HoppeHunting Posted January 20, 2018 Share Posted January 20, 2018 Hi all, This little fragment was one of my many finds at my first trip to Purse State Park. I've posted a trip report; go check it out if you haven't already. Although I found hundreds of fossils, I had very little trouble with identification as the formations at Purse only yield a handful of fossil species. But this one strange fragment has got me stumped. It's about 3/4 of an inch and pretty thin. One side is very bumpy with a small, smooth protrusion in the middle. The other side is very smooth with no bumps but some very tiny holes. It looks somewhat similar to a few of the crocodile and turtle fossils found along the Maryland Potomac coast that I've seen online. My best guess is that it is a scute of some kind due to the protrusion on the bumpy side, or perhaps a skull fragment. Again, I'm really not sure with this one. Any help would be much appreciated. It's always exciting to find something a little different! Thanks. Hoppe hunting! Link to post Share on other sites
caldigger Posted January 20, 2018 Share Posted January 20, 2018 Can you please include a ruler or something of the like in your photos for scale. It really helps to know the size for ID. Link to post Share on other sites
WhodamanHD Posted January 20, 2018 Share Posted January 20, 2018 If the bumps are concave I’d say croc scute, if convex I’d say botryoidal hematite. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
ynot Posted January 20, 2018 Share Posted January 20, 2018 Hard to tell from the dark pictures, but I think it is a drum fish tooth plate. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Al Dente Posted January 20, 2018 Share Posted January 20, 2018 When you see these in the literature, they are usually described as boxfish dermal plates. 7 Link to post Share on other sites
HoppeHunting Posted January 20, 2018 Author Share Posted January 20, 2018 35 minutes ago, caldigger said: Can you please include a ruler or something of the like in your photos for scale. It really helps to know the size for ID. My apologies. I stated the approximate length in the description, so hopefully that should help for now, but I'll be sure to include a scale in the future. Thanks for the tip! Link to post Share on other sites
HoppeHunting Posted January 20, 2018 Author Share Posted January 20, 2018 7 minutes ago, Al Dente said: When you see these in the literature, they are usually described as boxfish dermal plates. I think that could very well be it! I looked into boxfish fossils and it looks incredibly similar to some of the specimen. Thank you! Link to post Share on other sites
abyssunder Posted January 20, 2018 Share Posted January 20, 2018 Thoughts from an older topic might help. 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Jeffrey P Posted January 21, 2018 Share Posted January 21, 2018 5 hours ago, HoppeFossilHunting said: Hi all, This little fragment was one of my many finds at my first trip to Purse State Park. I've posted a trip report; go check it out if you haven't already. Although I found hundreds of fossils, I had very little trouble with identification as the formations at Purse only yield a handful of fossil species. But this one strange fragment has got me stumped. It's about 3/4 of an inch and pretty thin. One side is very bumpy with a small, smooth protrusion in the middle. The other side is very smooth with no bumps but some very tiny holes. It looks somewhat similar to a few of the crocodile and turtle fossils found along the Maryland Potomac coast that I've seen online. My best guess is that it is a scute of some kind due to the protrusion on the bumpy side, or perhaps a skull fragment. Again, I'm really not sure with this one. Any help would be much appreciated. It's always exciting to find something a little different! Thanks. Hoppe hunting! Interesting object, but cannot determine what because of the lack of visible diagnostic features. I do take exception to your comment about the lack of diversity in the Aquia Formation. True over 95 % of what you find are Striatolamia strata (Sand Tiger) shark teeth, Myliobatis (ray teeth), and turritella gastropod internal molds. Actually, there are over 25 species of shark teeth represented in the Aquia- many of them micros, plus croc teeth and bones, turtle shell bits and bones, shark and fish vertebrae, plant fossils, and a number of types of bivalve shells. After four visits I'm still expanding the biodiversity of my collection from there. Careful searching should expand the diversity of your collection as well. Link to post Share on other sites
WhodamanHD Posted January 21, 2018 Share Posted January 21, 2018 9 minutes ago, Jeffrey P said: many of them micros I’ve heard this as well, I must try micro from there someday soon, though at the moment I would guess the gravel would be frozen. After my 3 (short) visits I have yet to find a decent sized otodus or a paleocarc. I'm usually careful to leave most sand tigers (unless they have some other redeeming factor) for the children and others since I have enough. Would hate to see purse deplete someday, I hope that day is in the far future. Link to post Share on other sites
finderskeepers Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 Al Dente identified it. Ostraciidae (Box Fish) dermal plate also called scute. I have 4 from along the Potomac. Good find, I think they get overlooked pretty frequently. Everyone wants the sharks teeth. Link to post Share on other sites
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