Xiphactinus Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 Auspex (anyone else chime in too) - Phil Currie saw this awhile back and ID'd it as Ichthyornis. Your thoughts? (Niobrara Chalk, Kansas) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest N.AL.hunter Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 I sure ain't going to outguess Phil Currie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 Maybe, but three things bother me: >The teeth of Icthyornis angle back rather acutely. This fossil (while this feature could be obscured by the state of preservation) looks like the teeth emerge obliquely. >The teeth of Icthyornis are closely spaced; these are not. (Unless every other tooth in this fossil is missing and the sockets filled in). >If I am correctly extrapolating the complete size of the full jaw, it seems rather large for Icthyornis. This said, I have to admit that I don't know what it is; Phil Currie should know... (although even O.C. Marsh initially mistook a jaw that was associated with the first Icthyornis fossil as being that of a juvenile marine lizard. Where is this fossil? I'd love to study it! 1 "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...
Xiphactinus Posted August 15, 2008 Author Share Posted August 15, 2008 Auspex - You have some of the same concerns I do.... Currie seemed confident of his ID (he was in STL for a dino-fest at the St. Louis Science Center when we showed it to him.) We brought it to a book signing and asked him if he could ID a fossil for us. He sighed and said "Sure." (I'm sure expecting a goofy rock). We handed it to him and he got an excited gleam in his eye and his next words were, "Where's the rest of it!?" Unfortunately, that's all we found. Length as preserved is about 1" Yes, it looks like there is an empty socket for every other tooth. The tips of each tooth were missing. It's in our private collection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 ...Yes, it looks like there is an empty socket for every other tooth. This is what I couldn't make out on my lousy laptop screen. Accepting obscuring wear and a miscalculation of the complete jaw's size, I think you may just have the real deal! The only Icthyornis material I have is a single toe bone. Maybe someday we'll cross paths and I'll get to see it. "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...
Auspex Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 A new Kansas State Motto: "Chalk, it isn't just for hop-scotch anymore!" "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...
Xiphactinus Posted August 15, 2008 Author Share Posted August 15, 2008 This is what I couldn't make out on my lousy laptop screen. Accepting obscuring wear and a miscalculation of the complete jaw's size, I think you may just have the real deal! The only Icthyornis materian I have is a single toe bone. Maybe someday we'll cross paths and I'll get to see it. Cool! Any time you (or anyone on the forum, for that matter) is in the St. Louis area, PM me. Always glad to talk fossils, show off the goodies and bend an elbow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 In these pictures both the bone and teeth, appear to be very "fish-like". 1 KOF, Bill. Welcome to the forum, all new members www.ukfossils check it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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