Shark in Wisconsin, USA?

[fernwood]

Quick photos of a small sample.  Does contain non fossils that have been positively identified in person.  

[Peat Burns]

3 minutes ago, fernwood said:

Quick photos of a small sample.  Does contain non fossils that have been positively identified in person.  

The shells at the bottom look Plio-Pleistocene marine to me.  I think I see Chione elevata among them. Very weird...

[fernwood]

2 minutes ago, Shellseeker said:

Welcome to the forum, it is here to share fossil finds among an interested community... You have an opportunity to educate us on something curious and new... Please do

Thank you so much for the warm welcome.  I am trying to go slow, but excited to learn from those with much more knowledge than me.  I have been researching the geology of the area for over 2 years, after my first finds.  My son in law has been amazed and always wanting to see my newest finds and what I think they are.  I have many, wonderful, local resources, but none are Paleontologists.  I am becoming OCD about this, as I want to know what everything is.  Many questions. 

Every time I find something new, it leads to hours of research and photography.  Have been very reluctant to share some of my latest finds with locals, as I do not want any "treasure hunters" to come on my land.  Been there with meteorite shower in the past.  Due to living in a somewhat remote area, old farmhouse,  my safety is also important.  Once I know what I have, might share with local experts.  Until then, learn, learn, learn.  

[MeargleSchmeargl]

On 3/18/2018 at 1:07 PM, fernwood said:

Location:  SE Portage County, Central Wisconsin, USA.

Geology:  South Western advance of Green Bay Glacial Lobe.  Former Glacial Lake Oshkosh.  Niagara Escarpment Debris.  My land.  Ordovician onward. 

 

I am still shaking.  Went on first walk of the year in my fields.  Found these, along with a few other fossils.  Have never found any teeth, other than modern ones here before.  My questions are:  What are they?  Look like shark to me.  What era, species?  Is this a significant find for my location?  These look way too clean compared to my other fossil finds here.  Is someone messing with me?  Note that I only saw the upper ½” tip of the larger one sticking out of the ground.  The smaller one had the base sticking out a little.  Ground is still frozen here after about 1-2” on the surface.  I used the screwdriver I had brought along to dig the larger one out. 

 

Thank you. 

 

ff teeth 1

 

ff teeth 2

 

ff teeth 3

 

ff teeth 3

Left tooth is a big ol' Meg! The second looks mako. Really sweet ones, too! 

[fernwood]

"The shells at the bottom look Plio-Pleistocene marine to me.  I think I see Chione elevata among them. Very weird..."

Yes, see why I am confused?  So many things I am finding that should not be here.  Why would someone "dump" a fossil collection in my 15 acres of fields?  

Will post another strange find soon, as my new computer is having problems.

 

 

[ynot]

32 minutes ago, fernwood said:

As a newbie here, is it worth or even allowed, for me to post my finds? 

That is Our "bread & butter" here on TFF!

Please do post any that You want.

[MeargleSchmeargl]

On 3/18/2018 at 6:18 PM, ynot said:

Maybe they were brought in from the coast by an English sparrow, I heard that they fly coconuts from Africa to England all the time.

I smell Monty Python references...

[Plax]

"Only ceremonial sites previous owner constructed.  Could she have been using the teeth for something?  All of the sites I found had modern deer skulls/jaws arranged a specific way in trees and on the ground."

  This is the only plausible explanation other than a friend messing with you. It might also explain the neogene shells. The other fossils and rocks look like paleozoic erratics and fit with your terrain.

[fernwood]

Here is the other strange find.  Spent hours cleaning it.  Not calcified, but has a chert like feel.  

 

[DPS Ammonite]

Fernwood, you mentioned that the former owner constructed ceremonial sites with deer skulls/jaws on your property. What was the nature of the sites? What religion were they associated with? The former owner might have brought the teeth to your property. Also, what other interesting rocks or fossils were found adjacent to the shark teeth? 

[ynot]

17 minutes ago, fernwood said:

Here is the other strange find. 

This is a colonial coral. Does not look fossil.

[fernwood]

1 hour ago, DPS Ammonite said:

Fernwood, you mentioned that the former owner constructed ceremonial sites with deer skulls/jaws on your property. What was the nature of the sites? What religion were they associated with? The former owner might have brought the teeth to your property. Also, what other interesting rocks or fossils were found adjacent to the shark teeth? 

The sites were Native American.  She was Oneida, Chippewa.  Other fossils are posted above.  Cannot remember exact locations, other than on 15 acres of fields in various locations.  Some were found over 1/2-1 mile away from buildings and the ceremonial sites.  Most in areas of the fields that were not near the edges.  

[jpc]

On 3/18/2018 at 1:06 PM, sixgill pete said:

I am 99.99999999999999999999% certain these teeth are not from there. During the period these sharks were alive (Otodus megalodon and Isurus desori) the ocean was no where near covering Wisconsin. Somebody put those teeth there.

I am willing to add a 9 to sixgill's %age.  Why and When?  Could have been deposited well before you owned the land.  Why... dumped someone else's collection... ?  We may never know but it sounds like a fun detective story.  

 

Cool fossils, by the way. 

[Brett Breakin' Rocks]

1 hour ago, fernwood said:

The sites were Native American.  She was Oneida, Chippewa.  Other fossils are posted above.  Cannot remember exact locations, other than on 15 acres of fields in various locations.  Some were found over 1/2-1 mile away from buildings and the ceremonial sites.  Most in areas of the fields that were not near the edges.  

  I'd be curious if she is still around or if her family is around for you to send a message and ask about the various finds. 

 

  I know that personally in my various moves I have intentionally or unintentionally left small pockets of Pre-cambrian trilobites , stromatolites, various mineral samples and even a few tiny shark teeth tossed about for good measure.  Usually for garden decoration or fill for my succulents.  If you can imagine it .. someone has already probably done it ....

 

Cheers,

Brett

[Leeskimg]

I found this with my cousin in about 1985 when working in my aunt's garden. She lived in portage county Wisconsin right next to lake Emily county Park. At first we thought it was some kind of Indian tool the way it was shaped and how sharp it was but years later I took it to the university and he said it was a megalodon tooth. But the way it was split in half and the way it fits in your hand is why we figured it was an Indian tool so maybe they got it somewheres and split it and use it the way I'm holding it that's the only thing I can think of.

Edited January 10, 2019 by Leeskimg

[werepanther]

Most Wisconsin fossils are from the Ordovician and Silurian periods when a shallow sea was present. Long before sharks existed. Thanks to glaciers scrubbing down to bedrock our state is mostly devoid of fossils outside of a few spots the glaciers missed or wash out deposits from other places from when the glaciers melted and flushed through the area to my understanding. If it where my find I would think the pieces had been carried to where you found them by humans at some point and for whatever reason ended up discarded. Still fabulous finds! Make for a great story. I totally wish shark teeth could be found in our state but we just aren't in the right place.

[dalmayshun]

The lack of appropriate geology and the ceremonial finds give good hints that your teeth were transportted, perhaps even treasured by someone who walked on your land. I was going to suggest the possibility of "fill" as I know several marshes had been filled in the 1800's with hauled in dirt, but it seems your land has been pretty pristine for a long time. Perhaps the wonderful finds will encourage  you to write a story for the local paper...( oops, that might get even more people walking into your corn field to geocache an item) Sorry for the suggestion. LOL. 

    The other thing, to me, the large shark's tooth, especially, looks like it has been handled alot. It looks like it  has taken on that sheen of oil from people's skin that early paleo-indian scrapers get...it looks like it has been fondled . "Yes, my pretty."

 

[frankh8147]

On 3/20/2018 at 11:35 AM, fernwood said:

Only ceremonial sites previous owner constructed.  Could she have been using the teeth for something?  All of the sites I found had modern deer skulls/jaws arranged a specific way in trees and on the ground.  Might be worth investing those sites more to see if I find any other ancients.  

@fernwood I think that's your answer right there. 

 

Your property was used for ceremonies which involved animal remains and those fossils have no business being there.

 

I'm not an expert on the effects of glaciers on fossils but I've found different corals both in upstate New York (where they originated) and the New Jersey Pines Barrens (where they were re-deposited) and they look very different. The ones brought down here are extremely worn, comparatively.

 

That said though, nice teeth! I would've kept them too!

[haastone]

Okay, I found this tooth in Wisconsin.  It was on the shore of an island that was land 90 years ago.  Can anyone tell me if this is a shark tooth.  The closest I can tell is its a mako, but all history books say that would be impossible.

[KimTexan]

 

9 minutes ago, haastone said:

Okay, I found this tooth in Wisconsin.  It was on the shore of an island that was land 90 years ago.  Can anyone tell me if this is a shark tooth.  The closest I can tell is its a mako, but all history books say that would be impossible.

 It honestly looks like a piece of phosphatized material. I think it is a rock with a shape suggestive of a tooth, but not a tooth

[caldigger]

7 minutes ago, KimTexan said:

 

 It honestly looks like a piece of phosphatized material. I think it is a rock with a shape suggestive of a tooth, but not a tooth

I would have to agree. Other than having a vague tooth shape, it has none of the characteristics of a tooth. Ie: enamel, symmetrical shape, boney root, etc.

[Mark Kmiecik]

On 2/8/2019 at 11:16 PM, haastone said:

Okay, I found this tooth in Wisconsin.  It was on the shore of an island that was land 90 years ago.  Can anyone tell me if this is a shark tooth.  The closest I can tell is its a mako, but all history books say that would be impossible.

It's not  a tooth. It's just a rock. It has zero of the features that a tooth would have.

[Dagda]

[Dagda]

Arbitrarily Dr. David Raup , a famous paleontologist. Lived about 169 miles from you. He also had relatives in Wi. He passed away in Sturgeon Bay. 

[Micah]

I believe the first is mudstone. The second is hard to tell because it either has polish on it or is wet, but could also be mudstone or a concretion or chert.