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Yesterday evening, at the monthly meeting of the Rhode Island Mineral Hunters, paleontologist Nick McDonald gave a presentation on the Jurassic period & the Connecticut River Valley. He's considered the foremost authority on that region.

McDonald said that he'd pulled some 15,000 or so fish fossils out of the ground in that region over the course of 40 years ....and that for every fish fossil he found, he had also found 10 or 20 fossil "poops" (yes, that's what he called them, and he referred many times to all his numerous "poops" ).

Well the term "coprolite" did slip in once, I believe.

There were lots of photos of excellent fossil tracks, a discussion on the purpose of Dilophosaurus's "lophs" , why a certain fossil fish was found with a well preserved body but a mangled exploded head, and much more.

A very interesting hour.

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From what I've heard about him, he's a bit of a character, but knows the Triassic and Jurassic of the Northeast very well.

Wish I had known about this. :(

Regards,

EDIT: PRI: Museum of the Earth in Ithaca, NY. now houses the bulk of his collection, and they have quite a few of the fish and tracks on display - I highly recommend anyone finding themselves in Ithaca going to see it - a better display of CT fish than most of the museums in Connecticut.

    Tim    VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

   MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png      PaleoPartner.png.30c01982e09b0cc0b7d9d6a7a21f56c6.png.a600039856933851eeea617ca3f2d15f.png     Postmaster1.jpg.900efa599049929531fa81981f028e24.jpg    VFOTM.png.f1b09c78bf88298b009b0da14ef44cf0.png  VFOTM APRIL - 2015  

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"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."
John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~   ><))))( *>  About Me      

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Sorry Tim; I'm new to the RI Mineral Hunters club and didn't know he'd be the guest speaker until I walked into the room last night.

I agree that McDonald is a bit of a character, but that helps to liven up all those dead fish - and that's a good thing!

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Sorry Tim; I'm new to the RI Mineral Hunters club and didn't know he'd be the guest speaker until I walked into the room last night.

I agree that McDonald is a bit of a character, but that helps to liven up all those dead fish - and that's a good thing!

No worries. :)

So, was the exploded head of the otherwise well preserved fish due to the release of decompositional gasses?

I've always thought that was the reason for it - some of my fish fossils show this with other parts of the body as well.

Regards,

    Tim    VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

   MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png      PaleoPartner.png.30c01982e09b0cc0b7d9d6a7a21f56c6.png.a600039856933851eeea617ca3f2d15f.png     Postmaster1.jpg.900efa599049929531fa81981f028e24.jpg    VFOTM.png.f1b09c78bf88298b009b0da14ef44cf0.png  VFOTM APRIL - 2015  

__________________________________________________
"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."
John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~   ><))))( *>  About Me      

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Yep, that's his theory - rotting brains, build-up of gases, and more internal pressure than its little fish-head could stand.

( ...that fish should have laid off the TV and the Taco Bell, and moved to a more relaxed part of the lake )

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Asineops from the Green River Fm. (Eocene) suffer from poorly preserved heads too.

"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!

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