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Small Fossil sand dollars


topgems

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Hello all,

I'm new here so don't know my way around very well. I'm looking for any information on these little sand dollars. Age, location, any help at all. All I was told is they are from Mexico. Thank you very much, Steve

2-lrgdoler-lg.jpg

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It looks like a polished fossil of the echnoid genus Oligopygus. They are found in Mexico (and USA).

Can you show a photo of the underside? That can be very diagnostic.

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Hi, thank you for the help!  I did flatten the back and polish the one I first posted. Here are photos of a few more that I've done nothing to.

sand dollar.jpg

sand dollar-a.jpg

sand dollar-b.jpg

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I'm fairly sure it is the species named Oligopygus putnami, especially if it is from Mexico.

And those are polished. You might not have done it, but maybe somebody else, or nature did it? I have a lot of that genus from Florida, and that surface sure isn't natural.

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The web page says "middle to late Eocene", and that is about 40 million years ago.

Notice in the species list of that web page that the only known species from Mexico is the putnami. That doesn't verify that is is that species, and finding the actual documentation that gives the official description would be the ultimate test, but I don't see it available right off the bat.

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Thank you very much for you willing to help and your expertise! It looks like you nailed it from the start. I really appreciate the help.

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O, by the way, I can't reply to your PM because I'm on a low bandwidth connection. If I try to reply, it floods my modem out.

Thank you for the offer, but I've got a lot of echnoids already.

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