Brownie Beach/calvert Formation: Results From 2 Trips

[gdarone]

I visited Brownie Beach yesterday morning at sunrise, and was able to expand my findings from my first trip last May.

There are several good resources online about the fossils typically found in the Calvert formation at this location, so I've done my best to try to identify my fossils, however there are a few I haven't been able to ID. Feel free to correct any misidentifications or add any IDs that you may know.

1)2)3)4)5)

1) Epiphysis - Juvenile porpoise vertebra

2) Kentriodon sp. - Porpoise thoracic vertebra

3) Assorted marine mammal

4) Eurhinodelphis bossi - Long-snouted dolphin tooth

5) Physogaleus contortus - Tiger shark

6)7)8)9)10)

6) Hemipristis serra - Snaggletooth shark

7) Carcharias sp. - Sand tiger shark

8) Sphyrna zygaena - Hammerhead shark

9) Carcharias sp. - Sand tiger shark or Isurus desori - Shortfin mako shark ?

10) Megalodon fragment ?

11)12)13)14)15)

11) Completely hollow Isurus desori - Shortfin mako shark ?

12) Ray tail spine?

13) Astrhelia palmata - Coral

14) Melosia staminea - Astarte clam with bore hole

15) Dentalium attenuatum - Tusk shell

16)17)18)19)20)

16) Chesapecten nefrens - Scallop

17) Turritella sp. - Gastropod ?

18) Turritella sp. - Gastropod (slightly different)?

19) Balanus sp. - Barnacle

20) Glycymeris parilis - Bittersweet clam

21)22)23)24)

21) Pycnodonte percrassa - Bivalve mollusk ?

22) Unknown bivalve mollusk ?

23) Unknown gastropod in matrix ?

24) Unknown gastropod in matrix ?

Also, I found a bone in the water, which seems pretty dense, but I'm not sure whether it is just a modern bone or a land mammal fossil. Any ideas?

[Auspex]

Very well done on the images and their coherent labeling, and Kudos for collecting and presenting the representative non-tooth specimens!

[MarcoSr]

Also, I found a bone in the water, which seems pretty dense, but I'm not sure whether it is just a modern bone or a land mammal fossil. Any ideas?

19.jpg

Land mammal fossils are very rare at Brownie Beach. Bones that are still somewhat white from there would make me think modern. Smell the bone. Modern bones will have a pretty distinct odor.

Marco Sr.

[gdarone]

Dead deer (and hence deer bones) are pretty common near my home, and compared to this they seem much lighter in density. I'm not sure whether this is because I usually find deer bones in the air, and this was in the water? There is no scent on this.

Is density something that would be diagnostic? I plan to bring this to the lab this week to measure its mass and volume accurately.

[bmorefossil]

I would give the bone time to dry out. They will hold water very well and giving them the feel of being heavier

[non-remanié]

nice finds and very detailed report! im thinking the bone is modern as well. it just doesnt have the right look...

[cowsharks]

Nice finds...I really like the dolphin tooth. Thanks for posting the non-tooth finds as well with their ID's. I've probably been to Brownies over 500 hundred times in 18 yrs, and have yet to look up the ID on more than one shell, and I've already forgotten that name as well.

[mrieder79]

I found #11 interesting because a month ago I also found a completely hollow mako tooth. Thought it was something off a tree or a giant thorn at first. It's the only hollow tooth I've ever found.

[jcbshark]

That hollow Mako may be from a dead one.From what I've read the farthest row back is where they start as a hollow shell and as it progresses forward the root develops.I found a hollow Mako upper several years ago before I knew about the development and tossed it in the trash.I thoughtit was just another broken junker lol. Nice stuff BTW,Jeff

Edited October 23, 2013 by jcbshark