John S. Posted May 3, 2015 Share Posted May 3, 2015 Thought I would mix it up a bit and get some ID on these. Taken from the cretaceous, Ozan Formation, 80-85 mya. Thanks for looking. North Central Texas Eagle Ford Group / Ozan Formation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John S. Posted May 3, 2015 Author Share Posted May 3, 2015 ... North Central Texas Eagle Ford Group / Ozan Formation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herb Posted May 3, 2015 Share Posted May 3, 2015 That is totally bizarre, "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence"_ Carl Sagen No trees were killed in this posting......however, many innocent electrons were diverted from where they originally intended to go. " I think, therefore I collect fossils." _ Me "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."__S. Holmes "can't we all just get along?" Jack Nicholson from Mars Attacks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted May 3, 2015 Share Posted May 3, 2015 'Tis a weathered bit of ammonite, with very intricate sutures. "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...
John S. Posted May 3, 2015 Author Share Posted May 3, 2015 Thanks auspex. Are the last 2 internal molds? North Central Texas Eagle Ford Group / Ozan Formation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abyssunder Posted May 3, 2015 Share Posted May 3, 2015 'Tis a weathered bit of ammonite, with very intricate sutures. I`m in the same opinion. " 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted May 3, 2015 Share Posted May 3, 2015 Thanks auspex. Are the last 2 internal molds? That is my take; full of mud and shell-hash. "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...
GeschWhat Posted May 3, 2015 Share Posted May 3, 2015 Are the top three of the same specimen? If they are different, the last photo on your first post and the single photo on your second post look like coprolites to me. Do they stick to your tongue? Lori www.areallycrappystory.com/fossils www.facebook.com/fossilpoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herb Posted May 3, 2015 Share Posted May 3, 2015 'Tis a weathered bit of ammonite, with very intricate sutures. I am impressed! it's so obvious now. "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence"_ Carl Sagen No trees were killed in this posting......however, many innocent electrons were diverted from where they originally intended to go. " I think, therefore I collect fossils." _ Me "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."__S. Holmes "can't we all just get along?" Jack Nicholson from Mars Attacks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John S. Posted May 4, 2015 Author Share Posted May 4, 2015 Yes their are 3 specimens. First 2 are the same then pic 3 and 4 are different pieces. North Central Texas Eagle Ford Group / Ozan Formation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeschWhat Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 I think the last two are coprolites. The last photo looks like a spiral coprolite. I was serious about the tongue test. Like fossil bone, a lot of times if you touch your tongue to it, it will stick slightly if it is bone or coprolite. What does the other side of the second specimen look like? Lori www.areallycrappystory.com/fossils www.facebook.com/fossilpoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John S. Posted May 4, 2015 Author Share Posted May 4, 2015 Thanks for the help. This would be a big piece of snarge : ) they do stick slightly. Here are some more pics of the 2nd. North Central Texas Eagle Ford Group / Ozan Formation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeschWhat Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 That is a great specimen! In the first side view photo, it looks like there are signs of predation (teeth marks?) What a great find! Lori www.areallycrappystory.com/fossils www.facebook.com/fossilpoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John S. Posted May 4, 2015 Author Share Posted May 4, 2015 Very cool thanks! Must be from a massive mosasaur.. North Central Texas Eagle Ford Group / Ozan Formation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptychodus04 Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 I agree. Ammonite whorl section and 2 coprolites. Regards, Kris Global Paleo Services, LLC https://globalpaleoservices.com http://instagram.com/globalpaleoservices http://instagram.com/kris.howe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 That is a great specimen! In the first side view photo, it looks like there are signs of predation (teeth marks?) What a great find! Very cool thanks! Must be from a massive mosasaur.. As others have pointed out, the first specimen is a partial ammonite fragment. You've posted 4 photos of the second specimen. It could be a coprolite; but I have seen Ozan Formation clay nodules that look like a variety of things. Again, it could be a coprolite, or it might be a very eroded gastropod internal mold. This one might need microscopic inspection for a confident ID. In my opinion, it's way too far of a 'leap' to say it's a mosasaur coprolite, and an even further stretch to suggest the concept of predation marks on it. The single photo of your third find shows something that looks more like a coprolite finds from that area. You can rarely go wrong posting additional photos. My point is that some things might not be identifiable from photos; but it sure is fun seeing all your finds. The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true. - JJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John S. Posted May 4, 2015 Author Share Posted May 4, 2015 That's a good point John. The coprolite ID game is difficult. So much variety. I also need to stop assuming things. it's easy to get carried away with your imagination cause you want to picture what it is. I'm glad people like you are here to bring me back to reality : ) North Central Texas Eagle Ford Group / Ozan Formation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 That's a good point John. The coprolite ID game is difficult. So much variety. I also need to stop assuming things. it's easy to get carried away with your imagination cause you want to picture what it is. I'm glad people like you are here to bring me back to reality : ) I've had friends pull me out of the clouds by my shoelaces several times.... The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true. - JJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeschWhat Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 As others have pointed out, the first specimen is a partial ammonite fragment. You've posted 4 photos of the second specimen. It could be a coprolite; but I have seen Ozan Formation clay nodules that look like a variety of things. Again, it could be a coprolite, or it might be a very eroded gastropod internal mold. This one might need microscopic inspection for a confident ID. In my opinion, it's way too far of a 'leap' to say it's a mosasaur coprolite, and an even further stretch to suggest the concept of predation marks on it. The single photo of your third find shows something that looks more like a coprolite finds from that area. You can rarely go wrong posting additional photos. My point is that some things might not be identifiable from photos; but it sure is fun seeing all your finds. While I agree that there is no way to definitively identify the "poopetrator," I don't think it's a stretch to suggest predation. In this instance I am not suggesting something intentionally fed on the feces. Rather that as the creature was devoured, the teeth or claws of a predator may have left the scrape marks circled in red. I guess that would make it a cololite rather than a coprolite. Are there other ways these marks could have occurred? Sure! Regardless, teeth marks are sometimes found in what are thought to be crocodilian coprolites found in South Carolina and Florida. Looking under a microscope for inclusions may help identify what was eaten, but lack of inclusions does not prove it is not a coprolite. Some creatures have very acidic systems (such as crocodilians), in which case their coprolites are usually very homogeneous. The only way to know for sure would be to test it in a lab for calcium phosphate. In my semi-educated opinion...it seems you are good at finding snarge! Lori www.areallycrappystory.com/fossils www.facebook.com/fossilpoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 I think that the erosive river environment, where this was found, leaves all kinds of scrapes, scratches, and gouges on things. Some of those erosive marks may not necessarily recent if something has been tumbling down the river a while. So, those causes would be my first thoughts vs. thoughts I would have of an object found in a non-erosive environment. The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true. - JJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeschWhat Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 Was it found buried in sediment/matrix or exposed? My though is that they look too evenly spaced to be a random roll. It also seems to have too much detail to have been rolling around for any length of time...the world may never know. Lori www.areallycrappystory.com/fossils www.facebook.com/fossilpoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 It will be difficult to create certainty on this specimen; there are many potential causal factors to consider, none of which is a smoking gun. Like many ambiguous objects, the gulf between proof and belief is a big one. At the very least, the discussion of observed features and their possible causes is fascinating! "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...
GeschWhat Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 It will be difficult to create certainty on this specimen; there are many potential causal factors to consider, none of which is a smoking gun. Like many ambiguous objects, the gulf between proof and belief is a big one. At the very least, the discussion of observed features and their possible causes is fascinating! One of the many things that make fossils fun! Lori www.areallycrappystory.com/fossils www.facebook.com/fossilpoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 One of the many things that make fossils fun! Absolutely. The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true. - JJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John S. Posted May 4, 2015 Author Share Posted May 4, 2015 Well now, I didn't mean to cause a major poop war this piece was exposed in the river bottom in float material after recent torrential rains. I would say probly recent deposit. It stood out pretty well. North Central Texas Eagle Ford Group / Ozan Formation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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