abach292 Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 Hi all, I have started incorporating fossil hunting into my upcoming travels. I find it a peaceful way to experience the outdoors, and the geographically, many fossil hunting sites are near some quality fishing grounds. So I get the best of both worlds and go home with a light sunburn, great fishing, and a bag full of rocks to memorialize the day outdoors. The link to the adventures, as well as a more "in the field" trip report, is at the end of this text. This post is mostly to highlight my finds, as a first timer to the Peace River, sharing my full haul, and up-close pictures of my finds. I was in the area for a week, staying with family in Cape Coral, and made the 1 hr 15+ minute drive to the Peace River on 3 separate trips. The first was with a local fossil tour guide, and the other 2 times were solo, based off information from fellow FF members and other maps online. In short on the field report: the water levels were low, the weather was good, and I found a great variety but In my opinion, this is a fantastic haul for a first timer, but I'd love to hear your thoughts as well. Full disclosure, during taking pictures, I did not have the leisure of a sunny or well-lit room so I used some filters and photo-enhancers like sharpening and contrast to highlight some features. Call it cheating but the pics still barely just do it justice. This is the full haul! as spread on my kitchen table on a Saturday afternoon. A bit more organized, and almost an hour of laying it out. Turtle shells Tiger Shark my biggest Tiger Hemi Stingray Mouthplates Stingray Barbs Fish Mouthplates The Megalodon Teeth, and quite a massive one for the area Horse Teeth Dolphin Jaw bones Alligator and Crocodile Teeth A unique "in-situ" tooth Shells and imprints Lots and lots of bone fragments, I kept the nicer looking ones And lots and lots of teeth, Lemon Shark mostly Here is the fun part, these are some of my oddball and unidentified ones. From the top across and down, Tapir tooth, shark vert, ?, stingray dermal, and the furthest one to the right barracuda tooth. Other than that I am lost! All in all a fantastic time, and amazing excuse to get out of Chicago for January I would gladly go again, and hope to see some of you on the water next time! The full "in the field" trip report is on the blog I am starting: http://americanfossilhunt.com/2017/01/21/shark-tooth-hunting-peace-river-2017-trip-report/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilDudeCO Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 pretty sweet haul, sorry I can't help with the ID'S! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 Nice Haul! Thanks for sharing. I suggest that You take better pictures of the ones You do not know identity of, and post in the ID section. Tony Darwin said: " Man sprang from monkeys." Will Rogers said: " Some of them didn't spring far enough." My Fossil collection - My Mineral collection My favorite thread on TFF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darktooth Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 Yes on shark vert. Under the barracuda tooth are 3 stingray plates ( teeth). Great haul for first time! You should be happy! I like Trilo-butts and I cannot lie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peat Burns Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 Wow! Interesting colors on fossils from the Peace... Mine are all dark brown, grey, and black. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffrey P Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 Wow. Pretty impressive haul for just three days. You certainly made the best of your time. Great variety of fauna. Especially love the big meg, but there's lots to be proud of. Congratulations and thanks for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calhounensis Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 That large meg tooth has some pretty interesting details about it.. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramon Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 One of the largest tiger shark tooth I have ever seen!!! Nice finds!!! "Without fossils, no one would have ever dreamed that there were successive epochs in the formation of the earth" - Georges Cuvier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir.tommy.the.toad Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 Nice finds!!! I like the fact that your Meg has hole premade so you can make it a cool keychain lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abach292 Posted January 26, 2017 Author Share Posted January 26, 2017 Hey thanks so much all, yes I certainly made the most of it. All in all about 30 hours on the beautiful river over the course of the week. And yes on that Meg tooth, I was hoping it was a man-made hole made by native Americans, but it looks natural, from a clam digging through it. And on the colors 12 hours ago, Peat Burns said: Wow! Interesting colors on fossils from the Peace... Mine are all dark brown, grey, and black. The day I went to the Peace River proper, the teeth were all very grey and black compared to the tributary creeks. Though I did find some nice light yellows and blues in the main river, but nothing compared to the creeks. same time next year everyone? I am itching to go back already haha, all you that live down there are so lucky. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peace river rat Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 Top right on your odd balls is a drum tooth, I have found a few, a first yesterday, I found the boney plate in which those teeth would of sat. It looks like honey comb. What a haul you got there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peace river rat Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 32 minutes ago, abach292 said: I am itching to go back already haha, all you that live down there are so lucky. Kin folk said" Jed, move away from there". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hokiehunter Posted January 28, 2017 Share Posted January 28, 2017 Justt a guess but that Meg is likely an artifact as well. Good chance that hole is a native American drilled vs natural. Just a guess but that's where my money would be. Congrats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peace river rat Posted January 28, 2017 Share Posted January 28, 2017 2 hours ago, hokiehunter said: Justt a guess but that Meg is likely an artifact as well. Good chance that hole is a native American drilled vs natural. Just a guess but that's where my money would be. Congrats. I was thinking the same thing, but is it not likely they would of drilled two holes to lash it to a handle? I wonder what a single hole would be used for? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellseeker Posted January 28, 2017 Share Posted January 28, 2017 24 minutes ago, Peace river rat said: I was thinking the same thing, but is it not likely they would of drilled two holes to lash it to a handle? I wonder what a single hole would be used for? See this thread for a doubled drilled Meg that has a COA as an Artifact. Actual artifacts have cone-shaped holes. Bone worms , when they drill a hole, it is drilled at the same diameter. I think you have an artifact, 1 The White Queen ".... in her youth she could believe "six impossible things before breakfast" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcbshark Posted January 28, 2017 Share Posted January 28, 2017 Those are some beautiful finds you've got there Andrew congrats! Every once in a great while it's not just a big rock down there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted January 28, 2017 Share Posted January 28, 2017 12 minutes ago, Shellseeker said: , when they drill a hole, it is drilled at the same diameter. I think you have an artifact, Also the hole (s) are to well centered for a coincidence. I agree with @abach292's meg being an artifact. Tony Darwin said: " Man sprang from monkeys." Will Rogers said: " Some of them didn't spring far enough." My Fossil collection - My Mineral collection My favorite thread on TFF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted January 28, 2017 Share Posted January 28, 2017 Would be interesting to see if Andrew can take a closer photo of the suspicious hole in the large meg that he found. That's exactly where my mind when when I first saw the photo. It seems to have tweaked the search image of others as well. I don't find boring mollusk holes in megs as much as I find them in dugong ribs. If I were at home at the moment, I could photograph one rib fragment that looks like Swiss cheese with all the borings. A well lit photo (probably outdoors) showing both sides of the suspect hole as close as can be focused would likely be enough to decisively lay this matter to rest--one way or another. Great overall haul as others have said. The colors from the tributary creeks make me think I need to schedule a trip with your guide to add some color to my shark tooth collection. Cheers. -Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abach292 Posted January 28, 2017 Author Share Posted January 28, 2017 Hi guys, wow interesting development, and i did not know bone worms bore symmetrical holes, this hole is definately cone shaped, though is still suspect because this specimen is pockmarked with other clear worm or clam holes. some photos are below, i got it at an angle too. The big hole on the back, actually opens up a bit more than the entrance actually is, not much, but noticeable, almost like a little chamber inside, but could have been from additional wear from the river. I will have to do more research online, that is a great meg artifact Shellseeker posted, and looks much more practical than a single hole in the middle. But yes the one i have is suspiciously well-centered. We took note of it when it was found but brushed it off. To note too, this was not found in the river bed, but rather halfway protruding from dirt of the bank, about 3 ft above the water of a ~6 ft bare ridge. and Ken i hope you do the Fossil Funatics tour, and tell Patrick I say hello, yes fantastic colors on the whole creek, orange/yellows that look like a jack o lantern and lots of blue lightning patterns. The peace was fun but i got spoiled by the bone valley colors i was finding on the trip! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abach292 Posted January 28, 2017 Author Share Posted January 28, 2017 another shot of the front. Sorry no sunlight photos. used flash and a bright lamp. Havent seen the sun in chicago in months Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellseeker Posted January 28, 2017 Share Posted January 28, 2017 1 hour ago, abach292 said: Havent seen the sun in chicago in months My EXACT reason for moving out of the mid-hudson river valley in the spring of 1988 to Delray Beach. I just wanted to see the sun !!!! The White Queen ".... in her youth she could believe "six impossible things before breakfast" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted January 29, 2017 Share Posted January 29, 2017 No sun here in South Florida today either. Just back from St. Kitts where I left under pouring rain there too. From the close-up images I can see your point of the other boring holes on the root and even part of the blade. Despite the coincidental placement of this through hole, I do believe it was invertebrate made and not by the hand of man. Still a way cool meg--I've never pulled a meg from its in situ place along a river/creek bed so you definitely had a heaping helping of beginner's luck on finding that. You may find bigger and better megs over time but you'll always remember your first time fossil hunting in South Florida whenever you see that meg in your collection. Cheers. -Ken 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calhounensis Posted January 29, 2017 Share Posted January 29, 2017 I'd have to agree that it is not an artifact. Still a pretty big meg from the Peace River with a good story attached. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abach292 Posted January 30, 2017 Author Share Posted January 30, 2017 6 hours ago, digit said: No sun here in South Florida today either. Just back from St. Kitts where I left under pouring rain there too. From the close-up images I can see your point of the other boring holes on the root and even part of the blade. Despite the coincidental placement of this through hole, I do believe it was invertebrate made and not by the hand of man. Still a way cool meg--I've never pulled a meg from its in situ place along a river/creek bed so you definitely had a heaping helping of beginner's luck on finding that. You may find bigger and better megs over time but you'll always remember your first time fossil hunting in South Florida whenever you see that meg in your collection. Cheers. -Ken 4 hours ago, calhounensis said: I'd have to agree that it is not an artifact. Still a pretty big meg from the Peace River with a good story attached. On 1/28/2017 at 0:23 PM, Shellseeker said: My EXACT reason for moving out of the mid-hudson river valley in the spring of 1988 to Delray Beach. I just wanted to see the sun !!!! On 1/27/2017 at 9:50 PM, ynot said: Also the hole (s) are to well centered for a coincidence. I agree with @abach292's meg being an artifact. Tony Thanks all for the dialog and feedback, I'm glad the photos did some justice in showing more detail (even if it did help only to tear away its 'artifact' status LOL). Ken is right, still a unique tooth and possibly my favorite find, with many nice features, the color, hole, serrations, even the wear is sort of unique. It held it's own for millions of years, but is still a fragile and subject to peel and clam holes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now