March 2023 - Finds of the Month Entries

[digit]

REMINDER: PLEASE carefully read ALL of the rules below.

Make sure you include all the required information, IN THE REQUESTED FORMAT (below) when you submit your fossil! 

If you have a question about a possible entry, please send me a PM.

Please pay special attention to Rule #5: 

Before and After Preparation Photos must be submitted for prepped specimens NOT  found during the Month of the Contest.

In addition to keeping the contest fair, this new qualification will encourage better documentation of our spectacular past finds.

Entries will be taken until 11:59:00 PM EDT on MARCH 31, 2022

Any fossil submitted after that time, even if the topic is still open, will be deemed ineligible! 

 

Only entries posted with CLEAR photos and that meet the other guidelines will be placed into the Poll. 

Photos of the winning specimens may be posted to TFF's Facebook page.

 

Please let us know if you have any questions, and thanks for sharing more of your fossils and research this month.

 

Shortly after the end of the Month, separate Polls will be created for the Vertebrate and Invertebrate/Plant Find of the Month.

 

In addition to the fun of a contest, we also want to learn more about the fossils. 

Tell us more about your fossil, and why you think it is worthy of the honor. 

To view the Winning Fossils from past contests visit the Find Of The Month Winner's Gallery.

 

Now, go find your fossil, do your research, and make an entry!
Best of success to all, and good hunting!

 

***********************************

Rules for The Fossil Forum's Vertebrate and Invertebrate/Plant Find of the Month Contests

1. Find a great Vertebrate Fossil or Invertebrate/Plant Fossil! Only fossils found personally by you are allowed. NO PURCHASED FOSSILS.
2. Post your entry in the Find of the Month topic. Use a separate post for each entry. (Only two entries per member per contest category.)
3. Your fossil must have been found during the Month of the Contest, or Significant Preparation * of your fossil must have been completed during the Month of the Contest.
4. You must include the Date of Discovery (when found in the contest month); or the Date of Preparation Completion and Date of Discovery (if not found in the contest month).
5. Before and After Preparation photos must be submitted for prepped specimens not found during the Month of the Contest. Please make sure you arrange for photos if someone else is preparing your fossil find and completes the prep requirements in the contest month.
6. You must include the Common and/or Scientific Name.
7. You must include the Geologic Age or Geologic Formation where the fossil was found.
8. You must include the State, Province, or region where the fossil was found.
9. You must include CLEAR, cropped, well-lit images (maximum 4 images). If you are proud enough of your fossil to submit it for FOTM, spend some time to take good photos to show off your fossil.
10. Play fair and honest. No bought fossils. No false claims.

 

* Significant Preparation = Substantial work to reveal and/or repair important diagnostic features, resulting in a dramatic change in the look of the fossil. The qualification of Significant Preparation is decided at the discretion of staff. Any doubts as to the eligibility of the entry will be discussed directly with the entrant.

 

******* Please use the following format for the required information: *******

• Date of Discovery  (month, day, year) 

• Scientific and/or Common Name

• Geologic Age or Geologic Formation

• State, Province, or Region Found

• Photos of Find

 

 

(Please limit to 4 clear, cropped, and well-lit images.)

(If prepped, before and after photos are required, please.)

[FranzBernhard]

One week and no entry, will start it off with a Miocene snail. Aperture is missing a piece, so pic only from the back side .

Found: 05/03/2023

Name: Melongena cornuta (Agassiz, 1843)

Age and Formation: Langhian/Badenian, Miocene - "Florianer Schichten", Styrian Basin

Site: Fuggaberg-3, St. Josef, Styria, Austria

 

Some background info: Found it three days ago during slight overburden removal work at a well known site. This was the stage of digging, when the snail simply appeared:

 

Snail as found in the field:

 

End of overburden work, fossil layer with mainly Granulolabium bicinctum is now exposed again:

 

Overview of the site with parts east and west:

 

About 50 m away from the site:

Franz Bernhard

Edited March 8 by FranzBernhard

[LiamL]

• Date of Discovery  (month, day, year)       - 28th Feb, Received back from prep yesterday 13/03/2023

 

• Scientific and/or Common Name              - Oxynoticeras simpsoni

• Geologic Age or Geologic Formation       -  Lower Lias, Oxynotum biozone

• State, Province, or Region Found             -  Yorkshire Coast, Boggle Hole 

• Photos of Find

 

As Found

 

 

Prepared by Malcom Sharp

 

[BobWill]

This Upper Pennsylvanian brachiopod from the Lost Creek Dam site in Jacksboro Texas is preserved opened up, with a big smile and a rare look at it's brachidium which is the lophophore support structure.

 

• Date of Discovery:  March 11, 2023

• Scientific Name:  Composita subtilita

• Geologic Formation:  Finis Shale member, Graham formation, Virgil Series, Pennsylvanian sub-period

• State:  Jack County, Texas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[digit]

43 minutes ago, BobWill said:

preserved opened up, with a big smile and a rare look at it's brachidium

Now there's something you don't see every day.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[Tidgy's Dad]

On 3/13/2023 at 6:23 PM, BobWill said:

This Upper Pennsylvanian brachiopod from the Lost Creek Dam site in Jacksboro Texas is preserved opened up, with a big smile and a rare look at it's brachidium which is the lophophore support structure.

 

• Date of Discovery:  March 11, 2023

• Scientific Name:  Composita subtilita

• Geologic Formation:  Finis Shale member, Graham formation, Virgil Series, Pennsylvanian sub-period

• State:  Jack County, Texas

An excellent and beautiful example of the anterior angled spiralia of an athyrid. 

[BobWill]

On 3/15/2023 at 10:02 AM, Tidgy's Dad said:

An excellent and beautiful example of the anterior angled spiralia of an athyrid. 

Thanks. I tried cleaning it up a little for a glamour-shot but found the brachidia was almost as fragile as the matrix so I'm leaving it alone for now so I don't damage it any more. 

 

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

1 hour ago, BobWill said:

Thanks. I tried cleaning it up a little for a glamour-shot but found the brachidia was almost as fragile as the matrix so I'm leaving it alone for now so I don't damage it any more. 

 

Yes, very fragile and best left alone. 

Terebratulid loops are the same, I think you'd need specialist equipment and experience, they're so delicate. 

[Meganeura]

So I know I won last month but I found this last weekend and I really just couldn’t pass up the chance… As not only is it my first Mammoth tooth chunk, but it’s my first entire tooth! Found in 2 pieces within 5 feet of each other, preserved, and then expoxied back together. Measuring 10.7” long - this would’ve been the last lower left molar this Mammoth would’ve had, coming from its last set of 6 tooth sets. I am working on filling in the gap left by the missing dentine.

 

Date of Discovery:  March 11, 2023

Scientific Name:  Mammuthus columbi - Columbian Mammoth, lower left molar

Geologic Formation: Undifferentiated Pleistocene Sands

State: Hardee County, Florida

 

 

Edited March 16 by Meganeura

[Thomas1982]

12 hours ago, Meganeura said:

So I know I won last month but I found this last weekend and I really just couldn’t pass up the chance… As not only is it my first Mammoth tooth chunk, but it’s my first entire tooth! Found in 2 pieces within 5 feet of each other, preserved, and then expoxied back together. Measuring 10.7” long - this would’ve been the last lower left molar this Mammoth would’ve had, coming from its last set of 6 tooth sets. I am working on filling in the gap left by the missing dentine.

 

Date of Discovery:  March 11, 2023

Scientific Name:  Mammuthus columbi - Columbian Mammoth, lower left molar

Geologic Formation: Undifferentiated Pleistocene Sands

State: Hardee County, Florida

 

 

 

WOW!!  That's a dream find! 

[Nimravis]

@Meganeura Daniel- that is a big one, great find.

[CDiggs]

22 hours ago, Meganeura said:

So I know I won last month but I found this last weekend and I really just couldn’t pass up the chance…

Who cares if you just won, keep these awesome finds rolling!!

[Meganeura]

8 minutes ago, CDiggs said:

Who cares if you just won, keep these awesome finds rolling!!

I just wanted to brag, really - got lucky enough to get the biggest possible tooth! But thank ya!

[cngodles]

Not a fantastic find, but it cleaned up nicely. There is a punky/soft edge to these limestone boulders, and if a specimen is sitting in the right spot, you can recover it in this shape. What you see below is a steinkern. I did a bunch of field carving with a battery angle grinder to get it back in one piece. The fossil in the body chamber is simply a bivalve, not an aptychus. Metacoceras Hyatt 1883 is the most common coiled cephalopod from this location.

 

• Date of Discovery:  March 16, 2023 

• Scientific and/or Common Name: Metacoceras

• Geologic Age or Geologic Formation: Late Pennsylvanian, Kasimovian, Conemaugh Group, Glenshaw Formation, Brush Creek limestone

• State, Province, or Region Found: Armstrong County, Pennsylvania

• Photos of Find:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 21 by cngodles

[DatFossilBoy]

My first trilobite finds ever! 

Date of discovery: 20/03/2023

Scientific name: Ogyginus corndensis

Age and location : Lower-Middle Ordovician,

Upper Gilwern Quarry

Region: Llandrindod Wells, Powys

Country: Wales

Size: 2cm

 

[Meganeura]

39 minutes ago, DatFossilBoy said:

My first trilobite finds ever! 

Date of discovery: 20/03/2023

Scientific name: Ogyginus corndensis

Age and location : Lower-Middle Ordovician,

Upper Gilwern Quarry

Region: Llandrindod Wells, Powys

Country: Wales

Size: 2cm

 

76 kB · 1 download

For a first, that one is awesome! Congratulations!

[DatFossilBoy]

Second entry: 

Date of discovery: 20/03/2023

Scientific name: Bethonolithus chamberlaini

Age and location : Lower-Middle Ordovician,

Upper Gilwern Quarry

Region: Llandrindod Wells, Powys

Country: Wales

Size: 1cm

 

[cngodles]

This fossil is my first Glikmanius tooth (thank you to @connorp for helping me identify the genus). It's the fourth type of shark tooth I've found over four years. When I first held it, the matrix filled the entire root plate, and I thought it was a weird-looking smashed horn coral. I was delighted later that I was wrong. There are two buttons on the oral−lingual side, but one pair of lateral cusps is missing. There is still a matrix on the side with a remaining part of lateral cusps, but a hairline fracture prevents me from trying to clear it out. The central cusp is broken, but I am thankful to see an example of this form of tooth up close.

 

• Date of Discovery:  March 22, 2023 

• Scientific and/or Common Name: Glikmanius sp.

• Geologic Age or Geologic Formation: Late Pennsylvanian, Kasimovian, Conemaugh Group, Glenshaw Formation, Pine Creek limestone

• State, Province, or Region Found: Armstrong County, Pennsylvania

• Photos of Find:

 

 

 

Scale bar = 5 mm.

 

 

[Jared C]

• Date of Discovery:  February 18, prepped March 7th 

• Scientific and/or Common Name: Unknown crab claw

• Geologic Age or Geologic Formation: 41.8myo, Upper Lutetian stage of the Eocene

• State, Province, or Region Found: Whiskey Bridge, TX

 

Unfortunately have not moved in on an ID yet. There's some reading to do on crabs of the time and area, but none that I've been able to find pictures of match well with what I have. This find is special because it comes from matrix rather than a concretion, which is rare for the area. 

[Meganeura]

2 hours ago, Jared C said:

• Date of Discovery:  February 18, prepped March 7th 

• Scientific and/or Common Name: Unknown crab claw

• Geologic Age or Geologic Formation: 41.8myo, Upper Lutetian stage of the Eocene

• State, Province, or Region Found: Whiskey Bridge, TX

 

Unfortunately have not moved in on an ID yet. There's some reading to do on crabs of the time and area, but none that I've been able to find pictures of match well with what I have. This find is special because it comes from matrix rather than a concretion, which is rare for the area. 

I love how much detail is still preserved there!

[MikeR]

On 3/20/2023 at 9:00 PM, cngodles said:

Not a fantastic find, but it cleaned up nicely. There is a punky/soft edge to these limestone boulders, and if a specimen is sitting in the right spot, you can recover it in this shape. What you see below is a steinkern. I did a bunch of field carving with a battery angle grinder to get it back in one piece. The fossil in the body chamber is simply a bivalve, not an aptychus. Metacoceras Hyatt 1883 is the most common coiled cephalopod from this location.

 

• Date of Discovery:  March 16, 2023 

• Scientific and/or Common Name: Metacoceras

• Geologic Age or Geologic Formation: Late Pennsylvanian, Kasimovian, Conemaugh Group, Glenshaw Formation, Brush Creek limestone

• State, Province, or Region Found: Armstrong County, Pennsylvania

• Photos of Find:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nice Aviculopecten as well.

[cngodles]

I might as well stuff the ballot for the month. This is my second invertebrate submission. 

 

Schistoceras or any Pennsylvanian ammonoid is a rare find over here in Pennsylvania. The Appalachian basin would fill with sea water during warm periods, but would act more as a bay rather than the environment closer to the continental shelfs of the day. Mapes et al. (1997) reported that while there were approximately 60,000 invertebrate fossils collected from Ohio, only 276 of them were ammonoids. One theory on why ammonoid forms evolved is the advantage of the sutured camerae. The spacing between sutures reduced, withstanding the higher pressure of deeper dives and increasing the chance of surviving punctures of the shell itself. Perhaps ammonoids lived in and preferred deeper waters, and thus more Nautiloids would migrate to and thrive in the shallower basin. Whichever the reason, these are rare to find in any shape.

 

The shells of Nautiloids are thicker; recovered Metacoceras and Domatoceras have shells thicker in comparison to finds like these.

 

• Date of Discovery:  March 25, 2023 

• Scientific and/or Common Name: Schistoceras sp.

• Geologic Age or Geologic Formation: Late Pennsylvanian, Kasimovian, Conemaugh Group, Glenshaw Formation, Pine Creek limestone

• State, Province, or Region Found: Armstrong County, Pennsylvania

• Photos of Find:

 

 

 

Scale bar = 1 cm.

 

 

Edited Monday at 02:02 AM by cngodles
text

[Collector9658]

Here is another Pennsylvanian brachiopod for your consideration.

 

Date of Discovery: August 27, 2022; preparation started and finished on March 25, 2023.

• Scientific Name: Composita sp.

• Geologic Formation: Deer Creek Formation, Pennsylvanian.

• State: Missouri

 

Edited Tuesday at 07:55 PM by Collector9658