A Dream Trip To The Green River Formation!!!

[Mioplosus_Lover24]

A few weeks ago, I posted asking for advice on splitting fish for Green River. Your advice helped me out A TON, so thank you for that . I ended up leaving with a shrimp, crawdad, 3 Pharo's, 8 Amphiplagas, both species of Hypsiprisca, and many more. But by sheer luck, we ended up finding a bird, which means, we're going back to Wyoming for a CT scan.(And for more splitting)  According to Arvid, the bird appears to be a new species, slightly dis-articulated, but it still has it's skull. I'll post pictures of our finds when I get a chance, but I wanted to thank everyone that gave me advice.

 

[JamieLynn]

wow!  Can't wait to see pictures!! 

[RandyB]

sounds like a heck of a trip, looking forward to seeing pictures

[Mark Kmiecik]

15 hours ago, Mioplosus_Lover24 said:

we ended up finding a bird

I find birds every day -- unfortunately extant.

[Fossilis Willis]

On 7/21/2019 at 11:29 PM, Mioplosus_Lover24 said:

A few weeks ago, I posted asking for advice on splitting fish for Greenriver. Your advice helped me out A TON, so thank you for that . I ended up leaving with a shrimp, crawdad, 3 Pharo's, 8 Amphiplagas, both species of Hypsiprisca, and many more. But by sheer luck, we ended up finding a bird, which means, we're going back to Wyoming for a CT scan.(And for more splitting)  According to Arvid, the bird appears to be a new species, slightly dis-articulated, but it still has it's skull. I'll post pictures of our finds when I get a chance, but I wanted to thank everyone that gave me advice.

 

What, no Mioplosus? Tell ya what. Since I know how much them (your name gives it away) I got one you have. It will only cost a shrimp, crawdad, 3 Pharo's, 8 Amphiplagas, both species of hypsiprisca, and a bird. PM if your interested.Just kidding, this is not an actual trade proposal. What an amazing haul! I am excited to see the pictures. How many days did you spend at the quarry? 

[Ludwigia]

Congrats on that!

[ynot]

[Mioplosus_Lover24]

12 hours ago, Fossilis Willis said:

What, no Mioplosus? Tell ya what. Since I know how much them (your name gives it away) I got one you have. It will only cost a shrimp, crawdad, 3 Pharo's, 8 Amphiplagas, both species of hypsiprisca, and a bird. PM if your interested.Just kidding, this is not an actual trade proposal. What an amazing haul! I am excited to see the pictures. How many days did you spend at the quarry? 

Yep, we found 2 small ones and one perfect massive one! But that perfect massive on was split too thin and now all I have is the negative side... I cried when it broke apart in my hands It was 12" long and had ever scale, every fin, every freaking tooth! The negative side has only the basic outline of this beast, what could have been!

[Mioplosus_Lover24]

This would be the bird, Arvid estimates it would have been around 4in. tall making it on of the smallest birds ever from the Green River Formation.

[jdp]

Will this bird be finding its way into a museum collection?

[Mioplosus_Lover24]

6 minutes ago, jdp said:

Will this bird be finding its way into a museum collection?

It will depend on whether it is a new species or not, if it is a new species I will donate it too the Fossil Butte, but if it's not, I'm going to have it in my private collection.

 

[Mioplosus_Lover24]

This is the Mio that broke my heart... ;(

[Mioplosus_Lover24]

Here is the  Hypsiprisca sp. it was found on the same plate as this baby prisky!

[jdp]

28 minutes ago, Mioplosus_Lover24 said:

It will depend on whether it is a new species or not, if it is a new species I will donate it too the Fossil Butte, but if it's not, I'm going to have it in my private collection.

 

I would be almost certain that this is a new species, but if you have any doubts I would suggest sending some pics to Dr. Daniel Field at Cambridge and see what he says. However, bird skeletons are incredibly rare and most non-shorebird Green River fishes are totally new.

[jdp]

err birds. most non-shorebird green river birds. I'm too used to typing "green river fishes" I guess!

[Mioplosus_Lover24]

This is one of the Amphiplagas!

[Mioplosus_Lover24]

This Is The Hypsiprisca hypsacantha

 

[Fossilis Willis]

12 hours ago, Mioplosus_Lover24 said:

This would be the bird, Arvid estimates it would have been around 4in. tall making it on of the smallest birds ever from the Green River Formation.

 

 

 

Wow! VFOTM? That is the find of lifetime, I can't wait to hear more about it. How about some shrimp and crawdad photos?

[ynot]

@Auspex Would love to see this wonderful bird.

 

Congratulations on all the wonderful finds.

[Fossildude19]

Great report and finds!

Thanks for posting.  

[Auspex]

35 minutes ago, ynot said:

@Auspex Would love to see this wonderful bird.

Thanks, Tony!

 

If that is a Passerine (and not a juvenile rail, plover, or such), it could not only be new, but terribly important.
Congratulations, @Mioplosus_Lover24. I hope to hear the outcome!

[Jeffrey P]

That Mioplosus sure was a beauty. Quite sad. Your other finds, however, are truly impressive. It must be wonderful to find something that may have scientific importance.

[Fossilis Willis]

On 7/23/2019 at 10:58 PM, Mioplosus_Lover24 said:

This is the Mio that broke my heart... ;(

I know what you mean. When I was at the quarry I had split a 2'x3' slab down to about a 1/2" thick, showing only one small diplo. In an attempt to make the slab a more manageable size I took my hammer to the center of it. Instead of breaking in half, my hammer just punch a hole in the slab and knocked off a thin layer of matrix to reveal a beautifully preserved mio about 12" long with a perfect hammer shaped hole where his head used to be. That was rough.

[RJB]

On 7/23/2019 at 11:58 PM, Mioplosus_Lover24 said:

This is the Mio that broke my heart... ;(

Wow!  that was one fat myo!!!  Still a cool fish.

 

RB

[RJB]

On 7/23/2019 at 11:27 PM, Mioplosus_Lover24 said:

This would be the bird, Arvid estimates it would have been around 4in.

This is purty dang cool.   Hard to tell from the pictures just what kind of shape its in?   Can I ask if there is any prep involved to make it better?

 

RB