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dshamilla

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If you have ever collected fish from the classic vertebrate locality near Linton, Ohio or have obtained fish specimens from there, I would like to share some of what I have learned about the type of fish called paleoniscoids (also spelled palaeoniscoids) that occur there. Paleoniscoid fish have thick, rhomboidal scales made of dentine-type bone with a surface of hard enamel-like material called ganoin and on the external surface of the ganoin there are pits and fine canals. They resemble (body-wise) what most people think of commonly as a “fish-shape” except they have “armor-like” scales. They are set apart from the chondrichthyans (sharks), the dipnoans (lungfish) and the coelacanths, which also occur in the Linton cannel.

The Linton paleoniscoids can be divided into two family groups, the elonichthyids (1 species) and the haplolepids (6 species). I’ve attached a pdf file called “1. Identifying Linton Paleoniscoid Fish” which describes the fishes for species identification. I tried to keep the terminology minimal, but to describe the differences some was necessary. To aid in identifying haplolepid species, I have put together an illustration called “Linton Haplolepids”.

The accompanying jpegs show the illustration and most of the different paleoniscoid types. Because I no longer have any specimens (see pdf file: “2. My Linton Collection and Recollections”), I cannot provide photos of two of the species. I hope this information will be useful and bring about more interest in learning about and collecting in coal measure deposits wherever they occur.

1a Identifying Linton Paleoniscoid Fish.pdf

2 My Linton Collection and Recollections.pdf

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Dave, this is one of the best Linton Fish identifiers I have seen. Thanks for all the effort you put in compiling this. Thanks for sharing.

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What I have to say...great work!Thanks!

" 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

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Excellent write-up.

Thanks for posting it.

Regards,

    Tim    VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

   MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png      PaleoPartner.png.30c01982e09b0cc0b7d9d6a7a21f56c6.png.a600039856933851eeea617ca3f2d15f.png     Postmaster1.jpg.900efa599049929531fa81981f028e24.jpg    VFOTM.png.f1b09c78bf88298b009b0da14ef44cf0.png  VFOTM APRIL - 2015  

__________________________________________________
"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."
John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~   ><))))( *>  About Me      

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Hi Dave,

Thanks for putting this together!

I had an opportunity to collect the Linton site around ten years ago. I only had a short period of time and did not find much.

Not sure if the area is still accessible but I hope to make it back someday.

Rob

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Last wk I was looking for additional places to fossil hunt in Ohio and came across articles on the linton Diamond coal mine and was wondering if I could still get into the area? On google it looks like just a open area with open access. Would it be worth the trip?

I like your informative PDF on your experience there.

https://kb.osu.edu/dspace/bitstream/handle/1811/38879/Linton.pdf?sequence=1

ps. Glad you joined the group and brought your knowledge to share with us. :)

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  • 1 month later...

I was in that area just yesterday. I do not know the exact location you need for finding fossils but I had to be within 1/4 mile of the mine opening. One area has a lot of rock debris piles and the other coal fines and small chucks. It is accessible by dirt bike or vehicle with decent bottom clearance (not a regular car, possibly not even a small SUV such as Honada CRV), but we parked where the road became impassable by car and walked to both areas. I have no idea what to look for in regards to finding fossils but the area is definitely accessible without much trouble. Probably be easier when all the leaves are off the tree if yu want to find the mine opening which I imagine is boarded up.

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  • 5 months later...

The last few days have been unseasonably high temps in New York. It was a good time to split some Linton Cannel coal. Well I found a nice Microhaplolepis sp. right at the Conchostracans mass mortality layer.

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Reflective lighting Oblique lighting

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Tail fin details Scale details Head details

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Very nice find from there, great detail.

I am hoping to get out there in the early spring before everything gets overgrown.

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Another wonderful Linton specimen rescued! :)

Thanks for posting it, John.

Regards,

    Tim    VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

   MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png      PaleoPartner.png.30c01982e09b0cc0b7d9d6a7a21f56c6.png.a600039856933851eeea617ca3f2d15f.png     Postmaster1.jpg.900efa599049929531fa81981f028e24.jpg    VFOTM.png.f1b09c78bf88298b009b0da14ef44cf0.png  VFOTM APRIL - 2015  

__________________________________________________
"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."
John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~   ><))))( *>  About Me      

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  • 1 year later...

Hi, any idea as too who this might be? Scales from the Early Permian 297 mya. from North central Texas Seymour area.

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Tankman

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1 hour ago, TroyB said:

Hi, any idea as too who this might be?

You will get better results on id requests if You start Your own thread in the id sub forum.

Darwin said: " Man sprang from monkeys."

Will Rogers said: " Some of them didn't spring far enough."

 

My Fossil collection - My Mineral collection

My favorite thread on TFF.

 

 

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