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https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-05/caos-sft053018.php

We took a trip down to the Matoaka Cabins in St. Leonard Maryland Saturday. I knew we weren't going to be making low tide in the morning or late in the evening, so we were there pretty much at high tide. The boys had fun playing in the sand and finding a few fossils. Our 2.5 year old actually found the first, he picked it up and asked if he found a fossil. We hung around for almost 4 hours before we headed pack home and beat the evening storms. Our 8 year old was thrilled to find fragments of ecphoras, chesapectans and ray dental plates. I found a few pieces of coral, a couple shark teeth, a possible fish vertebrae, and 4 mysterious bits that if I were to guess I would say 2 fish coprolites possibly and then the other 2 are maybe turtle or maybe croc scutes? The ruler in the pics is cm...because imperial is a pain.

Hello! is it possible to find shark teeth fossils in Israel from oligocene-Pliocene?

Here's a new paleo-reconstuction I drew since the past two days of Albicetus oxymycterus, which is a mid-Miocene raptorial physeteroid none of you have probably heard about. Special thing between this little Moby-Dick and city I live in is that although it was not discovered directly in PV, it was discovered very nearby in Santa Barbara in the same formation and sublayer that exists here which highly suggests that it also swam here 16-14 million years ago. I tried to make this as scientifically accurate as possible using the resources I had, which included the entire 2015 paper establishing the genus Albicetus. I mainly used a pre-existing sketch of Aulophyseter morricei as body reference (which the paper stated is morphologically most similar to A. oxymycterus except for dentition) and used the paper's skull reconstruction for the head. I used a Zygophyseter-like head as the paper stated that the supracranial basin of the skull does not elongate to the end of the maxilla like that of Zygophyseter and Acrophyseter, which both posses snouts as a result. For the body size, I calculated the skull-body ratio by dividing the mean and lower condylobasal length estimates to the total calculated length, which came with either a 1:4.6 or 1:4.9 ratio. (Unrelated to the drawing, the 1:4-5 ratio is based on using a body formula for Physeter and Kogia spp.. If you use the upper Livyatan melvillei /Zygophyseter varolai estimates as reference, a ratio of 1:5.9 and total length of 8.6 meters is calculated) I don't know any of the advanced formulas some of you guys probably do know about and simply used division, so my calculations might not be the most accurate ones. I also put in a diver for scale this time! EXTRAS

My last trip for a while with summer crowds coming, some of which will spill over into my hunting area. The recent rains exposed many picked over shells and silted over other spots, but overall there are places that are now easier to dig and sift. Tried a finer mesh, hoping for a nurse shark tooth; still drying but so far only angel shark teeth, the usual bull and sand shark teeth and one broken cow shark tooth. The highlight was a pretty mako tooth; perfect blade and intact root (although tip is curved slightly lingually on the end). These teeth and smaller Megalodons were common when hunting this area 30 to 40 years ago, but the first I've found there in a long time, really surprised me.

Hello all, I have a planned trip to the Aurora Fossil festival this weekend! I wanted to create a thread to hear about who’s going so I could meet you! Let me know! Thanks.

Any piece of coral I find is usually smaller than a penny. Recently found a decent piece, for my hunting area. Looking at fossil corals there are several "star corals' that look similar. Can you experts really distinguish different types of fossil star corals?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/47445767@N05/sets/72157648052271340 Click on "show more" below heading for interesting explanation.

Hi all, ToothMan here. Last Thursday I had the day off from work, and ventured back to one of my favorite hunting grounds, Cove Point. It was beautiful out, sunny and 80 degrees! I got out there around ten, and began walking the beach. There was what appeared to be a school field trip out and about in the form of 20 or so elementary aged children and some chaperones. It looked like they had probably come out to see the lighthouse and to spend a few minutes on the beach. I saw some of them collecting shells. There was also a dog running about with them on the beach, that I ended up running into again later after everyone was gone. I walked along the point and was finding some smaller teeth, but it was high tide and very windy out. This meant bigger waves and not a lot of material on the beach to search through. The large waves kept me from looking too hard in the surf. After a little bit, I decided I would come back later and look more. I walked past the field trip group again, and asked one of the adults if anyone had found anything good. They said the kids were looking for sharks teeth, but weren't having any luck. I had found a few small ones, and I already have a ton, so I asked if any of the kids might want some. They were ecstatic! I opened up my hand and let them pick whichever ones they wanted! I then explained some tips in finding them, and wished them luck. They were so happy! I was glad to pass on some of my smaller finds and maybe get some of them more interested in fossil hunting. So then I went home for a little bit, planning to return later. After a few hours, I headed back to the beach. The tide had gone out by now, the beach was empty, and the wind had died down a bit. The conditions were prime for fossil hunting!! I made my way back to the point, by the lighthouse, and starting finding some decent teeth. A few hemis and two smaller makos, one being the smallest I've ever found! I'm not sure if these are smaller in size being posterior or if they are perhaps from juvenile specimens? Perhaps someone can enlighten me. Anyways, the dog I saw earlier with the field trip group was still here, but everyone else was gone! I figured he must not have been any of theirs, and maybe got lost. I hung out with him for a bit but no one else was around looking for him. I made my way around the rocks and seawall to the other side of the lighthouse where there's another long stretch of beach. This beach runs all the way past the Dominion natural gas plant and up towards calvert cliffs and flag ponds. I check this side often, but I never go too far. The dog followed me over, and took off way down the beach! There's nothing else close to civilization down this way aside from a trail through the woods leading back to the very end of cove point road. I knew if I didn't go get the dog, he would be lost and probably never found. I followed him for probably a mile before I could get him to come back with me, thus putting my fossil hunt on hold, but I just couldnt leave him! He had no tag, only a collar. Getting him to follow me back was tough. Eventually we made it to the trail, but he was so tired out he laid down in the shade and wouldnt budge. It was so hot out and the sun shining hard. I knew he was in trouble so I left him, making my way back to my car about a mile away to get some water for us and a rope I could leash him with until I could find the owner. It took me about 45 minutes to get back but he was gone! I really hope hes okay and someone else found him. I did all I could do. At least I got him to come back closer to where there are houses and people. After that, the hunt was back on! I returned to the point, this time bringing a small pole net with me. I took some suggestions from my last post from you guys and got a little strainer type net on a pole. It really helped me scoop items out of the surf! Its come in so handy, as most times im out there its tough to grab things before another wave takes it away. And that's where I find all my large teeth just inside the water line where the waves crash. About an hour into searching later and I spotted this huge mako!! I scooped it with the net and pulled it out onto the sand! Its a beautiful specimen with nice color and a huge curve to it! All in all, I was pretty happy with the day. Found a few nice mako's, I love the huge one and the colors on the little one are spectacular!! I got so sunburned while I was out, a week later and I'm still peeling! Totally worth it though. Well that's my trip report guys, thanks for reading and ill see you on the next one! Some pictures below!

Hi all. Recently stumbled upon this forum whilst researching fossils and teeth I've been finding. I'm located in southern Maryland and go hunting at least once a week. Typically focus on shark teeth. I had some awesome finds today ill be writing a trip report with pictures soon! Found my second Megalodon tooth in two days. Got incredibly lucky the past two days. Anyways, this seems like a really cool forum and I'm looking forward to being a part of it! Fossil hunting is so addicting and I'm glad to share my passion with all of you! Happy hunting! -ToothMan

So noticed a few weeks ago that the stormwater division was widening and refortifying a drainage ditch in N. Charleston SC. So as you all suggest and I always try to do I got permission to search the area and came up with many Great White and Angustiden teeth as well as many many bones I could not identify. However this thick, what I assume is a rib bone caught my attention being so thick. The ditch is in the Miocene/Pliocene era Im assuming and just wondering if this would be a whale rib or a dugong. Any suggestions would be great.

Hi Folks, I was going thru some recent beach float material and came across a item that I can’t seem to identify. It may be a dermal plate to some Miocene animal. At any rate the beach I found on is mostly mid to late Miocene. I surely appreciate any help I could beat of this very knowledgeable board. Thanks in advance Calvert Cliff Dweller.

Hi all! I've been away from the site for a bit - I taught my first historical geology lecture this spring, and ended up spending three nights a week working on a lecture til the wee hours of the morning, and so the last month has left me without enough time to follow up on the forum. I'll try to get caught up over the next few days. I have a bazillion missed messages from people, so I'll get through them ASAP! This weekend I wrote a new (and very long) blog post about the geology, paleontology, and history of the Ashley Phosphate Beds in the Charleston area - a must read for anyone confused about our stratigraphy! http://coastalpaleo.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-ashley-phosphate-beds.html

I found these two things a few months ago and forgot about them in a zip lock bag until just now. One side is serrated about halfway down the rest of the sides seem smooth

I'm new to this group so this is my first post and I hope I did this right. I found this fossil at Calvert Cliffs in Maryland and have no idea what it is. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Hey guys I need your opinion on what these teeth are. They both came out of matrix of Zone 8 or 9 Blue Clay Calvert Formation They are rather small for Squalodon but could be from a juvenile specimen or could be Seal ? Thanks Cliff Dweller

Hi all, I have a mysterious croc tooth that needs identifying. It measures 7cm in a straight line, with a crown length of 3cm. It was found in a backwater near Savannah, Georgia. It came out of an old stream bed eroding out. The area is normally a Miocene deposit where there are Gavialosuchus americanus but the original owner (who is a fossil croc expert) sincerely believes it's something else as there are supposedly earlier deposits there as well. He thinks it is from the lineage of Deinosuchus. Has anyone seen such croc/alligator teeth in Georgia? Has anyone heard of late Cretaceous deposits near Savannah? Thank you.

Hi all, I have been having trouble finding a good guide to use in order to ID fossil seashells (mainly gastropods and bivalves) of the Neogene-Quaternary of Western Europe (mainly Belgium/Netherlands). So, I'm turning to you guys: does anyone of you have a nice up-to-date website/online paper that I could use in order to help me ID all of my different seashells? Preferable with clear photos/drawings of the different species. Thanks in advance! Max

Been going through more boxes of fossils and found a bunch of stuff I didnt know I had, and Im not a tooth collector but ran into a whole bunch of sharks teeth I didn't know I had. I had to keep this one. Plus with my son and his buddy there I gave several away. Just the way I am.. Oh, also found some kind of dino tooth too. Quite nice. Amazes me what ive forgotten? Some of this stuff has been in boxes for many many years. Oh, this little bugger measure in at 5 3/4 inches. A really nice tooth. For me that is. RB