Birthday trip to Lang's quarry, successful Eurypterid, Proscorpius, and Pterygotus hunt! (and aquatic scorpion found - Proscorpius!!)

[DrDave]

Amazing preservation, see closeup images for detail of ornamentation.

This near complete specimen is large; about 20 cm in cranial-caudal dimension.

 

At the end of the search, I was sitting in the ATV drinking water, and happen to glance out to the right, when to my shock there was a complete scorpion (Proscorpius Osborni) sitting within easy reach in plain sight!! Mr Lang kept the scorpion in order to try to find the mirror image fossil counterpart, and said he'll let me know if/when he might make it available for sale. I have right of first refusal, at least.

 

On plate I took had both a small Pterygotus claw and the coxa of a giant Pterygotus.

5 cm

 

make sure you click on the image and zoom in to see the detail of the carapace surface

[Kane]

What great luck (on both those excellent finds)! Thanks for posting these, and hopefully you'll get reunited with that Pterygotus claw.  

[DrDave]

closeup of swimming arm of eurypterus remipes

Proscorpius Osborni, a Silurian aquatic scorpion.

 

The Pterygotus claw I have; it's the scorpion I left behind!

[FossilDudeCO]

great finds, what a trip!

Congrats!

[DrDave]

Coxa/teeth of giant Pterygotus. This is about 6 cm. I believe it belonged to an individual approaching 2 meters in length based on chart below.

This is on the same plate as the partial claw of a smaller Pterygotus.

There are teeth at the proximal aspect of the swimming leg and smaller ones associated with walking legs. Morphologically, my specimen appears to be swimming leg coxa.

[DrDave]

Closeup of one of the two identical complete trophy specimen:

15 cm

[Miocene_Mason]

What beauties! 

[DrDave]

 

Unknown arthropod part, I think it is proximal walking leg and maybe swimming leg of a ventral part of a small e remipes molt, about 4 cm. Any other opinion?

[Miocene_Mason]

On 8/7/2017 at 11:50 AM, DrDave said:

 

Unknown arthropod part, I think it is proximal walking leg and maybe swimming leg of a ventral part of a small e remipes molt, about 4 cm. Any other opinion?

Could it be the last tail segment and a crushed "stinger"?

[DrDave]

Using a soft gum eraser to remove minimal matrix and increase contrast of the fossil to the matrix, while my 'sisstant looks on.

 

[DrDave]

Or another partial scorpion??      (closeup of the Proscorpius Osborni specimen)

 

                                                                                                                     

[fossilized6s]

Simply spectacular finds! 

[Darktooth]

@DrDave Happy Birthday! Congratulations on some great finds!

[DrDave]

16 minutes ago, Darktooth said:

@DrDave Happy Birthday! Congratulations on some great finds!

Thanks, man!

[sixgill pete]

Fantastic!!

[JohnBrewer]

Absolutely stunning finds, what a birthday!

[FossilDAWG]

What a fantastic collection of finds! 

You must be a "MD" type of "Dr", most of us "PhD" type of "Dr's" would be bankrupted by that haul at Lang's.

 

Don

[DrDave]

My wife was very generous with the gift, and I paid his base rate for the haul. He said I could keep the others after I found the complete specimen once I found the Proscorpius. 

Yes, I am an MD.

[FossilDAWG]

The Proscorpius was a fantastic find, even more so coming on top of all your other great finds.  Considering what people pay for "thrill of a lifetime" experiences such as a tandem skydive, I'd say you got your money's worth!

 

Don

[DrDave]

I'm thrilled and grateful.

[jewelonly]

Wow! What fabulous specimens! I love your purrfectly attentive assistant. She/he is a little beauty.  

 

Leah

[ynot]

Happy birthday.

Nice way to celebrate!

Congratulations on the wonderful finds.

[Wrangellian]

WOW.

 

I'm surprised by the sizes of those things. Does anyone know anyone who has found them at these sizes, even parts of them?

 

[Miocene_Mason]

Simon Braddy and Markus Poschmann 

8 minutes ago, Wrangellian said:

WOW.

 

I'm surprised by the sizes of those things. Does anyone know anyone who has found them at these sizes, even parts of them?

 

Simon Braddy and Markus Poschmann described and found an 18 inch mouth part. This came from the largest known eurypteriod (and arthropod) jaekelopterus. I know that probably wasn't what you were looking for....

[Jeffrey P]

Quite the birthday gift, Dave! Those are the finest euryterid specimens I've seen in quite while. Congratulations and thanks for sharing your special day.