Plantguy Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 (edited) Hey Gang, Started trying to put away some more of the stuff in the garage and ran across an echy in matrix that I found and had dismissed as unidentifable as it had this encrustation that I just couldnt seem to remove at the time....Well been playing it with most of the day I now see a majority of the test is there and I was thinking it looks like a Schizaster...wondering what you all think? Anyone have any similar finds from Sarasota County? All I could find that seemed close was a Eocene Schizaster from the Ocala Limestone. I am working in APAC spoil piles in Sarasota County and its all Plio-Pleistocene there so that presents a dilemma if its S.armiger (Clark) as that seems to be much older in age .... this seems to be heart shaped but almost round 2.9cm long X 2.7cm w and 2.5 cm tall. Also looks maybe more similar to an Eocene Schizaster ocalanus listed in the Florida MNH Galleries specimen 183665 but I'm just guessing...orafice positions look closer than the Agassizia's pictured in the gallery that are of early Pleistocene age (and coincidentally from the Caloosahatchee which is present at the site) and are similar in overall test shape. http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/invertpaleo/display.asp?catalog_number=183665&gallery_type=Florida%20Echinoidea Any help is appreciated. Edit: added dimensions and photos/comments about S.ocalanus. Regards, Chris Edited February 28, 2015 by Plantguy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 (edited) Chris I have a similar echinoid that I had great trouble identifying. I'm now convinced mine is Schizaster ocalanus from the Ocala Limestone (late Eocene). My trouble in identification was that it has two gonopores and Schizaster has four. It turns out that at one time it was assumed that the type specimen for Schizaster had two gonopores but was later found to have four so there are many echinoids placed into Schizaster that shouldn't be. I tried to identify mine as Ditremaster which has two pores but mine didn't fit with the Ditremaster found in Florida. Maybe it should now be called Paraster ocalanus? I found mine while strolling down a gravel road in Citrus county. I don't know where the gravel was trucked in from. Only about 5% of the echinoid was exposed and I spent many hours cleaning off the matrix. I don't have an air abrasive unit so I use a sharpened needle under a microscope. It is 24 mm. long. Edited February 28, 2015 by Al Dente Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plantguy Posted February 28, 2015 Author Share Posted February 28, 2015 Chris I have a similar echinoid that I had great trouble identifying. I'm now convinced mine is Schizaster ocalanus from the Ocala Limestone (late Eocene). My trouble in identification was that it has two gonopores and Schizaster has four. It turns out that at one time it was assumed that the type specimen for Schizaster had two gonopores but was later found to have four so there are many echinoids placed into Schizaster that shouldn't be. I tried to identify mine as Ditremaster which has two pores but mine didn't fit with the Ditremaster found in Florida. Maybe it should now be called Paraster ocalanus? I found mine while strolling down a gravel road in Citrus county. I don't know where the gravel was trucked in from. Only about 5% of the echinoid was exposed and I spent many hours cleaning off the matrix. I don't have an air abrasive unit so I use a sharpened needle under a microscope. It is 24 mm. long. ocalanussmall.JPG Thanks Al Dente....hmm, yours is an extremely nice one that appears to be a spitting image of mine and complete! Well, Dr Portell was going to look at those spines from Vulcan I sent him so maybe I can bug him about this guy as well. Would you be ok with my sending him pictures of yours also and pose your questions? I'm wondering if I've been duped again and somehow this guy got brought in from one of the counties much further north....I havent seen any Eocene stuff around this locale and I'm not sure they dug anywheres that deep or if we even have that aged strata at depth here but having found that Eocene Oligopygus down in north Charlotte County last year that wasnt supposed to be there, I wonder if somehow it has happened again at this site??? I wish it had been found insitu but nope a buried spoils find..... Regards, Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 Would you be ok with my sending him pictures of yours also and pose your questions It's alright with me. I would be interested in his comments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plantguy Posted March 6, 2015 Author Share Posted March 6, 2015 It's alright with me. I would be interested in his comments. Thanks Al Dente....msg has been sent...will let you know what I find out. Regards, Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sacha Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 Chris, give us a little insight into how you're organizing your stuff. You are in such a great area of Florida, have such great guys to collect with and have so many divergent interests I think you could help me. Show us how you show off your good stuff and how you store your duplicates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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