A4E.thumb.jpeg.385135f77125bad2941be79048066886.jpeg
 

Enchodus sp. (Enchodontidae) fish fang: 

4297278B-2F32-48B4-B591-F0EEE3BAEF1D.thumb.jpeg.d94328e85f4363744f70b8d5269b1c42.jpeg

 

Ex situ: 216B4B6E-919B-4E28-9293-4FBAD1A02D9F.thumb.jpeg.5fe564d6f1eef4570827687691556942.jpeg

 

Most common fossil at this site, a progenic dwarf Mariella bosquensis (Turrilitidae) ammonite: 4797DD32-3FB1-4C99-B552-AE9F8C374935.thumb.jpeg.e2951df367332340fed9db344bcfc7a2.jpeg

 

And finally an ex situ photo of a few Parasmilia graysonensis (Caryophyliidae) coral: AF3E270C-3B13-48C4-9483-80E4AAB4E8D7.jpeg.7fb5b52cfa22993994d3c6e330cf0f0e.jpeg

Edited by Aidan Campos
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Really nice finds, Aidan.  :Smiling:

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The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true.  -  JJ

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Nice variety of finds there, Aidan.

Well done, sir.  :)

Thanks for posting.

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    Tim    -  VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

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excellent ex situ photos as well, what's your set up?

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“Not only is the universe stranger than we think, it is stranger than we can think” -Werner Heisenberg 

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What a lovely looking place to find fossils surface hunting. Love the in-situ imagery--thanks for taking us along with you on this fossil hunt. ;)

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

 

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Love all the before and after photos. 

What a super bunch of finds. 

Thank you for sharing. :)

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Life's Good!

Tortoise Friend.

MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png.a47e14d65deb3f8b242019b3a81d8160-1.png.60b8b8c07f6fa194511f8b7cfb7cc190.png

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This seems like a really great micro site. Thanks for sharing these wonderful finds. Great photos!

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I like Trilo-butts and I cannot lie.

 

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Nice finds and report. It proves that small fossils can be just as epic as their bigger counterparts! :thumbsu:

 

I’m intrigued by the brittle star arm fragments. Not something I see around my area. Would you mind sharing an “after” photo of them?

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The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it.  -Neil deGrasse Tyson

 

Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don't. -Bill Nye (The Science Guy)

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Great pics and documentation of your trip Aidan. I really love those Goniophorus scotti. 

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Bulldozers and dirt Bulldozers and dirt
behind the trailer, my desert
Them red clay piles are heaven on earth
I get my rocks off, bulldozers and dirt

Patterson Hood; Drive-By Truckers

 

image.png.0c956e87cee523facebb6947cb34e842.png May 2016  MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png.a47e14d65deb3f8b242019b3a81d8160.png.b42a25e3438348310ba19ce6852f50c1.png May 2012 IPFOTM5.png.fb4f2a268e315c58c5980ed865b39e1f.png.1721b8912c45105152ac70b0ae8303c3.png.2b6263683ee32421d97e7fa481bd418a.pngAug 2013, May 2016, Apr 2020 VFOTM.png.f1b09c78bf88298b009b0da14ef44cf0.png.af5065d0585e85f4accd8b291bf0cc2e.png.72a83362710033c9bdc8510be7454b66.png.9171036128e7f95de57b6a0f03c491da.png Oct 2022

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2 hours ago, Jared C said:

excellent ex situ photos as well, what's your set up?

Thanks! My setup currently is a Nikon D3500 with the Nikon 105mm f/2.8 macro lens and the Venus Laowa KX-800 twin flash with some cheap diffusers on each flash head. The expensive flash is not absolutely necessary, I do like the nice even lighting provided by the dual flash heads but a cheap overhead speedlite flash does very well too. For taking the photos I just use a matte black cloth some distance behind the subject (which can be a shirt or something like black felt) and then use flash to illuminate the subject while keeping the background dark. 

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1 hour ago, FossilNerd said:

I’m intrigued by the brittle star arm fragments. Not something I see around my area. Would you mind sharing an “after” photo of them?

Sure! Here are some photos of the nicest O. graysonensis fragments I’ve collected from the site: 

D4253264-2B71-4971-A342-76D23AB396E0.thumb.jpeg.33d205d85c14214c06594f4b62941510.jpeg
 

075B1050-F190-4C93-B168-A72215DECA26.thumb.jpeg.c939ce6df2c5b86350b3d5730e12d930.jpeg

 

8DD38A44-B6C7-47BE-BDFF-DE8F173B84C4.jpeg.0411ddec12de55a12c69c9036a806c56.jpeg

 

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I love all these! Those tiny urchins are so cute, and the colors on the shark teeth are amazing! Awesome finds!

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Fossils? I dig it. :meg:

 

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27 minutes ago, Aidan Campos said:

Sure! Here are some photos of the nicest O. graysonensis fragments I’ve collected from the site: 

D4253264-2B71-4971-A342-76D23AB396E0.thumb.jpeg.33d205d85c14214c06594f4b62941510.jpeg
 

075B1050-F190-4C93-B168-A72215DECA26.thumb.jpeg.c939ce6df2c5b86350b3d5730e12d930.jpeg

 

8DD38A44-B6C7-47BE-BDFF-DE8F173B84C4.jpeg.0411ddec12de55a12c69c9036a806c56.jpeg

 


 

Those are really neat! Thanks for taking the time to post another picture (or three!). :thumbsu:

Edited by FossilNerd
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The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it.  -Neil deGrasse Tyson

 

Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don't. -Bill Nye (The Science Guy)

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Wow these are so lovely! I like to think that the little stuff is overlooked and can be the best finds. Absolutely love the sea stars, urchins, and of course the sharks. In-situ pics are always the best! 

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Great finds, and even better photos!  Curious about something in one of your last pics.  What is the fragment to the 2-O'clock of the dwarf Mariella bosquensis?

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"There is no shortage of fossils. There is only a shortage of paleontologists to study them." - Larry Martin

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Excellent finds and trip report. Beautiful little specimens. I'm particularly fond of the brittle star arms, and, of course, the Pagurus claw. Thanks for posting.

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Start the day with a smile and get it over with.

 

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2 hours ago, hadrosauridae said:

What is the fragment to the 2-O'clock of the dwarf Mariella bosquensis?

That fossil is the interior side of a Plicatula incongrua clam valve. P. incongrua, together with Mariella bosquensis and Texigryphaea roemeri, make up most of the fossil material at the site. 

Edited by Aidan Campos
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