Mystery Bones, Teeth, And Scales From Red Hill, Pa

[PA Fossil Finder]

This summer I went on a trip to Red Hill, the famous freshwater vertebrate locality in Pennsylvania. The fossils found at the site are from the Duncannon Member of the Catskill formation, which is Famennian stage Devonian in age. I was lucky enough to find an area they had recently used a jackhammer to expose new fossils, in which I found loads of great fossils. I ended up with a lot of unidentified fossils, so I need some help with these.

I think this is a fish bone:

I'm pretty sure this is a megalichthyidid scale. I like how it is colored!

Fish chunks. I don't know if these would be identifiable, but I would at least like to know what sort of fish they're from. Placoderm, maybe?

[PA Fossil Finder]

I thought this could be a labyrinthodont tooth, because of the structure exposed on the bottom.

Placoderm plate?

[PA Fossil Finder]

I have no idea what this thing is.

I have no idea what this is either.

[ZiggieCie]

On your tooth part, check out Fossilcrazy's post here, about his tooth from Red Hill.

http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/56581-show-us-your-best-personal-find-fossil-tooth/

[izak_]

Wonderful finds!

Izak

[Ridgehiker]

Those are greats. Always fascinating to see early vertebrates.

Your second photo...that has the colour and texture of the Devonian and Early Carboniferous shark teeth that we find in our mountains. Especially the flat crusher teeth.

They are calcium phosphate so can be removed from matrix with acetic acid. I personally prefer them left in matrix if most of the specimen is showing.

[Rockwood]

I assume you got special permission from the research center. Folks should be aware that the sight is strictly off limits without it.

[PA Fossil Finder]

Those are greats. Always fascinating to see early vertebrates.

Your second photo...that has the colour and texture of the Devonian and Early Carboniferous shark teeth that we find in our mountains. Especially the flat crusher teeth.

They are calcium phosphate so can be removed from matrix with acetic acid. I personally prefer them left in matrix if most of the specimen is showing.

I still think it is a scale... Based on what I saw in the field museum and research center, as well as this page.

I assume you got special permission from the research center. Folks should be aware that the sight is strictly off limits without it.

Of course! I was there as part of a group trip. Doug Rowe was onsite with us, and he was very helpful with identification. However, I forgot what he called most of the fossils!

[Rockwood]

Good to hear. That's the way to go about it. Just didn't want others to get the wrong idea.

[Auspex]

Good to hear. That's the way to go about it. Just didn't want others to get the wrong idea.

On an open Forum with 30,000 visitors a month, it is almost a responsibility for us to mention such important restrictions, even though it might go without saying among regular members.

[ZiggieCie]

On an open Forum with 30,000 visitors a month, it is almost a responsibility for us to mention such important restrictions, even though it might go without saying among regular members.

[Paul1719]

Hi PAFinder, I was the guy with the jackhammer along with Ted Daeschler and David Broussard back in April. Sorry this took so long. Most of the plate fragments are from the placoderm Turrisaspis. It is one of the most common fossils there but in the floodpond facies (gray-green) which haven't really been accessible since our first trip in 2009 with NYPS. I have only really been able to id the medial dorsal fin plate and the pectoral appendage. Unfortunately for us, the plates seem to fly apart upon death and therefore they are rarely found articlated. Although if you go on Devonian times they have a partially articulated specimen that was found awhile ago. I should be posting some of the stuff we found soon.

Paul

[PA Fossil Finder]

Hi PAFinder, I was the guy with the jackhammer along with Ted Daeschler and David Broussard back in April. Sorry this took so long. Most of the plate fragments are from the placoderm Turrisaspis. It is one of the most common fossils there but in the floodpond facies (gray-green) which haven't really been accessible since our first trip in 2009 with NYPS. I have only really been able to id the medial dorsal fin plate and the pectoral appendage. Unfortunately for us, the plates seem to fly apart upon death and therefore they are rarely found articlated. Although if you go on Devonian times they have a partially articulated specimen that was found awhile ago. I should be posting some of the stuff we found soon.

Paul

Well, thanks for breaking up all that rock! I'm sure most of what I found was just common stuff for that site, but I had a great trip and I was very excited to find the cool stuff that I did. Do you have any idea what the last two objects are?