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Plio-Pleistocene Florida Corals


Plantguy

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Hey Gang,

Still trying to put labels with finds over the past year. Here are 10 coral samples and several guesstimates.... All but #9 are from spoils from an area that is Tamiami/possibly Caloosahatchee formation in Sarasota County. #9 is from spoils from Manatee County--there is Hawthorne formation there but this could have been brought in from nearby shellpits.

post-1240-0-29724900-1424573467_thumb.jpgpost-1240-0-11234900-1424573489_thumb.jpg

My guesses:

1 Solenastrea sp.

2 Oculina sarasotana

3 ?

4 Siderastrea sp?

5 Astrangia sp.

6 ?

7 Septastrea marylandica

8 ?

9 ?

10 ?

Closeups

1post-1240-0-51678900-1424574258_thumb.jpg

2post-1240-0-91566100-1424574334_thumb.jpg

3post-1240-0-20074500-1424574281_thumb.jpg

4post-1240-0-40718200-1424574397_thumb.jpg

5post-1240-0-60728300-1424574436_thumb.jpg

Any help is appreciated. Regards, Chris

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Nice finds!I have some too but also not labeled...

" We are not separate and independent entities, but like links in a chain, and we could not by any means be what we are without those who went before us and showed us the way. "

Thomas Mann

My Library

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Ok. Here goes. As you probably know corals are tough to identify. Sometimes it takes thin sections. But on gross examination I think these are some of them

1. I agree. Solenastrea.

2. Oculina sarasotana

3. Astrehelia palmata?

4.

5. Dichocoenia eminens

6. Astrangia lineata

7. Septastrea marylandica

8. Monastrea annularis

9,10. Don't know.

3.

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Good job luluboo with your suggested identifications. A lot of them look very similar, and similar to what I find on the beaches here. I have boxes of this stuff and still collect it because its neat. The grandkids will pull them out one year and have a field day.

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Knowledge has three degrees-opinion, science, illumination. The means or instrument of the first is sense; of the second, dialectic; of the third, intuition.

Plotinus 204 or 205 C.E., Egyptian Philosopher

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Know what you mean. My massive collection is a source of endless fascination for my kids and show and tell is always a blast.

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Ok. Here goes. As you probably know corals are tough to identify. Sometimes it takes thin sections. But on gross examination I think these are some of them

1. I agree. Solenastrea.

2. Oculina sarasotana

3. Astrehelia palmata?

4.

5. Dichocoenia eminens

6. Astrangia lineata

7. Septastrea marylandica

8. Monastrea annularis

9,10. Don't know.

3.

Thanks for the looks/assistance. I'll have to look em up to see what those are. I had looked at a list that Mike had prepared and was going thru galleries so maybe they'll sort these out for me. thanks.

Regards, Chris

Edited by Plantguy
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  • 1 year later...
4 hours ago, Joenlle said:

I know you posted this quite a while ago but I live in Sarasota and recently have been finding loads of this...7 resembles this (found in Sarasota). http://segs.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/SEGS-Guidebook-No-56.pdfIMG_7885.PNG

Yep, thanks! I remember seeing that article and the SMR pub in my searches to find answers..good stuff. Last weekend I actually had the pleasure to meet both Roger Portell and Guy Means who led that SMR trip and I had an even bigger treat with meeting and getting to hunt with our famous MikeR--one of our resident Tamiami experts. They all know their stuff! 

 

Along my Sarasota fossil hoarding visitations I realized that as tmaier noted above that county has a bunch of fossils. The Tamiami formation there has a ridiculous variety of other Septastrea covered gastropods---they use them as pathways, roadways, fill everywhere. I'm sure you have run across or will find more types....I amassed these after a number of trips....

 

 

 

 

Septastrea marylandica encrusted gastropods Sarasota County.jpg

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Would love to get in contact with someone like that! I have been finding ridiculous amounts of treasures in my yard, I have more questions than answers and more rocks than shells! I've been collecting a ton of these though, they are so neat! 

_MG_5320.JPG

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To tell one species from another you have to get really picky with the details. That line of small coral in your photo above looks to be all marylandica, except for one piece. Can you pick out the one that doesn't belong?

And hum the Sesame Street saong "Which of these things goes with the other?". ;-)

Often it is hard to distinguish one species from another, except when you have the rare opportunity to line a bunch of them up like that. Then the oddball will jump right out of the pack. A species has distinguishing characterisitcs that define its genetic group, and also has individual genetic deviations that create variation. When you have a dozen individuals of a species to compare, then the common thread of what is species level characteristics becomes clear. Pity to poor vertebrate paleontologist who only has three bones of a specimen, and is asked to name and compare the species. =-)

Your area is a good place of the collecting and study of many species, they can be found in such abundance.

Also, in your area there are a lot of fossils of the past dozen million years mixed together with even modern shells and coral. It is hard to tell them apart.

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  • 1 year later...

Ill have to go back and revisit this...been awhile and I don think I ever finished the exercise. Thanks, Regards, Chris 

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