Shell Shocked at Matoaka

[b. bartron]

On 7/18/2018 at 4:12 PM, I_gotta_rock said:

 Correct. Now. In Dall, 1830 all of them were quadracostata. They were divided out. The Miocene ones were renamed in Ward and Gilinski, 1988. I am missing my Ecphora book, but I believe E. megane megane is now an index fossil for the Drum Cliff member of the Choptank Formation.  E. gardenerae gardenarae is from a different member of the same formation. The latter was fopund on the beach. The former I pulled out of the matrix.

E gardnerae gardnerae Wilson is found in the St Mary's formation(little cove point)  of Calvert cliffs.  There was another E. Meganae Ward and gilinsky, which I'm not clear if it's the same as gardnerae germonae which is found at windmill point St Mary's formation.  E. Tricostata Martin is I'm not sure where maybe the choptank formation. I'm not exactly clear on that one.  I believe there is 4 total species found in the Miocene formations of Calvert cliffs.  But there is another scientists doing research and making it more difficult with added discoveries and updates to previous info. I'm so confused!  I think I've read  of a E. Pamlico but I think that may be gardnerae Wilson?  I'm still learning and studying this but I'm waiting on Calvert marine museum to consolidate information and identification of the ecphora found in the cliffs.  Hopefully this will be available soon.  If anyone has clarity on any of this please correct me!  

[I_gotta_rock]

On 8/21/2018 at 7:21 PM, b. bartron said:

E gardnerae gardnerae Wilson is found in the St Mary's formation(little cove point)  of Calvert cliffs.  There was another E. Meganae Ward and gilinsky, which I'm not clear if it's the same as gardnerae germonae which is found at windmill point St Mary's formation.  E. Tricostata Martin is I'm not sure where maybe the choptank formation. I'm not exactly clear on that one.  I believe there is 4 total species found in the Miocene formations of Calvert cliffs.  But there is another scientists doing research and making it more difficult with added discoveries and updates to previous info. I'm so confused!  I think I've read  of a E. Pamlico but I think that may be gardnerae Wilson?  I'm still learning and studying this but I'm waiting on Calvert marine museum to consolidate information and identification of the ecphora found in the cliffs.  Hopefully this will be available soon.  If anyone has clarity on any of this please correct me!  

I finally found my copy of Peteuch's Ecphora CD, which will soon become useless as tech changes over and you are correct. I have changed my ID to E. choptankensis Peteuch, 1988.

[b. bartron]

On 8/25/2018 at 2:42 PM, I_gotta_rock said:

I finally for d my copy of Peteuch's Ecphora CD, which will soon become useless as tech changes over and you are correct. I have changed my ID to E. choptankensis Peteuch, 1988.

I've been trying to learn the correct information. Here's a few of my shells. 

[WILDKYLE]

Awesome finds! The Ecphora is killer!

[I_gotta_rock]

11 hours ago, b. bartron said:

I've been trying to learn the correct information. Here's a few of my shells. 

Those are gorgeous! Did you find them all in the same place?  That narrows down the field quite a bit. My perennial problem is that names change, but without reading every journal that comes through each month it is impossible to keep up with the name changes.  I don't have access to such journals, so I'm stuck with whatever books I can get my hands on. 

[RJB]

  Somehow I missed this thread?   I do have a soft spot for he gastro's.  I also did not know there was more than one type of Ecphora?   Can I ask if you ever have to 'stabilize'?  and if so, what do you do about the salt?

 

RB

[b. bartron]

7 hours ago, I_gotta_rock said:

Those are gorgeous! Did you find them all in the same place?  That narrows down the field quite a bit. My perennial problem is that names change, but without reading every journal that comes through each month it is impossible to keep up with the name changes.  I don't have access to such journals, so I'm stuck with whatever books I can get my hands on. 

I find them at different locations.  Don't pay attention what you read about ecphora!  Just ask me. Lol. 

[b. bartron]

6 hours ago, RJB said:

  Somehow I missed this thread?   I do have a soft spot for he gastro's.  I also did not know there was more than one type of Ecphora?   Can I ask if you ever have to 'stabilize'?  and if so, what do you do about the salt?

 

RB

I have not applied anything to my shells.  All natural. 

[b. bartron]

6 hours ago, RJB said:

  Somehow I missed this thread?   I do have a soft spot for he gastro's.  I also did not know there was more than one type of Ecphora?   Can I ask if you ever have to 'stabilize'?  and if so, what do you do about the salt?

 

RB

Salt- just re wash them in water. Eventually it shouldn't be an issue anymore. Or so I'm told.  Some people use mineral oil to keep them nice and wet looking.  I'm not really experienced in the since I've only been gathering ecphora for a few months. As for the ecphora family. There is 8 genus of ecphora and atleast 70 documented sub species!  Locations location. So many varieties! 

[Miocene_Mason]

29 minutes ago, b. bartron said:

Salt- just re wash them in water. Eventually it shouldn't be an issue anymore. Or so I'm told.  Some people use mineral oil to keep them nice and wet looking.  I'm not really experienced in the since I've only been gathering ecphora for a few months. As for the ecphora family. There is 8 genus of ecphora and atleast 70 documented sub species!  Locations location. So many varieties! 

Do not wash them in water! They have a tendency to dissolve into a thousand pieces once exposed to running water. @Fossil-Hound found that out the hard way with “Humpty Dumpty”.

 

I don’t use consolidant on mine, though I have one that does that I bought. One of mine had already been fractured to heck and back, so I dumped clear glue on it just to keep it alive. That’s the extant of it. 

[I_gotta_rock]

3 minutes ago, WhodamanHD said:

Do not wash them in water! They have a tendency to dissolve into a thousand pieces once exposed to running water. @Fossil-Hound found that out the hard way with “Humpty Dumpty”.

 

I don’t use consolidant on mine, though I have one that does that I bought. One of mine had already been fractured to heck and back, so I dumped clear glue on it just to keep it alive. That’s the extant of it. 

Yep. That's why mine get consolidated while still damp from the matrix. I have had so many just disintegrate when they were exposed to the air!

[Miocene_Mason]

1 hour ago, I_gotta_rock said:

Yep. That's why mine get consolidated while still damp from the matrix. I have had so many just disintegrate when they were exposed to the air!

Fragile beauties. I guess that’s the allure. 

[Fossil-Hound]

@WhodamanHD yeah that was a heart breaker. Decided it was sturdy enough for a wash in the bay. Nope!

[Fossil-Hound]

Those are gorgeous by the way. Great finds!

[b. bartron]

4 hours ago, WhodamanHD said:

Do not wash them in water! They have a tendency to dissolve into a thousand pieces once exposed to running water. @Fossil-Hound found that out the hard way with “Humpty Dumpty”.

 

I don’t use consolidant on mine, though I have one that does that I bought. One of mine had already been fractured to heck and back, so I dumped clear glue on it just to keep it alive. That’s the extant of it. 

I've washed plenty in water. They either crumble during prep or last through the cleaning.  I guess I have enough that I don't worry about the 50 I've lost due to removing them from their clay nest.

[Miocene_Mason]

1 minute ago, b. bartron said:

guess I have enough that I don't worry about the 50 I've lost due to removing them from their clay nest.

poor snails...

[b. bartron]

2 minutes ago, WhodamanHD said:

poor snails...

I have found that giving them plenty of time to rest before prep helps.  And that gardnerae Wilson isn't that fragile at all though I have broken a few of those too.  The ones from north of matoaka crumble alot.  But I've gotten quiet a few of those prep and cleaned and dry without the use of any glue. Here's a few.  I think I posted them before. 

[Miocene_Mason]

1 minute ago, b. bartron said:

have found that giving them plenty of time to rest before prep helps.  And that gardnerae Wilson isn't that fragile at all though I have broken a few of those too.  The ones from north of matoaka crumble alot.  But I've gotten quiet a few of those prep and cleaned and dry without the use of any glue. Here's a few.  I think I posted them before. 

All of mine come from north Matoaka, which is picked over a lot. In fact it’s crazy I’ve found as many as I have, musts be a ton of Ecphora there. They are all very fragile, but I’ve managed some without glue. That being said, I speak from my eight Ecphora preps all of which were in some way already dinged or partial, so your word carries more weight.

[b. bartron]

Only the strong survive! 

[b. bartron]

2 minutes ago, WhodamanHD said:

All of mine come from north Matoaka, which is picked over a lot. In fact it’s crazy I’ve found as many as I have, musts be a ton of Ecphora there. They are all very fragile, but I’ve managed some without glue. That being said, I speak from my eight Ecphora preps all of which were in some way already dinged or partial, so your word carries more weight.

No sir!  You are correct!  For everyone I have I have murdered 20! There is a ton up there.  It's not an easy task at all!  If you don't get a chance to collect many from that location you do not want to be careless like I am!  I go there very often. These did not survive 

[b. bartron]

Like I said.  I'm still learning.  And I'm very carefree and careless. If they don't survive I'll just get more!  But I like the two red species anyways.  I just collected some of these for variety.

[b. bartron]

9 minutes ago, b. bartron said:

Only the strong survive! 

Apple pies don't survive my madness either. 

[b. bartron]

It's a tough world up there. 

[Miocene_Mason]

@b. bartron I don’t get out there as often as I’d like, I was going once a week at one point but then I had to attend to other things. The one that didn’t survive on the right was a prime candidate for prep in my eyes. But I understand you find a lot, and if I found as many I’d be less sad if one breaks. I’m not too sad if a venus clam breaks underfoot! Well, I do wince a little bit then I move on. 

[b. bartron]

3 minutes ago, WhodamanHD said:

@b. bartron I don’t get out there as often as I’d like, I was going once a week at one point but then I had to attend to other things. The one that didn’t survive on the right was a prime candidate for prep in my eyes. But I understand you find a lot, and if I found as many I’d be less sad if one breaks. I’m not too sad if a venus clam breaks underfoot! Well, I do wince a little bit then I move on. 

I still have a few I haven't attempted to prep yet from over a week ago.  I'm not even sure. O have so many gardnerae to clean from this week also. Not from the matrix.  Just getting the salt out. I have the most ugly duckling ever I'm afraid to touch it!