MarcoSr Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 I just finished searching some Miocene/Pliocene matrix that I brought home from a fossil festival in Aurora, NC several years ago. The matrix wasn’t the greatest, but I did find some nice and interesting shark, ray, fish etc. micros. I’m posting some of the nicer and more unusual micros and not posting the makos, bulls, tigers, hemis etc. which are posted fairly often by other collectors. Most of the specimens were in the 1.5mm to 6 or 7mm size range. If you place your cursor on a JPEG image you will see the file name which will have the specimen id as best that I can determine and the specimen size. Each matrix that I search makes me more of an avid micro tooth collector. If anyone has or can collect good matrix with shark, ray, and fish micros please send me a PM. Marco Sr. 2 "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...
MarcoSr Posted May 28, 2013 Author Share Posted May 28, 2013 Some more specimens. Marco Sr. 1 "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...
MakoMeCrazy Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 very nice. I have many similar specimens. Great quality photos! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taffie Posted May 29, 2013 Share Posted May 29, 2013 (edited) Great photography! Nice finds, too! What are the last two teeth? Edited May 29, 2013 by Taffie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nandomas Posted May 29, 2013 Share Posted May 29, 2013 (edited) Nice specimens and wonderful photos. The last two pictures remembers me a sawfish rostral teeth, but it's just a try, I am little rusty about Aurora material... it's a lot of time that I do not put my fingers in that matrix Edited May 29, 2013 by Nandomas Erosion... will be my epitaph! http://www.paleonature.org/ https://fossilnews.org/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted May 29, 2013 Share Posted May 29, 2013 Hello Marco Nice photos and specimens. I think these two are skate teeth (Raja). From looking at modern dentitions I find that toward the lateral part of a skates jaw you find teeth that are flat on top in both males and females. Skate teeth are probably the most common selachian tooth at Lee Creek in the Pungo. Most are tiny. And these two photos look like fish teeth that have the enamel knocked off toward the tips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcoSr Posted May 29, 2013 Author Share Posted May 29, 2013 Great photography! Nice finds, too! What are the last two teeth? With the crowns damaged, it is difficult for me to say for sure, but probably fish teeth like Al Dente stated. 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...
MarcoSr Posted May 29, 2013 Author Share Posted May 29, 2013 Hello Marco Nice photos and specimens. I think these two are skate teeth (Raja). From looking at modern dentitions I find that toward the lateral part of a skates jaw you find teeth that are flat on top in both males and females. Skate teeth are probably the most common selachian tooth at Lee Creek in the Pungo. Most are tiny. raja1.jpg raja2.jpg And these two photos look like fish teeth that have the enamel knocked off toward the tips. fishtooth1.jpg fishtooth2.jpg Thank you for the id help. The first tooth I was also thinking Rhynchobatus because of the central uvula and general root shape. However, the tooth also has differences from the other Rhynchobatus that I have. The second tooth is more of a challenge. I went back and forth between Raja and Pristiophorus. I have a lot of Raja from the Oligocene of SC that are very small and look very similar. But I also have Pristiophorus oral teeth from SC that are also very similar. The tooth root is almost gone and the black color of the tooth makes it difficult to get good views and even more difficult to get good pictures of the crown. It makes sense that if Raja are that common that it is probably Raja. I also went back and forth on the last two teeth. Undamaged crowns would have made the id a lot easier. I have land mammal teeth that look similar. But land mammal teeth are pretty uncommon from Lee Creek. So I was also leaning toward fish. 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...
Al Dente Posted May 29, 2013 Share Posted May 29, 2013 But I also have Pristiophorus oral teeth from SC that are also very similar. I looked at your examples of Pristiophorus on the phatfossils web site. These are interesting. Did they come from Lafarge Quarry? Pristiophorus rostral teeth are very common at Lafarge but I have never found the oral teeth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcoSr Posted May 29, 2013 Author Share Posted May 29, 2013 I looked at your examples of Pristiophorus on the phatfossils web site. These are interesting. Did they come from Lafarge Quarry? Pristiophorus rostral teeth are very common at Lafarge but I have never found the oral teeth. I found a dozen Pristiophorus oral teeth, all around 1mm, in matrix that I received in trade from Larry Martin. I had the teeth validated as Pristiophorus by two sources, one who had written a paper on Pristiophorus oral teeth. Larry said he collected the matrix years ago and it came from the Orangeburg Formation from a sink hole in the Blue Circle Cement Quarry (which I believe is now called Lafarge) in Harleyville, South Carolina. I also found several small rostral teeth in the matrix. The tooth from Lee Creek has most of the root gone but what is left more resembles the root of a Pristiophorus oral tooth rather than a Raja. 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...
Al Dente Posted May 29, 2013 Share Posted May 29, 2013 Here are a couple of Pungo River skate teeth. The first is a flat topped lateral tooth, the second a more typical tooth. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterDK Posted May 29, 2013 Share Posted May 29, 2013 Great fossils and great photos! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickNC Posted May 29, 2013 Share Posted May 29, 2013 Those are some great pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcoSr Posted May 30, 2013 Author Share Posted May 30, 2013 Here are a couple of Pungo River skate teeth. The first is a flat topped lateral tooth, the second a more typical tooth. flatskate.black.jpg skate.top.jpg Nice photos. I've attached some photos of teeth that I believe are Pristiophorus oral teeth from SC. There is a lot of similarity to your second Raja tooth. I also have similar Raja from SC. The major differences are in the roots and the Pristiophorus crowns are more elongated ovals versus being more circular. 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...
donckey Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 Great micro's , great pictures! What do you mean by saying "not the greatest matrix" ? I wish I had a few buckets with that matrix Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcoSr Posted May 30, 2013 Author Share Posted May 30, 2013 Great micro's , great pictures! What do you mean by saying "not the greatest matrix" ? I wish I had a few buckets with that matrix Peter Peter The matrix that came out of the PCS mine years ago had a much higher concentration of nicer conditioned teeth. I guess I'm just used to the better matrix from years back. 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...
vertman Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 Very nice stuff! I have not forgotten your request. When I spend some time down in the Washita and Fredericksburg groups I will try to bulk sample some likely looking material for you. I have been pretty busy hunting almost exclusively in the Austin Chalk the last 4-5 weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcoSr Posted May 30, 2013 Author Share Posted May 30, 2013 Very nice stuff! I have not forgotten your request. When I spend some time down in the Washita and Fredericksburg groups I will try to bulk sample some likely looking material for you. I have been pretty busy hunting almost exclusively in the Austin Chalk the last 4-5 weeks. Thank you. I really appreciate it. I've been trying for a lot of years to get matrix from the Albian of Texas. 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...
MarcoSr Posted May 30, 2013 Author Share Posted May 30, 2013 Hello Marco Nice photos and specimens. I think these two are skate teeth (Raja). From looking at modern dentitions I find that toward the lateral part of a skates jaw you find teeth that are flat on top in both males and females. Skate teeth are probably the most common selachian tooth at Lee Creek in the Pungo. Most are tiny. raja1.jpg raja2.jpg And these two photos look like fish teeth that have the enamel knocked off toward the tips. fishtooth1.jpg fishtooth2.jpg I've been looking at a lot of Raja specimens in my collection and a lot of Raja specimens on different websites over the last day. Sometimes it takes me a while to change my mindset, but I now fully agree with you that the below two specimens are Raja. If I can believe J-elasmo, they are probably Raja dux Family Rajidae Bonaparte 1831 Genus Raja Linnaeus, 1758. It also makes sense, when in doubt, to go with the genus that is extremely common versus one that is not but mentally I always wish for the rare versus the common which can cloud my id judgment. Thanks again for the id help. 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...
Al Dente Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 I've attached some photos of teeth that I believe are Pristiophorus oral teeth from SC. I recently went through my South Carolina material again and discovered that I have a Pristiophorus oral tooth. Here's the tooth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcoSr Posted July 13, 2013 Author Share Posted July 13, 2013 (edited) I recently went through my South Carolina material again and discovered that I have a Pristiophorus oral tooth. Here's the tooth. Pristiophorus.jpg Really nice tooth!!!!! Your tooth definitely compares very well to the ones that I have from SC. I don't think too many other collectors have Pristiophorus oral teeth from SC or if they do they don't recognize them as such. Marco Sr. Edited July 13, 2013 by MarcoSr "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...
siteseer Posted July 15, 2013 Share Posted July 15, 2013 Marco Sr. and Al Dente, That's a tooth form you seldom see. I wonder if Henri Cappetta has any photos of oral teeth in his Chondrichthyes II update. I thought I would have seen some candidates for oral teeth from Chile when they were becoming available in the 1990's but all i saw was a lot of rostral teeth. Some people watched for the smaller teeth but I don't think anyone tried dissolving matrix to see if any micros were locked inside. As far as I know, no one has identified oral teeth of the extinct saw shark, Ikamauius. I have seen a couple of Pristiophorus oral teeth from the Early Miocene of California (Pyramid Hill Sand). Jess Really nice tooth!!!!! Your tooth definitely compares very well to the ones that I have from SC. I don't think too many other collectors have Pristiophorus oral teeth from SC or if they do they don't recognize them as such. Marco Sr. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeDOTB Posted July 15, 2013 Share Posted July 15, 2013 Definitely great pictures! Thanks for sharing! I really like those whale shark and thresher shark teeth! DO, or do not. There is no try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcoSr Posted July 15, 2013 Author Share Posted July 15, 2013 Marco Sr. and Al Dente, That's a tooth form you seldom see. I wonder if Henri Cappetta has any photos of oral teeth in his Chondrichthyes II update. I thought I would have seen some candidates for oral teeth from Chile when they were becoming available in the 1990's but all i saw was a lot of rostral teeth. Some people watched for the smaller teeth but I don't think anyone tried dissolving matrix to see if any micros were locked inside. As far as I know, no one has identified oral teeth of the extinct saw shark, Ikamauius. I have seen a couple of Pristiophorus oral teeth from the Early Miocene of California (Pyramid Hill Sand). Jess Jess In Chondrichthyes Volume 3E 2012, Cappetta only shows line drawings of two recent oral teeth, Pliotrema warreni and Pristiophorus cirratus. J-elasmo shows a complete recent oral dentition of Pristiophorus japonicas and an oral tooth of Pristiophorus japonicus from the Pliocene, Dainichi Formation, Kakegawa Group, Shizuoka Prefecture and another oral tooth of Pristiophorus sp. from the Lower Pliocene Bahia Inglesa Formation to possibly the Upper Miocene (approx. 4-6 mya ago), Atacama Desert, Copiapo, Chile. http://homepage2.nifty.com/megalodon/tokyoprist.html http://homepage2.nifty.com/megalodon/a2pristiophorus.html 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...
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