KCMOfossil Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 Last week while visiting Waco, Texas, I took four of my grandchildren to the Waco Research Pit. After getting a permit, we spent about three hours there and among the more fascinating fossils we found were oysters (possibly of the genus Texigryphaea). Of special interest were the epibionts, some of which seem to be parasitic. There were at least two sizes of tube worms, and bryozoans. The second picture below is not of epibionts on an oyster, but rather a one-inch wide piece I found separately in the same area. If I understand correctly, the Waco Pit is in the Del Rio Clay Formation, Cenomanian Stage, Cretaceous. It was a nice trip and a great place to take children. Russ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KCMOfossil Posted July 31, 2017 Author Share Posted July 31, 2017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KCMOfossil Posted July 31, 2017 Author Share Posted July 31, 2017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 looks like You had fun with the grandkids! Nice finds too. 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...
Miocene_Mason Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 Nice finds! “...whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been and are being evolved.” ~ Charles Darwin Happy hunting, Mason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossil-Hound Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 Excellent finds and neat preservation. Do or do not. There is no try. - Yoda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erose Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 Yes, that is definitely Texigryphaea. Based on location the species should be easy to pin down. I am also interested in all the various "Serpulid" worms we find in the Cretaceous of Texas. Only a few species have been identified but they seem to be catch-alls. I have started labelling some of mine as types: Serpulid type A, S. type B, etc. Maybe in the future someone will do the work on these ubiquitous creatures and we can apply actual proper names. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KCMOfossil Posted July 31, 2017 Author Share Posted July 31, 2017 Thanks for the confirmation of that genus. I looked a little more online and found this nice list of species with links to photos. It seems clear from the Del Rio location and the photos that my specimens are Texigraphaea roemeri. 44 minutes ago, erose said: all the various "Serpulid" worms we find in the Cretaceous of Texas These are fascinating. Thanks for the input. Russ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plax Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 I see bryozoan and clionid (boring sponge) also Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KCMOfossil Posted July 31, 2017 Author Share Posted July 31, 2017 Thanks for this information. I was wondering what made the bore holes. Many of these oysters show a lot of damage from predation--its seems to have been quite an aggressive environment. Russ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bone2stone Posted August 1, 2017 Share Posted August 1, 2017 17 hours ago, KCMOfossil said: Thanks for the confirmation of that genus. I looked a little more online and found this nice list of species with links to photos. It seems clear from the Del Rio location and the photos that my specimens are Texigraphaea roemeri. These are fascinating. Thanks for the input. Russ Well first of all Russ a question. Are you here in Texas for an extended visit? If so you may want to visit some of the Grayson deposits near the Arlington/Handley area set between Dallas and Ft. Worth. It is the equivalent to the Del Rio formation and any of the specimens you find down there may be found here as well. The Texigraphaea are quite abundant here and other species of oyster are found here as well. I have hunted the Del Rio and Grayson for over 30 years and find that I never go to either without finding something interesting. The tubular specimens are interesting in that it sheds some light on the fact that the specimen lay exposed on the bottom of the primordial ocean floor long enough for them to form. I find other specimens including echinoids with these attached. Always a cool find. Jess B. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeargleSchmeargl Posted August 1, 2017 Share Posted August 1, 2017 Preservation is killer! Nice one! Every single fossil you see is a miracle set in stone, and should be treated as such. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KCMOfossil Posted August 1, 2017 Author Share Posted August 1, 2017 7 hours ago, bone2stone said: the Grayson deposits near the Arlington/Handley area set between Dallas and Ft. Worth I'm back in Kansas City now. I only go to Waco once or twice a year for a week or less. When I'm there we are pretty busy, so I have to restrict my fossil trips to places within about 45 minutes of Waco (actually, Hewitt). Interesting comment about the story that can be read from the fact that the tube worms are present on these specimens. I find epibionts fascinating in that regard. They show an aspect of interaction (a slice of life) between species beyond what an individual species fossil can show. Russ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanNREMTP Posted August 3, 2017 Share Posted August 3, 2017 I hunt the Waco Pit all the time and love finding those tube worms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plantguy Posted August 6, 2017 Share Posted August 6, 2017 Enjoyed seeing the finds. Thanks for showing us. Regards, Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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