Boris Albert Wagner Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 Hello all! It's been a while since I've been on the forum but I'm back with a question that has been nagging at me. Where does one search for Pleistocene fossils in Nova Scotia? Most of the fossils in my collection are composed of shale and depict leaves and sticks. Not that there's anything wrong with them, it's just that my the Pleistocene epoch has really caught my interest these last few weeks. My internet research hasn't provided any fruit so I thought I would bring my question to this wonderful community of fossil experts and hunters. I know that mastodon and other Pleistocene fossils have been found in Nova Scotia before, one mastodon was found only a few km from where I live. Are Pleistocene fossils not as common as ones with older age? I am hoping that you can give me some suggestions on what to look for and where to look. And possibly some information on how common these fossils are. Thanks Boris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miocene_Mason Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 Pleistocene sediments are often unconsolidated and many times have few fossils in them. That being said, a good river can have alluvial Pleistocene material, some wadding through it may produce a few nice fossils, check a geologic map for alluvial Pleistocene sediments. Not sure if they'd be to common up there's ''twas glaciated most of the time so onlymtough animals could survive (mammoth being one of them). Older fossils are in hard sediment that's been squished, concentrating fossils so they are usually a bit easier. Good luck! “...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...
Fruitbat Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 As WhodamanHD wrote...much of Nova Scotia was glaciated during the Pleistocene so many of the fossils that might have formed during that time period might have been destroyed as the glaciers retreated. There are a couple of articles concerning Pleistocene finds in Nova Scotia. You can find them in the 'Canada' section (link) in my pdf library here on The Fossil Forum. Just click on the link above and scroll down to the section on Nova Scotia. Good Luck! -Joe Illigitimati non carborundum Fruitbat's PDF Library Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peat Burns Posted October 17, 2017 Share Posted October 17, 2017 @Doctor Mud? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plax Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 Depends on what fossils you are looking for Boris. Several counties in Se NC are shallowly underlain by Pleistocene deposits as is much of Florida for instance. All of these deposits are abundantly fossiliferous. I would think that if you considered shell beds the Pleistocene is relatively over represented in the fossil record. This doesn't help you in Nova Scotia though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilDAWG Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 Just a head's-up that collecting any fossil, be it invertebrate, vertebrate, plant, or trace fossil, without a permit is illegal in Nova Scotia. If you do obtain a permit, anything you collect must be deposited in an official museum collection. In it's infinite wisdom the Province has decided that fossils are better left to erode to sand than to end up in the hands of an interested non-professional. Don There is a bit of discussion on the topic at the end of this thread. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miocene_Mason Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 3 hours ago, FossilDAWG said: In it's infinite wisdom the Province has decided that fossils are better left to erode to sand than to end up in the hands of an interested non-professional. I felt a little wince of pain reading that, not that it's much different a lot of places in the states and elsewhere. Someday maybe..... “...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...
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