Opalized Fossils? Vertebrae? Dinosaur? Please And Thank You So Much For Any Help! :)

[earthbones]

Hello, I have really been enjoying this wonderful forum- I'm learning so much and I appreciate everyone who contributes to make this such a wonderful place!

I am wondering if anyone can help me ID some fossil bones I just got- I was trying to get opals- but a friend saw them and told me not to cut these, they are fossil bones! He thinks they are dinosaur, but he is not an expert and he recommended I find one- so I came here. I sure don't want to cut up ancient fossil specimens!

They came in a lot- thrown together in a box- the nice lady said they were 'unknown rocks- maybe opal'. She told me they came from an estate in Beverly Hills, CA, but that's all she knew- no location information. I don't know if all the bones are from the same animal. There are small spots of glue on some of the fossils from being displayed. I hope my pictures are OK- please let me know if you need to see more- any help at all is appreciated very much. Thank you all for your time and wonderful knowledge that you share!

The first pic is the whole tray of fossils that I have, the others are close ups of individuals- and one where I tried to sort of put what looked like a spine (to me) together- forgive me if I made it look silly!

[Carcharodontosaurus]

These are definitely fossil bones from Lightning Ridge, but I have no idea what type. Opalised fossils are rare so you got a lucky deal.

You probably won't want to sell any of them, but in case you do, Paleoworld-101 is a forum member who collects opalized fossils.

The long, bullet-shaped fossils are definitely belemnites, a type of cephalopod.

[earthbones]

Wow, what a quick response! Thank you so much for the information, I really appreciate it.

I am off to study belemnites before bed. This is all so new to me. How fun!

[-Andy-]

Lucky you!

I do not have an opalized bone yet, but I think these are incredibly beautiful fossils.

Here's a great link for you to learn more about them > http://www.australianopalcentre.com/fossils.php

And here's an entire opalized pliosaur > http://io9.com/5987941/eric-the-pliosaur-one-of-the-most-interesting-fossils-on-the-planet

[fossilized6s]

Looks like opal to me also!

Those are gorgeous!

[Nandomas]

OH, great opalized bone box. A treasure indeed

[Auspex]

This is a significant collection (not to mention valuable!!!) of great rarity from a unique and world-famous location.

Just one of them would be a point of high pride in any fossil collection. I am amazed!!!

[snolly50]

Your friend was correct to recommend not cutting, if they were mine I would not alter them in any way. They are lovely, congrats on acquiring them.

[Sélacien34]

I had never seen any opalised fossils, that's really amazing, thank you for the pictures.

[Kosmoceras]

That's a fine collection! I echo what others say about their rarity and value.

Outstanding

[CH4ShotCaller]

Impressive. I saw one on display at a show several years ago of a mollusk, in a glass cage. As everyone has mentioned, this is a treasure. Handle with care and keep them together, you have something very rare and very special.

[earthbones]

Wow, thank you all so much for your help! I am beside myself, this is so exciting! The only fossils I had before this are some shark teeth and 2 beautiful ammonites, I am overwhelmed to suddenly have this! My 5 year old Son is fascinated by them. He just LOVES dinosaurs and bones, and digging of course. I can't wait to show him pictures of the opalized pliosaur when he gets home from school. This is just so amazing! I am so excited to learn more about them. I won't be cutting these, that's for sure...

[jpc]

Excellent find... estate sale, huh? You win. The bones look like plesiosaur vertebrae. Can't say if they are all from one animal or not, but they are a great collection.

[Auspex]

... I am beside myself, this is so exciting!...

I'm beside myself too! These opalized fossils are something that most folks never even get to see!

[vertman]

I would love to have an opalized string of fossil vertebrae. Very nice indeed!

[Jesuslover340]

No doubt you've a wonderful and rare find! Congratulations!

[tooth_claw]

A wonderful collection to be sure! I am far from an expert but I think I can see vertebrae (plesiosaur may be correct), ribs and what looks like a yabby button (maybe?) amongst the other bits and bobs.

The South Australian Museum has a public gallery full of opalised fossils from Coober Pedy (including an opalised plesiosaur skeleton or two!) and the Australian Opal centre at Lightning Ridge has an impressive display as well- you could contact either institution for some extra info/ IDs.

[siteseer]

I agree that those straight pieces may be rib sections - not belemnites - but it's hard to tell from the photo..

If you can show some photos of the individual pieces in that string, you might get further confirmation on the ID's. You need to photograph them straight on at the articular surface (the round part facing you) and also a couple of shots straight at the edge. I think I see a vertebral process on at least one of them (second one from the left).

To bring out more of the fire in the opal, I think you just dip a piece in water.

That is a fantastic estate sale find - something a fossil collector thought could only happen in a dream. The original owner probably spent years collecting all of that because most opalized fossils at shows are mollusks, bones being very rare. Those smaller specimens might be bone pieces too or perhaps simply pieces that show good fire, which would be good enough..

Yes, make sure to read up on that (Early Cretaceous age) so you have a better idea of what you have. I've seen a really nice book about Lightning Ridge fossils. It has photos of all sorts of incredible stuff including a shark tooth, dinosaur bones and the oldest known monotreme jaw.

Welcome to the forum.

A wonderful collection to be sure! I am far from an expert but I think I can see vertebrae (plesiosaur may be correct), ribs and what looks like a yabby button (maybe?) amongst the other bits and bobs.

The South Australian Museum has a public gallery full of opalised fossils from Coober Pedy (including an opalised plesiosaur skeleton or two!) and the Australian Opal centre at Lightning Ridge has an impressive display as well- you could contact either institution for some extra info/ IDs.

[Roadrunner]

If I may chime in - beautiful!

A rare find - Congratulations!

[howard]

wow very very psychedelic eye candy are they reactive under black light ?

perhaps you could take those on tour to local schools etc

Edited June 6, 2014 by howard

[rodrex]

I would suggest that these are opalised pliosaur vertebrae from Cooper Pedy, Bulldog Shale.

[bone2stone]

OMG........

Just too amazing for any words to justify what I think.

Estate sales are an adventure into serendipity.

Your treasure is one most of us will never experience.

Thank you for showing these.

Jess B.

[verydeadthings]

I haven't posted in a while, but that is amazing. Museum quality. By that I mean, keep them or donate them to a museum, but if you have to sell them, definitely get them appraised independently for their value.

[OzFossilphile]

G'day from Australia   

 

I stumbled across this page while I was looking for/at images of opalised 'yabby buttons' which are approximately 100-million-years-old freshwater crayfish gastroliths preserved in opal. Modern-day yabbies still use them as a kind of internal storage for when they grow and moult and replace their exoskeleton. To my knowledge, they are:

--- the only opalised, fossilised remnant of freshwater crayfish (locally known as a yabby, hence 'yabby button') and, being freshwater critters, are

--- only found in Lightning Ridge, NSW, from ancient freshwater creeks and billabongs.

Other members have posted above about them and provided a link to the AOC in Lightning Ridge. Opalised fossils from Coober Pedy and Andamooka (both in South Australia) were from sea creatures who lived in Australia's ancient Inland Sea.

 

As to your collection, it's impossible to say from the photos whether the pieces are from L. Ridge NSW, or from South Australia, or whether they are from one animal. Having been in the opal business for over 30 years and an avid collector myself (I've donated several rare, singular pieces to the AOC see below**), what I can say is that the larger pieces are certainly opalised vertebrae. The pointed piece (third from L, top row) looks like a coccyx, or "tail" bone and I'd say you're right to have it at the end of the row (third from L, bottom row).

 

I'd like to say much more but it's now November 2017 and your original post goes back to 2014 and a lot can happen in 3 years. Please contact me in here if you'd like to know more?

best regards, Mike.

** P.S. My profile pic is of an incredible opalised crocodile tooth in situ --- a similar photo is on the cover of Elizabeth Smith's fabulous book, "Black Opal Fossils of Lightning Ridge". It was mined by a mate of mine at The Coocoran field in the early 90's and I donated it to the AOC in 2015, as well as this gem crystal vertebra:

 

and this extraordinary opalised pine cone:

 

and several other pieces   .

[jpc]

Oooohhhh.... we would love to see more of these spectacular opalized fossils.