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Smoky Hill Dream Trip


KansasFossilHunter

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Hey guys, Im out in western Kansas again for an awesome two day hunt. I'll keep this thread updated as I find things and get pictures.

Day one couldn't have gone any better:

I started by finding an amazing little fish (not very common) that had some wonderful ribs on him:

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I then found this recognizable bone:

post-6661-0-55374700-1400540562_thumb.jpg

A mosasaur quadrate bone!!

Edited by KansasFossilHunter
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Before you ask, YES there is more of the mosasaur in the hill:

post-6661-0-16583100-1400540853_thumb.jpg

(I'll add more pics when I can resize them on a real computer)

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I found my best squid fossil ever, it's about 3 cm in diameter and 45 cm long! The jacket flipped perfectly- quite the relief. I cant wait to prep this guy

post-6661-0-84620900-1400540923_thumb.jpg

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At location II I stepped out of my car and almost stood on this ammonite aptychi. It's pretty cool, I only have one other like it.

post-6661-0-23300700-1400541234_thumb.jpg

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That's the end for day one! Sorry for those bad sideways pictures but that's what I have for now.

-KansasFossilHunter (Kris)

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Looks like lots of fun and great finds, Kris!

Looking forward to more - Good luck! :popcorn:

Regards,

    Tim    -  VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

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__________________________________________________
"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."

John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~   ><))))( *>  About Me      

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The Smoky Hill Chalk is still giving up great treasures and you happen to be in the right spot when it does. But it's more than luck. Kris, you have a great eye and knowledge of what to look for. Congratulations on this latest round of finds. Can't wait to these things prepped.

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Kris, I don't know how you do it, but those are some awesome finds.

I hunt the chalk about 5-7 trips a year, and I usually find a few fish verts like you got, a few shark teeth, and about once a year I find some reptile material. You seem to find crazy rare stuff each trip!

Ramo

For one species to mourn the death of another is a new thing under the sun.
-Aldo Leopold
 

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Dream trip indeed. You definitely have the knack for finding awesome specimens in that chalk!

Looking forward to what may be next... :popcorn:

"I am glad I shall never be young without wild country to be young in. Of what avail are forty freedoms without a blank spot on the map?"  ~Aldo Leopold (1887-1948) 

 

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Doing some comparison to my Platecarpus, hoping that this may turn out to be a Clisdates.

post-6661-0-10521400-1400640265_thumb.jpg

Beside the obvious size difference there are some subtitle inconsistencies in the shapes and features of the two bones. Further digging and some expert opinions are required.

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Here are some of the verts and tails I found today:

post-6661-0-52779800-1400640526_thumb.jpg

Edited by KansasFossilHunter
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This guy turned out pretty nice. Any ideas to the genus? Enchodus maybe?

post-6661-0-76648200-1400640640_thumb.jpg

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Great finds. Your string of verts is going to be kind of hard to ID, but I would lean towards Saurodon. Those verts look right and it has that long, skinny eel-fish shape.

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Great finds. Your string of verts is going to be kind of hard to ID, but I would lean towards Saurodon. Those verts look right and it has that long, skinny eel-fish shape.

Here is a better pic, they are smaller than they look:

post-6661-0-85564900-1400687756_thumb.jpg

Edited by KansasFossilHunter
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The squid project is finished! He went from In the field to ready for display in less and 48 hours.

post-6661-0-20469700-1400687158_thumb.jpg

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Based on your new picture, I'd say those are Cimolicthys verts. Great job on the squid!

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Like father, like son:

post-6661-0-43878400-1400693495_thumb.jpg

Yep, I'd agree with Cimolichthys

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