Ossicle Posted April 16, 2017 Share Posted April 16, 2017 The tiny tooth is Jurassic, from the Oxford Clay at Whittlesey. I think it's marine reptile from its shape, but not sure which one. The second one I found last year, and I'm baffled by it. I think it might be fish. Any suggestions would be very welcome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeschWhat Posted April 16, 2017 Share Posted April 16, 2017 Your fishy something looks really interesting. I am sure I cannot identify it, but is there any chance you could upload larger photos? Lori www.areallycrappystory.com/fossils www.facebook.com/fossilpoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ossicle Posted April 16, 2017 Author Share Posted April 16, 2017 Thank you I'll have a go, and I've included one with a scale - it's not that big a fossil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeschWhat Posted April 16, 2017 Share Posted April 16, 2017 Curiouser, and curiouser! Have you thought about prepping the tail/fin (or whatever it is) to try to expose it a little more? @DarrenElliothave you seen anything like this? Lori www.areallycrappystory.com/fossils www.facebook.com/fossilpoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ossicle Posted April 16, 2017 Author Share Posted April 16, 2017 I thought about it, but I'm not brave enough yet. The fossils are so fragile from this area. Yesterday I was able to get a tiny belemnite out of much of its matrix, but a second larger one broke in half - and those are calcite. The clay is wet when it is first put out by the very obliging company who own the quarry, and then as the fossils dry they can become flaky. My fossilised wood cracks as it dries - it's amazing to see. I'm hoping I get less clunky with my tools - but I didn't want to try with this one until I'm better at it. I've not seen anything else like this there, and I've repeatedly gotten it out over the winter and thought it really looks like a bit of fish. I did find a fish scale there as well last year, but that's enamel so preserves better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike from North Queensland Posted April 16, 2017 Share Posted April 16, 2017 The fishy bit looks to be a fish scale. Not sure about how stable it is in the matrix from your comments but I would try to clean it with a damp cotton bud and maybe a pin when you soffen the surface with the cotton bud if you have a steady hand. From my side of the world the belemnites tend to come out in several pieces so I assume the breaks are there already from the quarry activity. You other tooth piece is most likely fish but will defer to the local collectors for a more positive ID. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abyssunder Posted April 16, 2017 Share Posted April 16, 2017 The first one looks like a Plesiosaur tooth, the second one fish caudal/hypural. Should these help?: link 1 link 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...
GeschWhat Posted April 17, 2017 Share Posted April 17, 2017 4 hours ago, Ossicle said: I thought about it, but I'm not brave enough yet. The fossils are so fragile from this area. Yesterday I was able to get a tiny belemnite out of much of its matrix, but a second larger one broke in half - and those are calcite. The clay is wet when it is first put out by the very obliging company who own the quarry, and then as the fossils dry they can become flaky. My fossilised wood cracks as it dries - it's amazing to see. I'm hoping I get less clunky with my tools - but I didn't want to try with this one until I'm better at it. I've not seen anything else like this there, and I've repeatedly gotten it out over the winter and thought it really looks like a bit of fish. I did find a fish scale there as well last year, but that's enamel so preserves better. @abyssunderto the rescue again! Do you know what that is above it? An ammonite impression? Whenever I try to prep something like that, I always do it under the microscope and use an X-acto blade. I have never been to the area myself, but have oodles of coprolites from the Orton Pit. There are so many amazing things in the Oxford Clay, many of which are entombed in its coprolites. Lori www.areallycrappystory.com/fossils www.facebook.com/fossilpoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ossicle Posted April 17, 2017 Author Share Posted April 17, 2017 Thank you everyone, that is all really helpful, both prepping advice and ID. I'm excited those are two vertebrate fossils. That is an ammonite impression. Much of this site is made of two dimensional original aragonite ammonites. I'm hoping to find coprolites at some point, mostly for the belemnite hooks. What magnification microscope do you use? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ossicle Posted April 17, 2017 Author Share Posted April 17, 2017 10 hours ago, GeschWhat said: I have never been to the area myself, but have oodles of coprolites from the Orton Pit. I think that is my other site, at Hampton. I picked up a weird slab of mushed up shell the other week, and wondered if it was coprolite, simply because literally nothing in it has survived intact. I concluded not, because of its size and shape - it is flat. It would have to be a large underwater cow pat. It's a great site, particularly for crinoids and vertibralis, and I also found what I think is a fragment of hybodont shark spine at New Year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeschWhat Posted April 17, 2017 Share Posted April 17, 2017 6 hours ago, Ossicle said: Thank you everyone, that is all really helpful, both prepping advice and ID. I'm excited those are two vertebrate fossils. That is an ammonite impression. Much of this site is made of two dimensional original aragonite ammonites. I'm hoping to find coprolites at some point, mostly for the belemnite hooks. What magnification microscope do you use? Mine has 20X and 40X magnification. It is really amazing how many belemnite hooks can be in a tiny little coprolite! Have you seen this one? Lori www.areallycrappystory.com/fossils www.facebook.com/fossilpoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ossicle Posted April 17, 2017 Author Share Posted April 17, 2017 That is stunning and gives me a good idea of what to look for. And that's a lot of hooks for one coprolite. Amazing to get the CT scan I have a celestron digital microscope which magnifies x10 x40 and x150, so hopefully enough to see hooks if I find one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeschWhat Posted April 17, 2017 Share Posted April 17, 2017 1 hour ago, Ossicle said: That is stunning and gives me a good idea of what to look for. And that's a lot of hooks for one coprolite. Amazing to get the CT scan I have a celestron digital microscope which magnifies x10 x40 and x150, so hopefully enough to see hooks if I find one. You should easily be able to see them with X10. I can see them without magnification (clearly if I wear my readers). Best of luck to you! Lori www.areallycrappystory.com/fossils www.facebook.com/fossilpoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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