A Backup Plan that Worked Out

[Cris]

After checking our trusty fossil hunting forecast app for Friday, Kyle (@addicted2fossils) and myself decided the conditions were sounding way too promising not to give it a shot and go fossil hunting for the day.



Unfortunately, the forecast was incorrect as they so often are. Kyle did manage to get one small great white and I snagged a broken one, but the whale skeleton was nowhere to be found. After a few hours of digging through the creek, we decided we needed to come up with a new plan very quickly if we didn't want the day to be a bust. We decided to take a drive to a location I walked a long time ago where I found a lot of well preserved invertebrates and some whale bone in brought in fill material.

When we finally arrived at the location, we saw brand new material all over the site and quickly began finding beautifully preserved invertebrates. 

Now, because this material has been brought in from another location, we're having a hard time figuring out which formation it comes from and we're hoping somebody can help us....also, both of us are better with vertebrate fossils than we are with invertebrates, so we don't have IDs on the vast majority of these fossils...any help would be appreciated in narrowing down identifications and/or at figuring out which formation this may be. The fill material was in Northeast FL. Also, my camera stopped working and I had to use a backup, so these photos are terrible. I can take additional photos of anything if needed.

Photo #1:


A photo just showing most of my finds from the two hours or so of daylight that we had at this location.

 

Photo #2:

 

Photo #3:

Photo #4:

 

Photo #5:


Photo #6:

 

Photo #7:

This appears to be a sinistral Conus, so maybe Conus adversarius? 

Photo #8:


Photo #9:

Another sinistral one that I don't have an ID on....Check out all the micros inside of it.

 

Photo #10:

This one seems to be a little less common than most of the others we found.

 

Photo #11:

 

Photo #12:

A bunch of Conus that I don't have an ID on. Different species from the large sinistral one.

 

Photo #13:

 

Photo #14:

 

Photo #15:

 

Photo #16:

 

Photo #17:

 

Photo #18:

And finally, a couple of the vertebrate fossils found with all of the inverts.

Here are some of Kyle's finds:

Photo #19:

 

Photo #20:

 

Photo #21:


Photo #22:


We'd really like to figure out what formation this is, how old it is and all of that. Definitely have to tag @MikeR in this one and see if he can give any insight. 

Kyle took quite a few in situ photos....Maybe he'll share those in this thread when he drops in.

-Cris

[WILDKYLE]

Hello Fossil Forum! Long time no see! I plan on posting a whole lot more. I've been slacking a bit too much.

 

This hunt turned out to be an amazing day. As Cris mentioned I did grab a few in situ photos, so here's some for you! There's nothing better than seeing a nice fossil just waiting for you to pick it up.

 

And also, I included a photo of my shells for the day all in one container. It's just a satisfying sight!

[digit]

If Mike doesn't know what formation these are from I think nobody will.

 

Great collection of fossil shells. I find fossils shells in my backyard while digging holes planting things--but rarely as nice as these.

 

Thanks for the great in situ photos--I love seeing fossils at the moment of discovery. Next best thing to being there.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[Ridgehiker]

That's quite a haul...I agree with the satisfaction of seeing all the fossils in one container. The same feeling as a kid when we gathered up all the 'loot' after Halloween trick-or-treating.

 

When I've collect shells I get as much thrill  tapping out the sediment and searching for the micro fossils as you mention in the specimen in photo #9.

[JohnJ]

Yep, big shells protect little shells inside.    Gently tease out the infilling matrix; carefully wash it, then have hours of fun under a microscope. 

 

[Rustdee]

Is it possible that these are from the Nashua Formation? 

 

A lot of the shells appear to be remarkably similar to what I have found in the Waccamaw Formation in southeastern North Carolina. The Waccamaw is early Pleistocene, as is the Nashua. Even the material inside the shells looks the same!

 

Good luck finding more out about them! They are beautiful specimens! 

[Ludwigia]

I'm way out of my depth as far as id is concerned here, but I just wanted to tune in and congratulate you both on your finds. Sure is nice to be able to turn a dead day into a living one.

[Coco]

Hi,

 

I can't help you, but I would like to tell you that I love your shells, they are well preserved and nice !

 

Coco

[sdsnl]

Hi, cannot help with ID, but congrats on finding the sinistral gastropods!

[Sacha]

Cris, easiest to refer to a current book of shells from the Atlantic since I think all these are still extant including the olives, whelks, slippers, and jewel boxes.

[Troodon]

Super day indeed a great backup plan and what a haul.  Lots of variety and beauty.  Nice finds congratulations 

[Shamalama]

Those are some cool looking shells indeed. Sacha is right, use a book of east coast shells to help ID what you found. All I can add is that Photo 13 and 14 are of a slipper shell and in photo 1, the large grouping on the right side are olive shells.

[MikeR]

I am currently on a business trip in DC so can't give exact IDs, however I bet it is from somewhere local and probably Lower Pleistocene Nashua Formation.  Cooler water fauna than the contemporaneous Caloosahatchee further south.  I haven't collected a lot of Nashua but I have with the Waccamaw in the Carolinas which this material is very similar to--Ilyanassa snails, Conus adversarius and Conus oniscus.

 

Mike

[MikeR]

Hi Cris

 

I hope you weathered the excitement from this weekend well.  I am going to be in Melbourne this weekend.  Would the shell site that you describe one in which you would share?  It would give me the opportunity to check out the fauna and make a better determination but I am pretty certain it is Nashua Formation.

 

Thanks

 

Mike

[Plantguy]

Hey Cris/Kyle, 

Looks like the shark pickins were small but you did real well with the inverts...Hoping Mike can pinpoint the Fm for you. Its interesting to see the mix you have..many of the genera seem to be very similar to what shows up down here...be interested to see what this turns out to be. 

 

Regards, Chris