My first Acquired Micro Matrix Hunt- Aguja FM, Cretaceous, Texas

[Miocene_Mason]

I got myself a bag of Aguja formation matrix a while back. I have been looking at it and wanting so badly to go through it, but I lack the proper sieves. Anyway, I got too curious a few days ago and used some metal mesh from a reusable coffee filter to filter about a cup of matrix down. To be honest, none of my equipment is up to par, but I’ve started a look through and it’s already fun! 

Will be continuing this thread till I get done with the bag, which may take a while. Updates will be periodic and this thread is mainly so I can store my information and share it but feel free to comment, help ID, give tips, follow along, or whatever you would like to do!  Here it goes:

Fishy Vertebra, very similar to my Miocene ones!

[Miocene_Mason]

Wasn’t expecting this, though it shouldn’t come as a surprise given how saturated this matrix is with plant matter. Amber! Or more accurately “Amberite” as it occurred in coal (well lignite and other carbonized remains)

[Miocene_Mason]

Croc osteoderm and close up! Only described crocodile from the Aguja FM is Deinosuchus, but I assume there were more. This piece is rather small but also incomplete. I don’t think it’s identifiable.

[Miocene_Mason]

Ossified tendon? Cylindrical, a bit porous in the middle. Do these only come from Hadrosaurs?

[Miocene_Mason]

Debating whether to remove this bone bit or not. The matrix it’s on is likely to hold fossils but the bone bit will probably break with removal. I kinda don’t want the hassle of consolidating it.

You see the face in the stone next to the bone?

The “face”

[Troodon]

I'm going through a batch of this material but I'm using a scope because the specimens are tiny.  Very curious in what you finding.  Finding lots of shark and fish teeth around 1-3 mm.  Two tiny Dromaeosaurids teeth, small croc.

Sharks include  Hybodus, Lissodus, Squatirhina etc, lots of gar scales and teeth.

[Troodon]

On 7/5/2018 at 6:58 PM, WhodamanHD said:

Ossified tendon? Cylindrical, a bit porous in the middle. Do these only come from Hadrosaurs?

No, other species have them but very common with Hadro's.  

[Troodon]

26 minutes ago, WhodamanHD said:

Wasn’t expecting this, though it shouldn’t come as a surprise given how saturated this matrix is with plant matter. Amber! Or more accurately “Amberite” as it occurred in coal (well lignite and other carbonized remains)

 

 

Also finding small pieces of Amber and charcoal

[Troodon]

Forgot this, here is a paper to help with IDs of micro teeth

 

SCHUBERT-THESIS.pdf

 

 

[Miocene_Mason]

On 7/5/2018 at 7:16 PM, Troodon said:

I'm going through a batch of this material but I'm using a scope because the specimens are tiny.  Very curious in what you finding.  Finding lots of shark and fish teeth around 1-3 mm.  Two tiny Dromaeosaurids teeth, small croc.

Sharks include  Hybodus, Lissodus, Squatirhina etc, lots of gar scales and teeth.

My screen shouldn’t let those size things through, but no sharks yet. No dinosaur material yet either (though fingers are crossed). A few gar scales and teeth though (I will take pictures later). I’m relying on my young eyes, a loupe, and a crappy USB microscope. Not the best but workable. These all came from one consolidated piece rather than the dirt, perhaps explaining less diversity.

 

On 7/5/2018 at 7:17 PM, Troodon said:

No, other species have them but very common with Hadro's.  

Would you think that’s what this is or would you be hesitant to go that far?

[Troodon]

27 minutes ago, WhodamanHD said:

Would you think that’s what this is or would you be hesitant to go that far?

Looks like one but not sure if they all look the same.

 

The micro teeth are very fragile barely visible to the naked eye, will they separate from the matrix. 

Most of the dots in the left one are teeth.  That paper will go a long way to ID this material.

 

[FossilsAnonymous]

That looks really interesting. I hope you get lucky and find something really good (not sayin what you already have isn't )

[Miocene_Mason]

3 hours ago, Troodon said:

Forgot this, here is a paper to help with IDs of micro teeth

 

SCHUBERT-THESIS.pdf

 

 

That is wonderful! Thanks!

Such a diverse fauna, all in a one gallon bag!

3 hours ago, Troodon said:

The micro teeth are very fragile barely visible to the naked eye, will they separate from the matrix. 

Most of the dots in the left one are teeth. 

Yeah, I’m worried that running water is damaging them, but I kinda have to use it. I’m saving all the processed matrix so I can go through it many times, and perhaps with a better microscope if I can get ahold of one. One pain is differentiating the carbonized plant may from the black enamel. I also don’t know if jet is produced in this deposit but that could make it even harder because it is also shiny. 

[Dan 1000]

Awesome stuff! Can’t wait to recieve my own micro matrix 

[Miocene_Mason]

1 hour ago, DanKurek said:

Awesome stuff! Can’t wait to recieve my own micro matrix 

Tis pretty awesome! I hope you can find the same in your Paleocene mix, which is packed and ready to be shipped! I’ll send you a picture later today! 

[Miocene_Mason]

Today I found another sieve but it’s rungs we’re too big. I decided to seperate our the bigger chunks so I could break them up with water later which leaves me with a bag of chunks and larger pieces and a bag of finer Matrix. The finer stuff will still need to use the small filter (a reusable metal coffee filter right now which works surprisingly well but I still need to replace). I saw three things in the big filter as I passed it through, though I wasn’t really looking for fossils.

Here they are, better pictures tomorrow:

Croc tooth, wondering if it may be Deinosuchus because it seems to have strange wrinkles/carinae. 

[Miocene_Mason]

Scute, different than the other one I found.

[Miocene_Mason]

First possible dinosaur! It’s a tooth, not sure what it will turn out to be. Richardoestesia isosceles is the common one, which it does look like. If so it is doubtfully Dinosaurian and more likely pterosaur.

Like I said better photos tomorrow 

[Miocene_Mason]

That’s that for today.

[Miocene_Mason]

Did some research and the little tooth looks most similar (to me) to Paronychodon. Going by Frank’s (Troodon) specimen may just be a position of “Richardoestesia” isosceles. See figure three of This paper.

[caldigger]

Wow, waaay too tiny for my visual abilities.  Have fun with it.

[digit]

10 hours ago, WhodamanHD said:

Today I found another sieve but it’s rungs we’re too big.

I'd suggest checking out the large online retailer named for a South American river using the search term "SE sifting pans" for ideas. I have the set of 9 green plastic sifting pans that fit into the top of a 5-gallon bucket. My set spans mesh sizes from 1/2" down to 1/100". There are cheaper sets of these with more limited ranges or you can buy them individually as you like. These screens have worked well for me to classify my Florida micro-matrix into different size ranges to sort separately. There are many other options as well that can be turned up by searching for the terms "sieve" or "sifter" on that site. There are also scientific supply houses on the web that carry sets of small stainless sieves used in geology to sort sediment particles. A generic internet search for "geological sieves" will turn-up a wealth of possible options to consider. It would require a bit of cash outlay to up your game but if you really enjoy sorting micro-matrix and this is not simply a passing interest for this one interesting sample of micro-matrix you are working on now, then the investment in some good quality sieves to classify your material into different size classes is essential.

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

 

P.S.: Jealous, because while we have some interesting sources of micro-matrix here in Florida, none of them contain dino-bits.

[Miocene_Mason]

10 hours ago, caldigger said:

Wow, waaay too tiny for my visual abilities.  Have fun with it.

Thanks! I’m doing this while my eyes can still do it! I am having fun with it though!

[Miocene_Mason]

@digit Thank you so much! I’ve been looking for sieve set I could afford for a long time and almost as soon as I google it up, bang! I’ll definitely have to eat a set! I remember my middle school has a few old sets with a ton of them, probably back when they weren’t as expensive. Anyway, thanks again! I’m usually a macrofossil guy but I won’t pass up some good vertebrate microfossil!

[digit]

It's easy to get hooked on the micros. I've probably been through about a dozen 5-gallon buckets of micro-matrix already and I'm still having fun and finding new things. The nice thing about micro-matrix is that it really can't be searched "in the field" and is collected for later processing and picking through. This means that you can collect it, store it, and always be able to do a quick fossil hunt from the comfort of your own home--complete with air conditioning, a comfortable seat, and a cold drink. Why, it's almost civilized.

 

Glad to be able to turn you onto some sieves, it will enhance your micro hunting.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken