Jump to content

Suwannee River Fossil Id Help Needed


KarstRanger

Recommended Posts

post-638-1218901673_thumb.jpgpost-638-1218901732_thumb.jpgpost-638-1218901747_thumb.jpgpost-638-1218901761_thumb.jpg

From what I understand about the middle Suwannee river, these pieces originate in either the Eocene or Pliestocene eras.

I am pretty sure the first two photos are of an alligator or crocidile tooth, but I would like some help on this one.

The collage in the 3rd and 4th photos: Sorry for no measuring stick for reference, but the ray dental plate in the center is 1 3/8" X 1 5/8".

My ref shows a ray plate like this that is Miocene -- but it is likely some type of Eocene plate -- can someone provide the species name of this ray? Are the two bones at the top, some kind of whale vertebrae? They are from a very small whale, if so :D

The two vertebrae on the bottom are shark vertebrae? Any way to tell if they are very old or more recent?

Thanks for the help !!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ray plate looks like Aetobatus sp. or Myliobatis sp. I don't know if you get those there though.

KOF, Bill.

Welcome to the forum, all new members

www.ukfossils check it out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The ray is probably Myliobatis, Aetobatis has a sharper V shape.

The two pieces above that are too worn for me to tell anything more than a vert. Probably small whale / big dolphin.

The two at the bottom are small shark centra. I know some people can tell a fossil by tapping it on their tooth (supposedly sounds like a pebble hitting your tooth, modern would have a more hollow sound) correct me if I am wrong here.

It is possible the tooth is gator or croc. Does it have the 2 small cutting blades on the side? I know croc has that but do gators?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

gator has only two one on each side croc have multiple.

Not always it would seem. Here's a tooth, id'd as croc, from Herne Bay, Kent, England. Palaeocene/Eocene.

post-45-1218927741_thumb.jpg

post-45-1218927842_thumb.jpg

post-45-1218927898_thumb.jpg

KOF, Bill.

Welcome to the forum, all new members

www.ukfossils check it out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

gator has only two one on each side croc have multiple.

All of my croc teeth only have 2. They are all Miocene age. I don't know what they may have had during other epochs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The ray is probably Myliobatis, Aetobatis has a sharper V shape.

The two pieces above that are too worn for me to tell anything more than a vert. Probably small whale / big dolphin.

The two at the bottom are small shark centra. I know some people can tell a fossil by tapping it on their tooth (supposedly sounds like a pebble hitting your tooth, modern would have a more hollow sound) correct me if I am wrong here.

It is possible the tooth is gator or croc. Does it have the 2 small cutting blades on the side? I know croc has that but do gators?

The shark centra(?) are definitely fossilized like stone and do clink.

The tooth has no cutting blades at all. It does not appear that they are worn off, but they may be. It seems to be naturally round and smooth.

And here's a nice osteoderm that I found just this afternoon. Any way of identifying the species?

post-638-1218943935_thumb.jpgpost-638-1218943952_thumb.jpgpost-638-1218943967_thumb.jpgpost-638-1218944045_thumb.jpgpost-638-1218943993_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looks like an alligator scute.

"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

  • 2 weeks later...

It is nice recreation to snorkle and find this neat stuff from the past in the Suwannee. I will have to try the Santa Fe one of these days, as I understand it runs through different aged sediment than the Suwannee.

Too bad river diving is all over for a month at least, now that good ol' Hurricane Fay has filled up all the north Fla. rivers. We are running about 6 feet high here in Mayo, but it looks like it has about crested. ... and then comes the next storm !!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Too bad river diving is all over for a month at least, now that good ol' Hurricane Fay has filled up all the north Fla. rivers. We are running about 6 feet high here in Mayo, but it looks like it has about crested. ... and then comes the next storm !!

Still better than SoCal; fossils should be stirred, not shaken.

"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

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...