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2021 First Texas Hunt - Echies & Shark & Crab, Oh MY!


JamieLynn

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January in Texas is usually, weather wise, fantastic hunting. For seasonal allergy sufferers (like me) it can be miserable.  But, we had a GREAT rain...two days of decent downpours and the temps were in the upper 60s, so, hoping the cedar pollen had been knocked out of the air a bit by the rains....I donned my mask and spent three hours out in the great outdoors and was I ever rewarded for my "perseverance"!!! hahahahha  I had been hoping to find a Glen Rose Formation (Lower Cretaceous) Shark Tooth for a couple of years.  I knew they could be found! Erich ( @erose) told me so and I believe him, usually! hahhaha.   Well, Mother Nature decided to gift me one on this first hunt of the year!  Plus, it was a bit of an Echinoid bonanza....nothing "new" to me, species wise, but a couple of really nice examples (four actually, of differing sizes!) of Hyposalenia phillipsae and a better preserved Paraorthopsis comalensis than I had. But what really tricked me was the Pygopyrina hancockensis. They are usually oval and i found this one (which turns out was just squished) and REALLY thought I'd found a Pygaster (which I DON'T have) so I got really excited until I got it home and realized I'd been fooled. Ah well, I found a Shark Tooth (Plus a nice big crab claw, too)  so......it was a GOOD DAY.

 

Shark Tooth  Protolamna sp.  5/8 inches (15 mm)

5ff75a3b904df_sharkGR(1).thumb.jpg.e7050571b65e5262716a183ae2921125.jpg

5ff75a3cb0474_sharkGR(2).thumb.jpg.4eed09ff2299875a06c28d0e36a63218.jpg

 

In situ (with lotsof Foramnifera Orbitolinas! 

134391045_10224672856798902_5384983555652221981_o.thumb.jpg.8141f2481498705c3427c000af18b6ee.jpg

 

A Quartet of Hyposalenia phillipsae echinoids: (Biggest is 3/8 inch)

5ff75a61bbc31_EchinoidHyposaleniaphillipsae.thumb.jpg.240ca25f23f7799fce4b97ff47818a59.jpg

 

A very nice Paraorthopsis comalensis  Size: 1/2 inch

5ff75a871f06c_EchinoidParaorthopsiscomalensis.thumb.jpg.d0e38bc6f6943fd31deeb825df075534.jpg

 

A very squished Pygopyrina hancockensis   Size- 3/4 inch

pygo.thumb.jpg.87a795de1203a5fb2c915f9fa012a83a.jpg

 

And a big honking crab claw - Pagurus banderiensis    Size 7/8 inch

5ff75d108329d_CrabClaw(1).thumb.jpg.afa5dfee80d6de3e2d379e729f209cf1.jpg

 

 

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3 minutes ago, facehugger said:

Looks like a great hunt to me - I need to spend more time in the Glen Rose, apparently!

It is probably my favorite. So many Echnioids! There are at least six species that I have not found yet. And so many other interesting things...it is incredibly diverse! 

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Just now, JamieLynn said:

It is probably my favorite. So many Echnioids! There are at least six species that I have not found yet. And so many other interesting things...it is incredibly diverse! 

I don't have any of those urchins yet, trying not to drool lol

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29 minutes ago, JamieLynn said:

A very squished Pygopyrina hancockensis   Size- 3/4 inch

pygo.thumb.jpg.87a795de1203a5fb2c915f9fa012a83a.jpg

Squished and evidence of a prehistoric bandage to boot! :P

 

Really cool echis--I love pentagonally symmetrical fossils. ;)

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

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I see similar debris plastered to echinoids here in Florida. The placement of this one was perfect for the hole in the test. ;)

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

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You capitalized on perfect hunting conditions. :)

 

Great finds, Jamie!

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The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true.  -  JJ

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Great report and finds, Jamie Lynn! :)

Thanks for posting. 

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    Tim    -  VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

   VFOTM.png.f1b09c78bf88298b009b0da14ef44cf0.png    VFOTM  --- APRIL - 2015    Postmaster1.jpg.900efa599049929531fa81981f028e24.jpg  MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png  PaleoPartner.png.30c01982e09b0cc0b7d9d6a7a21f56c6.png.a600039856933851eeea617ca3f2d15f.png    Screenshot_202410.jpg     IPFOTM -- MAY - 2024   IPFOTM5.png.fb4f2a268e315c58c5980ed865b39e1f.png

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

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

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Great finds and I love the in situ pic and the little caterpillar that ended up in the shot.

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Great finds Jamie. Your hunts have been paying great dividends lately.

 

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Bulldozers and dirt Bulldozers and dirt
behind the trailer, my desert
Them red clay piles are heaven on earth
I get my rocks off, bulldozers and dirt

Patterson Hood; Drive-By Truckers

 

image.png.0c956e87cee523facebb6947cb34e842.png May 2016  MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png.a47e14d65deb3f8b242019b3a81d8160.png.b42a25e3438348310ba19ce6852f50c1.png May 2012 IPFOTM5.png.fb4f2a268e315c58c5980ed865b39e1f.png.1721b8912c45105152ac70b0ae8303c3.png.2b6263683ee32421d97e7fa481bd418a.pngAug 2013, May 2016, Apr 2020 VFOTM.png.f1b09c78bf88298b009b0da14ef44cf0.png.af5065d0585e85f4accd8b291bf0cc2e.png.72a83362710033c9bdc8510be7454b66.png.9171036128e7f95de57b6a0f03c491da.png Oct 2022

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That's a very cool-looking shark tooth!  And the crab claw and echinoids are very nicely-detailed - thanks for the show-and-tell!

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Thanks y'all!  @RuMert - Snow....no thank you!  I've lived in Texas almost 50 years and it has snowed three times in my memory- at least enough to cover the ground (the occasional snow flurries don't count) and while it is beautiful, fortunately, it doesn't stick around long. I have lived in areas that had "real winter" full snow and ice all winter long and I don't care for that at all! hahahha I

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@RuMert - Well, I get to use a well loved Southern expression - "Well, Shut My Mouth"....it snowed in Central Texas yesterday! Last snowfall was in 2017 and it's usually about 10 years between snows, but......surprise! Big Fat snowflakes swirling all over! So yeah...Shut My Mouth! hahahah

 

Image may contain: tree, plant, snow, outdoor and nature

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Nice finds we are the opposite here in Queensland my usual fossil spot is way too hot to go to temps of over 40c are normal and as its the wet season here so there is a risk of getting trapped by floodwaters. I went in late October last year and that was pushing it, it was a 42c day and severe storms so I dig most of my digging under lamps at night. Winter is the best time of the year to go hunting here. I’m getting itchy feet waiting for conditions to get better so I can get back there.

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Nice finds Jamie! As usual I love those echinoids. Glad you were able to get out and take advantage of the weather. Thanks for the report! I can live vicariously through you. :) 

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The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it.  -Neil deGrasse Tyson

 

Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don't. -Bill Nye (The Science Guy)

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