bmorefossil Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 Easternshore and I met up again for another trip, this time we decided to collect a spot along the Potomac river where I usually do well and this time was no different. The only problem with this spot is accessibility and it involves hiking a good 5-6 miles through, over and around fallen trees. It's not much fun after your legs are cut to bits by the branches and look like you were trapped in a lions den. We each were finding the usual small teeth when I glanced up at the high gravel line and spotted the find of the trip. A beautiful 2 1/8" C. Aksuaticus. Which is a transitional tooth between Otodus and Auriculatus and can only be found at just a few known locations. They are usually extremely worn or in bad shape but this one was only missing one cusp and nearly unworn so I doubt it had been in the water very long. The tooth actually had some matrix near the root. The color and odd shape make this one my favorite tooth of this species. I also found a 1 7/8" sand tiger. The winds began to pick up and we were getting sand blasted and with the long journey ahead of us we made our way back to the car. If we had more time I'm sure we would have found some other nice teeth. Happy hunting and holidays everyone! http://i914.photobucket.com/albums/ac342/Steven_Ferguson/image_zps5fd1d70b.jpg http://i914.photobucket.com/albums/ac342/Steven_Ferguson/image_zps8a22182e.jpg http://i914.photobucket.com/albums/ac342/Steven_Ferguson/image_zpse2a5ad28.jpg http://i914.photobucket.com/albums/ac342/Steven_Ferguson/image_zps3d1a35a6.jpg Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcbshark Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 Nice going.Great tooth Steve! Every once in a great while it's not just a big rock down there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrieder79 Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 What a great find! Congrats. Luck is the most important skill of a fossil diver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MakoMeCrazy Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 Nice finds! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fallingfossils Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 Great trip and a really nice transitional. Well done! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terphunter Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 Great finds! What's is that claw looking thing you found...is it just a broken tooth....looks like an eagle claw or something? LIFE IS SHORT...HUNT HARD!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmorefossil Posted December 23, 2013 Author Share Posted December 23, 2013 Yea it's either an eagle or osprey talon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 Yea it's either an eagle or osprey talon. Eagle (or so, depending on size). Osprey talon cores are quite round in cross-section, and describe a greater degree of arc. "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...
MarcoSr Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 Eagle (or so, depending on size). Osprey talon cores are quite round in cross-section, and describe a greater degree of arc. Chas When do eagles first show up in the fossil record? I'm curious if the talon is recent or could be from either the Eocene or Miocene. Although there is also Pleistocene in that area of the Potomac, I've never found Pleistocene bird or mammal fossils in that area. 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...
Auspex Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 This is a Pleistocene fossil. "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...
Terphunter Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 Looks maybe the find of the trip...i would say rare! LIFE IS SHORT...HUNT HARD!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fallingfossils Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 This is a Pleistocene fossil. That is a really great find! Looking at the photo I had just assumed it was modern, but what a nice fossil it is then Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmorefossil Posted December 24, 2013 Author Share Posted December 24, 2013 Yea I wasn't thinking anything of it either. Very cool thanks guys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scylla Posted December 24, 2013 Share Posted December 24, 2013 Amazing finds, worth a ten mile hike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hokiehunter Posted December 24, 2013 Share Posted December 24, 2013 Yea I wasn't thinking anything of it either. Very cool thanks guys Hey Bmore, others on the board are way more qualified than me but I wouldn't necessarily make the jump that it is a fossil. I have 2 raptor claws (eagle) from the Potomac in 3 years hunting and could have way more if I were willing to plunder dead birds. I wouldn't call them common at all but certainly you can find them with some regularity if you hunt often enough/get lucky. During the spring/fall that area of the Potomac is covered up with eagles fighting and sometimes dying. If yours is fossilized though I would definitely call it the find of the trip. Either way definitely cool and congrats on that Aksuaticus. Never found one of those and definitely on my list of "to finds". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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