Potomac River

[RCW3D]

I braved the polar vortex do hit the river for what may be the last time before the new year. I was hoping to go on my birthday tomorrow but I'm not real keen on freezing rain. I'm glad I went today, the strong winds from yesterday obviously stirred the place up...they also made for an extra low tide. I didn't sift much, far too cold for that, but I have to say that it was the best surface collecting I've done here. I was surprised that there were three vertebrae that had washed up, I always like finding those. I also found a frag...some day I'll find a whole meg!

 

The haul:

 

 

The verts:

 

 

The frag...I can't wait to find an actual meg!

 

 

 

[Darktooth]

Glad that you got out and found some things! I can't wait until I can get back down that way! I have the tooth bug bad! Right now all I can do is live vicariously through others and it stinks! Congrats!

[Fossil-Hound]

@RCW3D wow it looks like you found some great looking vertebrae and an assortment of teeth. You need to check out my latest album from a few days ago. I have a picture of a vertebrae you may have seen before. I think it's a juvenile (very young) Baleen whale, but I'm just shooting in the dark. I also recovered a really nice C. Megalodon fragment. I had the same feeling you did. The moment you see it, and get all excited that you at least have a fragment yet wish for something a little more complete.

[Ropterus]

Nice finds! Really like those vertebrae! Here is a pic of my heartbreaker from last weekend. Someone had actually stepped on it and didn't see it. I'll take it!

[gavialboy]

nice finds

[RCW3D]

My wife surprised me with another trip to the river today! Today is my birthday and the weather report changed so she recommended that we go back to the river to take advantage of the good weather, glad we did! Nothing spectacular but the sand dollar  Epiphysis was my first, it was actually my first find too.

 

 

 

[Darktooth]

That is not a sand dollar. I don't remember the correct name but I is part of the spine from in between two verts. Fossilhunters often call them cookies.Because they sort of resemble them.

[Darktooth]

I just looked it up , its called an Epiphyses.

[Darktooth]

Nice finds by the way!

[Brett Breakin' Rocks]

Sweet finds !! .. haha are we all just crazy ? I refuse to let near freezing temperatures stop me either.  There is a sickness here that has yet to be described, I just know it. 

 

[ynot]

Thanks for sharing.

Tony

[RCW3D]

4 hours ago, darctooth said:

I just looked it up , its called an Epiphyses.

 

I have learned something new! It was in the water and it was the very first thing I saw...something perfectly round doesn't look natural so I was intrigued immediately. I assumed it was a sand dollar...this is even cooler!

 

[Darktooth]

Before I went on my first sharktooth hunt I searched the internet for all the information I could find. I found fossilguy.com and used this site to get information on where to go, what I should expect to find, and other important info. It was my favorite site. That is where I learned what your Epiphyses was. Its a really good site, you should check it out.

[Darktooth]

I am sorry I forgot to wish you a 

"Happy Birthday!"

[RCW3D]

I have spent some time on Fossilguy.com, I spend more time on Marco's site now...comparing teeth to what I have found.

 

[Darktooth]

Yes Marco's site is another great one. Unforunetly I find myself getting jealous when I see how many trips he makes, how many fossils he finds per trip, and how many Megs he finds so I have to stop looking Lol!

[Fossil-Hound]

@RCW3D the Epiphyses only forms on juvenile vertebrae because these eventually fuse directly into the spine structure itself. You can Google Epiphyses fusion and come up with a plethora of articles citing mammal vertebrae fusions. Here's an example of human beings (Homo Sapien): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20872802

Enjoy the light paragraph read, and learning more about our own biology.