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June 2017 Finds of the Month


Fossildude19

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The astounding finds of this Forum's members continually amaze me - It seems as if the voting choices get a bit harder, every month. 

Please take the time to post your best find or finds of the current month here, where they will be voted upon by the rest of the membership!

Good luck, and Happy Hunting! 

 

 

 

Remember...carefully read the rules below, make sure you include all the required information, and submit your fossil!  If you have a question about a possible entry, please send me a PM. 

Please pay special attention to Rule #5: Before and After Preparation photos must be submitted for Prepped specimens not found during the Month of the Contest. In addition to keeping the contest fair, this new qualification will encourage better documentation of our spectacular past finds. Best of success to all, and good hunting!

Entries will be taken until midnight on June 30th.

 

 Please let us know if you have any questions, and thanks for sharing more of your fossils and research this month.

To view the Winning Fossils from past contests visit the Find Of The Month Winner's Gallery.
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Rules for The Fossil Forum's Vertebrate and Invertebrate/Plant Find of the Month Contests

1. You find a great Vertebrate Fossil or Invertebrate/Plant Fossil! Only fossils found by you.

2. Post your entry in the Find of the Month topic. Use a separate post for each entry. (Only two entries per contest category.)

3. Your Fossil must have been found during the Month of the Contest, or most of the significant Preparation of your Fossil must have been completed during the Month of the Contest.

4. You must include the Date of your Discovery (when found in the contest month); or the Date of Preparation Completion and Discovery date (if not found in the contest month).

5. Before and After Preparation photos must be submitted for prepped specimens not found during the Month of the Contest.

6. You must include the common or scientific name.

7. You must include the Geologic Age or Geologic Formation where the Fossil was found.

8. You must include the State, Province, or region where the Fossil was found.

9. Play fair and honest. No bought fossils. No false claims.

Shortly after the end of the Month, separate Polls will be created for the Vertebrate and Invertebrate/Plant Find of the Month.

In addition to the fun of a contest, we also want to learn more about the fossils. So, only entries posted with a CLEAR photo and that meet the other guidelines will be placed into the Poll. Photos of the winning specimens may be posted to TFF's Facebook page.

In a few days, after the votes are tallied, and the Polls for both categories are closed, we will know the two winning Finds of the Month for May, 2017 !  Now, go find your fossil, do your research, and make an entry!

    Tim    VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

   MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png      PaleoPartner.png.30c01982e09b0cc0b7d9d6a7a21f56c6.png.a600039856933851eeea617ca3f2d15f.png     Postmaster1.jpg.900efa599049929531fa81981f028e24.jpg    VFOTM.png.f1b09c78bf88298b009b0da14ef44cf0.png  VFOTM APRIL - 2015  

__________________________________________________
"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."
John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~   ><))))( *>  About Me      

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Well it's very quiet here so I'll submit the first IPFOTM for June 2017.

 

For your viewing pleasure I present a terror of the ancient Miocene seas that is also the state fossil of Maryland and one of the first fossils to be classified in the USA. This is an invertebrate and therefore not the dastardly Megalodon but rather the mighty and feared Ecphora snail! These little sea terrors were hypothesized to have burrowed holes into scallops and oysters and suck out their insides. Large Ecphora are very difficult to find intact. The last nine large Ecphora I had recovered where broken in multiple locations. This particular shell didn't require much preparation to uncover the fossil but it did have some cracks so I had to lock those up with super glue and then cleaned off the sand with a light brush. The result is a dark maroon red shell.

 

Here's some information:

 

Location: Calvert Cliffs (Maryland)

Formation: Choptank

Age: Miocene (15 MYA)

Size: slighty over 1.7 inches in diameter

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Mollusca

Class: Gastropoda

Family: Muricidae

Genus: Ecphora

Species: E. gardnerae

 

Before preparation the shell is buried in hard sandstone. The sand was carefully removed with a dental pick.

 

ecphora_before.jpg

 

After preparation:

 

IMG_0368.JPG

IMG_0367.JPG

IMG_0370.JPG

 

Do or do not. There is no try. - Yoda

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14 minutes ago, Fossil-Hound said:

These little sea terrors would burrow holes into scallops and oysters and suck out their insides.

 

I'm curious if you have any reference documentation to support this statement? I know it has been hypothesized but I haven't seen anything scientific supporting it was Ecphora over any other fossilized snail. Obviously, something "drilled" many of the various fossilized shells we find in VA, NC & MD and got the "goodies" inside.

 

On a side note, I've always wondered how many bites it would take for us consume a large Chesapecten or Ecphora. The Chesapecten would have been the ultimate "scallop po-boy"!!

Don't know much about history

Don't know much biology

Don't know much about science books.........

Sam Cooke - (What A) Wonderful World

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52 minutes ago, SailingAlongToo said:

 

I'm curious if you have any reference documentation to support this statement? I know it has been hypothesized but I haven't seen anything scientific supporting it was Ecphora over any other fossilized snail. Obviously, something "drilled" many of the various fossilized shells we find in VA, NC & MD and got the "goodies" inside.

 

On a side note, I've always wondered how many bites it would take for us consume a large Chesapecten or Ecphora. The Chesapecten would have been the ultimate "scallop po-boy"!!

 

Indeed the scallops from a Chesapecten must have been very tasty due to their large size or if you prefer escargot a large Ecphora should do. 

 

I suppose there are mixed opinions on this subject and I updated the original posting to note this theory, but I would strongly opt that this did in fact occur because we see it in modern predatory gastropods albeit as you mentioned there is no hard evidence that Ecphora were predatory. Another argument is that the number of Ecphora in proportion to potential prey is much smaller and this is also a common trait in ecosystems where your apex predators are fewer in number. Just think about all the Great Whites out there preying on seals. I would wager there are ten seals for every Great White but that's just a wild guess. There are certainly more prey items compared to lions in Africa. The list goes on. Here's some additional information:

 

https://calvertmarinemuseumpaleontology.wordpress.com/2014/01/09/daily-fossil-photo-giant-predatory-snail/

 

Another claim:

 

http://paleoportal.org/index.php?globalnav=time_space&sectionnav=state&name=Maryland

 

On the MGS there is no such claim:

 

http://www.mgs.md.gov/geology/fossils/maryland_state_fossil_shell_fs.html

 

Now what you are alluding to is on page 16 of the below link and the last paragraph of the essay which points out: "Despite intensive study, we do not understand fully all the factors that influence drilling predation and in turn its effect on evolution. Ongoing work is examining spatial variation in drilling; the relationship between predation intensity and diversity, and between predation and degree of escalation of faunas; the effect of multiple predators on predation intensities; and whether different species of predators can be discriminated by the holes they drill. The Miocene faunas of Maryland will continue to play a key role in such work."

 

http://www.calvertmarinemuseum.com/DocumentCenter/View/630

 

Here is another source that doesn't mention burrowing or predation by the snail:

 

http://www.priweb.org/about.php?page=who_we_are/ecphora_history

Do or do not. There is no try. - Yoda

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My entry may seem a bit out of place, but this find is a MAGNIFICENT one. It is a trip maker 10 times over for me, even with all of the fish I have seen and dug out this one takes the cake.

 

Grande, L. (1984): PALEONTOLOGY OF THE GREEN RIVER FORMATION, WITH A REVIEW OF THE FISH FAUNA. THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WYOMING, BULLETIN 63

States that Amphiplaga brachyptera makes up an less than 1% of the total fish population in Fossil Lake.

 

My find was a Juvenile Amphiplaga brachyptera. They are found primarily in just 2 quarries of the Kemmerer area, exclusively in the split fish layers.

4 years ago I found an adult that reached the upper size limits of the species at 133mm, this juvenile can sit beside him proudly at a whopping 31,5mm!

 

Thanks everyone for your considerations on this rare find!

 

Discovery Date: June 3rd, 2017

Name: Amphiplaga brachyptera

Age: Eocene 55myo

Location: Kemmerer, Wyoming (USA)

Size: 31,5mm

 

DSCN4759.thumb.JPG.446a1fc0cbaee951da3a0ea7e202c0c3.JPG

 

DSCN4758.thumb.JPG.9590894d49eafa6d50e33b99ca858345.JPG

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I'll add a couple fish of my own for VFOTM.

 

Two nice examples of the Australian Jurassic fish Cavenderichthys talbragarensis, one of the earliest known teleosts. Collected on the 12th of June (legally i might add, i say this because anyone familiar with the site knows it is otherwise protected) and prepped today. 

 

Species: Cavenderichthys talbragarensis

Formation: Purlawaugh (but this is debated, definitive stratigraphic context is not actually confirmed for this site) 

Location: Gulgong, New South Wales, Australia

Age: Upper Jurassic (about 151 Ma)

 

5944cc6465eb9_fish1.thumb.jpg.b730af1b66c9bb1235a70bf43aac927f.jpg

 

5944cc7f69dbe_fish2.thumb.jpg.e572b994d88ae9d2e04ed01ddeb250eb.jpg

 

5944cc8f80afb_fish3.thumb.jpg.802498357d32645469f733f0dda684a7.jpg

 

5944cca650d30_fish4.thumb.jpg.3b3afa4b7ee5bb7243a689c50d1b0d50.jpg

 

 

 

"In Africa, one can't help becoming caught up in the spine-chilling excitement of the hunt. Perhaps, it has something to do with a memory of a time gone by, when we were the prey, and our nights were filled with darkness..."

-Eternal Enemies: Lions And Hyenas

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Second fish entry!

 

I call it: "7 Jurassic sardines in a can"!

I have tried to outline the 7 fish, in varying levels of completeness, as best as i could. Collected on the 12th of June like the previous entry. 

 

Species: Cavenderichthys talbragarensis

Formation: Purlawaugh 

Location: Gulgong, New South Wales, Australia

Age: Upper Jurassic (about 151 Ma)

 

IMG_1406.thumb.JPG.6365b458aaf5ba3f47526e2a0be1cbd1.JPG

 

594617132c1ad_IMG_1406(1).thumb.JPG.31cc1834889e43ce75e1c0801f1281cd.JPG

 

IMG_1417.thumb.JPG.cce8175bd012fed63bb686ab08ec349b.JPG

 

"In Africa, one can't help becoming caught up in the spine-chilling excitement of the hunt. Perhaps, it has something to do with a memory of a time gone by, when we were the prey, and our nights were filled with darkness..."

-Eternal Enemies: Lions And Hyenas

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Hummm, something seems a little fishy about this months entries!

 

 

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22 hours ago, caldigger said:

Hummm, something seems a little fishy about this months entries!

 

:hearty-laugh:

Do or do not. There is no try. - Yoda

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This little tooth may be "business as usual" for some, but I was very happy to find it and I'm pretty sure it will be my personal VFOTM.   Thanks to Ash Hendrick for being and excellent and generous field guide.

 

Carcharodon carcharias (Linnaeus, 1758) 

(40mm/1.6 inches)

Rushmere Member, Yorktown Formation

Edgecombe County, NC

Collected June 10, 2017

 

 

Carcharodon lingual 1.jpg

Carcharodon labial 1.jpg

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Also recovered on the same trip as the Carcharodon tooth was this lovely 2 1/2 inch tall Ecphora quadricostata (Say, 1824).  

Rushmere Member, Yorktown Formation

Edgecombe County, NC

Collected June 10, 2017

 

Don

 

Ecphora quad 1.jpg

Ecphora quad 2.jpg

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Fish seems to be the theme for the vertebrate entries this month, so i'll throw a fish tail in...

 

 

Date found: June 17, 2017

Name:         Ichthyodectid

Formation:   Britton (Eagle Ford Group)

Age:            Upper Cretaceous

Location:     Dallas County, Texas, U.S.A.

 

 

 

fishtail2.JPG

fishtail.jpg

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This is my first submission for fossil of the month, so please let me know if you need more information....

 

VFOTM

Location: Glendive, Montana

Date found: June 15th

Geological Formation: Hell Creek Formation, Cretaceous 

Species and fossil: Unknown Dinosaur Tendon(most likely hadrosaur or triceratops)

 

 

tendon3.thumb.jpg.2dfaf5c32ad8da3a892688e97464ff07.jpg  

 

 

 

tendon4.thumb.jpg.8ac486df1314c9a8a825e7e4b30c8653.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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On 6/21/2017 at 3:56 PM, smt126 said:

This is my first submission for fossil of the month, so please let me know if you need more information....

 

VFOTM

Location: Glendive, Montana

Date found: June 15th

Geological Formation: Hell Creek Formation, Cretaceous 

Species and fossil: Unknown Dinosaur Tendon(most likely hadrosaur or triceratops.

Would it be possible to retake the photo on a clear background? The tin foil is distracting a bit from the specimen. ;) 

 

(A white background might really help bring out the contrast here).

...How to Philosophize with a Hammer

 

 

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This one doesn't have a chance against the other guys posted this month, but it was something that didn't really need prepping and a nice size bivalve. I should have included an actual measurement based tool, but it's probably about 5" at its longest.

 

IFOTM

Location: 10 miles south of Glendive, Montana in the OHV park

Found: June 18th

Geological Formation: Pierre Shale, Cretaceous

Specimen: I'm not sure of the species, but pretty sure the genus is Inoceramus. 

 

clam.jpg

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On 6/20/2017 at 6:39 PM, StevenJDennis said:

Fish seems to be the theme for the vertebrate entries this month, so i'll throw a fish tail in...

 

 

Date found: June 17, 2017

Name:         Ichthyodectid

Formation:   Britton (Eagle Ford Group)

Age:            Upper Cretaceous

Location:     Dallas County, Texas, U.S.A.

 

 

 

 

Is there a tale for this fossil? :popcorn:

"Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe" - Saint Augustine

"Those who can not see past their own nose deserve our pity more than anything else."

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6 minutes ago, Ash said:

 

 

Is there a tale for this fossil? :popcorn:

This weekend me and my dad decided to go check out a spot that looked like it had potential, and looked for a while but didn't find much.  I thought I covered pretty much the whole area, so decided to start heading back to the vehicle.  As I was walking back, I spotted this tail.  With a lot of area to cover, it can be easy to miss things....even something this big.    :blink: 

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Love it. Looks so weird just brings tail sitting there! Like..where's the rest?

"Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe" - Saint Augustine

"Those who can not see past their own nose deserve our pity more than anything else."

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2 hours ago, Ash said:

Love it. Looks so weird just brings tail sitting there! Like..where's the rest?

Likely inside a mosasaur.

 

Don

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Here's my 2nd entry for IFOTM. It's a Meta Sequoia Pine Cone we found about a half hour before leaving Montana. I thought it was one of the nicer preserved ones I've seen. 

 

Location: Glendive Montana on Baisch's Dinosaur Ranch

Date Found: June 19th, 2017

Geological Info: Hell creek

Specimen: Meta Sequoia Pine Cone

 

594c5151b2bce_pinecone1.jpg.becc165fc9e38b84502e5f585822c106.jpg

 

 

594c515339bb7_pinecone2.jpg.7bef3a9eccf6e72f7e1e30eccf4a798f.jpg

 

 

 

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21 minutes ago, caterpillar said:

Just finished to prep

Date found: october 2016

Location: Lusk, Wyoming

Formation: White River

Name: Oreodont and maybe Daphoenus

 

 

Oh my!  :blink::drool::envy::faint:

 

That is a SPECTAULAR fossil! 
That'll be tough to beat! 
Congratulations on the exquisite find and prep!

    Tim    VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

   MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png      PaleoPartner.png.30c01982e09b0cc0b7d9d6a7a21f56c6.png.a600039856933851eeea617ca3f2d15f.png     Postmaster1.jpg.900efa599049929531fa81981f028e24.jpg    VFOTM.png.f1b09c78bf88298b009b0da14ef44cf0.png  VFOTM APRIL - 2015  

__________________________________________________
"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."
John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~   ><))))( *>  About Me      

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