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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!

Hello, I am going to purchase this lot that is from Richard's Spur Quarry and I was wondering if anyone on here knows how to ID fossils better than me. I've been looking at pictures all day but can't seem to confidently ID anything. I know most of these are probably Captorhinus, but are there any in this lot that look like a different species or a synapsid such as Varanops? Been searching for synapsid fossils forever and I really hope one of these is from a synapsid. There's 3 claws, 3 vertebrate, and 4 jaw sections. Don't be afraid to hurt my feelings if they all are Captorhinus, I think they're super cool too!

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

Hello! A collector from Brazil has shown me this fossil. Any idea what this partial jaw could be? It is from Santa Maria formation, Brazil. I don't know if it could be from a Dinosaur... it seems too big to be from a prosauropod... Could it be theropod? Or maybe reptilian or synapsid? Thank you very much.

Hi folks, Here's another fossil I've always wondered about. I've always been frustrated with a general lack of early synapsid material (outside of some "pelycosaur" pieces) and I inquired from one of my trusted diggers at the time whether he had any cynodont material. Much to my surprise, he offered this tiny tooth. It's much larger than the classic Morganucodon mammaliform teeth but smaller than the Hell Creek multituberculate material. I had a great deal of difficulty photographing it even with a macro lens. It is from the Bull Canyon Formation, New Mexico, late Triassic. I've tried looking up pictures of cynodont teeth but they're so diverse. I'm hoping someone on this amazing forum can confirm whether or not it is a cynodont or can identify it even further. Thanks so much Cheers Marcus

Hi y'all. Found this in some Permian micromatrix from Waurika, OK. There's no way I'm this lucky, but is this a very tiny Dimetrodon claw? I've tried to get access to this paper, but still waiting to see if the authors will send the text. I'm fairly confident it's at least sphenacodontid, based on pictures I've seen on the forum. It's about 3 mm in length. @dinodigger@jdp

Howdy folks, me again with more silly beginner questions... I saw this video of a vampire bat running and wondered if pterosaurs - with their crutch-like folded wings - might have moved in a similar manner? Youtube: Vampire Bat on Treadmill I also saw this video of a Panda cub running. Might synapsids like Dinocephalians or Gorgonopsids - with those weird, “inturned” arms - have moved in a similar fashion? Youtube: Panda Bear Cub Running I’m guessing the answers to both of these questions is probably “no” - I would think that even a slight difference in a single joint or in the spine or hips would totally change an animal’s gait - but I really don’t know how the anatomy of such creatures compare. Are there extant species similar to either of these extinct animals that might give us an idea of how they moved? Thanks a ton for your patience!

This little bone is around 2 cm long and I’d like to know if this specimen shows any indication towards a species. It was found in a set of micro matrix from the Wellington formation, Oklahoma

Synapsid fossilized in its burrow with offspring indicates parental care by mammal ancestors. https://m.phys.org/news/2019-12-earliest-fossil-evidence-parental-behavior.html

I can't find any pictures that focus on Edaphosaurus claws, and I can't zoom in enough on pictures to get a clear visual of any claws, so I can't see any differences between Dimetrodon and Edaphosaurus claws are. They're both really small compared to the bodies, so it's hard to see from full body/skeleton pictures, and they wouldn't be from enough angles to be sure. Someone who has dealt with lots of them, including on articulated specimens, has said that they're almost the same, and as far as he knows, but isn't 100% sure about it, the biggest difference, the only one he is aware of, is that Dimetrodon claws are curved on the bottom, like raptor/general theropod claws, while Edaphosaurus claws, equally sharp, are mostly flat on the bottom, like spino toe claws. Is that the case? Does anyone happen to know?

Hey everyone, this is for anything Sphenacodont--dimetrodon, or otherwise. Collections/pictures/discussions/whatever. This is the splinter thread off of the sphenacodont collections thread, so if anyone would like to bring over anything from the other thread, please feel free. I'm going to bring over some interesting posted info that covered different topics, and with links to interesting and useful info. *some discussions covering other things and animals in relation to sphenacodonts is perfectly fine. For instance, spinosaurus, Permian topics, apex predators, or whatever. As long as it has some relation. Side-tracking is fine, just bring it back home before too long, please. Here's a link to the previous thread. It would be greatly appreciated if you post pictures of any dimetrodon/sphenacodont fossil material you have:)

I bought this a few years ago at a local show. It was mixed in with a bunch of small Otodus and sand tiger shark teeth. I don't remember if the vendor said where they came from and I didn't write it down, but I think Morocco is likely.