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Trip Report- 07/20/2019 - Summerville SC


FossilizedShoe

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I had scoped out a few potential fossiling sites in the Summerville area with the help of Google maps, and finally got the chance to check them out on Saturday. While I still couldn't tell you where to find huge teeth in Summerville, I can certainly tell you where you won't now. However, I did find a few promising spots that will require further investigation. Out of the 4 or so new spots I checked out, only two held even the smallest tooth. I also visited an old favorite spot and did alright there. Here are the results from this trip. I've also got some unknown specimens that I have included a separate picture of. I you have any idea what any of these are, I would appreciate it if you would let me know. Thanks!

 

- Shoe

15639127236354137456458929938998.jpg

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38 minutes ago, FossilizedShoe said:

Here is that other photo

15639134964415161086257625109427.jpg

Hi There,

 

Yes, Summerville can be hit or miss at times.  Not sure what the third from the Left is the image overall is too blurry.  But from left to right you have a ray barb, barracuda fish tooth, and the one on the far right I'm almost certain is a small part of a fish vertebra. These are fairly common, the example pictured is from the billfish Aglyptorhyncus sp. Clearer pictures would help but I'm pretty sure that's the ticket.

 

Cheers,

BrettBillfish_Aglyptorhynchus_Oligocene_ChandlerBridge_SC_02.thumb.jpg.ab5c519618951adb1a3add16940229cd.jpg

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Third from the left looks like pharyngeal teeth.

 

 

Mark.

 

Fossil hunting is easy -- they don't run away when you shoot at them!

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What will help secure some better attempts at an ID would be to repeat the photo of those 4 items but take the photo outside where the light is much brighter than anything you can muster indoors. Make sure the items are in focus and we'll have greater certainty--I agree with the ID for the left two items and image posted above seems to match the one on the right. We'll get a better idea of the third item once we can see it clearer.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

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Sorry about the blurry photos. I managed to coax my phone into focus and got some more pics of the third object, and I'll see what I can do once I get the sunshine back.

IMG_20190723_202952.jpg

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From what I can see in this new photo, I agree that this item does appear to be a cluster of pharyngeal (throat) teeth from some species of fish. Several fish families--in particular drum fish, grunts, and even carp (goldfishes) have these teeth in the pharyngeal arch of their throats. Grunts and species like the Atlantic Croaker (a member of the drum fish family) are named because of the sounds they can produce by stridulating (rubbing together) these teeth. The sound is often amplified by vibrations of the air-filled swim bladder. Aside from giving them the ability to produce sounds, these teeth are primarily used to crush the hard exoskeletons of the invertebrates on which they feed.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

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The first fossil its a stingray barb fragment and the second looks like a Barracuda tooth.

 

I find similar fossils here in miocene of Portugal.

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  • 2 years later...

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