MarcoSr Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 I want to thank John S. for sending me three gallons of well washed gravel from Joshua Creek in Florida. Joshua Creek has species from recent to the Miocene. The fossil density was not as high as the Peace River but there were some nicely persevered specimens. I found shark, ray and fish fossils, a small mammal tooth, several crustacean specimens and maybe a Native American bead. I am posting some of the nicer and more unusual specimens which I found which range in size from 2mm to 13mm. There are specimens that I do need id help with. If you place your cursor on a JPEG image you will see the file name which will have the specimen id as best that I can determine and the specimen size. If you can identify the specimens further please do so. Each matrix that I search makes me more of an avid micro tooth collector. If anyone has or can collect good matrix with shark, ray, and fish micros please send me a PM. Some of the shark teeth which I found. Note there were a large number of Rhizoprionodon teeth in this matrix.: Carcharhinus: Rhizoprionodon including a slightly pathological tooth: A shark tooth that I would like id help for. Maybe just another Rhizoprionodon: Some of the ray teeth, a ray barb and a ray dermal element which I found: Dasyatis: Rhynchobatus: Ray Barb: Dermal element: Several partial fish mouth plates, a very nice Gar scale and some of the fish teeth which I found: Continued in the next reply. Marco Sr. "Any day that you can fossil hunt is a great day." My family fossil website Some Of My Shark, Ray, Fish And Other Micros My Extant Shark Jaw Collection Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcoSr Posted February 6, 2014 Author Share Posted February 6, 2014 (edited) Several partial fish mouth plates, a very nice Gar scale and some of the fish teeth which I found (continued): Crustacean specimens including a crab claw and what looks like a jaw but a similar specimen was identified in another of my posts as a crab claw fragment. The last two specimens are very thin and do have the texture of a crustacean shell but I need id help for them. Continued in the next reply. Marco Sr. Edited February 6, 2014 by MarcoSr "Any day that you can fossil hunt is a great day." My family fossil website Some Of My Shark, Ray, Fish And Other Micros My Extant Shark Jaw Collection Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcoSr Posted February 6, 2014 Author Share Posted February 6, 2014 (edited) Three pictures of a mammal tooth crown which I need id help with and a possible mammal jaw (it doesn’t look like fish): Maybe a Native American bead????: Specimens that I need id help. Here is a tooth that I believe is fish but I wonder if it could be reptile like lizard or even amphibian. This could be a part of a Burrfish (Chilomycterus sp.) mouth plate Continued in the next reply. Marco Sr. Edited February 6, 2014 by MarcoSr "Any day that you can fossil hunt is a great day." My family fossil website Some Of My Shark, Ray, Fish And Other Micros My Extant Shark Jaw Collection Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcoSr Posted February 6, 2014 Author Share Posted February 6, 2014 (edited) Not sure of these two specimens? This may not even be a fossil: Marco Sr. Edited February 6, 2014 by MarcoSr "Any day that you can fossil hunt is a great day." My family fossil website Some Of My Shark, Ray, Fish And Other Micros My Extant Shark Jaw Collection Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sacha Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 Very cool pics and again some neat things in that batch. The bead is interesting in that the radius where the hole intersects the surface is so incredibly sharp after all this time and does look manufactured. I'm glad you continue to find things new and interesting,,,,for us and yourself as well. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lissa318 Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 (edited) Great finds MarcoSr! Thanks for sharing them and hope you get ID's on your questionables. That certainly looks bead like to me also! I'm looking forward to seeing what other members say. Thanks again as your posts are always very helpful to me. Your pictures are just wonderful! Edited February 7, 2014 by lissa318 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcbshark Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 Very nice Marco,thanks for the beautiful pics.There's a lot of debate around here regarding whether or not those 'beads" are artifacts or worm casings but I can't help but think they're artifacts.I 've only found them in the area around the Peace and it's tributaries.If they were of organic origin I would think I would find them mixed in with fossils everywhere I hunt.The story I've heard about them involves putting clay around a twig and firing it to harden.I even have some that look like they're decorated with marks on the sides.FWIW I keep all the ones I find to put in my display. 1 Every once in a great while it's not just a big rock down there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 Marco Nice fossils as usual. I think this one is a piece of a mantis shrimp claw. You can see an example at this web site:http://news.mongabay.com/2009/0826-hance_mayadevries.html 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcoSr Posted February 7, 2014 Author Share Posted February 7, 2014 Very cool pics and again some neat things in that batch. The bead is interesting in that the radius where the hole intersects the surface is so incredibly sharp after all this time and does look manufactured. I'm glad you continue to find things new and interesting,,,,for us and yourself as well. John John The matrix from the difference sites in Florida all contain a nice diversity of what can be found. Most marine matrix that I look through does not have this diversity. I like Jeff's explanation of how some beads were made. Marco Sr. "Any day that you can fossil hunt is a great day." My family fossil website Some Of My Shark, Ray, Fish And Other Micros My Extant Shark Jaw Collection Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcoSr Posted February 7, 2014 Author Share Posted February 7, 2014 Great finds MarcoSr! Thanks for sharing them and hope you get ID's on your questionables. That certainly looks bead like to me also! I'm looking forward to seeing what other members say. Thanks again as your posts are always very helpful to me. Your pictures are just wonderful! Lisa I find a lot of specimens in the Florida matrix that I'm just not familiar with because I don't see them in other matrix that I search. Thanks to John S. I'm definitely broadening my species in my collection. I just need help from TFF members to figure out what some of the specimens really are. Marco Sr. "Any day that you can fossil hunt is a great day." My family fossil website Some Of My Shark, Ray, Fish And Other Micros My Extant Shark Jaw Collection Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcoSr Posted February 7, 2014 Author Share Posted February 7, 2014 Very nice Marco,thanks for the beautiful pics.There's a lot of debate around here regarding whether or not those 'beads" are artifacts or worm casings but I can't help but think they're artifacts.I 've only found them in the area around the Peace and it's tributaries.If they were of organic origin I would think I would find them mixed in with fossils everywhere I hunt.The story I've heard about them involves putting clay around a twig and firing it to harden.I even have some that look like they're decorated with marks on the sides.FWIW I keep all the ones I find to put in my display. Jeff Thank you for the explanation of how some beads were made. I just couldn't figure out how that perfect hole got into the specimen if it was man made. I couldn't see them drilling it but it looks like a drill hole. Either way it is an interesting specimen. Marco Sr. "Any day that you can fossil hunt is a great day." My family fossil website Some Of My Shark, Ray, Fish And Other Micros My Extant Shark Jaw Collection Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcoSr Posted February 7, 2014 Author Share Posted February 7, 2014 Marco Nice fossils as usual. I think this one is a piece of a mantis shrimp claw. You can see an example at this web site:http://news.mongabay.com/2009/0826-hance_mayadevries.html mantis.jpg Al Dente Thank you for the link and id. The two specimens seemed too thin to be a crab claw and the texture wasn't right for the crab material that I normally see. But I definitely felt the specimen was a Crustacean of some kind. Mantis Shrimp definitely seems to match these specimens. I didn't realize that Mantis shrimp could be as long as 30cm with exceptional cases of 38cm in length until I did some web searching. Marco Sr. "Any day that you can fossil hunt is a great day." My family fossil website Some Of My Shark, Ray, Fish And Other Micros My Extant Shark Jaw Collection Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcbshark Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Al Dente Thank you for the link and id. The two specimens seemed too thin to be a crab claw and the texture wasn't right for the crab material that I normally see. But I definitely felt the specimen was a Crustacean of some kind. Mantis Shrimp definitely seems to match these specimens. I didn't realize that Mantis shrimp could be as long as 30cm with exceptional cases of 38cm in length until I did some web searching. Marco Sr. Sometimes when I'm diving off Venice some of the fossil areas are a mud/crushed shell type mix.I've seen mantis shrimp that make burrows in the soft bottom and some of the shrimp have been almost as long as my forearm and maybe 2/3 the diameter of my wrist.I've heard they're good on the table so one of these days I'm gonna grab one or two to cook.With a big one it looks like 2 would probably make a meal. Every once in a great while it's not just a big rock down there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcoSr Posted February 8, 2014 Author Share Posted February 8, 2014 Sometimes when I'm diving off Venice some of the fossil areas are a mud/crushed shell type mix.I've seen mantis shrimp that make burrows in the soft bottom and some of the shrimp have been almost as long as my forearm and maybe 2/3 the diameter of my wrist.I've heard they're good on the table so one of these days I'm gonna grab one or two to cook.With a big one it looks like 2 would probably make a meal. Jeff I did some diving in Florida in the early 1970s with some friends but never saw any of those large Mantis shrimp. I have only seen 2" or 3" ones in my son's fish tank. I'd be really careful of their claws when catching them for dinner. Their claws can pack quite a punch. Marco Sr. 1 "Any day that you can fossil hunt is a great day." My family fossil website Some Of My Shark, Ray, Fish And Other Micros My Extant Shark Jaw Collection Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcbshark Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Yeah,they don't call them thumb splitters for nothing I suppose but the big ones are pretty meaty lol. Every once in a great while it's not just a big rock down there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plantguy Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Hey Marco Sr. Thanks for sharing the photos of the really fine stuff we are all missing out there. Its amazing what's going on at that micro scale. Great photos! Regards, Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcoSr Posted February 11, 2014 Author Share Posted February 11, 2014 Hey Marco Sr. Thanks for sharing the photos of the really fine stuff we are all missing out there. Its amazing what's going on at that micro scale. Great photos! Regards, Chris Chris Thanks. There are so many species that just fall through a 1/2" or even 1/4" screen. Even areas that have been heavily collected can have lots of great micros. Marco Sr. "Any day that you can fossil hunt is a great day." My family fossil website Some Of My Shark, Ray, Fish And Other Micros My Extant Shark Jaw Collection Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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