Jeffrey P Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 Taking advantage of my time spent home, I finally got a couple of glass display cases to showcase fossil specimens from my collection. Finding ones that were affordable and blended with the style of our home, was challenge, and I took my time choosing. Despite a bit of criticism I receive from some of my fossil collecting friends, I am a generalist collector who doesn't specialize in anything. Having said that, my collection does feature some rare faunas; Devonian and Cretaceous bivalves, Lower and Middle Devonian brachiopods and gastropods, Cretaceous vertebrates, etc. The focus is largely on fossils of the Northeast (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Maryland, and Eastern Canada), but a number of trips to the Ohio Valley, Texas, out west, and Germany have expanded my collection which is about 90% self collected with remaining fossils primarily gifts from generous friends. There is only one purchased fossil in the display and one I traded for. I ended up with twelves shelves- ten devoted to animal life (seven of those are invertebrates), and two for plants. I was seeking to emulate the old style of specimen display that one might encounter in a 19th century museum, when displaying specimens was the priority. I didn't and couldn't display my entire collection which is too large, so I picked representative specimens to tell the story of the vast variety of prehistoric life on earth. Some of my best specimens didn't make it into the display. These are the cases which are situated in our finished basement: 21 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffrey P Posted November 28, 2020 Author Share Posted November 28, 2020 The first shelf on the right devoted to sponges, corals, conularids, and bryozoans. 24 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffrey P Posted November 28, 2020 Author Share Posted November 28, 2020 17 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffrey P Posted November 28, 2020 Author Share Posted November 28, 2020 There is one shelf devoted to brachiopods with specimens from the Cambrian up to the Paleocene. 25 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 What a fantastic and professional display, Jeffrey! By contrast, mine is a cluttered piece of trash! I am immensely impressed by this, and the thousands of hours it took to fill these cases with all your hard efforts! This is simply WOW. Thank you for sharing this with us! ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffrey P Posted November 28, 2020 Author Share Posted November 28, 2020 20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffrey P Posted November 28, 2020 Author Share Posted November 28, 2020 Bivalves are central part of my collection and a whole shelf is devoted to them. 20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffrey P Posted November 28, 2020 Author Share Posted November 28, 2020 20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffrey P Posted November 28, 2020 Author Share Posted November 28, 2020 Gastropods: 20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Misha Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 Wow! Great display, beautiful fossils Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffrey P Posted November 28, 2020 Author Share Posted November 28, 2020 18 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeannie55 Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 I am very impressed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffrey P Posted November 28, 2020 Author Share Posted November 28, 2020 Cephalopods: Nautiloids, Ammonites, and Belemnites: 21 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolmt Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 Makes me realize how badly I mistreat my fossils. I am a bad fossil parent 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffrey P Posted November 28, 2020 Author Share Posted November 28, 2020 23 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 10 minutes ago, Malcolmt said: Makes me realize how badly I mistreat my fossils. I am a bad fossil parent An opportunity for Marianne to get you a few nice cases to display your killer finds. It might get them off the pool table! I mean, really... I am looking forward to running the table on you and sinking everything after the break. ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffrey P Posted November 28, 2020 Author Share Posted November 28, 2020 Arthropods: Trilobites, Phyllocarids, Crustaceans (shrimp, lobster, and crabs), Eurypterids, and Barnacles: 27 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffrey P Posted November 28, 2020 Author Share Posted November 28, 2020 19 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffrey P Posted November 28, 2020 Author Share Posted November 28, 2020 The Echinoderms: Crinoids, Blastoids, and Echinoids: 20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffrey P Posted November 28, 2020 Author Share Posted November 28, 2020 Finally the chordates: Fish. This includes placoderms, ostracoderms, lung fish, coelacanths, and bony fish. 19 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nautiloid Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 Wow!!! Amazing collection. I’m blown away by the organization as well as all of the amazing specimens! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffrey P Posted November 28, 2020 Author Share Posted November 28, 2020 My collection of shark and ray teeth from New Jersey and Maryland and my Green River fish: 19 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
historianmichael Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 Such a cool collection! You have been some amazing places and collected some incredible fossils. Your display cases are what I dream of having one day for my own collection. Follow me on Instagram (@fossil_mike) to check out my personal collection of fossils collected and acquired over more than 15 years of fossil hunting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 Looks great @Jeffrey P! You have quite a variety there. You're like me. I'm forced to "specalize" on the local sites, but I'll take any chance I can get to broaden my horizon A couple of spelling corrections for you on a couple of German Ammos: The Ancolioceras opalinoides is from the Murchisonae zone, and the Pleydellia and Cottswoldia from the Jurensismergel Formation. Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidgy's Dad Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 Lovely fossils, beautifully displayed. Thank you for sharing these with us. So many great specimens. Life's Good! Tortoise Friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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