Jimi Posted June 5, 2013 Share Posted June 5, 2013 (edited) Here's a couple of things I've found so far. Edited June 6, 2013 by Jimi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acryzona Posted June 5, 2013 Share Posted June 5, 2013 Great microverts. Nice that the ants do the bulk collecting! What else have you found in the gravel? 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...
Jimi Posted June 5, 2013 Author Share Posted June 5, 2013 Lots of teeth, jaw fragments, toe bones, ankle bones. I'll post more pics later today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AgrilusHunter Posted June 5, 2013 Share Posted June 5, 2013 (edited) I think this is a genius idea. It would be hard to say no to thousands of new hands looking for fossils for you. You should return the favor for the ant colonies that bring out really good fossils, maybe leave some snacks to motivate the troops. Strength in numbers! Edited June 5, 2013 by AgrilusHunter "They ... savoured the strange warm glow of being much more ignorant than ordinary people, who were only ignorant of ordinary things." -- Terry Pratchett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimi Posted June 6, 2013 Author Share Posted June 6, 2013 Here's a few more Pics of stuff from the ant hill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KansasFossilHunter Posted June 6, 2013 Share Posted June 6, 2013 Wow! I should check out some of the hills in our badlands... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikecable Posted June 6, 2013 Share Posted June 6, 2013 I've only found one productive ant bed, and I guard the site info with my life. I've harvested their harvest twice in two years. This last time I shared most of the material with the education coordinator at the Museum of Osteology in Oklahoma City. She uses the matrix with kids. I love harvester ants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davehunt Posted June 6, 2013 Share Posted June 6, 2013 Wow, so many little toes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missourian Posted June 6, 2013 Share Posted June 6, 2013 Nice! I wish I'd grabbed a baggie-full of anthill detritus when we were there. Context is critical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted June 6, 2013 Share Posted June 6, 2013 When you say "Badlands" do you mean White River fm? It sorta ooks that way. If anyone is interested in collecting anthills, keep ths in mind. Don't just scoop up the whole anthill. For one thing you will angryfy the ants and their bite is painful. It hurts. Ouch. And it will hrt for about two hours, unless you are actually allergic, then I take no resposibility for what condition you end up in. The ants coat the top layer of their anthills with larger bits. That's where the fossils are. The insides are made of fine sand (and angry ants). If you collect the whole hill, you have killed the colony and they will not be there next year for you. Scoop up just the top layer and they will reward you with more fossils next year. In areas with lots of anthills and lots of fossils, only collect the ones where you can find fossil on the anthill in situ. No fossils on it, don't bother them. I have collected a bunch, primarily in the Cretaceous and Eocene and I have my three favorite anthills. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikecable Posted June 7, 2013 Share Posted June 7, 2013 When you say "Badlands" do you mean White River fm? It sorta ooks that way. If anyone is interested in collecting anthills, keep ths in mind. Don't just scoop up the whole anthill. For one thing you will angryfy the ants and their bite is painful. It hurts. Ouch. And it will hrt for about two hours, unless you are actually allergic, then I take no resposibility for what condition you end up in. The ants coat the top layer of their anthills with larger bits. That's where the fossils are. The insides are made of fine sand (and angry ants). If you collect the whole hill, you have killed the colony and they will not be there next year for you. Scoop up just the top layer and they will reward you with more fossils next year. In areas with lots of anthills and lots of fossils, only collect the ones where you can find fossil on the anthill in situ. No fossils on it, don't bother them. I have collected a bunch, primarily in the Cretaceous and Eocene and I have my three favorite anthills. Well said. Collect a hill no more than once a year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snolly50 Posted June 7, 2013 Share Posted June 7, 2013 I enjoyed your photos. Please post a little about the equipment/technique used to produce them. Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, also are remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so. - Douglas Adams, Last Chance to See Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimi Posted June 7, 2013 Author Share Posted June 7, 2013 When we collected it we took sand from the outer parts and left the hill pretty much untouched. Some of the hills were 2 or 3 ft across. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lissa318 Posted June 7, 2013 Share Posted June 7, 2013 Very cool and interesting! I would have never thought of this... Thanks for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixgill pete Posted June 7, 2013 Share Posted June 7, 2013 interesting method, and some great micro fossils. 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 June 7, 2013 Share Posted June 7, 2013 I didn't look closely att he pix yesterday, but I did just now. Did I see pieces of alligator scute in your "bunch of fossils" pix? Definetely some snake verts on the coin. Good stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creto Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 I LOVE ant hills. I have collected from a number of them throughout the years. I have a Coniacian site that produces shark teeth and the vast majority of the teeth in good shape are from an ant hill. The in-situ teeth are extremely fragile and crumble under the slightest finger pressure. The teeth from the ant hill seem to be hardened in some way. The ant hill on my Coniacian site is now extinct-the ants have long ago abandoned the spot and have moved to another. Rarely I get permission to look on Anasazi sites for artifacts. I have found a number of beads on ant hills. I would have never found them without the help of my little friends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acryzona Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 Jimi thanks for sharing. Years ago, a former TFF member gave me small ziploc bag of anthill material. Your finds &photos make me want to revisit that sample. 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...
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