PRK Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 (edited) Way back when I was doing paleosalvage for the county, I ran across a thin 2 in, coarse sandy grey layer that had been exposed by a bulldozer, and leveled off for a housing pad, for a housing tract, . This thin layer was an obviously different color from the rest of the soil. So when I investigated, lo and behold it was chock full of Carcharodon sulcidens, a rather uncommon shark fossil in the area. Since I was digging for the county and on their property, I quickly salvaged what I could and moved on.I couldnt do much digging as the house pad was finished, It was after shut down time, and they are very strict. On the long car ride home I was admiring the teeth i had gathered that afternoon, and only one stood out as "perfect". It even had the tippy tip serration. Not a point, but a lovely huge and broad single semetrical crescent shaped serration at the tip, and razor sharp. Looked REALLY cool. A bubble razor shape. Could even have been a pathalogic tip? I was so happy with this tooth. Pliocene C. sulcidens from calif are a prize, and this one was shiny and flawless, and with a beautiful crowning serration. It Was that tip serration that made this tooth very special. I've now had that tooth for 35years. But about 10 years ago, one afternoon as I was showing off the tooth, right then, something came up. So I quickly, temporarily put that tooth on a shelf on a rag to protect it. About half an hour later my x needed a rag for something and grabbed that rag, of all the rags, and guess what fell off the rag and hit the hard kitchen floor, right on the beautiful tip serration. I must confess, it was an accident. She didnt know the tooth was there. GONE! Now it's just a nice average tooth and a fond memory. Edited September 20, 2013 by PRK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taffie Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 That is a sad story but still a beautiful tooth. Thanks for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zachj Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 thats a killer GW. wish i could find more! one day i will find a tooth over 3 inches in good conditon haha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Unfortunately,... Lessson learned,... the hard way. Regards, Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 __________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 OOF! What a shot to the solar plexus... "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...
cowsharks Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 OOF! What a shot to the solar plexus... ...and then Chief Jay Strongbow comes along and gives the crazy knee lift to the face ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowsharks Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 On a related note, a friend of mine found a Perfect 5" Meg at Clavert Cliffs about 15 years ago. It was the nicest Meg I had ever seen from Calvert Cliffs; the enamel was perfect, serrations perfect, incredible colors, etc. After he found this tooth, he apparently took it to work each day so he could take it out of his pocket whenever he wanted to look at it - he couldn't believe how big and perfect the tooth was until one day.....he happened to be in the bathroom at work and a coworker asked him if he could see the tooth, so he reaches into his pocket, pulls out the tooth and as he goes to hand it to his coworked he drops it, right on the hard ceramic tiled floor. The tooth landed "tip-first" pointing straight down at the floor! He described the scene like a horrifying accident in slow motion right before his eyes. In a matter of a couple seconds, his perfect tooth became imperfect. Somehow, probably due to the size and angle of impact, the tooth did not shatter or break. The "only" damage was an obvious chip to the tip with about 3mm worth of tip forever gone. He was utterly devastated and felt sick. After going home that day he put the tooth away and didn't look at it again for about 5 years. Then one day, as he continued to be haunted by the memory of that day he decided to rid himself of it and he sold it on eBay. I had the opportunity to bid on it, but I couldn't bring myself to do it, even though I knew how rare a tooth like that was, especially in "almost perfect" condition. For the amount of money it went for (less than $1000), I figured I would rather find my own 5" Calvert Meg so I could have my own memories - something you can't buy when you buy someone elses fossils. Daryl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobWill Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 A similar thing happened to my recently found Petalodus tooth from Jackxboro Texas. I still don't know how it got on the floor when I sat it down to tend the fire, but when I went looking for it I felt a crunch when I stepped on a rug and knew right away what I'd done. The 2 parts glued together fine but a sliver must have gotten pulverized since it was never found. Just when I thought I had learned a good lesson I dropped a large ammonite on it and had to glue it together once again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boneman007 Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 (edited) At least you didnt destroy it during preparation! I hate when that happens. We've all dropped and broken incredible fossils, but when you did it on purpose, "ouch" that hurts! Edited January 4, 2013 by Boneman007 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Dactyll Posted February 24, 2013 Share Posted February 24, 2013 If youve been around fossils for a while we all have accidents... My dog knocked a fossil over whilst being inquisitive that broke the hinges off the oven door and then smashed 2 floor tiles... and..!!! broke 2 ribs off the ammonite... a carpet may of saved the ammonite... I think the dog was lucky too... but they quick hey.... Cheers Steve... And Welcome if your a New Member... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcoSr Posted February 24, 2013 Share Posted February 24, 2013 I spend a lot of time collecting micro shark and ray teeth. I have too many horror stories to tell them all individually but they fall into two main categories. First when I make the decision to put one of my new found micros into my ultrasonic cleaner to remove a bit of matrix still stuck to the tooth. I have destroyed multiple beautiful and rare micros this way. Never seem to learn my lesson. I just want the tooth to look perfect for a photo. I just can't accept that bit of matrix. After the tooth disintegrates suddenly the matrix stuck to it doesn't matter anymore. The second thing I continue to do is to drop a micro as I try to put it into a gem jar for display or to take a photo. Always lands on the carpet. I have a real low success rate finding these teeth. When my son Mel is around he usually can find them for me. What really bugs me is I always do this with a very rare specimen. I could hit a common micro with a hammer and then juggle it and it would survive fine. Marco Sr. "Any day that you can fossil hunt is a great day." My family fossil website Some Of My Shark, Ray, Fish And Other Micros My Extant Shark Jaw Collection Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acryzona Posted February 24, 2013 Share Posted February 24, 2013 Marco Sr., I can sympathize with your experience. Often when I find a real nice or rare micro, I invariably don't take the 2 seconds to remoisten my brush before I try to pick it up or reposition it under the scope for "a better view." The dry bristles on the brush then "punt" the micro off the slide. Lost a few that way. Collecting Microfossils - a hobby concerning much about many of the little paraphrased from Dr. Robert Kesling's book Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelleyack Posted February 24, 2013 Share Posted February 24, 2013 Still a beautiful tooth..I love the color. If it is too painful to look at it, I'd gladly take it off of your hands. No fun at all though...I am sure you replayed that scene in your mind many times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PRK Posted February 24, 2013 Author Share Posted February 24, 2013 (edited) Yes K - it is all I can see when look at the tooth, and for many many years. Like a bad version of Ground hog day Edited May 2, 2014 by PRK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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