Winter trips to Folly Beach

[Boesse]

Hey all, yesterday my wife (CCNHM collections manager Sarah Boessenecker) and I wrote about some of our recent finds from Folly Beach, SC. Collecting fossils there is quite easy, and if you're there for non-shark teeth, there's essentially no competition since that's all anyone ever looks for there.

 

The fossils of Folly Beach have never been written up, and I'm getting more and more curious about them - particularly fossil marine mammals. If anyone finds marine mammal earbones out there, I'm dying to take a look! We've already gotten a nice donation from Ashby Gale, Edisto SP ranger, of a pygmy sperm whale periotic.

 

Here's the blog post with some images of our recent finds - including my first giant armadillo scute (Holmesina), an Alligator osteoderm, various shark and mammal teeth, and a snake vertebra. I've made a plan to go out to Folly once a week this entire semester, since it's only a 15-20 minute drive from College of Charleston (a very nice escape from campus and teaching)

 

http://blogs.cofc.edu/macebrownmuseum/2017/02/03/friday-fossil-feature-it-would-be-folly-to-pass-this-site-up/

[Fruitbat]

Nice blog entry!  Too bad Folly Beach is a bit too much of a drive for me to make on the spur of the moment but I hope you have a lot of luck!  Keep us informed!

 

-Joe

[flyg]

Very cool. I would love to see a Folly-specific exhibit at the museum. I was actually thinking of trying to get my kids interested in going out there tomorrow morning. After the winds we've been having the last couple weeks, I'm hoping there's been some good reworking. We mostly specialize in wee little shark teeth, but we'll keep our eyes open. My daughter would be ecstatic if she found something that ended up displayed in a museum.

 

G

[Boesse]

G -I'm in the process of designing an exhibit focused on amateur collections donated to the museum. So, literally anyone can find something and have it end up on display at CCNHM!

[ynot]

4 minutes ago, Boesse said:

G -I'm in the process of designing an exhibit focused on amateur collections donated to the museum. So, literally anyone can find something and have it end up on display at CCNHM!

Sounds like a way cool project!

Tony

[sixgill pete]

Glad you are able to get out into the field somewhat regular Bobby. Hopefully you will have that amateur donation exhibit up by November. I will be at Paris Island to see my Grandson graduate as a U.S. Marine and was planning on a side trip to see the museum and hopefully some fossiling there. Maybe a trip to Folly Beach!!! Curious, will you and Sarah be coming back to the Aurora Fossil Festival this year?

[MCG DAWG]

I'd heard of the beach replensihment so last Spring we took the family to Folly for spring break.  We found over 400 teeth on the beach over the 4 days we were there.  Found 300 on a creek dig in Summerville during the trip as well.  I ranged a about a mile north and south of the pier but never found large shell piles/substrate like you have in the picture in your blog.  That would have been a boon if I had.  

 

Great little town there with good eats, affordable vacation rentals, and an all around nice vibe.  Hope to get back there sometime soon.

 

Good luck with you research.  

[History Hunter02]

Nice!  When we were at Folly for just 4 hours we found over 50 shark teeth including some meg fragments from the beach renourishment project.  You can find so great great white teeth too.  You have some amazing finds.  Have you ever gone to Edisto Beach?  Crazy amount of mammal fossils!!  Can't believe all of the stuff you found! So jealous!