facehugger Posted January 24, 2019 Share Posted January 24, 2019 My girlfriend recently found this vertebra at the Duck Creek Formation in North Texas. Was a bit of a surprise, didn't expect to find a vert at this locality, which is known more for ammonites, echinoids, and bivalves. One side of the vert has been prepped. Any help with an ID would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! And for those that have kindly enhanced the brightness on my previous pics, no worries! I did it myself this time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidgy's Dad Posted January 24, 2019 Share Posted January 24, 2019 Ichthyosaur is my feeling. 2 Life's Good! Tortoise Friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
facehugger Posted January 24, 2019 Author Share Posted January 24, 2019 1 minute ago, Tidgy's Dad said: Ichthyosaur is my feeling. That's what I thought too! But I read by the late Cretaceous, only a few species of ichthyosaur were still kicking around. Figured it would be a rather rare find for Duck Creek Formation. Thanks, T! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidgy's Dad Posted January 24, 2019 Share Posted January 24, 2019 4 minutes ago, facehugger said: That's what I thought too! But I read by the late Cretaceous, only a few species of ichthyosaur were still kicking around. Figured it would be a rather rare find for Duck Creek Formation. Thanks, T! I agree, pretty rare but have been found there, I think. But somebody with more local knowledge will be along in a minute to tell me how wrong I am! Life's Good! Tortoise Friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Amateur Paleontologist Posted January 24, 2019 Share Posted January 24, 2019 I'm thinking more worn shark, though... -Christian 1 Opalised fossils are the best: a wonderful mix between paleontology and mineralogy! Q. Where do dinosaurs study? A. At Khaan Academy!... My ResearchGate profile Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
facehugger Posted January 24, 2019 Author Share Posted January 24, 2019 41 minutes ago, The Amateur Paleontologist said: I'm thinking more worn shark, though... -Christian Wow! That would be a massive shark. Vert measures 3 inches in width, and 1 1/8 inches in thickness. I thought that only the centrum usually survived on shark verts. One heckofa big centrum. Perhaps some more prep will reveal where processes attached, if not shark? What would be defining evidence of one or the other? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted January 24, 2019 Share Posted January 24, 2019 @Uncle Siphuncle Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 __________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
facehugger Posted January 24, 2019 Author Share Posted January 24, 2019 @sweetdelilah actually found this vert, but I am more active here. Found last Sunday when we were crazy enough to hunt right after a big cold front... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Amateur Paleontologist Posted January 24, 2019 Share Posted January 24, 2019 1 hour ago, facehugger said: Wow! That would be a massive shark. Vert measures 3 inches in width, and 1 1/8 inches in thickness. I thought that only the centrum usually survived on shark verts. One heckofa big centrum. I somehow think that a large shark would be more likely than a Late Cretaceous ichthyosaur... -Christian 1 Opalised fossils are the best: a wonderful mix between paleontology and mineralogy! Q. Where do dinosaurs study? A. At Khaan Academy!... My ResearchGate profile Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
facehugger Posted January 24, 2019 Author Share Posted January 24, 2019 21 minutes ago, The Amateur Paleontologist said: I somehow think that a large shark would be more likely than a Late Cretaceous ichthyosaur... -Christian That does make sense to me, giving that literature states that very few ichthyosaur species remained during the late Cretaceous. A shark vert of this size is still very cool - but you know how it goes...still cheering on the ichthyosaur a little. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Amateur Paleontologist Posted January 24, 2019 Share Posted January 24, 2019 13 minutes ago, facehugger said: still cheering on the ichthyosaur a little Understandable I also think that reptile fossils are cooler than shark fossils -Christian Opalised fossils are the best: a wonderful mix between paleontology and mineralogy! Q. Where do dinosaurs study? A. At Khaan Academy!... My ResearchGate profile Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixgill pete Posted January 24, 2019 Share Posted January 24, 2019 I do not think it is shark. Just looks wrong to me. I agree with @Tidgy's Dad that it is Ichthyosaur. 3 Bulldozers and dirt Bulldozers and dirt behind the trailer, my desert Them red clay piles are heaven on earth I get my rocks off, bulldozers and dirt Patterson Hood; Drive-By Truckers May 2016 May 2012 Aug 2013, May 2016, Apr 2020 Oct 2022 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Siphuncle Posted January 24, 2019 Share Posted January 24, 2019 Can you rotate the vert around on edge and show any features present? Both sharks and ichthyosaurs swam in the Kdc, the latter way more rare, but perhaps what you have here, TBD w addl photos. Great find. 2 Grüße, Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas "To the motivated go the spoils." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
facehugger Posted January 24, 2019 Author Share Posted January 24, 2019 44 minutes ago, Uncle Siphuncle said: Can you rotate the vert around on edge and show any features present? Both sharks and ichthyosaurs swam in the Kdc, the latter way more rare, but perhaps what you have here, TBD w addl photos. Great find. Thanks! I will absolutely post a few more pics when I get home from work. Until then, back to work... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidgy's Dad Posted January 24, 2019 Share Posted January 24, 2019 It would seem that rare opthalmosaurid ichthyosaurs such as Platyperygius occur in the Duck Creek Formation, but so does the 9 metre shark Leptostyrax. I still lean toward ichthyosaur. Life's Good! Tortoise Friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Siphuncle Posted January 24, 2019 Share Posted January 24, 2019 21 minutes ago, Tidgy's Dad said: It would seem that rare opthalmosaurid ichthyosaurs such as Platyperygius occur in the Duck Creek Formation, but so does the 9 metre shark Leptostyrax. I still lean toward ichthyosaur. Bone histology shown on edge strikes me as more reptilian too. 2 Grüße, Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas "To the motivated go the spoils." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caldigger Posted January 25, 2019 Share Posted January 25, 2019 It doesnt look like shark. Your piece seems more bone textured and shark are cartilage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
facehugger Posted January 25, 2019 Author Share Posted January 25, 2019 3 hours ago, Uncle Siphuncle said: Can you rotate the vert around on edge and show any features present? Additional pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NSRhunter Posted January 25, 2019 Share Posted January 25, 2019 Icthyosaur Platyperigius sp., I too have found one in the Duck Creek. Very very rare. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
facehugger Posted January 25, 2019 Author Share Posted January 25, 2019 3 minutes ago, NSRhunter said: Icthyosaur Platyperigius sp., I too have found one in the Duck Creek. Very very rare. Astonishing. Her first vert too. She will be pleased. Now she just needs to find another one... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidgy's Dad Posted January 25, 2019 Share Posted January 25, 2019 It's nice to be right occasionally. And congratulations to @sweetdelilah most splendid find. Life's Good! Tortoise Friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Siphuncle Posted January 25, 2019 Share Posted January 25, 2019 Great find. One up on me! Grüße, Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas "To the motivated go the spoils." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobWill Posted January 25, 2019 Share Posted January 25, 2019 2 hours ago, NSRhunter said: Icthyosaur Platyperigius sp., I too have found one in the Duck Creek. Very very rare. Wasn't that an Icthyosaur tooth you found in the Duck Creek as well? Shark verts as big as 5" were found in the same creek but I agree that this looks more like bone. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caldigger Posted January 25, 2019 Share Posted January 25, 2019 3 hours ago, facehugger said: Now she just needs to find me another one... Hey, I'm just writting what you are thinking! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siteseer Posted January 25, 2019 Share Posted January 25, 2019 11 hours ago, facehugger said: Wow! That would be a massive shark. Vert measures 3 inches in width, and 1 1/8 inches in thickness. I thought that only the centrum usually survived on shark verts. One heckofa big centrum. Perhaps some more prep will reveal where processes attached, if not shark? What would be defining evidence of one or the other? It's not a shark because a shark centrum would be concave on both sides sloping at a low angle from the edge to the center (like a shallow hourglass) as you look straight at its round width (anteroposterior view) and there would be some indication of two openings top and bottom where the cartilaginous neural and hemal arches entered and attached. The specimen in question does look more like reptilian bone in that it looks crumbly/grainy like dinosaur bone chunks as they weather. A shark centrum chips and breaks, having a porcelain quality that way, rather than look like that. Thinking about it more, a shark centrum that old might be more mineralized than the Miocene specimens I'm used to seeing so it might weather like bone but there should still be some indication of the openings and the biconcave shape front to back. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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