KansasFossilHunter Posted November 19, 2011 Share Posted November 19, 2011 Here is my collection of fossils from the Niobrara chalk of western Kansas (Gove, Logan and Trego counties). This is by far my favorite formation, I have tried to learn as much as possible, and seem to have pretty good luck here. Hope you enjoy my pictures and leave lots of comments! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KansasFossilHunter Posted November 19, 2011 Author Share Posted November 19, 2011 Fish I I think that I’ll start things off with a bang: This is a Pachyrizodus minimus, a predatory fish that was about 1-3 feet long. I was quite inexperienced when I found this about three years ago so; it wasn’t collected as well as it could have. It broke into pieces, and was stowed in my collection for a couple years, later when I felt I had the experience, I started the preparation. It broke into three pieces, like a book one direction, splitting the fossil into two pieces, into really thin pieces and one big piece. After about a month of on and off preparation, I finally finished it….. The finish product is quite cool, this specimen is one of the smallest I’ve seen, also in one of the tail pictures you can see a coprolite, where one might expect to find one. The skull has some very tiny teeth in it, while the body has many nice scales preserved. This is one of the best in my collection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KansasFossilHunter Posted November 19, 2011 Author Share Posted November 19, 2011 Fish II Next I’ll show off my fish vertebrae, fish are my favorite animals. From upper left to lower right (Gillicus, Cimolichthys, large Ichthyodectid, Pachyrizodus caninus, Saurodon, Pachyrizodus minimus, Xiphactinus, Part of the first large Ichthyodectid, Mystery fish, Gillicus, Bananogmius, and Enchodus, with calcite infillings.) (And a big section of a Gillicus fish, in the second picture) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KansasFossilHunter Posted November 19, 2011 Author Share Posted November 19, 2011 Mosasaurs I have very few Mosasur remains, only a rib and these two vertebrae..... But man, they are soooooo cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KansasFossilHunter Posted November 19, 2011 Author Share Posted November 19, 2011 Fish III Tails, tails, tails, are one of the more common fossils found, so I have many… Tail 1-, Bananogmius Tail 2- Enchodus Tail 3- Cimolichthys Tails 4-5-6- Gillicus Tails 7 and 8-Mystery fishes found near Hill City, these fish were fossilized together. I do not currently know the Genus. There are some very thin spines with of the tails, zoom to take a look… (They are displayed as found) Tail 9- This is special tail, it was my first find from the chalk, it also is Gillicus Tail 10- This was my first plaster job, it turned out nice. I think that is Enchodus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KansasFossilHunter Posted November 19, 2011 Author Share Posted November 19, 2011 Fish IIII Apsopelix- From Oceans of Kansas “Apsopelix anglicus (less than 1.5 ft) was a small, relatively uncommon fish from the Late Cretaceous, with a wide distribution. It was first described by F. Dixon in 1850.” The first one is a very nice skull from the upper chalk, and the second is cool because it appears to be dorsal-ventrally preserved (fossilized face first with the fins out) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KansasFossilHunter Posted November 19, 2011 Author Share Posted November 19, 2011 Turtles Toxochelys- Upper arm bones from a turtle that would have been about a foot and in diameter, and a Ctenochelys flipper. Some turtles from Kansas could grow to the size a Volkswagen beetle! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted November 19, 2011 Share Posted November 19, 2011 I am enthralled with Niobrara chalk fossils; they are so different from anything in my experience. "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KansasFossilHunter Posted November 19, 2011 Author Share Posted November 19, 2011 Fish V Xiphactinus- pectoral fin from a fairly large x-fish, and a jaw Gillicus- this is a scavenged, ripped apart fossilized leftover meal, I can only distinguish several vert. an operculum (gill covering) the pectoral fins, and TONS of scales. Little fish- I don’t know what these are, but little fish like this are rare. Also this mystery bone - is it a fin, tail, or something else. I don’t know, do you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KansasFossilHunter Posted November 19, 2011 Author Share Posted November 19, 2011 Other My collection of fish coprolites, a rare piece of wood (which had to fall into the ocean float out, sink, and THEN become fossilized). A section of giant clam which shows invertebrate feeding traces (cirripids) and last, the growth of oysters which grew on the outsides of the giant clams, which I put together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KansasFossilHunter Posted November 19, 2011 Author Share Posted November 19, 2011 Teeth From left to right (Mosasaurs, shark vertebrae, Ptychodus, Xiphactinus, Cretoxyrhina, and Squalicorax, in the other pictureEnchodus, this massive pair of Enchodus teeth measure 2 inches long Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KansasFossilHunter Posted November 19, 2011 Author Share Posted November 19, 2011 And finally, I saved the best for last……… Fish in Clams!!!! These are my favorite by far… The best of my fish in clams HERE, The first picture, on this page, is the top of the big clam (See link), the second picture is the rest of the clam the eel was found with, (Kansius), three are pieces I picked up over the years, and the last picture are three Caproberyx fish in yet another clam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lloyd Posted November 19, 2011 Share Posted November 19, 2011 Nice pictures. Thanks for giving us a look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitchu Posted November 19, 2011 Share Posted November 19, 2011 Really cool, really like the turtle material. Do you do all your own prep work? Really quality stuff you have there! I take it Fish material is mostly what you find? Is it rather common out that way? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KansasFossilHunter Posted November 20, 2011 Author Share Posted November 20, 2011 Really cool, really like the turtle material. Do you do all your own prep work? Really quality stuff you have there! I take it Fish material is mostly what you find? Is it rather common out that way? Thanks! yep, all my own prep work, fish like Gillicus are fairly common. -Kris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foshunter Posted November 20, 2011 Share Posted November 20, 2011 I have fish envy, very nice collection, thanks for sharing--Tom Grow Old Kicking And Screaming !!"Don't Tread On Me" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitchu Posted November 20, 2011 Share Posted November 20, 2011 Well really great prep work! Pieces look amazing. I've never really had to prep something like that, best I can do is an ech an acid bath. Besides something like that...........well lets just say im breaking a bone either way haha. Anyhow, really great stuff! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeDOTB Posted November 20, 2011 Share Posted November 20, 2011 Wow, thanks for posting, a lot of amazing finds and prep work! DO, or do not. There is no try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharkbyte Posted November 20, 2011 Share Posted November 20, 2011 That is really quite an impressive collection you have there. Thanks for allowing us to enjoy it as well. Bobby "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Confucius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilDAWG Posted November 20, 2011 Share Posted November 20, 2011 Great collection! We find many of the same species in the chalk in Alabama, but almost always as disarticulated bones. There are large inoceramid clams in places, but I have never heard of anyone finding articulated fish in them. Maybe I have to look harder! Is the area around Monument and Castle Rocks accessible for collecting, or is this private property that you have arranged permission to hunt on? In Alabama there is basically no land that you can just walk on and collect, there is always a lot of leg work to get permission from property owners. Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KansasFossilHunter Posted November 20, 2011 Author Share Posted November 20, 2011 Great collection! We find many of the same species in the chalk in Alabama, but almost always as disarticulated bones. There are large inoceramid clams in places, but I have never heard of anyone finding articulated fish in them. Maybe I have to look harder! Is the area around Monument and Castle Rocks accessible for collecting, or is this private property that you have arranged permission to hunt on? In Alabama there is basically no land that you can just walk on and collect, there is always a lot of leg work to get permission from property owners. Don Thanks! It's not ok to hunt at monument rocks, its a national natural landmark, but at castle rock ,as long as you dont dig too much,its ok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaleoPutz Posted November 20, 2011 Share Posted November 20, 2011 Great photos... I have a couple large jackets I need to work on myself. I was able to collect, and identify them tentatively, thanks to graciousness of this forum membership. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KansasFossilHunter Posted November 20, 2011 Author Share Posted November 20, 2011 Great photos... I have a couple large jackets I need to work on myself. I was able to collect, and identify them tentatively, thanks to graciousness of this forum membership. Thanks! Sounds cool, can we see some Pics? It's always cool to see what comes out of the chalk. -Kris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grokfish Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 Very nice! Makes me want to get out to the chalks ASAP! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixgill pete Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 Amazing finds. Thanks for showing them to us!! 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 May 2016 May 2012 Aug 2013, May 2016, Apr 2020 Oct 2022 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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