My second trip to Ernst Quarries

[sharko69]

I had to make a business trip to California and to the San Joaquin Valley this week. I planned for a partial day on Thursday to take some time for myself and do some hunting. After checking the weather, it was clear it was going to be a scorcher even for a Texan but I figured I would take my chances with the elements and book some time anyway. I got in contact with Rob at Ernst Quarries and arranged for a half day dig. We met at the gate at 8am. At first I thought I was at the wrong entrance since I was the only one there. Rob pulled up and told me there was a possibility I could be the only one there for the day. After waiting several minutes we headed up the road and made the turn towards the Slow Curve area. Rob was kind enough to show me around. There were plenty of tools and sifters available as well as hammers and chisels to break through the different layers. He warned me to watch for snakes and and call him if I needed anything. They had spotted a small rattler the day before in the same area but I was pretty certain the snakes are smarter than me and were not going to expose themselves to the 96 degree weather that I was about to subject myself to.

I started in an area where two Meg's were found the week before. It was my first time chiseling into the bone bed and was not really sure what I was doing at first. I found a couple of small teeth and of course broke the root on the first not heeding warnings not to clean in the field which was a temptation I thought I had gotten out of my system on my last visit. I found a small piece of Meg, a fragledon or in this case a specladon. It got my juices flowing but that was the closest I was coming to a Meg for the day. The heat was harsh. I was hydrating almost as much as I was digging. I split my day up by chilling a while then sifting a while then when I got too hot, checking the surface while drinking water and wishing that I could have come on Friday when the temperature was a forecasted 75 degrees after a front. None the less I kept going until about 1:00 when I had to head to LAX for a 6:30 flight back to DFW. I left with a handful of nice teeth as my reward for the day. A few new firsts for my collection including my tiny frag of a Meg, a first hemi, and a partial cow shark. I love how it keeps producing enough to keep me happy but leaves me also already dreaming about the next trip and hitting the honey hole.

Here are some pics of some of my finds. Thank you for looking.

[sharko69]

Makos, Fragledon, Hemi...

[sharko69]

Tiger Shark

[sharko69]

Partial Cow Shark

[sharko69]

Isurus planus

[sharko69]

More makos, Isurus hastalis.

[PRK]

S69-l admire your grit! It is brutal digging in that Bakersfield heat.

That's why I only dug there during winter, early spring, and late fall

Edited May 21, 2016 by PRK

[sharko69]

More teeth

[sharko69]

Would love some help with an ID for this vert.

[sharko69]

More views.

[sharko69]

I also brought home several gallons of matrix and will post if any good finds. Thank you for looking.

[PRK]

Caudal vertebra ( or tail vertebra ) of a marine mammal

Edited May 21, 2016 by PRK

[sharko69]

I also found this. My first pathological mako. Not much of a tooth but the pathology is interesting.

[sharko69]

Two more pics

[sharko69]

Caudal vertebra ( or tail vertebra ) of a marine mammal

Thank you. Any way to know what type of mammal? Whale, Dolphin, other?

[sharko69]

S69-l admire your grit! It is brutal digging in that Bakersfield heat.

That's why I only dug there during winter, early spring, and late fall

I don't know if it is grit. I have another trip later this summer but will spend my free time dreaming about fall in the air conditioning. The people that have booked for this weekend are in for some lovely weather though. I hope they find all the ones I left behind from the delirium of heat stroke.

[PRK]

Hi guess size might be a diagnostic feature, to a point.

I not really sure that vert can be identified much further

than that, without a guess.

Edited May 21, 2016 by PRK

[sharko69]

Hi guess size might be a diagnostic feature, to a point

What IS the size?

Sorry, that would help. About two and a half inches in diameter.

[PRK]

Hey S69- or pinniped

I've edited my previous post

Thanks anyway

Edited May 21, 2016 by PRK

[siteseer]

That is actually a great find. I've done a lot of collecting at the Ernst quarries and have found just one pathologic. It was lightly coated in matrix and didn't look complete but I put it in the box anyway (yeah, always clean your teeth later). From what I've seen when you find a pathologic mako, it is that kind of pathology - a ripple along the cutting edge.

I also found this. My first pathological mako. Not much of a tooth but the pathology is interesting.

[siteseer]

A tail vertebra that big would have to be a whale and a sizable one for the time (a big Miocene whale would have been 25-30 feet long).

Sorry, that would help. About two and a half inches in diameter.

[sharko69]

A tail vertebra that big would have to be a whale and a sizable one for the time (a big Miocene whale would have been 25-30 feet long).

Thanks Siteseer. I love finding the whale bones as well. Thanks for th id.

[jcbshark]

Awesome finds and beautiful colors

[PRK]

There is some question where in the tail it was, as they are quite graduated?

Edited May 21, 2016 by PRK

[sixgill pete]

That tiger shark tooth is beautiful.