MrR 219 Posted October 21, 2018 (edited) I went on my first real dig yesterday at the Ernst Quarries of Bakersfield. I won't say it was easy, but it was pretty rewarding. Aside from a bunch of very small shark's teeth, I found a fossilized piece of a stingray barb grinding-plate, and this particular piece. At first I thought it was a tooth from some ancient fish that had teeth that looked like tusks. After looking at it for a second more, I realized that it was something else. Crinoid came to mind. Being a newbie, I just wanted to get verification of this pieces "crinoidness", or lack thereof. Is it a crinoid fossil, and is it common in places like Bakersfield oil country? Many thanks, learned fossil-folks, et. al. Cheers. Edited October 23, 2018 by MrR Corrected stingray piece. See strikethrough for original. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
abyssunder 5,574 Posted October 21, 2018 End view is a bit blurry. Can you take a clearer photo? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MrR 219 Posted October 21, 2018 I never get great macro results with this camera, but here's another, perhaps a bit better. Thanks. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
abyssunder 5,574 Posted October 21, 2018 It's much better. Thank you for the photo. I'm not sure of what it is, but there are some possibilities, like a cetacean tooth root or an infilled tubeworm. Wait other opinions. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MrR 219 Posted October 21, 2018 Thanks, abyssunder. In another thread where I posted the group of teeth, etc., caldigger said it was a cetacean tooth, minus the tip. He provided a comparison image that looked right. That post is in response to a thread started by Kurt K. about Ernst Quarries in the section "Fossil Hunting Trips". Thanks again. http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/89028-ernst-quarries-question/ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
abyssunder 5,574 Posted October 21, 2018 Thank you for the link. At least one of my thoughts might be right. The light color of the specimen made me to consider that it could be a tubeworm. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
isurus90064 335 Posted October 22, 2018 Aulophyseter morricei http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/gallery/image/13881-08-aulophyseter-morricei/ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ynot 7,240 Posted October 22, 2018 Agree with whale tooth. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MrR 219 Posted October 22, 2018 So my "non-tooth" is really a tooth. That will teach me for taking such a strong, and ignorant, stand with my subject title. Thanks to all for your learned input and comments. I wasn't expecting a whale tooth. Perhaps not as exciting to look at as the shiny sharks' teeth, but quite interesting, to be sure. It would seem that shark-tooth enamel was better than whale enamel. Is that true, and why? Thanks ahead of time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites