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Vert? Shark Or?


Nenando

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Found in the West Dallas area. Could this finally be my 1st shark vert? Rather large, 3-4 inches across. Been eyeing this site for a while now and this beauty was just laying on the surface!

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It looks like fish to me, but if you prep it a bit, we will have a much better chance of an ID. I say fish because it looks thick in comparison to the diameter of the centrum. Nice find regardless.

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Interesting, hadnt thought of that but then this is my first find of this type. Planning to prep it out a bit this weekend. I appreciate your feedback.

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I agree that it could be a bony fish though it seems to be flaking away like a fossil shark vert does. I would be very careful prepping that. Fossil shark verts are very fragile. I would use acetone and a pin vise to poke away the matrix almost grain by grain. Then, when you've cleaned a small spot, let a drop of superglue soak in. It is tedious but you will end up with something good. I have worked on Miocene shark vertebrae and can only imagine one as old as yours is even more fragile. It's like chipping rock off porcelain.

Interesting, hadn't thought of that but then this is my first find of this type. Planning to prep it out a bit this weekend. I appreciate your feedback.

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Much appreciated guidance siteseer. This is also the 1st real prep work I am doing. I chipped away a very small amount and used a little needle sized pin. Great idea about the superglue. Question what would I use the acetone for?

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You use acetone to soften the matrix. It evaporates quick so it won't soak into the fossil like water would. You still have to be careful with acetone because overdoing it can weaken a fossil especially something as fragile as a shark vert.

Yeah, the pin technique works.

Much appreciated guidance siteseer. This is also the 1st real prep work I am doing. I chipped away a very small amount and used a little needle sized pin. Great idea about the superglue. Question what would I use the acetone for?

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