Monster fish find - Lepidotes

[MrR]

Really amazing. And with a fine mouthful of pawns. No, I didn't leave out an "r". Think chess.

 

Congratulations on finding such a special fossil. I'd think it's a shoe-in for FOTM, if that's still going on. Cheers.

[Birdman]

Thanks MrR and everyone for appreciating my finds.

 

Over the past few months I have been processing my collection of Wealden bone bed and I have made many interesting discoveries including several tiny, and I mean tiny, theropod/bird phalanges - metacarpals I think. For their tiny size, they are unprecedented I think. I am not aware of any other theropod/dino bird foot or hand bones being found in the English Wealden. I haven't been able to find anything in the literature on Wealden dinos like these, as yet. We can confidently rule out them being croc and lizard. Not turtle or amphibian either, they are clearly from a terrestrial land animal. I have compared these with crocs etc., and they are not the same. Dino bird is the best match. I would estimate that they might measure between 3-5mm complete. Here are some pics of three of them. I am leaning more toward some of them being avian bird, I would estimate around song thrush size, going by their small size. I think they may have belonged to an adult animal - the smallest bone (top) looks just like a fully developed, fully grown theropod metacarpal with the anchor points for the ligatures.

 

 

[Mark Kmiecik]

Aren't those limited to one per person? I know where you can send the other.

[Birdman]

Yes, I found all of these. The other? Sorry, what are you referring to, the fish? 

 

Cheers.

[thebluecatapilla]

Amazing find! Congratulations 

[Birdman]

Thanks thebluecatapilla.

 

Here is another tiny theropod/bird phalanx, the best preserved one in my opinion. It's only 3 mm long! Estimated song thrush size animal. I love how detailed this is, it is unworn.

 

 

[Troodon]

Very nice finds...can this toe bone fit any of those claws you are finding?

[Birdman]

I think so, Troodon. It would be good to do a size comparison. I made a slight mistake in measurement. The last one measures 4.5mm long. 

[LiamL]

Wow! I've been looking for one for a while! Still on my to-find list  Well done.

[Birdman]

Thanks Liam and good luck!  

 

Another exceptionally rare Wealden recent find is this sauropod tooth. It's nice to have the original surface detail preserved so nicely. Similar to camarasaurid and diplodocid type teeth.

 

 

[Birdman]

Just a few more pics of the sauropod tooth. I thought it interesting to show it in cross section showing the dentine structure beneath the thin clear enamel layer. In the last image which shows where the missing enamel has occurred at the tip showing a sort of crazed paving pattern beaneath, is a typical characteristic of teeth like this. 

[Mioplosus_Lover24]

Those teeth are so COOL!

[Moozillion]

On 3/29/2019 at 12:15 PM, Birdman said:

Thank you so much everyone for all your encouraging comments! The larger lepidotes measures approx. 20 inches along its curve. 

Some more pics! Size comparison of Mary and Gideon. 

 

 

OH.MY.GAWD...