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Showing fossils posted in for the last 365 days.
- Yesterday
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This is a very rare fossil indeed, it is a left vomerine plate of Ischyodus sweeti from Tasmania, Miocene in age. Enjoy!
- Last week
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Upon collecting this specimen, the fourth from this location and the best preserved I labeled it as Palaeophis sp. After research and comparing with photos and line drawings from different sources I have changed that to Pterosphenus. It compares favorably to Pterosphenus schucherti (Lucas, 1898} But I am not prepared at this time to give it this positive I.D. Reference: Parmley and Devore, 2005. Palaeopheid Snakes from the Late Eocene Hardie Mine Local Fauna of Central Georgia. Southeastern Naturalist, 4 (4): 703-722
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- castle hayne
- eocene
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- Earlier
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Hadrosaurs “duckbills” were one of the most successful and interesting dinosaurs in the Cretaceous. Edmontosaurus was a large hadrosaur, comparable to Triceratops in its abundance. They could grow to the size of T. rex and could’ve lived in large herds hundreds strong, as indicated by massive bone beds. They were absolute eating machines with highly sophisticated teeth rivaling the tissue complexity of mammals, and mobile skulls allowing for a range of chewing motions. Some of the most common dinosaur fossils in the HCF are their teeth; they possessed hundreds of teeth in their mouths at a time, constantly grinding them down root and all. Identification: Their teeth are generally lanceolate or diamond-like in shape, with a central apicobasal ridge. They are usually very symmetric about the long axis of the tooth. There is no cingulum and they have smoother enamel than ceratopsids. References: Gregory M. Erickson et al., Complex Dental Structure and Wear Biomechanics in Hadrosaurid Dinosaurs. Science 338, 98-101 (2012). DOI:10.1126/science.1224495 Mallon JC, Anderson JS (2014) The Functional and Palaeoecological Implications of Tooth Morphology and Wear for the Megaherbivorous Dinosaurs from the Dinosaur Park Formation (Upper Campanian) of Alberta, Canada. PLoS ONE 9(6): e98605. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0098605 LeBlanc, A.R.H., Reisz, R.R., Evans, D.C. et al. Ontogeny reveals function and evolution of the hadrosaurid dinosaur dental battery. BMC Evol Biol 16, 152 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-016-0721-1
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This is an upper and lower tooth of an uncommon Eocene species. The lower tooth is approximately 17.4 mm wide and the upper is approximately 7.8 mm wide. Reference: Cappetta, H. (1976) Sélaciens nouveaux du London Clay de l'Essex (Yprésien du Bassin de Londres). Geobios, 9(5), 551–575 Chandler, Richard 2015. Fossil Fish, Volume 3 of 4. North Carolina Fossil Club, page 16.
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Stunning
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Acanthodes "beecheri" is a problematic species because the preservation is inadequate and they are probably juvenile fish. Gregory (1951) concluded that the scaleless A. beecheri specimens are immature and possibly represent the young of A. marshi Eastman 1902. Characterization by Eastman 1905, p. 537: "A very small species, attaining an extreme length of about 5.5cm. Body elongated and slender, the maximum depth being contained about nine times in the total length. Pectoral spines not much stouter or longer than the others; pelvic fins small, slightly nearer the pectorals than the anal; anal fin slightly larger than the dorsal, which is placed immediately behind. Length of dorsal and anal spines greater than maximum depth of the trunk. Caudal lobe remarkably elongate. Scales very minute." Line drawing by Eastman 1905, p. 537: References; Eastman, C. R. (1902) Some Carboniferous cestraciont and acanthodian sharks: Harvard Univ., Mus. Compar. Zoology, Bull., v. 39, n. 3, p. 55- 99. Eastman, C.R. (1905) The Carboniferous Fish-Fauna of Mazon Creek, Illinois: Journal of Geology, 10(5), 535–541. Gregory, J. T. (1951) A new specimen of Acanthodes marshi: Southern California Acad. Sci., Bull., v. 50, Pt. 1, p. 21-24. Zidek , J . (1976 ) Kansas Hamilton Quarry (Upper Pennsylvanian) Acanthodes, with remarks on the previously reported North American occurences of the genus .— Univ . Kansas Paleont . Contr ., 83 : 1 - 41 , Lawrence .
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Taxonomy from https://www.paleontology.cz/clanky/lepidodendron-obovatum.html References: Scott, D. H. (1906). The Structure of Lepidodendron obovatum, Sternb. Annals of Botany Vol. 20, No. 79, pp. 317-319 D. L. Dilcher, T. A. Lott, and B. J. Axsmith (2005). Fossil plants from the Union Chapel Mine, Alabama. Pennsylvanian Footprints in the Black Warrior Basin of Alabama.
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A unique specimen showing well preserved scales (see second image for close up). Archaeomene tenuis is a superficially similar species which also occurs at this site and often has well preserved scales, but can be distinguished from Cavenderichthys talbragarensis by the different skull morphology, tail shape and dorsal fin which opposes the anal fin. Relevant papers: Bean, L. B. & Arratia, G., 4 October 2019. Anatomical revision of the Australian teleosts Cavenderichthys talbragarensis and Waldmanichthys koonwarri impacting on previous phylogenetic interpretations of teleostean relationships. Alcheringa 44, 121–159. Bean, L.B., 2006. The leptolepid fish Cavenderichthys talbragarensis (Woodward, 1895) from the Talbragar Fish Bed (Late Jurassic) near Gulgong, New South Wales. Records of the Western Australian Museum 23, 43–76. LINK Schwarzhans, W. W., Murphy, T. D., & Frese, M. (2018). Otoliths in situ in the stem teleost Cavenderichthys talbragarensis (Woodward, 1895), otoliths in coprolites, and isolated otoliths from the Upper Jurassic of Talbragar, New South Wales, Australia. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 38(6), 1-14. Woodward, A.S., 1895. The fossil fishes of the Talbragar Beds (Jurassic?). Geological Survey of New South Wales, Palaeontology. Memoir 9, 1–27.
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- australia
- cavenderichthys
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See this thread for information on the discovery of the site, preparation etc. Notogoneus is unusual to find in Australia, so far it has only been reported from the Redbank Plains Formation. This specimen measures at 10cm long, however Hills (1934) estimates a maximum length of 20cm. Reference: HILLS, E. S. 1934. Tertiary fresh water fishes from Southern Queensland. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum, 10(4):163–172. LINK
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The age of the Daohugou strata has been notoriously difficult to determine, and a number of studies have produced conflicting results. Gao and Shubin 2012 reported an Argon-argon dating age of 164 ±4 million years ago (Middle to Late Jurassic, Bathonian to Oxfordian), this opinion is now widely accepted. Taxonomy according to Wei et al., 2012. Diagnosis from Guo & Ren, 2011, p. 502: 'Pronotum quasi-circular, not very wide; forewing R slightly curved; M reaching to the anterior margin of the wing.' Line drawing of a male from Guo & Ren, 2011, p. 502: References: Guo, Y. and Ren, D. (2011) A New Cockroach Genus of the Family Fuziidae from Northeastern China (Insecta: Blattida). Acta Geologica Sinica (English Edition) 85: 501-506. doi: 10.1111/j.1755-6724.2011.00418.x Wei D. D., Liang J. H. and Ren D. (2012) A new species of Fuziidae (Insecta, Blattida) from the Inner Mongolia, China. ZooKeys 217: 53–61. Gao, K. -Q. and Shubin, N. H. (2012) Late Jurassic salamandroid from western Liaoning, China. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 109 (15): 5767–72.
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- daohugou
- inner mongolia
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Very cool!
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Originally it was assumed that this species was only found in Ettlingen, Bavaria. In the meantime, further specimens from other locations are known (Ebert, 2021). Derivation of genus name (Arratia 2016, p. 34): 'Ebertichthys is given in recognition of the dedicated work that Martin Ebert (Eichstätt) has done recently at Ettling, recovering fossil fishes and preparing them with the suffix – ichthys (Greek) for fish. M. Ebert collected the specimens described herein.' Diagnosis by Arratia, 2016, p 33 '(based on a unique combination of characters; uniquely derived features among primitive teleosts are identified with an asterisk [*]): Small teleosts of about 90mm maximum length with dorsal-fin origin placed posterior to pelvic origin and equidistant to pelvic and anal fins [*]. Large head, about 33% of standard length [*]. Large eye, about 35% of head length [*]. Large, heavily ossified supraorbital bone, anteroventrally expanded. Large, elongate antorbital [*]. Infraorbital 1 long, narrow, and slightly broader anteriorly. Infraorbital 2 long and narrow, forming most of the ventral orbital margin [*]. Infraorbital 3relatively small, leaving most of quadrate exposed [*]. Elongate ectopterygoid with a small tooth patch. Entopterygoid with small conical teeth. triangular, narrow preopercle with ventral and posterior margins forming an angle of about 90_ [*]. Dorsal arm of preopercle almost reaching lateral margin of skull roof. Preopercle with an expanded, rounded flange at the level of infraorbital 3 [*]. Preopercular canal with elongate, narrow sensory tubules in ventral and dorsal arms. A massive, well-ossified cleithrum with dorsal arm shorter than ventral one [*]. First anal pterygiophore long, broadly expanded, and almost rectangular in shape [*]. Neural spine of preural centrum 1 shorter than neural spine of preural centrum 2. Ural centrum 1C2 bearing two neural arches with short spines. Eight or nine hypurals. First three anterior uroneurals longer than posterior uroneurals 4 to 6. Uroneural 1 extending anteriorly and reaching preural centrum 2. One “urodermal” present. Body covered with large cycloid scales.' Identified by M. Ebert, Staatliche Naturwissenschaftliche Sammlungen Bayerns. References: Arratia, G. (2016). New remarkable Late Jurassic teleosts from southern Germany: Ascalaboidae n. fam., its content, morphology, and phylogenetic relationships. Foss. Rec., 19, 31–59, 2016. doi:10.5194/fr-19-31-2016 Ebert, Martin (2021). Teleostei der Plattenkalke des Solnhofen-Archipels – Ein Bestimmungsschlüssel. Archaeopteryx, 37: 30 – 55.
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Oh I remember that tooth. Shame I did not get it first. But it is in good hands!
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Taxonomy from Li et al., 2019. Enended diagnosis for the genus from Li et. al., 2019, p. 569: "Antenna filiform with over 20 antennomeres. Forewing venation complete, 1r-rs complete (rudimentary) or lost, 1-Rs sub-vertical to Rs, base of 2rm nearly at level of pterostigma base, 1cu-a interstitial or slightly postfurcal. Hindwing with 1-Rs longer than r-m, 1-M slightly bent. Metasoma widest distal of its middle, with first metasomal segment wide basally and either columnar or truncated conical in shape. Ovipositor long, usually longer than metasoma or whole body." Line drawing of the forewing of Stephanogaster ningchengensis Ding, Zheng, Zhang & Zhang, 2013; from Li et al., 2019, p. 577. Scale bar 1 mm. References: RASNITSYN, A.P. & ZHANG, H.C., (2010). Early evolution of Apocrita (Insecta, Hymenoptera) as indicated by new findings in the Middle Jurassic of Daohugou, Northeast China. Acta Geologica Sinica (English Edition) 84, 834–873. DING, M., ZHENG, D.R., ZHANG, Q. & ZHANG, H.C. (2013). A new species of Ephialtitidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Stephanoidea) from the Middle Jurassic of Inner Mongolia, China. Acta Palaeontologica Sinica 52, 51–56. (Chinese with English abstract). Li, L., Shih, C., Li, D., & Ren, D. (2019). New fossil species of Ephialtitidae and Baissidae (Hymenoptera, Apocrita) from the mid-Mesozoic of northeastern China. Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology, 43(4), 568–579. https://doi.org/10.1080/03115518.2019.1601767
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- daohugou
- inner mongolia
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Taxonomy from Liu et al., 2002. Liu et al. 2002 consider Guizhouamia to be the oldest Amiidae known to date. However, Tintori and Lombardo 2005 cast doubt on the assignment to the Amiidae. Diagnosis from Liu et al. 2002, p. 463: "Fishes of small size. Body slenderly fusiform, Notochord present . Vertebrae fewer in number . Centra incompletely ossified. Neural arches and spines , haemal arches and spines , parapophysis of abdominal vertebrae , and ribs completely ossified. Supraneural plate-like and fewer in number . Incipiently diplospondylous vertebrae developed in preural caudal region. Operculum larger than suboperculum , and higher than broad. Preoperculum narrow and high , vertical. Paired fins small, with fewer rays. Dorsal and anal fins of typical Amiid-type in shape and structure. Tail hemihetercercal. Rays simply bifurcated." References: Liu et al. (2002) ON THE MOST PRIMITIVE AMIID FISH FROM UPPER TRIASSIC OF XINGYI, GUIZHOU. Acta Palaeontologica Sinica, 41 (3) :461 - 463. Liu G. B., Yin G. Z., Wang X. H., Luo Y. M., and Wang S. Y. (2003) NEW DISCOVERED FISHES FROM KEICHOUSAURUS BEARING HORIZON OF LATE TRIASSIC IN XINGYI OF GUIZHOU. Acta Palaeontologica Sinica , 42 (3) :346 - 366 Tintori, A. and Lombardo, C.R.S. (2005) Tethyan Triassic Fishes from Europe to China. Intervento presentato al 65. convegno SVP Annual meeting tenutosi a Phoenix (AZ-USA) nel 2005-10.
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Taxonomy from Mindat.org. Description of the genus by Südkamp 2017, p. 114: "The small cup has the shape of a truncated cone. The ten, long, slender, widely spaced arms devide above the fourth primibranch in two main heterotomous branches. These bear short and slender, densely branched or widely spaced, armlets. The long and slender anal sack is often (repeatedly) curved. The stem is round." References: Roemer, C. F. (1862—1864). Neue Asteriden und Crinoiden aus Devonischem Dachschiefer von Bundenbach. — Palaeontogr., 9: 143—152, Taf. 23—29; Cassel. Südkamp, W. (2017). Life in the Devonian. Identification book Hunsrück Slate fossils. Verlag Dr. Friedrich Pfeil. München 2017. ISBN978-3-89937-221-2. Sepkoski, J. J. Jr. (2002). A compendium of fossil marine animal genera. Bulletins of American Paleontology 363:1-560.
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- Bundenbach
- crinoid
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Etymology. The generic name is after Neimenggu (Inner Mongolia) Autonomous Region, where the type quarry is located. Specific epithet is from Latin normalis, normal. Taxonomy from Fossilworks.org. Hindwing of Neimenggucossus normalis Wang & Zhang, 2007 Diagnosis for the genus from Wang et al., p. 98: 'Hindwing oval, anterior margin straight for distal part, length/width ratio about 1.40; costal area wide, length/width ratio 3.8, maximal width at middle of wing; nodal indentation at basal 0.38 wing length; branch RP fused with vein M1 for a considerable interval, and terminating near apex; stem M bifurcating into veins M1+2 and M3+4 at wing base; branches M1 and M2 straight for distal half; branch M3+4 divided from stem M basally, close to vein CuA at one point, and then bifurcating at the same level of vein RP fused with vein M1; veins CuP and Pcu simple; vein A1 absent.' Line drawing from Wang et al., p. 99: References: WANG, B., ZHANG, H. & FANG, Y. (2007) Middle Jurassic Palaeontinidae (Insecta, Hemiptera) from Daohugou of China. ALAVESIA, 1: 89-104.
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- daohugou
- jiulongshan
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The Goose Creek Limestone (formation) is early-mid Pliocene and contains un-reworked Miocene-Pliocene fossils. The Isurus retroflexus that I have found in the Summerville area have a variety of cusplet sizes and shapes - from multiple small "nubs" like those found on this tooth, to larger crenulated cusplets. ID references: 1. Gale, B. (2020). A Beachcomber's Guide to Fossils. The University of Georgia Press. 2. Kocsis, L. (2007). Central paratethyan shark fauna (Ipolytarnóc, Hungary). GEOLOGICA CARPATHICA-BRATISLAVA-, 58(1), 27 3. Maisch IV, H., Becker, M., & Chamberlain Jr, J. (2015). Chondrichthyans from a lag deposit between the Shark River Formation (Middle Eocene) and Kirkwood Formation (Early Miocene), Monmouth County, New Jersey. Paludicola, 10, 149-183. Stratigraphy information references: 1. Boessenecker, R. (2008, May 13). The Ashley Phosphate Beds: the Reconstruction Era, Vertebrate Paleontology, Fossil Preservation, and Stratigraphic Confusion in Charleston, South Carolina. The Coastal Paleontologist. https://coastalpaleo.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-ashley-phosphate-beds.html. 2. Campbell, M. R., & Campbell, L. D. (1995). Preliminary biostratigraphy and molluscan fauna of the Goose Creek Limestone of eastern South Carolina. Tulane Studies in Geology and Paleontology, 27(1-4).
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The fish comes from Sappenfeld - unfortunately the quarry has been closed for several decades. Incidentally, an Archaeopteryx was also found in the neighboring quarry in Workerszell, not so far away from Solnhofen.
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so cool to think that that was swimming in our oceans millions of years ago
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Were did you find this one
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Taxonomy from Wang et al., 2016. Amended diagnosis from Wang et al., 2016, p. 73; "Head massive, circular or cube-like; mandibles curved, strong and sickle-like; pronotum short and wide; the first antennal flagellomere equal to head in length, but eight times as long as the second flagellomere; forewing pterostigma variable, completely sclerotized or partly sclerotized, or just membranous; M diverging from M+Cu at much larger angle than Cu; 1-RS proclival or somewhat vertical; angle between 1-M and RS+M almost 90°; 1cu-a distal to the middle of cell 1mcu or located at middle; 2r-rs almost in line with 2r-m; hind wing with 1r-m rather long, as long as or slightly shorter than 1-M." Line drawing from Wang et al. 2016, p. 77: References: Wang C, Shih C, Rasnitsyn AP, Wang M. (2016) Two new species of Prolyda from the Middle Jurassic of China (Hymenoptera, Pamphilioidea). Zookeys. 2016 Feb 26;(569):71-80. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.569.7249. PMID: 27110151; PMCID: PMC4829680.
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- daohugou
- jiulongshan
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From Peng et al. 2015, p. 2: "The systematics of Mesozoic psychopsoids is very complicated and confused. This group of Neuroptera includes taxa with broad and multi-veined wings that are currently classified in five families, i.e. Osmylopsychopidae, Brongniartiellidae, Psychopsidae, Kalligrammatidae and Aetheogrammatidae (Makarkin et al. 2013). Kalligrammatidae and Aetheogrammatidae are easily distinguished from other psychopsoids, whereas the Mesozoic members of the three other families (i.e. Osmylopsychopidae, Brongniartiellidae and Psychopsidae) hardly differ from each other.". Determined in Mai 2023 by Dr. Vladimir N. Makarkin, Institute of Biology and Soil Sciences, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok, Russia: "This is a species of Osmylopsychopidae, possibly new." References: Makarkin, V. N., Yang, Q., Shi, C. F. & Ren, D. (2013). The presence of the recurrent veinlet in the Middle Jurassic Nymphidae (Neuroptera) from China: a unique condition in Myrmeleontoidea. ZooKeys, 325, 120. Peng, Y., Makarkin, V. N. and Ren, D. (2015). Diverse new Middle Jurassic Osmylopsychopidae (Neuroptera) from China shed light on the classification of psychopsoids. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, p. 1-35. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14772019.2015.1042080
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- daohugou
- jiulongshan
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Liopleurodon ferox tooth Oxford Clay, Orton Brick Pit, Peterborough, UK Identified by Dr Adam S. Smith (Author of The Plesiosaur Directory) as belonging to Liopleurodon ferox due to the distribution, length, spacing of the ridges which is typical for the species
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- liopleurodon
- liopleurodon ferox
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Barracudasauroides panxianensis (Jiang Schmitz Hao & Sun, 2006)
oilshale posted a fossil in Amphibians & Reptiles
Taxonomy from Fossilworks.org Originally described as Mixosaurus panxianensis, Maisch 2010, p. 162 "proposed the name Barracudasauroides n. gen., with the type species Barracudasauroides panxianensis (JIANG et al. 2006) n. comb.” Diagnosis from Maisch 2010, p. 161: "Small mixosaurids, skull length below 250 mm, crista sagittalis low, 15 or less premaxillary teeth with elongate, conical and pointed crowns, maxillary teeth stronger than premaxillary teeth, anterior maxillary teeth robust, conical and blunt, posterior maxillary teeth slightly elongated mesiodistally, jugal with short processus posteroventralis, no external contact between jugal and quadratojugal, postorbital and possibly squamosal reach incisura postjugalis, postorbital seperates postfrontal and supratemporal, radius with two anterior notches (modified from JIANG et al. 2005, 2006).” References: D.-Y. Jiang, L. Schmitz, and W.-C. Hao, Y.-L. sun. 2006. A new mixosaurid ichthyosaur from the Middle Triassic of China. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 26(1):60-69. M. W. Maisch. 2010. Phylogeny, systematics, and origin of the Ichthyosauria - the state of the art. Palaeodiversity 3:151-214.-
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- barracudasauroides
- guanling formation
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