Shark, Ray And Fish Micros From The Blue Hill Shale Of Kansas Part 2

[MarcoSr]

I made a post of specimens, “Shark, Ray And Fish Micros From Kansas”, that included specimens from my first batch of Blue Hill Shale matrix back in March 2013. I want to thank Jamie for sending me additional Cretaceous, Turonian matrix from the Blue Hill Shale Member of the Carlile Shale Formation of Kansas which contained the specimens in this post. This matrix had a real high density of shark, ray and fish teeth. Most specimens were in the .5mm to 4 or 5mm size range. I am posting below pictures of a small number of the nicer and more unusual specimens which I found. I found hundreds of nice fish teeth, and a good number of shark and ray teeth including over 50 Rhinobatos sp. teeth. 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.

Breaking down the Blue Hill Shale was a real challenge and required 8 cycles of a very aggressive freezing, boiling vinegar, sitting in vinegar, and simmering in vinegar process to break down.

The wide diversity of micros in many formations is one of the reasons that I am an avid micro tooth collector. If anyone has or can collect good matrix with shark, ray, and fish micros please send me a PM.

A lot of the shark teeth were species that I posted in my earlier post so I am only posting a few of the shark teeth:

There were a lot of different ray specimens. I am not posting any Rhinobatos teeth but here are a few neat Rhinobatos dorsal scales:

Some Brachyrhizodus mcnultyi mid dorsal scales:

I found one Cretomanta sp.

An Ischyrhiza mira schneideri rostral tooth:

A couple of Sclerorhynchid oral teeth:

I have found a good number of Sclerorhynchid oral teeth from what I believe is an undescribed, new species. I did find a single very similar tooth in the Albian, Kiowa Shale of Kansas. The only other teeth which I have seen which are similar are Ptychotrygon agujaensis from the Campanian of Texas. Note how flat the crowns of these teeth are.

Some Fish Teeth:

(See the next reply for the specimens that I need id help)

Marco Sr.

[MarcoSr]

Some specimens that I am not sure of and need id help. One of these could be a broken sawfish rostral tooth and others could be unusual fish teeth:

Marco Sr.

Edited August 15, 2013 by MarcoSr

[Just Bob]

Great post and as always great photos!

[shark57]

More nice micros Marco. The second one does look like a sawfish rostral tooth with "root" end broken off.

[Taffie]

Dreamy!!

[rejd]

Those are some beautiful finds. I do a fair bit of micro sorting at the Royal Tyrrell Museum. I find everything from mammal teeth, shark teeth, fish and croc teeth, vertebra, scales, jaw sections,bone fragments......It is a lot of fun. I can spend hours looking through the scope and not realize how long i've been sitting there.

[MarcoSr]

Those are some beautiful finds. I do a fair bit of micro sorting at the Royal Tyrrell Museum. I find everything from mammal teeth, shark teeth, fish and croc teeth, vertebra, scales, jaw sections,bone fragments......It is a lot of fun. I can spend hours looking through the scope and not realize how long i've been sitting there.

Years ago I found that looking through matrix was a great stress relief and helped me forget about a tough work day. Now I just really enjoy looking through matrix.

Are you a member of the museum staff? Does the museum collect the matrix samples or do they come from amateur collectors? I am always looking to interface with folks who collect matrix. I have recently begun working with a geologist associated with a museum. We will be collecting and searching matrix from several Virginia formations helping to determine the vertebrate marine faunas.

Marco Sr.

[busyeagle]

Awesome specimens Marco, and I love the quality of pictures you're able to get of those tiny teeth.

[MarcoSr]

More nice micros Marco. The second one does look like a sawfish rostral tooth with "root" end broken off.

That is what I was thinking. The blade is thinner and flatter than usual but probably a sawfish rostral tooth.

[missingdigits]

Marco,

Fantastic photos as usual. I really appreciate your posts showing your finds. Really amazing.

I sincerely hope others appreciate how incredible these photos and finds are. It's not as easy as it might seem and few take the time to do what Marco does and share with everyone. Thanks!

[MarcoSr]

Great post and as always great photos!

Dreamy!!

Awesome specimens Marco, and I love the quality of pictures you're able to get of those tiny teeth.

Hopefully my posts will get you interested enough in the micro teeth that you might start taking home some matrix samples when you collect to search for some micros. A lot of fossil sites have all kinds of small new fossils hidden in the matrix just waiting for someone to sample it and find them. You never know, until you take and check a sample. If you find a good fossil lense where the micros have concentrated, you will really be rewarded.

Marco Sr.

[MarcoSr]

Marco,

Fantastic photos as usual. I really appreciate your posts showing your finds. Really amazing.

I sincerely hope others appreciate how incredible these photos and finds are. It's not as easy as it might seem and few take the time to do what Marco does and share with everyone. Thanks!

Jamie

Thank you again for sending the matrix. The Blue Hill Shale is one of the most concentrated with micros matrix that I have seen and is loaded with lots of really unusual specimens. It is very interesting and very enjoyable to search.

Marco Sr.

[rejd]

Years ago I found that looking through matrix was a great stress relief and helped me forget about a tough work day. Now I just really enjoy looking through matrix.

Are you a member of the museum staff? Does the museum collect the matrix samples or do they come from amateur collectors? I am always looking to interface with folks who collect matrix. I have recently begun working with a geologist associated with a museum. We will be collecting and searching matrix from several Virginia formations helping to determine the vertebrate marine faunas.

Marco Sr.

I agree on the stress relief! I do volunteer work for the museum so if I've had a rough couple of days I just head out there and relax.

The museum collects their own matrix and they collect a lot! Last time I was there they had a lest 50+ bags (50-60lbs each) of matrix to be washed and sorted. They also have a lot that has already been washed and just needs to be sorted now. I am looking at getting my own microscope for home so I can do more sorting for them. They also have staff out right now looking for new areas for a research study. So needless to say I could sort micros till the cows come home. Here are a couple of pic I took with my iPhone through the eyepiece.

[MarcoSr]

I agree on the stress relief! I do volunteer work for the museum so if I've had a rough couple of days I just head out there and relax.

The museum collects their own matrix and they collect a lot! Last time I was there they had a lest 50+ bags (50-60lbs each) of matrix to be washed and sorted. They also have a lot that has already been washed and just needs to be sorted now. I am looking at getting my own microscope for home so I can do more sorting for them. They also have staff out right now looking for new areas for a research study. So needless to say I could sort micros till the cows come home. Here are a couple of pic I took with my iPhone through the eyepiece.

Wow, nice photos and real interesting specimens. I would be in seventh heaven if I had that much matrix to search.

Marco Sr.

[rejd]

Thanks macro, some of the matrix is very rich and fun to pick. Here are a few more pics.

#1 - piece of fish skull

#2 - mammal teeth

#3 - vertebra - fish and salamander

#4 - fish, croc and some i'm not sure of teeth

#5 - theropod tooth

Edited August 17, 2013 by rejd

[MarcoSr]

Thanks macro, some of the matrix is very rich and fun to pick. Here are a few more pics.

#1 - piece of fish skull

#2 - mammal teeth

#3 - vertebra - fish and salamander

#4 - fish, croc and some i'm not sure of teeth

#5 - theropod tooth

Really nice specimens!!!! A lot of them are different from what I typically see in the matrix that I search. I see why you enjoy sorting matrix for your museum.

Marco Sr.

[siteseer]

Marco Sr.,

I think that first one is a bony fish fin spine fragment.

Jess

Some specimens that I am not sure of and need id help. One of these could be a broken sawfish rostral tooth and others could be unusual fish teeth:

Unknown10 2.5mm.jpgUnknown11 2mm.jpgUnknown12 4.5mm.jpgUnknown13 7mm.jpg

Marco Sr.

[MarcoSr]

Marco Sr.,

I think that first one is a bony fish fin spine fragment.

Jess

Jess

Thank you for the id help.

Marco Sr.

[ahuijsmans]

Wow! those mammalteeth are stunners! beautifull photo's too!