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Late spring hunt in the Yorktown Formation


sharkdoctor

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Running a bit late on this trip report for a trip to some Yorktown Formation sites in Virginia on 4/28/19 with @Gizmo. The water was way colder than we expected, so a two day trip got whittled down to a long one-day trip. 

After a beautiful, but cold, day on the water we came away with 20+ pounds of fossils and ichnofossils. Below are some highlights. Sorry in advance for using a coin as a reference and for the less than optimal pictures. Teeth are uncleaned, but you can see hints of blue, black marbling and red/copper.

 

Some random shark teeth and mammal teeth. The hemipristis is 2.01". (I am still super stoked about that. My first!)

5cfea1695c770_Mixedteeth.thumb.jpg.537b07ef074a51f01f49b0676f3fd2f2.jpg

 

Some great whites and a tiger

5cfea24222d7c_Greatwhiteteeth_resize.thumb.jpg.32777eff2ef4da1c7bcc1d745e4013e9.jpg

 

Whale cervical vertebra

5cfea3d931fc6_Cervicalverts.thumb.jpg.b8c03dd042a2fa4983c50778727aeff7.jpg

 

Fossil bird bones:

5cfea4346f58f_Fossilbirdbones_resize.thumb.jpg.7a1d310d68d1235fcd9ebdc9c3e5c200.jpg

 

Fish jaws:

 5cfea48c50a74_Fishjaws_resize.thumb.jpg.44d81859129e5638c8a9c7c903dc55b5.jpg

 

A fossil hypural with a modern day sponge growing on it:

5cfea54def657_Hypuralwithsponge_resize.thumb.jpg.238fecffa1b9e770603e984b633ecb40.jpg

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@sharkdoctor awesome! Always wanted to find fish material. Nice Hemi! I like the whites too

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On The Hunt For The Trophy Otodus!

 

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21 hours ago, FossilsAnonymous said:

@sharkdoctor awesome! Always wanted to find fish material. Nice Hemi! I like the whites too

 

Thanks! I'll post some of the cleaned teeth once I get around to processing this batch. 

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20 hours ago, Tidgy's Dad said:

Nice variety and some super finds.:)

 

Thanks! Tidgy might like the turtle bits that I found. I think one is from a tortoise. Pretty uncommon for a marine deposit.

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Do you dive or surface collect/ sift? What is the soot like material and how do you clean it off?

Thanks.

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On 6/11/2019 at 7:20 PM, scubapro67 said:

Do you dive or surface collect/ sift? What is the soot like material and how do you clean it off?

Thanks.

All found using scuba gear, the biofilm comes off with a dremel wire wheel or soda blaster.

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Screenshot 2024-02-21 at 12.12.00 AM.png

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Great finds! Now I’m thinking I need to take up scuba diving! 

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The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it.  -Neil deGrasse Tyson

 

Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don't. -Bill Nye (The Science Guy)

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19 hours ago, scubapro67 said:

Do you dive or surface collect/ sift? What is the soot like material and how do you clean it off?

Thanks.

 

All 3 depending on the conditions :) In water, that film builds up over time. If it is very light, it seems to be mostly just a film of dirt, like the dirt ring on a boat hull. If the fossil is exposed for years, without any abrasion from sand, it develops into a heavy crust that seems to be bonded with the fossil. We've taken to calling this a biofilm, as the bonding is more like some biologic action rather that the accumulation of dirt. In the presence of tannins and brine, the crust then evolves into a heavy tannic crust that is no longer bonded as tightly, as though the depth of crust has killed whatever living component was driving the bond. 

 

From your profile photo, it looks like you've likely had some experience with this crust. Thoughts on removal?

For years, I used a soft wire dremel wheel at an oblique angle for mechanical removal. @Gizmo has been having spectacular results with a blaster. I've known others to use a bead blaster set at super low, as well.

In some cases, I've used an acid bath or hydrogen peroxide, but those run the risk of damaging the fossil. Definitely don't want to use on teeth except under very specific and controlled circumstances. However, they can be great when processing large batches of stable coprolite, etc.

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Nice!  Spectacular finds and with people getting more possessive about beach fronts maybe we'll all have to take up diving.

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On ‎6‎/‎12‎/‎2019 at 3:08 PM, sharkdoctor said:

 

All 3 depending on the conditions :) In water, that film builds up over time. If it is very light, it seems to be mostly just a film of dirt, like the dirt ring on a boat hull. If the fossil is exposed for years, without any abrasion from sand, it develops into a heavy crust that seems to be bonded with the fossil. We've taken to calling this a biofilm, as the bonding is more like some biologic action rather that the accumulation of dirt. In the presence of tannins and brine, the crust then evolves into a heavy tannic crust that is no longer bonded as tightly, as though the depth of crust has killed whatever living component was driving the bond. 

 

From your profile photo, it looks like you've likely had some experience with this crust. Thoughts on removal?

For years, I used a soft wire dremel wheel at an oblique angle for mechanical removal. @Gizmo has been having spectacular results with a blaster. I've known others to use a bead blaster set at super low, as well.

In some cases, I've used an acid bath or hydrogen peroxide, but those run the risk of damaging the fossil. Definitely don't want to use on teeth except under very specific and controlled circumstances. However, they can be great when processing large batches of stable coprolite, etc.

Indeed, I do a bit of river diving - picture is off Morehead City in very different water! :) My finds weren't as covered as yours, but I'd get the odd one that needed extra work. My first go over teeth is with a mix of baking soda, a little dish soap and water, mixed into a paste and scrub with a hard bristle toothbrush or similar. I'd considered using baking soda in an air brush, but haven't tried that yet.

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