Brittle Star Posted October 20, 2017 Share Posted October 20, 2017 Hi, After deciding to post an October find item, I thought I would post these photos for your suggestions. I prepped them all last weekend at the same time as the spine. Photos 1 -3 only had its edge showing and the matrix is really hard so the engraver came out, yeah it still works. Held my breath and went for it and managed not to break what I think is some turtle shell, it is 4cm long and 4mm thick. I am reluctant to prep the other side and remove all of the matrix as I do not want to ruin it completely. It is not much to look at but for the size of the fragment. The photos are self explanatory. The following ones are from the same rock at the other end. A chunk of bone, maybe part of a jaw it is 3.5 cm long. It was not until I prepped it that the tiny jaw 1cm long with 6 teeth sockets appeared to one side, one socket has a broken tooth in it, not my fault. Initially I only saw the end, I thought turtle shell as the profile was V shaped suggesting an edge. I dare not try to uncover it anymore It could be a small croc or maybe Amia which is known from the same matrix which is part of the Atherfield Clay formation, I really have no idea. Any experts out there please jump in with what you think it is. Cannot post it in finds as I cannot ID it, sugar. Never ask a starfish for directions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miocene_Mason Posted October 20, 2017 Share Posted October 20, 2017 Nice finds! Have you used a consolidant? You could probably prep it out further if you have some. “...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...
jpc Posted October 20, 2017 Share Posted October 20, 2017 can you take bigger pix of the jaw? i tried to zoom in on it and it got pixelated pretty quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anomotodon Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 What I think: #1 - turtle scute piece #2 - hybodont cephalic clasper #3 - maybe Aspidorhynchidae jaw section? 1 The Tooth Fairy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brittle Star Posted October 22, 2017 Author Share Posted October 22, 2017 Thanks Tim for all the possible ID's, did not think of a clasper, more research. Thanks again. JPC - I took the pics on macro setting on my normal camera. I have a portable usb camera that may take a better one, no time to do that at the moment and I need good sunlight to avoid glare, difficult in England WhodamanHD - Nice finds! Have you used a consolidant? You could probably prep it out further if you have some. I have used paraloid to avoid the jaw breaking, any further prep with the hard matrix would destroy the jaw as it is so small and brittle. Better safe than sorry. Aspidorhynchidae jaw suggestion, I have looked at images and it certainly matches that description even down to the V shaped cross section. Never ask a starfish for directions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brittle Star Posted October 22, 2017 Author Share Posted October 22, 2017 16 hours ago, Anomotodon said: #3 - maybe Aspidorhynchidae jaw section? as I mentioned I looked this up and came across an image of a Belonostomus jaw which matches. Not saying it is of course. Never ask a starfish for directions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abyssunder Posted October 22, 2017 Share Posted October 22, 2017 Might the below information helpful? I think, Anomotodon was in the right direction with the ID. excerpts from S. C. Sweetman et al. 2014. A preliminary account of the fishes of the Lower Cretaceous Wessex Formation (Wealden Group, Barremian) of the Isle of Wight, southern England. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 113: 872–896 (It's sweet like sugar.) 1 " 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...
Renaud Posted October 26, 2017 Share Posted October 26, 2017 I will add to the identification of Anomotodon for the fossil n°1, it's a plastron plate of turtle, maybe hyoplastron or hypoplastron. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brittle Star Posted October 27, 2017 Author Share Posted October 27, 2017 On 22/10/2017 at 10:30 PM, abyssunder said: Might the below information helpful? I think, Anomotodon was in the right direction with the ID. Sorry for the delayed reply, I have been away in Oxford. Your post looks really useful for other things I have, thank you for the link. Never ask a starfish for directions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abyssunder Posted October 27, 2017 Share Posted October 27, 2017 You are welcome! " 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...
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