GeschWhat Posted July 31, 2018 Share Posted July 31, 2018 As I was putting together labels with photos containing microscopic images of inclusions in coprolites, I came across something that I may have misidentified as a fish tail and vertebrae in a very small coprolite. After looking at it again, the tail looks more like a shrimp or crawfish tail than that of a fish. What I thought were fish vertebrae, look more like crustacean arm joints/elements. Can anyone please confirm this for me? Thanks a bunch! Formation: Oxford Clay (Jurassic - Callovian) Location: Orton Pit, near Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England 1 Lori www.areallycrappystory.com/fossils www.facebook.com/fossilpoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted July 31, 2018 Share Posted July 31, 2018 Looks more fishy to Me. 1 Darwin said: " Man sprang from monkeys." Will Rogers said: " Some of them didn't spring far enough." My Fossil collection - My Mineral collection My favorite thread on TFF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M Harvey Posted July 31, 2018 Share Posted July 31, 2018 The last picture looks like fish vertebrae. The other object is baffling. Fish skull? Interesting stuff. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troodon Posted July 31, 2018 Share Posted July 31, 2018 Very cool. Agree with the others looks very fishy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Innocentx Posted July 31, 2018 Share Posted July 31, 2018 That vertebra looks like fish to me as well. Also, great job with the stitching and images are large and clear. 1 "Journey through a universe ablaze with changes" Phil Ochs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeschWhat Posted August 1, 2018 Author Share Posted August 1, 2018 It looked fishy to me too. I saw the vertebrae and my brain automatically identified the object on the end fish tail. Of course more than one type of critter could have been eaten. If that is a tail, it looks more like that of a crustacean. When I was looking for examples of fossilized shrimp tails online, I noticed that they seem to have a similar sheen in those from the Solnhofen, but those are compressed. I have noticed other similarities with regard to the fossilization process in the Solnhofen and Oxford Clay coprolites. The vertebrae are hollow rather than having the fishy hour glass shape. I realize the fry of some fish can have hollow vertebrae like that. . The only other time I have seen a tail like this in a coprolite was in an example from the Green River Formation that I had donated to the AMNH. It was purchased from a German dealer at the Tucson Gem show that owns quarries in the Solnhofen and in the Green River Formations. Now I'm wondering if this got mislabeled by the dealer and was actually a Solnhofen piece. Sorry there is no scale on it. The width of the coprolite is about 1.5 mm. There was some debate when I originally posted this one with regard to whether the inclusions were fish or crustacean. @Carl, were you guys ever able to determine what the inclusions were on this one? Do you think it could be from the Solnhofen rather than the Green River Formation? Does anyone have a good example of a Solnhofen shrimp tail they can post? Or perhaps the tail from a peal and eat? Then there is this, which looks a little like a claw. 1 Lori www.areallycrappystory.com/fossils www.facebook.com/fossilpoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeschWhat Posted August 1, 2018 Author Share Posted August 1, 2018 2 hours ago, Innocentx said: Also, great job with the stitching and images are large and clear. Thank you. I did it a couple of years ago. I remember it was a real pain to do. Lori www.areallycrappystory.com/fossils www.facebook.com/fossilpoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JurassicParkCarnotaurus Posted August 1, 2018 Share Posted August 1, 2018 I’m no expert but it sure does remind me of a shrimp tail. Found this image and it really has the form of the tail. Credit Kent State University 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KimTexan Posted August 1, 2018 Share Posted August 1, 2018 I think the first one looks like the abdominal carapace of a crawfish/crayfish/crawdad. Crawdad is what I called the growing up. Got this pic from googling crayfish. I think this one definitely looks like crustacean appendage. All those little bumps, the texture and the shape look like they’re from a decapod. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KimTexan Posted August 1, 2018 Share Posted August 1, 2018 Oh while we are on the topic I have to share the pic I took of one on Saturday. I was extracting an ammonite out of a creekbed and this was underneath it. It startled me and gave me a bit of a fright as I saw something move out of the corner of my eye right next to me. He’s about 4 inches long, but he’s curled up here. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DE&i Posted August 1, 2018 Share Posted August 1, 2018 Hi @GeschWhat this is mecochirus sp from the Oxford Clay of Peterborough. I'm not aware of any crustaceans preserved 3d from the area. But I could be wrong. 2 Regards.....D&E&i The only certainty with fossil hunting is the uncertainty. https://lnk.bio/Darren.Withers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeschWhat Posted August 1, 2018 Author Share Posted August 1, 2018 Thanks for the images. I wrote to a fossil seller that had a bunch of Solnhofen shrimp on their site asking if they could send a closeup photo of the tail(s). I might stop by the local seafood store as well. I'm debating whether I to try to expose a little more of the tail. @DE&i, you wouldn't happen to have photos of that guy prepped? @KimTexan, I love those little guys. I used to torment my old boss with them when we'd have to crawl dam culverts to inspect them. They REALLY creeped him out. Did you see the recent post about crayfish gastroliths? I must have missed these when they came up in the past. I don't know why I nerded out on these, but I think it is so cool their stomachs are in their head. I guess I'm just easily amused. Lori www.areallycrappystory.com/fossils www.facebook.com/fossilpoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Innocentx Posted August 1, 2018 Share Posted August 1, 2018 2 minutes ago, GeschWhat said: I'm debating whether I to try to expose a little more of the tail. The thing about coprolites is the matrix is the fossil. Tricky business. "Journey through a universe ablaze with changes" Phil Ochs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Posted August 1, 2018 Share Posted August 1, 2018 12 hours ago, GeschWhat said: It looked fishy to me too. I saw the vertebrae and my brain automatically identified the object on the end fish tail. Of course more than one type of critter could have been eaten. If that is a tail, it looks more like that of a crustacean. When I was looking for examples of fossilized shrimp tails online, I noticed that they seem to have a similar sheen in those from the Solnhofen, but those are compressed. I have noticed other similarities with regard to the fossilization process in the Solnhofen and Oxford Clay coprolites. The vertebrae are hollow rather than having the fishy hour glass shape. I realize the fry of some fish can have hollow vertebrae like that. . The only other time I have seen a tail like this in a coprolite was in an example from the Green River Formation that I had donated to the AMNH. It was purchased from a German dealer at the Tucson Gem show that owns quarries in the Solnhofen and in the Green River Formations. Now I'm wondering if this got mislabeled by the dealer and was actually a Solnhofen piece. Sorry there is no scale on it. The width of the coprolite is about 1.5 mm. There was some debate when I originally posted this one with regard to whether the inclusions were fish or crustacean. @Carl, were you guys ever able to determine what the inclusions were on this one? Do you think it could be from the Solnhofen rather than the Green River Formation? Does anyone have a good example of a Solnhofen shrimp tail they can post? Or perhaps the tail from a peal and eat? Then there is this, which looks a little like a claw. Sadly, I'm super behind with them coprolites. I think I reflexively thought that one was Green River but I could certainly see it as Solnhofen as well. Next time I peek I'll try to make a better guess. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DE&i Posted August 1, 2018 Share Posted August 1, 2018 5 hours ago, GeschWhat said: you wouldn't happen to have photos of that guy prepped? Hi @GeschWhatthese crustaceans are squashed flat between clay shale's. They are never found whole I'm afraid. 1 Regards.....D&E&i The only certainty with fossil hunting is the uncertainty. https://lnk.bio/Darren.Withers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeschWhat Posted August 1, 2018 Author Share Posted August 1, 2018 6 hours ago, Carl said: Sadly, I'm super behind with them coprolites. I think I reflexively thought that one was Green River but I could certainly see it as Solnhofen as well. Next time I peek I'll try to make a better guess. It was labeled as Green River. At the time, I wasn't as familiar with either of those formations. Oh well...get to work you slacker! 1 Lori www.areallycrappystory.com/fossils www.facebook.com/fossilpoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeschWhat Posted August 1, 2018 Author Share Posted August 1, 2018 7 hours ago, Innocentx said: The thing about coprolites is the matrix is the fossil. Tricky business. Yep...it is always a dilemma. Now if I had my own CT scanner.... Lori www.areallycrappystory.com/fossils www.facebook.com/fossilpoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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