Auspex Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 This one is kind of a dream come true for me. I've laughed-off dozens of fakes, and passed on half a dozen real ones with dubious permit documentation, but I finally got a Yixian Formation bird. Not just another Confuciusornis either, but Liaoxiornis delicates. It is the smallest known Mesozoic bird; recent radiometric dating places the deposit in the Barremian to early Aptian (early Cretaceous, 125-121 mya). I have both the slab and counter-slab. The bird is complete, but partially disarticulated, and bears carbonized feather remains (the counterpart slab shows them best). The good news is that it is unprepped, unrepaired, and unrestored: every bone is original. The bad news is that it has not even been stabilized and is incredibly fragile (volcanic ash, you know). I tried to wait on posting it until I could get it prepped it out and make it pretty, but I just couldn't stand it! (I should have waited; the slabs are so unstable that just taking these three pics had a high pucker factor ). "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...
Guest Nicholas Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 Awesome Auspex! Now get to stabilizing! Don't put it off do it asap, I don't want anything to happen to it such fossils are to come by(by legal means) I can only imagine how much work went into finding it let alone getting the proper documentation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docdutronc Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 This one is kind of a dream come true for me. I've laughed-off dozens of fakes, and passed on half a dozen real ones with dubious permit documentation, but I finally got a Yixian Formation bird. Not just another Confuciusornis either, but Liaoxiornis delicates. It is the smallest known Mesozoic bird; recent radiometric dating places the deposit in the Barremian to early Aptian (early Cretaceous, 125-121 mya).I have both the slab and counter-slab. The bird is complete, but partially disarticulated, and bears carbonized feather remains (the counterpart slab shows them best). The good news is that it is unprepped, unrepaired, and unrestored: every bone is original. The bad news is that it has not even been stabilized and is incredibly fragile (volcanic ash, you know). I tried to wait on posting it until I could get it prepped it out and make it pretty, but I just couldn't stand it! (I should have waited; the slabs are so unstable that just taking these three pics had a high pucker factor ). Heeeee Auspex I 'm also a studend in paleotology bird ,I see claws ,Is this bird able to climb on the tree ? the claws are on the wings or feet .... bruno Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MB Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 This one is kind of a dream come true for me. I've laughed-off dozens of fakes, and passed on half a dozen real ones with dubious permit documentation, but I finally got a Yixian Formation bird. Not just another Confuciusornis either, but Liaoxiornis delicates. It is the smallest known Mesozoic bird; recent radiometric dating places the deposit in the Barremian to early Aptian (early Cretaceous, 125-121 mya).I have both the slab and counter-slab. The bird is complete, but partially disarticulated, and bears carbonized feather remains (the counterpart slab shows them best). The good news is that it is unprepped, unrepaired, and unrestored: every bone is original. The bad news is that it has not even been stabilized and is incredibly fragile (volcanic ash, you know). I tried to wait on posting it until I could get it prepped it out and make it pretty, but I just couldn't stand it! (I should have waited; the slabs are so unstable that just taking these three pics had a high pucker factor ). "It's real, it's legal, " congratulations, enjoy it http://www.mbfossilcrabs.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest solius symbiosus Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 Congrats on acquiring such a nice piece. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracer Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 <snoopy dancing very gently> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bmorefossil Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 wow that is one awsome piece! anyone would be happy with that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted November 30, 2008 Author Share Posted November 30, 2008 Heeeee Auspex I 'm also a studend in paleotology bird ,I see claws ,Is this bird able to climb on the tree ? the claws are on the wings or feet ....bruno Liaoxiornis was an Enantiornith, somewhat more advanced than Confusiusornis, but retaining hand claws, teeth, and a fairly simple sternum. The photo is of one of the feet; note that the claw-sheaths are preserved! It was definitely able to perch, but would not have been adept at climbing vertical surfaces (as a woodpecker). "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...
Pristiformes Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 I've laughed-off dozens of fakes, and passed on half a dozen real ones with dubious permit documentation, but I finally got a Yixian Formation bird. Great, now even fossilized birds are made in China! Congrats on obtaining such a rare and interesting piece! Now go prep it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommabetts Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 Way to go, congrats on such a great piece, cant' wait to see it when you have finished prepping!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaleoRon Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 Very nice. I guess you can retire from collecting now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Nicholas Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 Liaoxiornis was an Enantiornith, somewhat more advanced than Confusiusornis, but retaining hand claws, teeth, and a fairly simple sternum. The photo is of one of the feet; note that the claw-sheaths are preserved! It was definitely able to perch, but would not have been adept at climbing vertical surfaces (as a woodpecker). Claws and teeth would make it an "ancestral bird" as my texts and my paper() put it. It really is a great piece. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted November 30, 2008 Author Share Posted November 30, 2008 Claws and teeth would make it an "ancestral bird" as my texts and my paper() put it. Not ancestral to anything living, though. The Enantiornithines did not make it through the K-T extinction, only the Neorthines left living descendents. At most, the two lineages diverged from a common ancestor. I am trying to build a case for a separate, convergent evolution of the two. "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...
Guest Nicholas Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 Not ancestral to anything living, though. The Enantiornithines did not make it through the K-T extinction, only the Neorthines left living descendents. At most, the two lineages diverged from a common ancestor. I am trying to build a case for a separate, convergent evolution of the two. Impressive, I've used a lot of ancestral/dino-bird evidence in my paper. Very interesting stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docdutronc Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 Not ancestral to anything living, though. The Enantiornithines did not make it through the K-T extinction, only the Neorthines left living descendents. At most, the two lineages diverged from a common ancestor. I am trying to build a case for a separate, convergent evolution of the two. there is a french proverb who says : " when the hens will have teeth ...." I 'm learning something today, it not only a proverb it's reality !!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kauffy Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 Auspex, im staring at my computer screen in amazement! im very envious of your aquired fossils, beautifully preserved for something so old, fragile, rare and small... CONGRATULATIONS! that will definantly be another focal point to your astonishing avian paleo collection! Can i ask how you are going to stabalise it? "Turn the fear of the unknown into the excitment of possibility!"We dont stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Nicholas Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 there is a french proverb who says : " when the hens will have teeth ...." I 'm learning something today, it not only a proverb it's reality !!!! There are selective genes in hens which can trigger teeth, you can manipulate more tail vertebrae and scales to a degree as well. It is a very interesting concept. A link on the subject manner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted November 30, 2008 Author Share Posted November 30, 2008 Can i ask how you are going to stabalise it? The plan is to use a penetrating type that is not antagonistic to whatever glue was used to piece the slabs together. Testing for which solvent base should be easy and risk-free on the back of the thicker slab. My thinking after that is to permeate the backs first and embed both in plaster (of Paris?), then gently clean up the bones on the front (art-gum eraser) while staying away from the carbonized feathers. After that, I can seal the fronts and frame it. "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...
kauffy Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 The plan is to use a penetrating type that is not antagonistic to whatever glue was used to piece the slabs together. Testing for which solvent base should be easy and risk-free on the back of the thicker slab. My thinking after that is to permeate the backs first and embed both in plaster (of Paris?), then gently clean up the bones on the front (art-gum eraser) while staying away from the carbonized feathers. After that, I can seal the fronts and frame it. Sounds like youve got it all sorted! i can wait to see it completley done, although im glad you showed us some pictures now, i like to see them 'in the raw'. "Turn the fear of the unknown into the excitment of possibility!"We dont stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted November 30, 2008 Author Share Posted November 30, 2008 there is a french proverb who says : " when the hens will have teeth ...." I 'm learning something today, it not only a proverb it's reality !!!! Here are some more "hen's teeth": the second is a replica of a reconstruction of an Archaeopteryx skull, the first are from Avisaurus, a bird of the late Cretaceous (they are from Hell Creek, Montana, and are real). "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...
tracer Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 bird teeth. <== i typed that and just sat here for five minutes looking at it. there's really nothing else to say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShadyW Posted December 1, 2008 Share Posted December 1, 2008 There's a saying in Britain that something is "as rare as hen's teeth"... you really wonder how much our ancestors knew that we think of as being recent discoveries. ...it also makes me think that perhaps there's a very, very rare occurrence of genetic throwbacks in birds, resulting in hens with teeth! Every complex scientific problem has an elegant and simple solution... and it is wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bone digger Posted December 1, 2008 Share Posted December 1, 2008 Hey Auspex, great fossil you have there, you must be really excited! I have never used plaster of paris so I'm no expert, but isn't it quite fragile over time itself? I have seen things made from it and they are always cracked. Maybe consider some type of epoxy or something for a backing!?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bone digger Posted December 1, 2008 Share Posted December 1, 2008 There are selective genes in hens which can trigger teeth, you can manipulate more tail vertebrae and scales to a degree as well. It is a very interesting concept. A link on the subject manner. I saw a show, on the discovery channel where they examined chicken embryos and found that they have extra vertebrae before the hatch which are absorbed and (If I remember right) some kind of proto teeth. They were using these findings to help make their link that birds are dinosaurs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bone digger Posted December 1, 2008 Share Posted December 1, 2008 OOPS, didn't see your link to the story! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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