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Wondering if anyone can help ID this find from today. Its Permian, from the Wellington formation in north-central Oklahoma. This was a surface find. I attempted to find the broken parts without success. The density and shine are really suggestive of a tooth, it doesnt appear like the bone material found here. There is no sign of a blood-groove, or vasculature, nor is there any evidence of serrations. There are a number of species from this site including (so far) fish (very small, and rare scales) Orthacanthus shark, Eryops, Trimerorhachis and Dimetrodon. I have an idea, but I dont want to taint responses. So what do you think this is? scale is in CM.

Pennsylvanian At long last, I finally made my way across the Red River and into our northerly neighbor, marking off a third state in the list of places I have hunted. While I had originally wanted to visit Oklahoma many times in the past with Austin Paleo, schedules seemed to never quite sync up. However, a timely road trip to Missouri for family brought a convenient moment to stretch my legs by the highway. This particular site in question is a regular of Dallas Paleo for some years. It seemed they weren't planning another visit in the near future, so I assumed a brief hunt of my own wouldn't be an issue. This spot is seated in the Savanna Formation of the Desmoinesian Series which makes it roughly the same age as the Mingus Fm and other Strawn Group strata of North and Central Texas. In contrast with what are usually marine dominated rocks in Texas, this site is specifically known for its abundant terrestrial plant material as it was deposited in a delta plain environment. Despite only a 20 minute visit (heat, chiggers, and my folks waiting in the car), I found a lot of neat stuff that made the trip well worth it. After wading through the tall grass and walking up a small slope, I was quickly greeted by countless fern impressions. They kinda look like Pecopteris or perhaps Neuropteris. I'm not sure how those genera are distinguished though. I was entertained by the visual similarities shared between these specimens and some Cretaceous Woodbine ferns I collected that also originated from an ancient delta plain (though they aren't tree ferns I believe). If you want to see those, they are in my Woodbine album. The first fern of the day The negative of a fern from a nodule The positive found a few minutes later Another fern beauty with great colors In addition to these, I found some pieces of Calamites chunks plus their corresponding leaf clusters, Annularia. On a chunk of grey rock, there were some shiny carbonaceous Neuropteris? leaves plus what appears to be a small seed(?) to the left of the leaf below. Annularia (Calamites leaf cluster), black Neuropteris?, and seed? It was a fun side trip and helped to whet my appetite for more adventures in Oklahoma to come. Once in Missouri, I didn't do any hunting as we were pressed for time. However, I did briefly look at a huge boulder in the James River during a canoe trip. It was greenish-white limey shale and had many tiny brachiopods on one surface. I reckon there was probably something neat I could have found, but seeing as I had no hammer on me, I didn't give it much time. I guess I'll save the serious hunting in Missouri another day. Permian Since that roadcut visit, I began planning out a trip through a handful of sites not too far from the TX-OK border. I thought it might be better to explore the "coastline" first as opposed to making an arduous journey deep into the state's interior where the pain of getting skunked might be more potent. One obvious destination for this route was Waurika. It had always been a spot at the forefront of my mind. Past reports of it no longer being accessible had given me cause for hesitation before, but after asking a handful of friends who had been there with no issues recently, I decided now was as a good a time as ever to finally dip my toes into this iconic time period. The forecast for the day was set to reach 100F, so I made Waurika my first stop. I'd rather be there early in the morning so that the iron rich rocks of the Petrolia Formation wouldn't have much time to heat up in the summer sun. Heading out in the early morning glow, I surfed the wave of dawn's light on a journey to the west. Upon exiting my car, I was introduced to a couple of stinky dogs from a ranch down the road. They were quite friendly and it was apparent that they weren't going to stop following me, so I entered the site with them in close company. Every time I knelt down to see if I was in the right area for micros, they would ceaselessly try to lick my face and steal my attention. Luckily a rabbit leaped out of the bushes and sent them running after it. I could finally get serious (though I did miss them a little bit)! The first fossil was a common Orthacanthus texensis tooth. These funny lookin things possess two elongated cusps that give them an appearance unlike any other sharks of the geological record. Orthacanthus texensis Shark denticle covered spine I took this to mean that I had stumbled into the right place. Pretty soon, I was finding these little guys left and right. Their serrated cusps were often broken off and difficult to tell apart from one of my main targets, Dimetrodon limbatus. The first non-shark tooth was quite a weird one. It has a broad spatulate morphology that I would say looks very similar to a sauropod like Camarasaurus. The incisal edge of the tooth seems to have poorly developed denticles and the enamel overall is highly textured with what could be described as an anastomosing pattern. The lingual face has a distinct median ridge running longitudinally. I was inclined to believe that this shape of tooth ought to belong to something herbivorous, so my tentative ID was either Diadectes sideropelicus or Cotylorhynchus (hard to find good photos online of Cotylorhynchus teeth). I took the specimen into the Texas Through Time Museum and a couple of the staff instead suggested Archeria, but I am suspicious of that. I was hoping to buy a copy of the Waurika Vertebrate Fauna book by Kieran Davis at the museum to help with ID, but it seems those went out of print and are no longer in stock. Lingual view (note median ridge and incisal denticles) Side view Labial view Another spatulate specimen takes on a very different morphology. I am hopeful that it could be Diadectes sideropelicus. Diadectes sideropelicus? Diadectes sideropelicus? Diadectes sideropelicus? The title of most common non-shark tooth belonged easily to the Temnospondyl, Eryops megacephalus. When I saw the toothy grin of the cast specimen of this species at the Texas Through Time Museum, it was easy to understand why this was the case. These are identified by their prominent ridges that run longitudinally all around the circumference of the conical tooth. Eryops megacephalus This next enigmatic tooth may simply be an oddly shaped Orthacanthus tooth, but I thought I'd throw it in just in case it's something cooler. It has a labiolingual curvature, serrated edges, and robust, chisel-shaped build. There is only very faint texturing to the enamel, but stronger texturing than the completely smooth blades of Orthacanthus. Additionally, both the mesial and distal edges terminate before reaching the enamel-cementum junction which is not the case for my shark teeth. I think this may be Secodontosaurus obtusidens as seen in Figure 5a of 10.1038/ncomms4269 since I read that they are labially convex and possess serrations. This taxon is described as having thick carinae, but I cannot say for sure if that is what's seen here. Secodontosaurus obtusidens? Moving on, I have a couple of specimens that I am much more confident in. Both teeth have strong enamel texturing and serrated edges. A key characteristic is the longitudinal fluting. I saw this mentioned in an old thread by @dinodigger as something found in primitive Dimetrodon species such as D. limbatus. Dimetrodon limbatus It is often difficult to tell the serrated teeth of Dimetrodon and Orthacanthus apart, and one must look for distinguishing features such as textured enamel for a chance at ID. I noticed that the cross sections of the two above teeth look quite different from my similarly sized and shaped shark teeth. The pulp chambers on Orthacanthus are generally spindled shaped and the borders are the same distance from the outside of the tooth in all directions (consistent dentin + enamel thickness). In contrast, the Dimetrodon teeth have circular pulp chambers and varying dentin + enamel thicknesses. Perhaps this could be an additional tool for distinguishing the two. Left are Orthacanthus; Right are D. limbatus In addition to teeth, I may have found a Dimetrodon caudal vert: D. limbatus caudal? To round of the finds, here are an assortment of smaller teeth and claws. Claws Ophiacodon retroversa? Trimerorhachis insignis? Unknown After a solid four hours of hunting, the sun was getting high and the heat was picking up. I had some more spots a long drive away that I needed to hit, so eventually I cut things off and made my way to the car, satisfied with a pocket full of fossils and some bags of micro matrix . Ordovician The Ordovician was an obvious choice for me since it is pretty hard to find quality fossils from that geologic period when searching in Texas. On my map, I had a little spot circled for chances of Bromide Formation trilobites (Early Sandbian). When I pulled up to the site, I initially had little luck in finding anything other than rock solid limestone and flying bugs. The temperature was hitting its forecasted peak and the humidity began eating away at me. My shirt quickly dampened, and it soon appeared as if I had just gotten out of a swimming pool. As I traveled through lower and lower parts of the outcrop, however, I eventually reached a shaded spot that had some brachiopod bits and softer matrix. I was thankful to take a seat and study the brachs a bit closer as I caught my breath and quenched my thirst. After following a chain of crinoid stem fragments I locked onto a reddish colored array of various shapes. It was a fragile mess, but very clearly a smattering of trilobites! I was in the right spot after all... Red trilobite parts in the Pooleville Member of the Bromide Formation The layer quickly proved to be extremely rich. Everywhere I looked, I could find at least a trilo bit if I squinted hard enough. I knew it was only a matter of time before I could grab a better specimen. More trilobite parts Interrupting the steady flow of trilo finds, I snagged a neat brachiopod and some sort of cephalopod! Oxoplecia gouldi? before and after Unknown cephalopod Then, nestled in a little crevice atop a limey slab, I saw a perfect roller just begging to be freed. To clean it up, would using vinegar be a bad idea? Frencrinuroides capitonis? A single step away... Homotelus bromideensis? thorax and pygidium Calyptaulax annulata or Calliops armatus? I then came across a weirdly shaped fossil that resembled the preservation of the previous trilobites, but its shape was hard to figure out. Some searching online showed Probolichas as something similar, but it could very well just be a random shell. I believe Probolichas is quite a rare genus so its unlikely. Probolichas? Rounding out the trilo finds was a beautiful Nanillaenus punctata? I think it will prep quite well, but I don't know if I trust my skills or tools. Perhaps I will get it professionally done. The top right is the most promising specimen (Nanillaenus punctata?) Trilobites were not the only stars of the show, however. I found a complete crinoid crown and I am hopeful that arms may preserved within the rock it came from! Hybocrinus crinerensis? Eventually, I walked far enough to enter the lower member of the Bromide Formation, known as the Mountain Lake Member. It is comprised of older shales that were deposited before a sea level rise (hence why the younger Pooleville is limestone). There were some pretty hashplates that I wish I could have searched through more thoroughly, but I was running out of water and had to make it back to the car. I at least caught a pic of a Mountain Lake trilobite as I was walking by. Homotelus bromideensis? On the drive home I got to stop by my Albian micro shark spot to collect some bags of matrix for my future guide. I was lucky and managed to spot a little ray tooth while filling the bag. It was an exhausting day in a part of the year when really no one should be outside. Thankfully, it also turned out to be one of the most enjoyable adventures yet. Despite being within a two hour drive of DFW, Oklahoma had always felt so distant. For some reason the state border had been a mental boundary for me. Now it feels as though a whole new frontier has opened up just a stones throw away. Thanks for reading!

Today I finally got back out to my Dimetrodon site to see if spring storms revealed anything new. After several hours sweating my butt off, I spied the edge of a vert peaking out of the ground! Not only was it a great find, it was still in situ, which means I have a horizon to excavate! This make 2 verts very close together and many sail spine segments. Fingers crossed there's more waiting to be uncovered. My attempts at identifying it, looks like it might be the axis vert. It appears to to have a very pinched line down the center, not a base for a sail spine. Although I'm not hopeful that there is a skull there, I should have already seen major parts on the surface. Sorry, forgot to include, this is upper Wellington fm, Noble county, OK, USA

Hello, I saw these Dimetrodon teeth for sale today and wondered If they are really ones. Im pretty sure that two of them are Dimetrodon, but the three other teeth look more like something amphibian to me. Teeth sice 7/16 to 1/8 inch Wellington formation, Ardmore, Oklahoma. The teeth incircled in red are the teeth im sure that they're Dimetrodon. Thanks !

Here’s a pelycosaur appendicular bone I acquired from a vendor well-acquainted with Permian material a while back. It was sold to me only as Dimetrodon limbatus from the Archer City Formation in Texas. Thing is, I’ve never been able to place exactly what bone it is, and it doesn’t seem to match any appendicular elements of Dimetrodon which I could find references for. Here’s to the hope that there’s somebody here well-acquainted with this material who can put me on the right track!

Hello, I was hoping someone could let me know if these fossils are genuine Dimetrodon from Archer County, TX Nocona Formation. Thanks!

I've been going through some of my micro matrix pictures from the Waurika Permian site I visited in May and this little tooth has me thinking it might be Dimetrodon....the shape is possibly correct and there is just a TINY bit of evidence of carina on one edge. Perhaps a juvenile? It's tiny tiny....3 mm . You can just barely see the carina on the left side

Ok I also think it is time for us to see more of the members collections . So without further ado show us your Sphenacodontidae collection . is an extinct family of small to large, advanced, carnivorous, Late Pennsylvanian to middle Permian pelycosaurs. Sphenacodontid fossils are so far known only from North America and Europe and have one of the most ironic creature ever to have lived in there ranks, Dimetrodon. And a claw from the same location.

Well, 2 days ago I was freezing my butt off in Chicago and today its almost 90 degrees here in Oklahoma! But warm dry weather is perfect hunting time, so I headed out to a ranch I started searching last year. After many hours of walking and eyeballing every bit of rock exposure, something finally caught my eye. I immediately recognized the bone structure, marked the spot and kept searching. More and more bits started to show up and I immediately recognized the "figure 8" shaped that is distinctive of the sail spines of Dimetrodon! This is the animal I have been hoping to find since I began my research into Oklahoma fossil locations. I was super excited. These were found on surface as "float", so I marked every spot with engineer tape. When I couldnt find any more, I stood back and looked at a perfect triangle pointing to the highest spot where I found material, and it was also several bits together. So now I have an arrow pointing to my dig site. My only hope is that I am just finding the tips (since almost all of it was sail spine bits) and the rest of it is still in the ground waiting. Fingers crossed. Even if this is the only parts left, I'm still super excited. Most were sail spine bits and some were BIG, huge compared to what I saw on my day of digging in the Craddock bone bed in Texas. Also a few other bits that might be pieces of rib or limbs. Also, 2 bits of Orthocanthus shark headspine (actually the first items I saw) and 2 coprolites including 1 that has visible bone bits in it! @thelivingdead531 I know its been 3 years, but I'm a heck of a lot closer to finding that Ddon tooth I promised you! My field collection collection Dimetrodon sail spine bit That distinctive shape for sail spine! and another one Everything brought home Not a great pic, but the light spots are bits of bone in this coprolite. Othocanthus spine pieces. Ortho head spine showing denticles 2nd ortho head spine with denticles

Hi. We recently underwent some renovations on our house and after wiping off plaster dust on our fireplace slate slab, the following prints were discovered. These are depressions and not handprints from oily skin. The slate slab, more than likely, came from Vermont. My research suggests that slate takes around 300M years to form. Any thoughts on what creature may have created such prints? It is difficult to chalk the prints up to random coincidence, yet the time period for slate to form would suggest early tetrapods. Has anyone found similar prints? Does anyone have any thoughts on what it might be? Appreciate the feedback. Luis

I recently attended the PermianFest event at the Whiteside museum in Seymour Texas. Along with several days of great speakers, they also offered dig workshops at one of their Permian redbed sites. I absolutely couldn't make the trip without getting in on a dig! I only went for a single day in the field, I wish it could have been for 5, it was so great. We were digging in the Craddock bonebed, a location where many museum specimens of Dimetrodon, and many other Permian fauna have been recovered. It was a special treat to be working a quarry site in the footsteps of Cope, Sternberg, Bakker and more. The shear amount of fossil material is staggering. I thought that the PaleoAdventures Hell creek site was dense, this was packed even more. We started with surface collecting. Just plop down on a bit of ground and start looking. Ddon, Eryops, Orthocanthus and more species of bone bits everywhere. Everything I collected on the surface was in an area about 2ft x 2ft. After getting our eyes tuned in on the shapes, sizes, and colors of the fossils, we moved into the quarry to begin working back the quarry face. I am convinced that we were exposing a new Dimetrodon skeleton. I was uncovering ribs, verts and sail-spines, the people to my right were finding cervical verts, and the man to my left was finding verts, spines and an ilium. It was a great dig, I wish it wasn't almost 5 hour drive each way for me.

I'm hoping someone can help me identify this fossil. I believe it could be a claw of some sort. I was super stoked to find it.

Hiya everyone was curious to what these claws are seller says there from a juvenile dimetrodon pelycosaur

Hi there everyone! I came across a listing for a “dimetrodon claw” and would really appreciate it if y’all could give it a look and tell me what y’all think. The majority of my knowledge and collection mostly consists of specimens from the Hell Creek formation so I’m not too knowledgeable when it comes to permian age fossils, though I’d love to expand my horizons and learn about everything I can. The specimen is said to be a dimetrodon claw from the Ryan Formation, Waurika Oklahoma. I’ve gone ahead and contacted the seller for any more information about the specimen so I’ll keep y’all updated. Thank you all so much!

During the Summer, I had the fortune of driving near Seymour, TX and thus the opportunity to pay a visit to the WMNH. The WMNH is a small but unique museum in Northern Texas, specializing in the Early Permian fauna that lived nearby ~ 290 million years ago in the famous Texas "red beds." The land around Seymour was once an equatorial bayou, humid and inundated with rivers and lakes. In the rivers were lungfish like those that live today, various ray-finned fishes, and cartilaginous fish like the Xenacanth "sharks." Amphibians like Eryops, Seymouria, and Diplocaulus also spent much of their lives in the water, but were capable of venturing onto land. The most famous not-a-dinosaur Dimetrodon was the terrestrial apex predator, living among other stem-mammals like Edaphosaurus and Secodontosaurus. Early Dinosaurs and mammals were still tens of millions of years in the future. Most of these interesting animals are rarely found in museums, so the chance to see so many of them in one building was an uncommon privilege. Outside the building, a larger-than-life Dimetrodon stands watch over the murals. The building is also lined with large Ammonites. an Eryops tries to find some shade Inside, there are several life reconstructions of some of these animals, the first one being Dimetrodon The first of several Dimetrodon individuals, "Bonnie" The red matrix has been coated with a dark grey material to increase contrast with the bones. There is a partial Diplocaulus amphibian skull in its belly Something I hadn't known: Dimetrodon may have been venomous?? I look forward to the publication of the evidence A couple of large Eryops, their skulls were comparable in size to those of large Alligators Various skeletal elements 1. D. grandis femur, 2. Dimetrodon sp. femur, 3. Edaphosaurus pogonius tibia, 4. Dimetrodon sp. tibia, 5. Edaphosaurus pelvis, 6. Dimetrodon sp. pelvis, 7. Secodontosaurus pelvis Diadectes, a herbivorous tetrapod incisorform and molariform teeth indicate it was capable of stripping and masticating vegetation, a novel development among tetrapods of the time. It also had a secondary palate like we do, meaning it could chew and breathe simultaneously. Diplocaulus, the "boomerang-headed" amphibian Dimetrodon elements Neural spine with a pathology, a healed break possibly from the attack of another Dimetrodon Maxilla with a broken canine, proposed to be broken in life Pelvis with bite marks, possible evidence of cannibalism Another Dimetrodon Some plants

Hello I am planning a trip to Oklahoma and wondered if anyone knew were to fossil hunt in the waurika area? Thanks

Hey guys, just saw this dimetrodon vertebrae for sale. Not really familiar with reptilian material and tried checking in the forum for similar threads for reference but cant seem to find one I could use. Also tried looking fkr similar ones for sale online but just not really familiar with reptilian material to positively ID mine. Was hoping if you guys may be able to help me with this one though and if it was possible to ID them to a species level? Cheers! PS. Currently asking for more specific locality but atm, all I have is that it is from Texas. Age Location Formation

While my prime focus is essentially learning how to accurately describe Nature in the precise language of mathematics, I've always been intrigued by natural history - it's actually what started me on the path to physics. The sort of interrogation that paleontology practices provoked me to think and question even further, down to the fundamental science which makes it all work. Collecting fossils has brought a large amount of enjoyment to my life, and is often a welcome distraction from what can sometimes be straining work. The knowledge that I accumulate along the way is also part of the fun. Here is my collection, which will always be a work-in-progress. There's still many things I haven't photographed yet, but I feel comfortable saying this is the majority. I don't have many big things, but I'm certainly pleased with the many small things I have so far. Links to albums: Dinosaurs Sharks North Sulphur River Post Oak Creek Permian Aguja Formation Harding Sandstone Devonian Galveston Fossils Miscellaneous Highlights / Personal Favorites: The ones underlined are linked to their respective fossil page in the Fossil Forum Collections, which has more information and photos. Infant Tyrannosaurus rex posterior tooth If I could keep only one fossil, it would be this one. It's from my favorite animal that has ever lived, and being from a young'un is just so darn cool. A true crowning jewel in my eyes. Juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex maxillary tooth Again, you can't go wrong with T. rex. It doesn't have the best preservation but regardless, there's a lot more to love. Tylosaurus proriger tooth (self-found) Undoubtedly my favorite find to-date. Finding fossils yourself adds that extra value to its place in your collection. I'll remember the moment I first saw it for a long time. Triceratops prorsus tooth Triceratops is another one of my favorite dinosaurs, I think we all grew up playing with toys of T. rex and Triceratops. Unique circumstances also allow for me to say it's Triceratops and not Torosaurus with some confidence. It's not perfect, but still a significant part of the collection. Avisaurus archibaldi tooth A bird tooth? Doesn't get much cooler or more uncommon. Dimetrodon cf. limbatus tooth I've always been drawn to "icons of life," since those are the ones we remember from childhood. Dimetrodon is definitely an icon, and I'm glad to have found one of these uncommon treasures (in micromatrix - it was a very nice surprise). Cretoxyrhina mantelli tooth One of my favorite shark species, the "ginsu" had sleek-looking teeth, ate mosasaurs and dinosaurs, and was overall a formidable animal worthy of admiration. Cretodus crassidens tooth (self-found) Another one of my favorite sharks. It's not big or complete, but the preservation is so rare for the locality (POC) - the gloss on the enamel is as if it fell out of the shark's mouth yesterday. Saurornitholestes langstoni tooth I'm currently working on growing the dinosaur component of my collection, and this is my first Dromaeosaurid. Dromaeosaur tooth (Hell Creek Fm.) My most recent addition (as of Sept. 4, 2021), and it's my best dinosaur tooth for sure. Unfortunately it will be labeled as only a Dromaeosaurid tooth for now, but it still is just a great tooth from a cool family of dinosaurs. Shark Tooth Riker Display I've got one riker that I've tried to squeeze as many teeth into as possible. I need to get a couple more, probably; there's a lot of teeth that deserve a riker, but are just lying around. I'll try to update this thread semi-regularly as I make acquisitions in the future.

I own a couple of fossils and have found a couple of shells. Some of the fossils I have that I bought include a small dimetrodon rib section a couple species of trilobites and some other cool things like a crocodile tooth and some ammonite fossils. Came here for help with fake fossil id and to learn more about fossils. Thank you

I had the pleasure of arranging a special fossil hunt to the Red Beds of Texas - a famous Permian site that was originally described by Copes in 1870's and later by Romer. It's an old quarry on private land that we were able to take a group of 10 to hunt on. And I was corrected by our guide that it was really not so much a "hunt" as a "collect" because the fossils were literally EVERYWHERE! You could sit in a 10 foot radius circle and be picking up vertebrate material all day long! We collected for about 5 hours and everyone came away with some fabulous fossils. Lots of amphibian skull pieces, sometimes with jaws and teeth sockets, vertebrae, lots of little toe bones, shark teeth and spines and much more. Most were small things, but occasionally you'd fine a nice big vert or piece of bone. Full Dimetrodon skeletons have been recovered from this site as well as amphibian Eryops and others. Here are some of my favorites from the "collection"! Dimetrodon toe bone: 3/8 inch Amphibian Eryops Toe bone: 1 inch Eryops ungal (toe bone) 1/2 inch Eryops jaw and tooth sockets - 1 inch Amphibian skull fragment (the biggest bit I found - 1 1/2 inches) Eryops Tooth: 1/4 inch Another jaw fragment - 1/2 inch An unknown tooth: 1/8 inch Orthocanthus shark tooth (Fresh water shark - there were HUNDREDS if not thousands of these teeth, but rarely do you find a complete one. Some were big, almost an inch, but this one was 1/4 inch) The blue color is amazing Some awesome little amphibian tooth plates, all around 1 inch This one has little teeth that look like hersheys kisses! smaller one - 1/2 inch my best vertebra (found about 4 but most were crunchy). 3/4 inch A lungfish tooth 1/2 inch Lots of other bits and pieces of bones and spines: This is a Dimetrodon sail spine fragment. Some of the others found even better bits. 1/2 inch Edaphosaurus spine spur (a different type of Dimetrodon). Size 1 inch I can't wait to go back out again - I hope to find a Dimetrodon claw (a couple of the group did). Next time!!