Archie Posted March 19, 2017 Share Posted March 19, 2017 Last week I got the opportunity to go fossil hunting in an abandoned Lower Carboniferous/Mississippian marine limestone quarry near my home in Fife, Scotland. The quarry exploited a bed known as the Charlsetown Main Limestone. It is from this bed and the overlying beds of shale that I have collected the majority of my Lower Carboniferous marine shark and cartilaginous fish fossils from various sites across the Midland Valley of Scotland. I try to check the site as regularly as I can as new material is constantly being washed out of the spoil heaps, but the overall area where fossils can be collected is very small. I hadn't found anything worth keeping on the last few trips but on this occasion I found a nice near complete Cladodus mirabilis tooth on the first block of limestone I picked up, needless to say I was pretty chuffed! This tooth was found on the bank of a flooded section where the lapping water is eroding the side of a spoil heap and in the past Ive found two partial Cladodus striatus teeth here as well as lots of well preserved inverts like crinoids and brachiopods. Ive decided next time I go to take equipment for sieving the mud on the bank and bed of the pool for fossils, so hopefully by using this method I'll soon have lots more nice finds from this site to show! The flooded section with the Charlestown Main Limestone and shale layers above exposed (photo taken last summer): 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archie Posted March 19, 2017 Author Share Posted March 19, 2017 Note the top of three adits to the now flooded mine workings at the base of the cliff face, these are used as a venue for cave diving and also as a summer roost and hibernaculum for Daubentons bats. The bank where fossils can be collected can just be seen in the far left of the pic. I didnt get a chance to get a pic of the tooth before prep but when found the central cusp was mostly covered in matrix, I was really pleased when it turned out to be complete as recently Ive found quite a few where it was either broken or very worn. Close up of tooth: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archie Posted March 19, 2017 Author Share Posted March 19, 2017 The tooth and its matrix as I'm displaying it: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archie Posted March 19, 2017 Author Share Posted March 19, 2017 And since I had to cut the tooth off the massive block of limestone it was on, I decided to polish the cut to show the crinoids better: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archie Posted March 19, 2017 Author Share Posted March 19, 2017 And this was also a nice sign of spring, the first smooth newt Ive come across this year This site is a designated nature reserve and in the summer is teeming with rare wildflowers that favor lime rich soils and the insects associated with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixgill pete Posted March 19, 2017 Share Posted March 19, 2017 Fantastic tooth. The quarry looks splendid; and the pic of the newt is an added bonus. 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...
Fossildude19 Posted March 19, 2017 Share Posted March 19, 2017 Great report, Sam. Glad the weather is cooperating with you. Lovely Tooth! And the sifting idea might yeild more treasures for you! Good thinking. Thanks for posting this. 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...
sharko69 Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 That is incredibly cool! I love the way that looks in the matrix. Great find, thanks for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 Very nice display piece! Thanks for sharing. 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...
Archimedes Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 Beautiful tooth , nice pic of the quarry, thanks for sharing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Upsetter Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 Nice tooth, and that looks like a lovely spot. Hopefully now the weather is improving here in Scotland I can get back out hunting too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DinoMike Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 Great tooth! I'm still looking for pre-Cretaceous shark teeth here in Texas. One of these days...! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridgehiker Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 Of all the thousands of vertebrate teeth posted to these forums, your specimen is about my favourite. Its great the way such an 'ancient' tooth is displayed on the matrix. Its like an exquisite diamond that's mounted in a perfect setting to compliment it. We are still a month or so away from access to some shark rich slopes in our nearby Rockies. I've found hundreds of Paleozoic teeth but not with surrounding crinoidal limestone. I'll now have to look for teeth among that type of matrix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darktooth Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 Real nice find, and great pics as well! Thank-you for sharing your experience with us. I like Trilo-butts and I cannot lie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archie Posted March 20, 2017 Author Share Posted March 20, 2017 On 19/03/2017 at 7:34 PM, sixgill pete said: Fantastic tooth. The quarry looks splendid; and the pic of the newt is an added bonus. 18 hours ago, ynot said: Very nice display piece! Thanks for sharing. Thank you 23 hours ago, Fossildude19 said: Great report, Sam. Glad the weather is cooperating with you. Lovely Tooth! And the sifting idea might yeild more treasures for you! Good thinking. Thanks for posting this. Thanks Tim A friend who's into crinoids does a bit of sifting for them and finds the occasional tooth so heres hoping I have a feeling the fossil mass at this site will be at least 99.9% crinoids lol! 18 hours ago, sharko69 said: That is incredibly cool! I love the way that looks in the matrix. Great find, thanks for sharing. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archie Posted March 20, 2017 Author Share Posted March 20, 2017 18 hours ago, ynot said: Very nice display piece! Thanks for sharing. Thanks Tony 16 hours ago, Archimedes said: Beautiful tooth , nice pic of the quarry, thanks for sharing Thank you 3 hours ago, The Upsetter said: Nice tooth, and that looks like a lovely spot. Hopefully now the weather is improving here in Scotland I can get back out hunting too Cheers! I thought it was improving until today lol! Looking forward to seeing more of your finds good luck! 3 hours ago, DinoMike said: Great tooth! I'm still looking for pre-Cretaceous shark teeth here in Texas. One of these days...! Thank you I guess it can only be a matter of time lol! Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archie Posted March 20, 2017 Author Share Posted March 20, 2017 3 hours ago, Canadawest said: Of all the thousands of vertebra teeth posted to these forums, your specimen is about my favourite. Its great the way such an 'ancient' tooth is displayed on the matrix. Its like an exquisite diamond that's mounted in a perfect setting to compliment it. We are still a month or so away from access to some shark rich slopes in our nearby Rockies. I've found hundreds of Paleozoic teeth but not with surrounding crinoidal limestone. I'll now have to look for teeth among that type of matrix. Thank you! I really wasn't sure at all how to make it displayable and took a long time deliberating where to make the cut, I'm really happy with hows its turned out though the tooth was definitely in a fortunate position after all! Its definitely worth a look good luck! They seem to occur just as often in the crinoidal limestones here in Scotland but sadly are more often partial. Its always nice to have other fossils with a tooth though to give it some context. 2 hours ago, Darktooth said: Real nice find, and great pics as well! Thank-you for sharing your experience with us. Thank you I hope to have more to share soon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNCollector Posted March 21, 2017 Share Posted March 21, 2017 Fabulous cladodus! It looks quite different than the ones I find here in the states Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archie Posted March 21, 2017 Author Share Posted March 21, 2017 20 hours ago, TNCollector said: Fabulous cladodus! It looks quite different than the ones I find here in the states Thanks Jim! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffrey P Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 That's an extremely impressive tooth, Archie. Congratulations on a terrific find. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deutscheben Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 Archie, once again an excellent and lovely tooth! And the way you prepped it with that crinoidal matrix is outstanding. Bravo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JarrodB Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 On 3/19/2017 at 2:01 PM, Archie said: The tooth and its matrix as I'm displaying it: That's a great find & display piece. Congrats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archie Posted March 26, 2017 Author Share Posted March 26, 2017 On 23/03/2017 at 1:01 AM, Jeffrey P said: That's an extremely impressive tooth, Archie. Congratulations on a terrific find. On 24/03/2017 at 6:42 PM, JarrodB said: That's a great find & display piece. Congrats. On 23/03/2017 at 3:16 PM, deutscheben said: Archie, once again an excellent and lovely tooth! And the way you prepped it with that crinoidal matrix is outstanding. Bravo! Thanks guys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archie Posted March 27, 2017 Author Share Posted March 27, 2017 Since there has been some heavy rain since my last trip to this quarry I decided to return yesterday to see if any new material had washed out. I had some really good luck and got a few nice crinoids and brachiopods and better yet after not too long spotted a nice little Petalodus acuminatus tooth on a submerged block of limestone. After fishing this out I had a good rummage around for a while without much luck and was about to call it a day when at the last minute I split another limestone block and found my largest Cladodont tooth yet! Both teeth need lots of prep which I'm hoping to get done over the next few days. A couple of in-situ crinoids: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted March 27, 2017 Share Posted March 27, 2017 Nice, looking forward to seeing the teeth! 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...
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