Rapp beach

[Rowboater]

Even though the tide sucks and it was difficult to get up early with dark cloudy skies, it is WARM (though the water lags behind), so I had to get out.  The tide lines of shells had been spread out more evenly on the beach and I hoped to find stuff there.  But first I walked the incoming tide with surprisingly little to show for it (three sand shark, one decent tiger shark and three shrimp coprolite burrows (still drying).  Lots of small "whale bone" pieces.  Also a flat piece with scales(?) almost painted with enamel, that is flaking off?? (I default always to turtle.)  Walking  the beaches I was disappointed; possibly the lack of sunshine and the black bits of leaves and wood just overwhelmed my teeth spotting abilities (i'm half blind).  I decided to root around where I had found my half of a megalodon a few days ago, wishful thinking, and while no meg  I found a nice 2" mako lying out in the open .  Don't think it was there a few days ago.  Hunted the rough stuff high on the beach hard but nothing else interesting.  But the nice weather and mako and shrimp coprolites turned it into a decent two hour trip trip.  

 

[Fossildude19]

That mako would be a trip maker for me.  

Quality over quantity.  

[sixgill pete]

I agree with Tim, that is a very nice C. hastalis ... a.k.a. mako. I would love to see good pics of it by itself, both sides. Could you also give us good measurements of it, possibly with a digital caliper. Using a penny for scale does a disservice to or non USA members, as they have no idea of the dimensions of a U.S. penny. 

 

Also the item on the left, could you take good in focus pictures from all angles. We may be able to I.D. it. And I would love to see some pics of your shrimp coprolites.

[hokiehunter]

Your "enamel piece with scales" flaking off" reminds me of 1/2 of a crab apron.  Nice mako.

 

[sixgill pete]

3 hours ago, hokiehunter said:

Your "enamel piece with scales" flaking off" reminds me of 1/2 of a crab apron.  Nice mako.

 

Thats the reason I asked him for better in focus pictures

 

[Dan 1000]

Nice finds!  That mako is pretty sweet

[sharkdoctor]

Crab bearing nodules are produced in formations that should be near that area. It would be interesting to see the back and sides of that potential crab bit.

[Darktooth]

That is a great Mako! Congratulations!

[Rowboater]

Mako both sides (slightly less than 5 cm; much prettier than a bigger one from last fall)

 

 

 

[Rowboater]

@hokiehunter @sixgill pete @sharkdoctor  @Plax

Thanks guys!  Would have never occurred  to me that it could be part of a crab apron.  Unfortunately it is not planar and difficult to scan, but  it does look like a concretion with possibly a piece of leg(?) on the other side edge.  A friend gave me a camera, just have to figure out how to use.  My niece has a 7 year old, maybe she can help!

[Rowboater]

@Fossildude19 @DanKurek @Darktooth  Thanks everyone!  It is just short of 2" (4.8 cm on the tape), but prettier and more complete than some of the slightly bigger ones I've found.  Color is like most makos I find, just bigger.   Supposed to have a wind storm thru the weekend, hoping good things will be deposited on the beach and not  be freezing next week. 

 

Waiting for the shrimp coprolite "burrows" to dry ( @Carl  @GeschWhat are the experts.  He thinks they just drift down and settle into something else's burrows, then eventually fossilize.  Says the shrimp were bigger than the burrows.) I'm wondering if the burrows could belong to juveniles?  Lot of speculation just need more specimens. I've seen very few of these coprolites outside of these 1-3" brown cylindrical tubes (="burrows"); they are easy to miss until they dry, then they stand out as small rods, often packed at high density. Lori has cut  a few specimens recently and says the coprolites are packed throughout the cylinder, not just the outsides.    I have found them in both sites I hunt frequently (although not every trip) and would expect them to be in the Calvert Cliffs,  Westmoreland,  and other state park beaches in the area.  Often the rods are not obvious until the samples dry.  And of course I am biased by focusing only on short brown cylinders, it's possible I am missing them in other specimens.

[Plax]

41 minutes ago, Rowboater said:

@hokiehunter @sixgill pete @sharkdoctor  @Plax

Thanks guys!  Would have never occurred  to me that it could be part of a crab apron.  Unfortunately it is not planar and difficult to scan, but  it does look like a concretion with possibly a piece of leg(?) on the other side edge.  A friend gave me a camera, just have to figure out how to use.  My niece has a 7 year old, maybe she can help!

geez; I didn't even see this until now! I'm in the crab camp.