TqB Posted July 2, 2017 Share Posted July 2, 2017 Saurorhynchus acutus (Agassiz, 1844) rostropremaxilla. Lower Jurassic, Mulgrave Shale Member (bed 42), Falciferum Subzone. Near Whitby, Yorkshire. I spotted this little fish rostrum when I was looking for belemnites a couple of weeks ago. It was about to flake off the outcrop and I hadn't found anything else interesting so I brought it home as a consolation prize. After some research, it seems it's very rare here. The only recorded specimens I can find are a few (5?) 19th century ones, including the holotype which is also just a jaw. Other workers at the time (Tate & Blake) doubted their Yorkshire provenance, assuming them to have been from the Dorset Lower Lias, sold by dealers - a similar species is quite well known from there. Here's a very recent paper: Saurorhynchus revision. It is a lot more common in Germany, with more complete material. I prepped its hidden teeth today - 5 hours with a scalpel under a x20 binocular microscope. I think an air abrader would have blown them away. As found: 5 Tarquin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilized6s Posted July 2, 2017 Share Posted July 2, 2017 Nice piece! ~Charlie~ "There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why.....i dream of things that never were, and ask why not?" ~RFK ->Get your Mosasaur print ->How to spot a fake Trilobite ->How to identify a CONCRETION from a DINOSAUR EGG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 That is amazing! Darwin said: " Man sprang from monkeys." Will Rogers said: " Some of them didn't spring far enough." My Fossil collection - My Mineral collection My favorite thread on TFF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 Certainly was a toothy critter!!! Cool RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 Great find, Tarquin! Always nice to find something out of the ordinary. Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TqB Posted July 3, 2017 Author Share Posted July 3, 2017 @fossilized6s @ynot @RJB @Ludwigia Thanks for the kind comments! Toothy fossils are always appealing and I don't have many. Tarquin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 Hey @TqB, that tip can be repaird and the rest prepped out to expose the rest of those teeth, including making all the other teeth look much better. RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossil-Hound Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 Not bad. Do or do not. There is no try. - Yoda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TqB Posted July 4, 2017 Author Share Posted July 4, 2017 9 hours ago, RJB said: Hey @TqB, that tip can be repaird and the rest prepped out to expose the rest of those teeth, including making all the other teeth look much better. RB Hi RB, there's certainly room for improvement but it's very fragile. I haven't dared use pneumatic tools on it though I do have an upgraded pneumatic dental descaler which might be up to it. I really don't know how I'd go about restoring such a thin tip successfully... Tarquin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taogan Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 I wouldn't use modern tools on this one, I would get traditional. Nothing wrong with a mounted pin and patience, it gives you a connection to the fossil. Nice piece, I haven't heard of one coming out of Whitby for years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TqB Posted July 4, 2017 Author Share Posted July 4, 2017 3 hours ago, Taogan said: I wouldn't use modern tools on this one, I would get traditional. Nothing wrong with a mounted pin and patience, it gives you a connection to the fossil. Nice piece, I haven't heard of one coming out of Whitby for years. Thank you, I'll go along with that. I'd be interested if you know of any others besides the ones in the literature - the paper I linked to, published this year, doesn't mention any more modern material from the area. Tarquin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 @TqB I think one would use air abrading tools and the right media for this, along with a glue, some 2 part putty with small sculpting tools and colorants for the putty. RB 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TqB Posted July 4, 2017 Author Share Posted July 4, 2017 @RJB Thanks, that might work although I think my abrader would blow bits off, even at low pressure and with a soft medium. The shale is quite hard and you need something like iron or dolomite powder, bicarb doesn't do anything. Maybe a micro-abrader, if that exists? I need bits to practise on but fish of any sort are hens teeth in this rock... Tarquin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 Thats not good. Always much easier and much nicer to work on when the rock is softer than the fossil. Now im wondering if you should even try? RB You need @Ptychodus04 to add his input for this. RB 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptychodus04 Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 Thanks for the ping @RJB I missed this threat completely. @TqB I would probably not go after this with abrasives as my experience with U.K. shale is that it is often almost slate it is so hard. It does respond well to mechanical prep with a small scribe (something like the Paleo Tools Micro Jack). I would consolidate the bone before starting. Very nice specimen. Regards, Kris Global Paleo Services, LLC https://globalpaleoservices.com http://instagram.com/globalpaleoservices http://instagram.com/kris.howe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TqB Posted July 4, 2017 Author Share Posted July 4, 2017 Just now, Ptychodus04 said: Thanks for the ping @RJB I missed this threat completely. @TqB I would probably not go after this with abrasives as my experience with U.K. shale is that it is often almost slate it is so hard. It does respond well to mechanical prep with a small scribe (something like the Paleo Tools Micro Jack). I would consolidate the bone before starting. Very nice specimen. Thanks, Kris, that sounds like a good way to go. I use paraloid but haven't put any on yet (apart from one tooth that was already broken). The real problem is going to be the tiny intermediate teeth either side of the main ones that mostly aren't exposed yet... For comparison, here's the 1844 holotype from probably the same matrix - looks like they had trouble with it! Tarquin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptychodus04 Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 Wow! Yours looks much better. Definitely consolidate before proceeding. I would use a large sewing needle in a pin vise if I didn't have my small scribe. Keep the needle sharp so you don't have to use much force to scrape matrix away. On the small teeth, only uncover the top edge of the entire length. Don't try to prep down the sides or they will tend to break off. Definitely use a minimum of 10x magnification. Go slow and you will be fine. Regards, Kris Global Paleo Services, LLC https://globalpaleoservices.com http://instagram.com/globalpaleoservices http://instagram.com/kris.howe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TqB Posted July 4, 2017 Author Share Posted July 4, 2017 @Ptychodus04 Thanks, good advice, I'll do that. My binocular microscope just does 20x but that seems about right for manipulating a needle. Tarquin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 Yep, @Ptychodus04 is the man. RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptychodus04 Posted July 5, 2017 Share Posted July 5, 2017 15 hours ago, RJB said: Yep, @Ptychodus04 is the man. RB Now, that's saying a lot coming from Ron. He's no slouch when it comes to prepping fossils. Regards, Kris Global Paleo Services, LLC https://globalpaleoservices.com http://instagram.com/globalpaleoservices http://instagram.com/kris.howe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrewc Posted July 5, 2017 Share Posted July 5, 2017 Wow that's very cool! Wouldn't like a nip! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TqB Posted July 5, 2017 Author Share Posted July 5, 2017 Thanks to both of you, @RJB & @Ptychodus04, I now have a plan. Thanks @Andrewc, it would have left a few holes. Tarquin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptychodus04 Posted July 5, 2017 Share Posted July 5, 2017 @TqB I'm sure you will do it justice. If you get in a bind, you can always send it on a Texas holiday and I'll give it some low cost dental work. Regards, Kris Global Paleo Services, LLC https://globalpaleoservices.com http://instagram.com/globalpaleoservices http://instagram.com/kris.howe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TqB Posted July 5, 2017 Author Share Posted July 5, 2017 Just now, Ptychodus04 said: @TqB I'm sure you will do it justice. If you get in a bind, you can always send it on a Texas holiday and I'll give it some low cost dental work. Thank you for the kind offer, wish Texas was nearer! I'll get around to doing it eventually, need to schedule some days in the prep shed. Tarquin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiamL Posted November 30, 2017 Share Posted November 30, 2017 I'd prefer a fish jaw over a belemnite any day. Yorkshire Coast Fossil Hunter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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