sixgill pete Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 (edited) Like many people here in eastern NC my first full fledged exposures to fossils was at the Aurora Fossil museum. Growing up here, I had seen and found my share of smaller sharks teeth and "petrified" clams as we called them, but never thought much about it. Never had anyone able to expose me to the world of fossils.(Plus, I was much more interested in baseball ..... then girls.) After I had grandkids a friend said, hey you should take them to the fossil museum in Aurora. So I did and the rest is, as we say, history. I was amazed at the teeth and everything else that was on display there. The first day in the piles there my grandson Nick(who I hunt with regularly and the one who coined me sixgill pete) found a 2 plus inch meg and a 2 plus inch mako. We were hooked. We went back to those piles tirelessly, as often as we could. We found huge numbers of mako's and tiger's and some megs and some cow sharks. Everything the piles had to offer. Then I got into the mine, wow, I found some amazing things in there, my favorite being the cow shark teeth. But there had to be more, so I found GMR and then all the MM quarries here in the eastern part of NC. Did research and found out about the beaches and rivers and much more. Then I discovered micro's and as many of you know, they are among my favorites. Beautiful little things the eye can barely see, but amazing and in many cases some of the rarest teeth. I also discovered shells, and echinoids. Then came The Fossil forum. Without a doubt, the finest fossil site on the web, great people and a plethora of USEFULL information. And the knowledge here is 5 star A+. I have learned so much and continue to learn everyday I am able to log in. I recently was able to get my first trilobite from fantastic forum member xonenine. Here in NC, there is no where to find them. My collection has come along way since its humble beginnings. So here are a few highlight's of it, some of my favorite pieces. Don a.k.a. sixgill pete my first big meg, 4 3/8" from GMR a 2 1/8 lower hastalis from Lee Creek two upper hastalis 2 1/8 and 2 3/8 from Lee Creek my two favorite rics a beautiful gun metal blue perfect 2 1/16 and a very rare parasymphyseal, both found on the same day at the Onslow Martin Marietta Quarry From GMR a very nice about 1 1/4 Great White in matrix Also from GMR a 2 1/2 inch great white Edited May 1, 2012 by sixgill pete 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...
Bullsnake Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 Great story and collection, Don! Thanks, made me smile! Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixgill pete Posted May 1, 2012 Author Share Posted May 1, 2012 This is probably my all time favorite GMR find, a seal tooth a very nice 2 3/8 mako (hastalis) from GMR a cool little 1 15/16 chubutensis from Lee Creek An E. rugosa depresa from Rocky Point some Hardouinia mortonis from a secret quarry in Pender County NC. I got these in a trade with Fossil Foilist, thanks Skylar one of my many colorful teeth this one is from the Belgrade Martin Marietta Quarry an Anomaeodus phaseolus mouth plate with 8 teeth 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...
sixgill pete Posted May 1, 2012 Author Share Posted May 1, 2012 and last but not least, my trilobite, Eldredgeops rana, got this from forum memeber xonenine, it is amazing to me. I do wish we could find these here in NC. Thanks once again Carmine. 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...
sixgill pete Posted May 1, 2012 Author Share Posted May 1, 2012 Great story and collection, Don! Thanks, made me smile! Thanks Bullsnake, had some time on my hands today and I had to be around the house. 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...
RickNC Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 Great story Don. Thanks for sharing the pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taffie Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 Thanks for sharing, great story. Beautiful finds! Taffie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 Rock On, Don! As wonderful as your beautiful specimens are, you make it clear that they are not all you have collected. "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...
xonenine Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 it is very nice to see these highlights Don, and the NC micro-fossil material is so easy to get hooked on, wish we had it here. thanks to you and other members here who have made it posssible to experience this rewarding aspect of collecting firsthand Carmine "Your serpent of Egypt is bred now of your mud by the operation of your sun; so is your crocodile." Lepidus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarheel59 Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 (edited) Great post Don and Great story. Fantastic finds also. Thanks for sharing your passion with all of us.. I second the fact that the Forum and its members have taught me so much in the past year and I keep learning daily just from reading your posts as well as all members here on FF. I started my collecting on beaches soooo long ago with my grandmother teaching me about sharks teeth. I was hooked too and as you got side tracked by the growing years and girls. :) I am back for good now thanks to all FF members that are so willing to share their knowledge and guidance...Jeff Edited May 1, 2012 by Tarheel59 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossil Foilist Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 Fossil Foilist -----)---------------------- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
masonboro37 Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 I have aswell learned so much here and do every day! Great collection! Thank you for sharing. Process of identification "mistakes create wisdom". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeloiVarden Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 Great collection and story! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixgill pete Posted May 2, 2012 Author Share Posted May 2, 2012 Thanks everyone. 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...
squalicorax Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 That seal tooth is sure a gem My Flickr Page of My Collection: http://www.flickr.com/photos/79424101@N00/sets Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Russell Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 What a great looking bunch of fossils! Those mouth plates have always fascinated me. Great story, Don. Thanks for sharing it with us. Finding my way through life; one fossil at a time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixgill pete Posted May 3, 2012 Author Share Posted May 3, 2012 Thanks squali, it is one of my favorite pieces. Rob, that is the only Anomaeodus phaseolus mouth plate I have, or have ever seen. I also have some drum mouth plates and several burfish and puffer fish mouth plates. But that one is my favorite of all of them. 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...
jpc Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 Nice tale, 6gill, and nice pix to go with it all. I like the seal tooth. Maybe someday we should all tell our long and winding fossil road tales. This is my own... Extreme Reader's Digest version...My first fossil was an oreodont skull at age 20. Hooked ever since. My first truly appreciateable bird was a great blue heron at age 10... hooked ever since as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosmoceras Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 Nice collection, thanks for posting it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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