Mtskinner Posted February 5, 2017 Share Posted February 5, 2017 I have a few items that I can't seem to ID from southeast Alabama. They were all found in the Blufftown formation and are somewhat worn from the wet environment they were found in. As always with my posts, any comments will be greatly appreciated. This first little guy reminds me of a drum fish plate but it's way smaller that anything else I've seen from this area. It's roughly an 1/2" square and 3/16" thick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mtskinner Posted February 5, 2017 Author Share Posted February 5, 2017 This is a drum fish jaw from my collection and as you can see, the teeth are not as randomly positioned as the questioable one above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mtskinner Posted February 5, 2017 Author Share Posted February 5, 2017 The next two appear to be some type of spine or rostrum. This first one is round in shape, 2-1/4"long, 7/16" wide, and has noticeable ridges running down the face of the specimen. My thought process on this one is a hybodont spine but the cylinder shape is throwing me off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted February 5, 2017 Share Posted February 5, 2017 The first one is a fish tooth plate, either a different species or placement in the mouth than Your second piece. The second item looks like a shark spine, but that is a guess. Tony 2 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...
Mtskinner Posted February 5, 2017 Author Share Posted February 5, 2017 This last piece is similar to the 2nd one but without the ridges. It's 2" long and a 1/4" in diameter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted February 5, 2017 Share Posted February 5, 2017 Not sure about this one. Is it wet in the pictures? If so can You post a picture of it dry? 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...
Mtskinner Posted February 5, 2017 Author Share Posted February 5, 2017 We do "rarely" find sections of billfish rostra such as these but again the specimens in question don't seem to fit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mtskinner Posted February 5, 2017 Author Share Posted February 5, 2017 1 minute ago, ynot said: Not sure about this one. Is it wet in the pictures? If so can You post a picture of it dry? Tony No, it has a natural polish to it...I assume from wave action long ago. Thanks for the comments as we're on the same page of possibilities! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted February 5, 2017 Share Posted February 5, 2017 4 minutes ago, Mtskinner said: We do "rarely" find sections of billfish rostra such as these but again the specimens in question don't seem to fit. Those look like ray barbs to Me. What makes You identify them as bill fish rostralis? 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...
Mtskinner Posted February 5, 2017 Author Share Posted February 5, 2017 Here are a few others for comparison but again this puzzle is frustrating...in a good way of course! The 1st picture is a Hybodont spine and the 2nd pic is a Ratfish spine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mtskinner Posted February 5, 2017 Author Share Posted February 5, 2017 4 minutes ago, ynot said: Those look like ray barbs to Me. What makes You identify them as bill fish rostralis? Tony The small rows of tooth sockets on either side and the cross section is identical to Cylindracanthus...which was supposedly the billfish of the Cretaceous period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted February 5, 2017 Share Posted February 5, 2017 Just now, Mtskinner said: The small rows of tooth sockets on either side and the cross section is identical to Cylindracanthus...which was supposedly the billfish of the Cretaceous period. If there are rostral spines (or holes) on the sides that would be a sawfish. (?) Can You post pictures of the sides? 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...
Mtskinner Posted February 5, 2017 Author Share Posted February 5, 2017 9 minutes ago, ynot said: If there are rostral spines (or holes) on the sides that would be a sawfish. (?) Can You post pictures of the sides? Tony The only rows are on the top as shown in the 1st pic...nothing on the sides or around the backside Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted February 5, 2017 Share Posted February 5, 2017 I think We need someone more familiar with the east coast cretaceous than I am. Maybe @sixgill pete can help. 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...
bone2stone Posted February 5, 2017 Share Posted February 5, 2017 It appears that you have a hodge podge of fish bone material - tail fin, rostal and throw in a little bit of gill plate stuff Toothy stuff...... Oh the mouth plate is undeniably what it looks like pyco plate. Jess B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted February 5, 2017 Share Posted February 5, 2017 The first fossil is a fish tooth plate, maybe from Paralbula. The second is not drumfish, it is a Pycnodontid, possibly Anomoeodus. The next two fossils are Cylindracanthus. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixgill pete Posted February 5, 2017 Share Posted February 5, 2017 3 hours ago, Al Dente said: The first fossil is a fish tooth plate, maybe from Paralbula. The second is not drumfish, it is a Pycnodontid, possibly Anomoeodus. The next two fossils are Cylindracanthus. I agree with Eric on this. Bulldozers and dirt Bulldozers and dirt behind the trailer, my desert Them red clay piles are heaven on earth I get my rocks off, bulldozers and dirt Patterson Hood; Drive-By Truckers May 2016 May 2012 Aug 2013, May 2016, Apr 2020 Oct 2022 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mtskinner Posted February 5, 2017 Author Share Posted February 5, 2017 11 hours ago, Al Dente said: The first fossil is a fish tooth plate, maybe from Paralbula. The second is not drumfish, it is a Pycnodontid, possibly Anomoeodus. The next two fossils are Cylindracanthus. Awesome! Thanks guys...that's why this site is tops! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Posted February 6, 2017 Share Posted February 6, 2017 I'm with Al Dente all the way. All very rare and beautiful stuff there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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