Second trip to the Peace River this season

[digit]

Managed to get back out to the Peace River again this week--tying my record for two trips from last season (a woefully short fossil hunting season). My wife Tammy was out of town on a business trip and she suggested that I might check in with TFF member Sacha (John) to see if he was going out fossil hunting during her absence. This is proof that in my infinite wisdom I married well to have a wife suggest I go out and fossil hunt--I'm a lucky man and I well know that.

 

I got up at O-dark-thirty, well before the sun had any inclination at rising and was on the road north and west to the Peace River. It's about a three hour trip and I retraced my route that I had traveled earlier in the week for the first trip to the Peace River that Tammy and I made earlier in the week. I got pretty cold on that trip last Saturday so I packed my wetsuit and donned my neoprene shortly after meeting up with John at the arranged meet-up location. We paddled upstream to check out a few spots to hunt on the Peace River. We started out early and were on the river shortly after 7:00am. The paddle upstream actually made me break out into a bit of a sweat. This warmth was to be short lived. When we settled in at our first fossil hunting site and stepped into the cool water to begin sifting, the chilly waters of the Peace River seeped their way into my my wetsuit to cancel out any overheating I was feeling on the trip upstream. I was fine for a while till the sunless overcast morning was augmented by a nagging breeze that added a bit of evaporative cooling to the morning's experience. John is either made of sturdier stock or his wetsuit was thicker than my 2mm/3mm suit.

 

We tried out luck at a few different sites prospecting for a good bit of gravel that would deliver some nice finds. The breeze was really starting to get on the nerves of this northerner turned soft as I started to get the shivers when the breeze kicked up. I retreated to shallower water moving up from waist-deep water to depths barely knee-deep but the winds kept distracting me from my fossil hunting. Finally, I broke down and wimped out. I had brought along a windbreaker in case it proved useful. I decided that a wind breaker over a wetsuit was a fashion statement that I could pull off and bundled up for all it was worth. I'm pretty sure that after disclosing this that I won't be allowed back to the Chicago area where I once was silly enough to attempt ice diving in 39 degree waters. I'll accept that disgrace and proudly claim my membership to the Warm Water Wimps society which advocates not being submerged in waters less than 80F.

 

Here is the shameful picture of me bundled up yet having a great time because I was out fossil hunting on the Peace River with friend and fellow TFF member John (Sacha). Who in their right mind could see fit to complain?

 

 

 

[digit]

We mostly prospected around trying to find some areas that might produce some interesting finds. The gravel in this section of the river is pretty fine and though I brought two sifters with 1/4" and 1/2" screen, I stuck to the finer mesh as a more coarse mesh would have passed the vast majority of the gravel through the screen. John steadfastly stuck to using the 1/2" screen and processed a lot more material than I did that day. I, however, managed to catch a lot more of the tiny fossils that would have slipped through John's screen. He found a few really interesting larger fossils while I found mostly a lot of tiny shark teeth and a few other unusual fossils. For me the day was pretty much picking small shark teeth out of my sifter. I wanted to give a bunch of these teeth to a friend I was meeting later in the day and so I was keeping busy plucking these tiny teeth from my 1/4" sifting screen. I gave a good portion of the teeth to my friend when I met up with her later in the evening (enticing her to make a trip with me to the Peace River later in the spring with her family--another one hooked!) I counted the small teeth that I ended up keeping and from that estimated the total number of smalls that I kept at somewhere in the 700-750 range. Not a lot of larger finds but very productive for smaller shark teeth.

 

Using the smaller mesh I was able to trap some interesting smaller finds. Not quite micro-matrix finds but more like mini-finds. Other than the copious shark teeth (including a couple of broken baby megs) I found several small gator teeth including one that is only 8mm long. There were also a couple of ganoid garfish scales (one of Tammy's favorite fossils to spot and collect) and a couple of really large fish teeth generally attributed to Barracuda. The tallest of these teeth topping 12mm. We didn't find much in the way of notable finds (certainly no FOTM candidates) but there were a few "mini fossils" that are worth showing.

 

First off was a rodent incisor some 15mm long that I was amazed didn't fall through the openings on my sifting screen. I've found these "micro-fossils" before when sorting micro-matrix but I don't think I've ever encountered one that I've pulled out of my sifting screen. It made me smile that I was able to recognize this tiny tubular fossil from my micro-matrix sifting experience.

 

 

One of the next interesting little fossils that appeared among the phosphate gravel of my sifting screen was a little phalanx (finger bone) that was very distinctively shaped among the rounded phosphate pebbles. I need to search through my fossil books to see if I can come up with a possible identification for the original owner of this bone. The overall length of this phalanx is 2.5 cm (roughly 1"). Likely, some small mammal but I wonder if it is in the least bit distinctive enough to be able to assign an ID to it.

 

  

 

Then I found a small vertebra that I originally though was probably snake. I believe I've learned on this forum that snake verts are like ball-and-socket bones with a spherical knob on one end and a matching concave socket on the other which provide the range of motion that might be expected from a sinuous snake backbone. Upon closer examination of this vertebra, it has concave connections at either end so I'm not sure of the type of animal who once possessed this little bone. One of the side processes is broken off this vertebra giving it a rather unsymmetrical presentation but it seems relatively complete other than this bit of damage. Any clues to its original owner would be appreciated. Here are photos of it from several views:

 

       

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

[digit]

Surprisingly, I didn't find any horse cheek teeth (molars)--not even fragments, but I did come up with what looks to be an equid incisor, broken at the root but nicely preserved on the occlusal surface. I have more horse molars than incisors so it is always nice to add one of these to the collection.

 

   

 

Probably the find of the day (though not very impressive as a trip-maker) is this tiny mammal molar. It is in really fine shape (with three well-preserved roots) which made me question its age. I thought it might be a more recent (non-fossilized) find turned black to look like an older tooth but this one is quite permineralized. The occlusal surface measures some 9mm x 8mm and the distance from the top of the tooth to the tip of the roots is 9mm. The occlusal surface of the tooth has quite a structured pattern which I hope will prove useful in determining an identification. I have not yet cracked open my fossil books to see if I can find a match. I'll post if I find a potential candidate.

 

       

 

The last tooth of interest from this hunting trip is very well worn. I'm hoping there is enough left of it to provide a basis for an identification--otherwise, it will be another interesting unknown in my collection. The occlusal surface of this one is much less round with the dimensions being 9mm x 4mm with the height of the (broken) roots being at least 5mm. The double root and the peak in the middle of the occlusal surface bring to mind the tooth of a carnivore but I frankly have no clue as to the ID of this tooth. I'll do an exhaustive search through my fossil books to see if I can find anything close to a match for this one but anybody who has seen a tooth close to this might help guide my search with some well-placed comments.

 

   

 

If John has any photos of his finds that he'd like to add to this post, I encourage him to add them for a complete inventory of what we salvaged from the river on this day. Nothing earth shattering but some interesting little finds to remember this day by. Not every day hunting on the Peace River results in retrieving a stash of Mammoth molars or spectacular rounds of proboscidean tusk but any day out on the river hunting with a fellow TFF member is a good day (no matter what the temperature) and for that I'm always thankful.

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

 

[ynot]

Nice trip report, thanks for the virtual tour.

Nice (little) finds.

Tony

[digit]

Size isn't everything. Little finds (as long as you are wearing your reading glasses and can actually see them in your sifting screen) are just as fun as a big meg tooth. Actually, I have a handful of reasonable size meg teeth from the Peace River (most megs from here top out at around 3" which is around the max that I've found). While a large pristine meg that has survived the ravages of a few million years is always welcome in your sifting screen, it is the novel items (like some unusual three-legged mammal molar) that add interest to the day's take and have you running for your fossil guides to try to solve the mystery. I think that is the distinction between first time hunters on the Peace and those who are lucky to have been able to ply these waters for a decade as I have. Newbies (understandably) would love to hit the jackpot with a nice meg tooth (or some other high-value prize like a Mammoth or Mastodon molar or something really wild like a Dire Wolf carnassial or a Sabertooth Cat incisor). Those who have visited the river more than a handful of times have collected their share of common and occasional fossils and are happy anytime they find something different from what they've already found. The little mammal molars will keep up my interest at least till my next trip to the river.

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[Gizmo]

Great report, thanks for posting!

[Bone Daddy]

Nice finds. And you look darn sexy in that windbreaker-wetsuit combo. This might be the beginning of a new fashion trend.

I agree about small fossils. Josh and I have two different methods of fossil hunting. He snorkels and looks for the big stuff. I am a sifter type of guy and I do a lot of "blind reaching" for lack of a better term. I reach my hand into almost any nook or cranny I can find. Most of the time, my hand comes back empty or just some gravel. On occasion, I find something interesting. I have yet to get bitten by anything and I am probably pushing my luck because I will venture into "snakey" or "spidery" areas with gleeful abandon. Admittedly, Josh usually finds more stuff than I do. But what I lack in quantity, I make up for in quality : mammoth/mastodon tusk tip, dire wolf tooth, artifacts, the occasional Meg, and lots of small oddballs that I cannot ID. (I have boxes filling up with them).

So I completely understand your love of the little stuff.  

We should meet up sometime and hit the river. Josh and I rarely meet many other hunters, and it's good to exchange techniques and knowledge with others.

 

[Al Dente]

I think your small vert is from a salamander, probably a siren or amphiuma.

[digit]

18 minutes ago, Al Dente said:

I think your small vert is from a salamander, probably a siren or amphiuma.

 

The ID books were coming up with siren but I was disbelieving. I've found so many snake verts that to look closely and not see the ball-and-socket ends on this one quite surprised me. Something in the salamander suborder would be quite welcome in my collection.

 

Thanks for the confirmation that I'm thinking along the right lines.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[calhounensis]

The phalanx looks like a carnivore to me. Not sure which one but I'm fairly certain that it belongs to a carnivore. About as certain as I was with the phalanx Tammy found in the Rainbow River earlier this year. I originally thought your post said 2.5 inches. When I looked back I noticed it was in centimeters. Perhaps a smaller canid? Coyote? It also resembles some larger bird phalanxes I have seen. The teeth are intriguing, I can't speak much to an identification. All I can say is the first tooth looks like an upper molar and the last appears to be a lower premolar. Glad to see you getting some time out in the river. Hopefully my new work schedule will let me get down before the season is over.

[digit]

Thanks Daniel for the input. I've passed images of these two little mystery (pre)molars onto Dr. Hulbert to see if he has a comment. If he has the time and and answer I'll report back here.

 

If you are heading south let me know as soon as you have a schedule in mind. Would be great fun to get out in the field with you again.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[calhounensis]

I'm getting re-acclimated to the cold up here in Cleveland. Hopefully that will give me an advantage if I make it back into the river this winter. I'll surely let you know if and when I make it down. Looking forward to IDs from Richard on the teeth.

 

Daniel

[smt126]

Sounds like a fun little trip with good company. 

[Sacha]

Ken, you did remarkably well considering who your guide for this trip was. Your pictures are making me reconsider my 1/2 inch screen fixation since my take after the amount we shoveled that day was pretty meager. My stuff was bigger, but all yours are more interesting. I'm still hoping if the river ever drops below 5', that I'll hit that unexplored hole where gravel larger that 1/4 inch resides and all the fossils from my bucket list are waiting for me. Regardless, I think I'm sticking with the 1/2 inch!

[digit]

Or you could fall back on your years of Boy Scout training (or just be lazy like me) and take both screens so you can choose given the size of the gravel at the site. Astute viewers would have noticed, in the photo that started this topic, my sifting screen with the 1/2" mesh strapped to the back of the kayak and serving as a platform to hold my bottle of Coke upright. A great example of using both sifters simultaneously (though not both for their intended purpose).

 

I considered bringing my window screen mesh insert as well and using the double sifters to separate out some micro-matrix to paw through at a later date but then thought better of it. Those kayaks are small (when compared to the relatively roomier canoes) and you can't bungee bags of micro-matrix to the top of the kayak. I've tried that before and it raises the center of gravity and makes them top-heavy and unstable. The only way is to put the matrix bags inside the kayak between your knees for the ride back to the vehicles and that makes it harder to get in/out.

 

John brought the 1/2" sifter and powered through a lot more material than I did (with virtually all of it quickly falling back into the river though his screen). My screen trapped all of that pea-size gravel which was a lot more to search through but I was surprised at the quantity of small shark teeth. I too have switched to a 1/2" screen for over a year now and this was the first time using my 1/4" sifter other than for collecting micro-matrix. I don't remember now if the other areas I've hunted on the Peace River were as generous with the small shark teeth as the spots we hit on Thursday. My fingers were certainly kept busy picking all of these smalls out of the screen. There were enough larger Tigers, Hemis, and Lemon Shark teeth that it was pretty apparent that we were digging in material that hadn't already been turned over by other fossil hunters.

 

While I personally would have preferred the mercury to have been a bit higher (and the breeze a bit lower), I really enjoyed being back on the river and spending the day with John.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[sixgill pete]

Great report Ken. I made a set of sifters for river sifting that the 1/2 inch sifter sits inside of the 1/4 inch that way you get all of the big stuff in one sifter and that makes it easier to look through the smaller stuff. I don't always use the combination but when I want to it works great. I also have a small (12x12) 1/4 inch sifter that I put on top of a .75 mm round colander style sifter to get micro matrix. I put the micro sifter inside of the larger 1/4 inch sifter, set the 12x12 sifter on top of it and do 1 shovel full at a time. It takes 45 minutes or so this way to fill a 5 gallon bucket with micro matrix. Of course you have to use the canoe to do this.

 

I will try to get you some pics today.

[Grimlock]

Glad to see you've gotten out a couple of times Ken. You got some neat stuff to show for it as well. 

[sixgill pete]

These are the screens I was talking about.

 

the three I made .... 

 

 

The collander style .75 mm mesh. I buy these from a local flea market.

 

 

the 1/4 inside of the 1/2

 

 

the small (12x12) over the colander style inside of the 1/4

 

 

of course I attach flotation to them; pool noodles. Just thought I would share how I collect my micro matrix from river and stream setting.

 

 

[Darktooth]

Great trip report, and great finds! Thanks for sharing!

[NSRhunter]

Could the last tooth be a Dire Wolf upper molar?  Nice finds and good trip report! 

[digit]

Would have to have been a Dire Wolf puppy as the crown dimensions are only 9mm x 4mm. It's so worn down that I'm not sure it there is enough of it left to be identified. Was a fun trip with some interesting little mysteries to puzzle over which, if I'm not careful, might actually prove to be a learning experience.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[jcbshark]

Nice finds Ken, that one tooth with 4 roots looks like some of the peccary teeth I have : )

[masonboro37]

Splendid report, pictures and finds! Thanks for sharing and I love the mammal molar.

 

Libby

[digit]

2 hours ago, jcbshark said:

Nice finds Ken, that one tooth with 4 roots looks like some of the peccary teeth I have : )

 

I have considered the possibility of a peccary premolar. Though it may not be obvious from my images above. This little tooth is complete with only three roots. I know peccary molars have four roots (though I usually only find the rootless enamel caps). I did find one half of a broken peccary enamel cap on this trip which has gone into the giveaway bag.

 

I also wonder if the extremely worn double-rooted tooth pictured below it in the photos at the start of this topic might possibly be a premolar from an Opossum?

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[digit]

1 hour ago, masonboro37 said:

Splendid report, pictures and finds! Thanks for sharing and I love the mammal molar.

 

Yup. I like them too.

 

When you are using the 1/4" sifting screen in fine gravel most of the finds are smaller shark teeth--which I scooped up with abandon (crazy quantities on this trip). When you have the search image for spotting the shape or color of shark teeth among the gravel, you can just about pluck them from the sifter without even thinking. When something other than these common shark teeth catches your attention then things get interesting. The two little mammal (pre?)molars and the rodent incisor (that I was quite surprised didn't slip through the sifter) were my favorites of the day--though the little siren vertebra was a novel find for me. Not pictured from this trip were a number of gator teeth including I think the smallest I've ever found at 8mm (1/3"). Some large "barracuda" teeth--twice the size of this mini-gator. I also pulled several ganoid garfish scales and a small section of jawbone with empty alveoli (sockets) where four teeth should have been.

 

Every day on the river is different and I'll always remember this trip (freezing my butt off) whenever I look at these little mammal teeth.

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken