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Uncle Siphuncle

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Since my wife is several months into a 6 month deployment to Hawaii with the Army, I opted to catch a bird out that direction to enjoy a long Veterans Day weekend with her.  (Side note:  It was recently announced that she'll be promoted from Lt. Colonel to Colonel, awaiting congressional vote at this point.  Very proud of her!)  Anyway, when we weren't hiking, snorkeling, or surfing, some fossil hunting came into play.

 

Most of us don't associate fossils with Hawaii, being young volcanic islands and all, but there is in fact a thin reef limestone intermittently encircling Oahu.  If my sources are correct, this gritty tan deposit is Waimanalo Fm, Pleistocene, about 125 KYA.  Concentrating on beaches that omitted collecting of rocks and shells from the posted list of "don'ts", I found a few spots rich in gastropods.  I'm way outside my element with Pleistocene shells,  so in order to avoid commingling my finds with recent shells, I only took specimens that had to be tapped out of bedded strata or loose boulders.  I would have preferred crabs and marine vert material, but for the short time I had available, I was happy to come out with anything from an area "not supposed to hold fossils". 

 

Now, a few finds.

Grüße,

Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas

"To the motivated go the spoils."

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First stop.  Bedded coral head, Cowrie (Siphocypraea?) and unidentified.

Qwa Coral Head 1a Site 825 111016.JPG

Qwa Siphocypraea Etc 1a Site 825 111016.JPG

 

Grüße,

Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas

"To the motivated go the spoils."

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Second stop.  Turbo?

Qwa Turbo Siphocypraea 1 Site 826 111016.JPG

Grüße,

Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas

"To the motivated go the spoils."

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Still second stop.  Conus?

Qwa Gastropod 2a Site 826 111016.JPG

Grüße,

Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas

"To the motivated go the spoils."

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Third stop.  Mostly cowries, some with hints of original color.

Qwa Cowries 6a Site 827 111016.JPG

Qwa Cowries 7a Site 827 111016.JPG

Qwa Cowries 8a Site 827 111016.JPG

Qwa Cowries Etc 1a Site 827 111016.JPG

Qwa Cowries w Color 1b Site 827 111016.JPG

Qwa Gastropod 4a Site 827 111016.JPG

Qwa Shell 1a Site 827 111016.JPG

Qwa Turbo 3a Site 827 111016.JPG

Qwa Turbo Siphocypraea 5a Site 827 111016.JPG

Grüße,

Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas

"To the motivated go the spoils."

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Last stop.  Dominated by some sizable escargots...maybe Turbo?

Qwa Turbo 1b Site 809 111016.JPG

Qwa Turbo1a Site 809 111016.JPG

Grüße,

Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas

"To the motivated go the spoils."

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More Schnecken, including a double.  Thanks for lookin'. 

Qwa Turbo 1c Site 809 111016.JPG

Qwa Turbo 1d Site 809 111016.JPG

Qwa Turbo 1e Site 809 111016.JPG

Qwa Turbo 1f Site 809 111016.JPG

Qwa Turbo Siphocypraea 2a Site 809 111016.JPG

Grüße,

Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas

"To the motivated go the spoils."

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Very nice finds!

Thanks for sharing with us.

I have to say I am one of the many that would not have thought to look at Hawaii for fossils!

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Dan, 

If anyone could find fossils there, I wouldn't be surprised it was you! :)

Your motivation and dedication to the hunt just prove that if you do the research, and put in the time looking, and  look hard enough, you will be successful. 

 

Thanks for the great trip report, and pictures. 

And congratulations to your wife.  :dinothumb:

Regards, 

    Tim    -  VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

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__________________________________________________
"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."

John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~   ><))))( *>  About Me      

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Glad y'all enjoyed.  A couple caveats regarding collecting in HI:  

 

1)  Native islanders can be quite defensive of their land and heritage, even the homeless folks, and I had several approach to see what I was doing.  Apparently the onomatopoeic of hand sledge on chisel isn't something they are used to hearing above the roar of the surf.  I don't like to stretch the truth, but I must admit to posing as a geologist rather than just some fossil carpetbagger planning to haul part of their island back to Texas for my private collection.  In the process, I educated them a bit on their local geology, which seemed to satisfy their curiosity.  (Side note:  I did offer to donate some of my finds to the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science as I'll never display them all)

 

2)  If you go, prepare to be additionally approached by multiple "street entrepreneurs", both male and female, peddling their various "wares and services".  The disillusioned countenances were rather humorous when I told them I was just looking for rocks and shells.  Good thing I've been to Austin to prepare for this.

Grüße,

Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas

"To the motivated go the spoils."

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Great finds! Just as you said, people do not often associate fossils with Hawaii, in fact I had no clue you could find some there. I learnt something new!

 

Best regards,

 

Max

Max Derème

 

"I feel an echo of the lightning each time I find a fossil. [...] That is why I am a hunter: to feel that bolt of lightning every day."

   - Mary Anning >< Remarkable Creatures, Tracy Chevalier

 

Instagram: @world_of_fossils

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Interesting finds, Dan. Real nice. Thanks for sharing your experience there.

And congratulations to the colonel!   Crab-salute.gif

 

Start the day with a smile and get it over with.

 

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Dan, there are several spots on Oahu where fossil sharks teeth are found. One of them is on the Marine base at Kaneohe Bay. On that base also, are Pleistocene bird fossils that have been found in the cliffs along the Mokapu peninsula. A paper has been published on them, you should be able to find it online.

 

A Late Pleistocene Avifauna from the Island of Oahu, Hawaiin Islands. 

by:

Helen F. James

 

http://si-pddr.si.edu/dspace/bitstream/10088/11424/1/vz_james-87-documlabgeollyon-pleistocene_oahu.pdf

 

Bulldozers and dirt Bulldozers and dirt
behind the trailer, my desert
Them red clay piles are heaven on earth
I get my rocks off, bulldozers and dirt

Patterson Hood; Drive-By Truckers

 

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Thanks Pete.  I had run across that paper, but opted not to collect on/near federal property so as not to make trouble for my wife.  I ran into a guy out there with some shark teeth and they were pretty rough.  I'm sure good ones can be had with time and persistence.  Good thing Texas has some good ones within reach.

Grüße,

Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas

"To the motivated go the spoils."

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Nice finds Dan, congrats to the wife and thank her for the service:) I'm not a shell collector  but it's neat to see some of the similar ones I see 5k miles away, Hawaii is pretty beautiful!

Every once in a great while it's not just a big rock down there!

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I'm enjoying this thread.

Ive been to Hawaii a half dozen times and never think to look for recent fossils...however, always like the geology.  Then again, never to Oahu but the younger Big Island and Maui.

 

We take a few winter vacations and Hawaii this year was not my first choice...I like to go somewhere with lots of fossils.   This January it was going to be Cuba or Mexico...my girlfriend is hinting at a return to Maui and perhaps she can now convince me.

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Hi,

 

Nice finds Dan, with nice colors ! And congrats to you wife ! Tell her hello from me !

 

Coco

----------------------
OUTIL POUR MESURER VOS FOSSILES : ici

Ma bibliothèque PDF 1 (Poissons et sélaciens récents & fossiles) : ici
Ma bibliothèque PDF 2 (Animaux vivants - sans poissons ni sélaciens) : ici
Mâchoires sélaciennes récentes : ici
Hétérodontiques et sélaciens : ici
Oeufs sélaciens récents : ici
Otolithes de poissons récents ! ici

Un Greg...

Badges-IPFOTH.jpg.f4a8635cda47a3cc506743a8aabce700.jpg Badges-MOTM.jpg.461001e1a9db5dc29ca1c07a041a1a86.jpg

 

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@Harry Pristis snarge, for some reason I thought it was you. Well, you should visit sometime - though you're in Florida, so it may not be all that exotic of a trip.

 

Whoever it was had collected at a nice locality near the coast southeast of diamond head.

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