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Montana tracks


Salvageon

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I was looking around a friends rock quarry and found this mudstone slab covered in what looks like bird tracks. Are they? and if so how should I preserve them. I have Paleobond sealer. Should I use it? Thanks

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One more thing I found these in central Montana in the Fort Union formation near plant fossils and some small snails. Thanks

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They are indeed bird tracks; quite a dance floor at that!

Do you know the age of the rock? (Answered while I was posting)

Unless they are at risk of falling apart, I would not coat them.

"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!

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Paleocene bird tracks are most awesome! Any more slabs like this to be found?

"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!

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Could very well be more. I kind of got distracted with getting that one off the hill in one piece. I will surely return shortly.

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One more thing I found these in central Montana in the Fort Union formation near plant fossils and some small snails. Thanks

When I'm out roaming a new area of Alberta or Montana , I'm searching for snails. They are often indicators of other 'good stuff' that were in the same deposits...usually micro vertebrate specimens from crocodile, champsosaur, turtle, ray teeth, fish scales, small mammal teeth, etc.

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Sounds like you might enjoy one Chas., right up your collecting alley.

Bird tracks are something I am working on (ten years and counting). When I retire in four years, I hope to be able to make real headway.

"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!

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Excellent find. Do NOT put Paleobond or anything on them. The rock looks solid enough. If the rock is splitting along bedding planes (visible on the edges), you can put some glue in those to hold it together. It is best to not put anything on fossils if you don't need to.

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Went out to the quarry and found another track. This one looks a little bigger than the others and is well defined with another partial. I did stop by the landowners place and showed the grown son this one and they are still fine with me hunting. There will be lot more hunting to do as they are not done with their digging. :)

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Beautiful specimens! Really quite special. Tracks from the Fort Union Formation are very rare - have you considered donating them to a Montana museum?

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Excellent find. Do NOT put Paleobond or anything on them. The rock looks solid enough. If the rock is splitting along bedding planes (visible on the edges), you can put some glue in those to hold it together. It is best to not put anything on fossils if you don't need to.

+1. Do nothing unless there's a chance of the slab splitting apart, and then only if the split would cause instability or damage to the exposed tracks.

Chas isn't the only one who loves birds around here! :envy:

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Thank you everyone for your input I am indeed lucky to have been at the right place at the right time to save these wonderful specimens from the road-fill of history. Although I can't say with certainty exactly where (layer) they were excavated from I can come close and will document it with photographs and coordinates and keep them with the tracks so the information is not lost for good. If they eventually go to a museum it will definitely be a local or small facility where they will be seen by the public and not stuck in a drawer somewhere.

To be honest when I show local people my pics it amazes me that they say "Oh yes I've seen them out (somewhere) where we were working! Can't remember where". People need to be taught to "see" what's around them but honestly you can't make them care.

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Thank you for posting these really cool fossils.

Bird tracks are not a common subject we get to see allot of , around here.

Regards,

    Tim    VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

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