AshHendrick Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 This looks like a little skull with brains and such still intact - is that wishful thinking? Found this at GreensMill Run, Greenville, NC. It's fossilized, was found in a huge array from horse tooth to shark teeth to whale bone and lots of tilly fish bones etc. Is it a skull, if so is it fish? I am assuming fish because I've not found much of anything mammal fossilized at GMR aside from horse teeth, which this obviously wouldn't be a horse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMP Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 Looks crustacean. Brains and other soft tissues/organs are extremely rare to find fossilized because it's hard for them to mineralize in order to be preserved. That, and animals typically eat them . At any rate it sure is cool looking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MSirmon Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 It looks crablike to me but to be honest am just guessing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abyssunder Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 It looks like a hyperostosed neurocranium of a fish. 5 " We are not separate and independent entities, but like links in a chain, and we could not by any means be what we are without those who went before us and showed us the way. " Thomas Mann My Library Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AshHendrick Posted March 14, 2017 Author Share Posted March 14, 2017 forgot to note size, it's tiny - took these photos with a digital microscope. the square boxes are 1/8 inch i think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobWill Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 I agree with abyssunder. It looks like some found by @Roz but hers are Pennsylvanian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordTrilobite Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 Looks like a partial braincase with an endocast infill. The shape of the endocast looks a bit birdlike to me. 3 Olof Moleman AKA Lord Trilobite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 It sure could be an endocast of something. I'd show it to the nearest paleontologist if I were you. 1 Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PFOOLEY Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 5 hours ago, LordTrilobite said: ...The shape of the endocast looks a bit birdlike to me. 9 hours ago, AshHendrick said: ...took these photos with a digital microscope. the square boxes are 1/8 inch i think. @Auspex "I am glad I shall never be young without wild country to be young in. Of what avail are forty freedoms without a blank spot on the map?" ~Aldo Leopold (1887-1948) New Mexico Museum of Natural History Bulletins Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 I'm pretty sure its not an endocast. You can see cancellous bone around the edges. I think it is part of a fish skull. I'll have to search my collection to see if I can find a similar one. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njfossilhunter Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 7 hours ago, LordTrilobite said: Looks like a partial braincase with an endocast infill. The shape of the endocast looks a bit birdlike to me. I agree with Lordtrilobite about being a cast of the brain which I think is a wonderful fossil because these things are rather rare......I'm TonyThe Brooks Are Like A Box Of Chocolates,,,, You Never Know What You'll Find. I Told You I Don't Have Alzheimer's.....I Have Sometimers. Some Times I Remember And Some Times I Forget.... I Mostly Forget. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 Whatever it is, its darn interesting! RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doushantuo Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 I think it's time i posted the following 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AshHendrick Posted March 14, 2017 Author Share Posted March 14, 2017 and people couldn't understand why I was SO excited about this, much more than the teeth I found which I'll have to post later on my blog (some amazing conditions etc) man this is exciting!! it's killing my soul to be at work right now, sitting here in a cube and not out finding more treasures! I don't know if there is a paleo here at ECU in my town that would find this of interest but I will reach out and ask if thoughts are I should based on the comment from Ludwigia. It's honestly a wonder I even saw it because it would have fell through my screen given I was using 1/2 inch mesh. I need to go back and sift through with a smaller screen to see what other little oddities might be about. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeschWhat Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 Wow...you did hit a honey hole! Lori www.areallycrappystory.com/fossils www.facebook.com/fossilpoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickNC Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 I have a similar piece from there. I can bring it this weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted March 15, 2017 Share Posted March 15, 2017 Here are some fish neurocrania from several Pliocene Yorktown Formation localities. Each picture shows the underneath side of the skull. The first is a pair of sea robin skulls. I have several sea robin skulls and no two are alike, the one on the right shows a pair of bumps that look like they could grow into the lobes that AshHendrick’s skull has. The next picture shows a pair of fish skulls (I don’t know the species) that are also different looking from each other but I think are the same species. The one on the right shows a nice pair of bumps that have fused (very top of the picture). The next two are unknown species that also have bumps. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted March 15, 2017 Share Posted March 15, 2017 I wonder if @Carl could have Dr. Maisey have a look at Ash's piece. Regards, Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 __________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Posted March 15, 2017 Share Posted March 15, 2017 1 hour ago, Fossildude19 said: I wonder if @Carl could have Dr. Maisey have a look at Ash's piece. Regards, Stand by! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted March 15, 2017 Share Posted March 15, 2017 Brightened: Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 __________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Posted March 16, 2017 Share Posted March 16, 2017 Here's what I got from Maisey: Yes, skull roof, teleost of some kind (great, that narrows it down to 50% of vertebrate spp!). Presumably these fossils represent taxa that are still around. Unfortunately I don't know enough about teleost skulls to be much help. [Maisey specializes in chondrichthyans] 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted March 16, 2017 Share Posted March 16, 2017 Thanks for the update, Carl. Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 __________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted March 16, 2017 Share Posted March 16, 2017 Sounds fishy to me Nicely done for Ash, Carl. Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abyssunder Posted March 16, 2017 Share Posted March 16, 2017 I recall an image (fig.68) from Geology and Paleontology of the Lee Creek Mine, North Carolina, III, sowing hyperostosed skull roof. 2 " We are not separate and independent entities, but like links in a chain, and we could not by any means be what we are without those who went before us and showed us the way. " Thomas Mann My Library Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AshHendrick Posted March 17, 2017 Author Share Posted March 17, 2017 Carl, thank you so much!! This is quite exciting! I will be going back with a smaller screen soon (supposed to rain all weekend) so if I find some more of these wonders and you'd like one for your collection let me know - least I can do for all your help!! If I find 10 then every one gets one, it will be like an Oprah show but on the fossil forum! LOL! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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