PA Fossil Finder Posted May 8, 2013 Share Posted May 8, 2013 (edited) Lately I have been buying microfossil material. I recently obtained some dirt from a fellow TFF member. I found some very interesting things in it, including ostracods, tentaculites, crinoids and a few unknowns as well. These are all from the Devonian of New York. The pictures were taken through my old microscope, so they might not be all that good. Ostracods: Tentaculites: Unknown. These look like tiny sea cucumbers, but they are only 2-3 millemeters long. More pics soon! Edited May 8, 2013 by PA Fossil Finder Stephen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scylla Posted May 8, 2013 Share Posted May 8, 2013 Very cool, any idea of actual size? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PA Fossil Finder Posted May 8, 2013 Author Share Posted May 8, 2013 The largest tentaculid is about 1 cm. long. The first ostracod is about a millemeter long. The others I am not quite sure. (It is tough to measure these little buggers!) Stephen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PA Fossil Finder Posted May 8, 2013 Author Share Posted May 8, 2013 (edited) More pictures: Brachiopods: Bryzoan? I think this is a tooth. Unknown: The brachiopods are about 3-5 millemeters long, the bryzoan about a centimeter, the "tooth" is about 5 millemeters long, and the unknown thing is about 2 millemeters long. Edited May 8, 2013 by PA Fossil Finder Stephen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Towtruckgirl Posted May 8, 2013 Share Posted May 8, 2013 They do look like little sea cucumbers. That's cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ted coulianos Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 More pictures: Brachiopods: Brachiopod 1.JPGBrachiopod 2.JPGBrachiopod 3.JPG Bryzoan? bryzoan.jpg I think this is a tooth. Tooth.JPG Unknown: Unknown 1.JPGUnknown 2.JPG The brachiopods are about 3-5 millemeters long, the bryzoan about a centimeter, the "tooth" is about 5 millemeters long, and the unknown thing is about 2 millemeters long. I think the "tooth" is a small spine from either a crinoid calyx or columnal; have found similar stuff in Devonian Silica Shale residues; the "sea cumbers" are a little more problematic; they look less like microfossils and more like seeds; if you can find more of them perhaps a little 'dissection' might be in order. Any scolecodonts or conodonts in the mix? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PA Fossil Finder Posted May 10, 2013 Author Share Posted May 10, 2013 Any scolecodonts or conodonts in the mix? I wish. No, but I want some very much, and I am dissolving some limestone for them. Stephen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 ... the "sea cumbers"...look less like microfossils and more like seeds... My thought exactly: modern seeds that crawled in under the fence. "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...
lissa318 Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 Cool PA!!! And your pictures are pretty good! I am going to have to look up tentaculites.... I am not familiar with those? Nice finds! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herb Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 nice pix shooting through an eyepiece. The sea cucumber looking things are neat, I've never seen anything like them. Have you tried to mash one of them to see if they might be seeds? What you have looks like the matrix I have from the Devonian Silica shale of Ohio. "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence"_ Carl Sagen No trees were killed in this posting......however, many innocent electrons were diverted from where they originally intended to go. " I think, therefore I collect fossils." _ Me "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."__S. Holmes "can't we all just get along?" Jack Nicholson from Mars Attacks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 ...Have you tried to mash one of them to see if they might be seeds?... First, see if they float in water "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...
Herb Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 First, see if they float in water Even easier "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence"_ Carl Sagen No trees were killed in this posting......however, many innocent electrons were diverted from where they originally intended to go. " I think, therefore I collect fossils." _ Me "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."__S. Holmes "can't we all just get along?" Jack Nicholson from Mars Attacks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PA Fossil Finder Posted May 14, 2013 Author Share Posted May 14, 2013 Okay, so the "sea cucumbers" float. I think they are seeds. They look very neat though! Stephen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullsnake Posted May 14, 2013 Share Posted May 14, 2013 Okay, so the "sea cucumbers" float. I think they are seeds. They look very neat though! Germinate them, and see what they turn into. This reminds me, over the winter I was going through some Lee Creek that I traded for. I found a few little black cylindrical things that were kind of cross-hatched, like hand grenades (I think they call them pineapple grenades). Thinking they look familiar, and thinking about it for awhile, it dawned on me...caterpillar droppings! Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missourian Posted May 14, 2013 Share Posted May 14, 2013 This reminds me, over the winter I was going through some Lee Creek that I traded for. I found a few little black cylindrical things that were kind of cross-hatched, like hand grenades (I think they call them pineapple grenades). Thinking they look familiar, and thinking about it for awhile, it dawned on me...caterpillar droppings! Yeah, that's the first thing that'd come to mind with me too. Context is critical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PA Fossil Finder Posted May 14, 2013 Author Share Posted May 14, 2013 Germinate them, and see what they turn into. This reminds me, over the winter I was going through some Lee Creek that I traded for. I found a few little black cylindrical things that were kind of cross-hatched, like hand grenades (I think they call them pineapple grenades). Thinking they look familiar, and thinking about it for awhile, it dawned on me...caterpillar droppings! I also found some caterpillar droppings in Lee Creek material. Based on the shape and size, I would guess that they are from sphinx or giant silkmoth caterpillars from the family Saturniidae. Stephen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herb Posted May 15, 2013 Share Posted May 15, 2013 Sure it's not an Io moth? "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence"_ Carl Sagen No trees were killed in this posting......however, many innocent electrons were diverted from where they originally intended to go. " I think, therefore I collect fossils." _ Me "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."__S. Holmes "can't we all just get along?" Jack Nicholson from Mars Attacks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missourian Posted May 15, 2013 Share Posted May 15, 2013 Some caterpillar droppings: Context is critical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullsnake Posted May 15, 2013 Share Posted May 15, 2013 Some caterpillar droppings: CATERPILLAR_DUMP_TRUCK_740.jpg Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herb Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 Some caterpillar droppings: CATERPILLAR_DUMP_TRUCK_740.jpg You rock! "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence"_ Carl Sagen No trees were killed in this posting......however, many innocent electrons were diverted from where they originally intended to go. " I think, therefore I collect fossils." _ Me "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."__S. Holmes "can't we all just get along?" Jack Nicholson from Mars Attacks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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