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Florida part 4


minnbuckeye

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As mentioned in my first post titled Florida 1, my intent is to show "northerners" what the great state of Florida has to offer them. In this last posting, I may make Floridians moan and groan as I will be showing fossils of sea shells. To most locals, they mean very little. As digit put it in a recent post by Monica, "Familiarity breeds contempt. Marine fossils are so common.... that we pave roads with them. It may seem sacrilegious, but most fossil shells are so common they are devalued to the point of just being limestone fill."  So if you are from Florida, please don't disregard this topic, for I need your expertise in identifying my unknown road material.  For those up north, enjoy!!!!

 

I have learned locally in Minnesota, that when construction takes place and one sees mounds of broken rock, it should be investigated. Many great specimens are found in the heaps of rubble. I took this concept to Florida with me and discovered quickly that digit was right. Florida does pave roads with fossils. Many of the piles of "rock" along some construction sites that I visited were 99% shells. It was hard to find anything in these piles except shells!!! And to think of what was to become of these. Its kinda like Montana paving their roads with dinosaur bones!!! What impressed me was the variety of specimens found within a mound, and so well preserved. It made beach hunting of modern day shells seem boring!! When looking at my pictures, keep in mind, I spent little time searching construction sites. It was only when my wife gave me the "honey do" list that I snuck in 5 minutes of fossil hunting on the way to the store.

 

 

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 These are cute little gastropods covered in coral!

 

 

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We had a wonderful trip, enjoyed the company of many, but alas, one must eventually head back to the frozen tundra. THAT IS FOR THE BIRDS!!!!!!DSC_0474.JPG.ca2237016923ca94d9c580f45f176cb3.JPG

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Nice variety of shells.

 

When I head down to Sanibel Island, I collect recent shells during the daylight hours and fossils shells at dusk, around the walkways of the place that we stay. I only pick the best, and have a great time doing it.

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Nice shells Mike, and love that last pic of the gulls. I'll keep an eye out for some prime invertebrate spots when you're here next. Some spots have dump trucks of pristine shell waiting to be spread for fill

Every once in a great while it's not just a big rock down there!

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