obsessed1 Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 (edited) This bone was found as float at Bayfront Park. The main formation is Miocene in age. It is a marine formation but occasional terrestrial fossils can be found rarely. The wind kept blowing my scale away but the bone is 1/2" in length. Edited April 13, 2014 by obsessed1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 Kinda' makes me think of a funky cranial element; inner ear-ish. "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...
RichW9090 Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 Looks like a bird quadrate to me. 1 The plural of "anecdote" is not "evidence". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obsessed1 Posted April 14, 2014 Author Share Posted April 14, 2014 Thanks guys. I looked up the bird quadrate bone. There aren't many good photos of them that I have found thus far but I do believe you got it Rich. Does anyone know of a good source for photos of those bones? I would really love to narrow it down further than just "bird" if I can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 Quadrate makes sense, but I cannot offer references to further the avian ID. "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...
RichW9090 Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 Nor can I, although the bones are highly distinctive and easily identifiable as to species. I'd take it to Storrs Olsen at the Smithsonian. The plural of "anecdote" is not "evidence". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichW9090 Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 I've sent the pictures off to a bird guy, we'll see what he says. The plural of "anecdote" is not "evidence". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 I await the word! I just seems more massive in the third dimension than I would have expected for an avian. "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...
obsessed1 Posted April 16, 2014 Author Share Posted April 16, 2014 Thank you Rich. I sent them as you suggested to Storrs Olson today. Then if he requests to see it in person I will take it down to him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichW9090 Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 (edited) Interesting - we'll have two opinions! I agree, Auspex, but it seems unlike any lizard or snake I know. But that doesn't mean much. http://www.digimorph.org/specimens/Struthio_camelus/quadrate/ Edited April 16, 2014 by RichW9090 The plural of "anecdote" is not "evidence". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obsessed1 Posted April 18, 2014 Author Share Posted April 18, 2014 (edited) Here is an excerpt from the email I received back from Dr. Olson: "I think that there can be little doubt that this would belong to the tropicbird that I called Heliadornis ashbyi from the Calvert Formation and that turned up also in contemporaneous deposits in Europe (see attached pdfs). A very unexpected discovery considering how rare the species is in the Calvert (only one specimen, the type). And this is the first cranial material for the genus. It is certainly worth describing in detail and will need comparison with Phaethon and Prophaethon if Kevin would be willing to donate it to a museum where it can be registered and available for others to study in the future (Smithsonian or Calvert Marine Museum would be the most convenient)." Edited April 18, 2014 by obsessed1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lissa318 Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 Wow!!!! That's fantastic!!! Congrats! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 Outstanding! Well done, Kevin Better run this one through FOTM; the supporting back-story is value-added. Of course, I think it is the Fossil of the Year! "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...
Roz Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 Yahoo, Kevin! Very, very cool and important find! You must be elated! Welcome to the forum! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilized6s Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 Very cool news! Congrats! Three Smithsonian worthy fossil in the last week! Is that a record? ~Charlie~ "There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why.....i dream of things that never were, and ask why not?" ~RFK ->Get your Mosasaur print ->How to spot a fake Trilobite ->How to identify a CONCRETION from a DINOSAUR EGG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Opisthotriton Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 Wow, what a fantastic email to receive! Good eye, finding that tiny little bone! The Smithsonian is doing well from The Fossil Forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old bones Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 How exciting! Good on you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichW9090 Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 Excellent! Rich The plural of "anecdote" is not "evidence". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obsessed1 Posted April 18, 2014 Author Share Posted April 18, 2014 Thank you! Thank you everyone. I never dreamed of finding anything so special. I always hoped but never thought it would happen. I actually owe Daryl (cowsharks) some of the credit. When I arrived at the parking lot I saw his vehicle and knew that I was going to have to hunt extra slow and look even closer than normal as he doesn't miss much. Those of you who have followed him down a beach know exactly what I mean! If it weren't for him forcing me to hunt slower than usual I may have missed this tiny little bone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichW9090 Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 Just for fun, here is the reply I received from Dave Steadman at Florida: Hi Rich, The specimen is definitely an avian quadrate, and probably identifiable to genus if not species. My first stab is a tropicbird (Phaethontidae). In my humble opinion, the specimen should be in the CMM. Thanks, cheers, Rich The plural of "anecdote" is not "evidence". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obsessed1 Posted April 20, 2014 Author Share Posted April 20, 2014 Thanks for the added conformation. This specimen will be headed to the Smithsonian this week or next if I can work it into my schedule. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boesse Posted April 22, 2014 Share Posted April 22, 2014 Bird quadrate was the first thing that came to mind - although it's a bit on the tiny side for the only birds I have any experience with (Pelagornis). Great to hear Dr. Olson had some great things to say about it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xonenine Posted April 22, 2014 Share Posted April 22, 2014 congrats Kevin "Your serpent of Egypt is bred now of your mud by the operation of your sun; so is your crocodile." Lepidus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obsessed1 Posted April 26, 2014 Author Share Posted April 26, 2014 (edited) The fossil I found is now in the Smithsonian where it can be researched. I was able to see and get a photo of the holotype while I was there. For those who may not know a holotype is the original specimen used in naming and describing a new species. This one along with others is kept in a special locked cabinet with restricted access so that they aren't damaged and remain pristine for future feference Edited April 26, 2014 by obsessed1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obsessed1 Posted April 26, 2014 Author Share Posted April 26, 2014 Also here are the two PDFs of the previously reported fossils of this species. 171. Heliadornis Phaethontidae.pdf 283. Belgian Heliadornis.pdf 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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