February 2023 - Finds of the Month Entries

[digit]

REMINDER: PLEASE carefully read ALL of the rules below.

Make sure you include all the required information, IN THE REQUESTED FORMAT (below) when you submit your fossil! 

If you have a question about a possible entry, please send me a PM.

Please pay special attention to Rule #5: 

Before and After Preparation Photos must be submitted for prepped specimens NOT  found during the Month of the Contest.

In addition to keeping the contest fair, this new qualification will encourage better documentation of our spectacular past finds.

Entries will be taken until 11:59:00 PM EDT on FEBRUARY 28, 2023

Any fossil submitted after that time, even if the topic is still open, will be deemed ineligible! 

 

Only entries posted with CLEAR photos and that meet the other guidelines will be placed into the Poll. 

Photos of the winning specimens may be posted to TFF's Facebook page.

 

Please let us know if you have any questions, and thanks for sharing more of your fossils and research this month.

 

Shortly after the end of the Month, separate Polls will be created for the Vertebrate and Invertebrate/Plant Find of the Month.

 

In addition to the fun of a contest, we also want to learn more about the fossils. 

Tell us more about your fossil, and why you think it is worthy of the honor. 

To view the Winning Fossils from past contests visit the Find Of The Month Winner's Gallery.

 

Now, go find your fossil, do your research, and make an entry!
Best of success to all, and good hunting!

 

***********************************

Rules for The Fossil Forum's Vertebrate and Invertebrate/Plant Find of the Month Contests

1. Find a great Vertebrate Fossil or Invertebrate/Plant Fossil! Only fossils found personally by you are allowed. NO PURCHASED FOSSILS.
2. Post your entry in the Find of the Month topic. Use a separate post for each entry. (Only two entries per member per contest category.)
3. Your fossil must have been found during the Month of the Contest, or Significant Preparation * of your fossil must have been completed during the Month of the Contest.
4. You must include the Date of Discovery (when found in the contest month); or the Date of Preparation Completion and Date of Discovery (if not found in the contest month).
5. Before and After Preparation photos must be submitted for prepped specimens not found during the Month of the Contest. Please make sure you arrange for photos if someone else is preparing your fossil find and completes the prep requirements in the contest month.
6. You must include the Common and/or Scientific Name.
7. You must include the Geologic Age or Geologic Formation where the fossil was found.
8. You must include the State, Province, or region where the fossil was found.
9. You must include CLEAR, cropped, well-lit images (maximum 4 images). If you are proud enough of your fossil to submit it for FOTM, spend some time to take good photos to show off your fossil.
10. Play fair and honest. No bought fossils. No false claims.

 

* Significant Preparation = Substantial work to reveal and/or repair important diagnostic features, resulting in a dramatic change in the look of the fossil. The qualification of Significant Preparation is decided at the discretion of staff. Any doubts as to the eligibility of the entry will be discussed directly with the entrant.

 

******* Please use the following format for the required information: *******

• Date of Discovery  (month, day, year) 

• Scientific and/or Common Name

• Geologic Age or Geologic Formation

• State, Province, or Region Found

• Photos of Find

 

 

(Please limit to 4 clear, cropped, and well-lit images.)

(If prepped, before and after photos are required, please.)

[CDiggs]

Considering the month is more than half over I figured its time we get this months competition rolling...

• February 21st, 2023

• Puma concolor Left Calcaneum

• Beaumont Formation, Pleistocene

• Fort Bend County, Texas, USA

I was particularly excited when I ID'd this fossil since its the first identifiable piece of a carnivore I've found so far. 

Edited February 23, 2023 by CDiggs
Species un-capitalized and italicized

[digit]

Nice! And we're off to a start--under a week to go for entries (remember, it's a short month).

 

Let's see what you've got.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[Meganeura]

I'm definitely gonna be posting something on Monday! What... we'll see. But definitely something.

[LiamL]

• Date of Discovery  (month, day, year)                - 02/13/2023

• Scientific and/or Common Name                       - Hammatoceras

• Geologic Age or Geologic Formation                 - Sandstone?? upper lias

• State, Province, or Region Found                       -  Ravenscar,  North Yorkshire, England 

 

I contacted Whitby Museum who has informed me that they do not currently have a Hammatoceras ammonite and have set up a meeting with the curator next month.

[Doctor Mud]

1 hour ago, LiamL said:

• Date of Discovery  (month, day, year)                - 02/13/2023

• Scientific and/or Common Name                       - Hammatoceras

• Geologic Age or Geologic Formation                 - Sandstone?? upper lias

• State, Province, or Region Found                       -  Ravenscar,  North Yorkshire, England 

 

I contacted Whitby Museum who has informed me that they do not currently have a Hammatoceras ammonite and have set up a meeting with the curator next month.

Bet you were happy to see that peeking out from under the Boulder! 

[RuMert]

So far looks like the best month to easily win the contest

[digit]

It's a short month but let's see some entries or there won't be a competition. I know it's been cold in the northern hemisphere but surely someone out there has been finding some envious fossils.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[Shellseeker]

1 hour ago, digit said:

It's a short month but let's see some entries or there won't be a competition. I know it's been cold in the northern hemisphere but surely someone out there has been finding some envious fossils.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

Been busy hunting, but not sure it quite qualified as an FOTM candidate. 

http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/129640-interesting-unknowns/&tab=comments#comment-1402812

I found 2 Sturgeon scutes, on 2 trips, 2 days apart.  It is was a first for me, but these have occasionally found by other TFF members (once I found the ID,  google searches have provided validation on what it is, and much more information in papers and photos.

Looks mostly complete, Likely Fresh water fossil from a validated Pliocene site.

 

Then this one found February 5th, same site

 

I think I am talking myself into submitting...   Jack

[digit]

Now there's something you don't see every day.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[deutscheben]

Since the call has gone out, I’ll toss a few recent finds into the mix! 
 

First is my entry for vertebrate, a partial shark tooth:

 

• Date of Discovery: February 19, 2023

• Scientific and/or Common Name: Peripristis semicircularis 

• Geologic Age or Geologic Formation: Pennsylvanian La Salle Limestone

• State, Province, or Region Found: LaSalle County, Illinois

 

 

[deutscheben]

Next is my entry for the  invertebrate/plant category- this is the first example of this bivalve genus that I have found from this site, and it is very well-preserved.

 

• Date of Discovery: February 19, 2023

• Scientific and/or Common Name: Sanguinolites sp.?

• Geologic Age or Geologic Formation: Pennsylvanian La Salle Limestone

• State, Province, or Region Found: LaSalle County, Illinois

 

 

[Shellseeker]

• Date of Discovery  (February, 3rd and 5th, 2023) 

 

• Scientific and/or Common Name

 Acipenser sp. cf. oxyrhynchus,  common name Sturgeon.

 

Bony Plates or Scutes

 

Three species of sturgeon can be found in Florida: Atlantic sturgeon (Acipsener oxyrinchus oxyrinchus), Gulf sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi) and shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum). All three species have a round body imbedded with an armor of five rows of bony plates or scutes. They have no bony skeleton. They also have no teeth and the upper lobe of the tail is longer than the lower lobe similar to sharks. All three species are anadromous, meaning that they move from saltwater to freshwater to spawn.

Photo From: Guide for the identification of archaeological sea sturgeon (Acipenser sturio and A. oxyrinchus) remains

C: Archaeological dorsal or anal fin basal fulcra

 

• Geologic Age or Geologic Formation

• State, Province, or Region Found

Southwest Florida: Hawthorn Group, Peace River Formation, Bone Valley Member which ranges in age from Miocene to Pliocene. This area also has a Pleistocene mammal component layered on top and intermixed with the older marine sediments.

 

Species that are common or abundant in Florida's Yorktown Formation, such as Acipenser sp. (sturgeon), Thunnus sp. (tuna), Epinephelus nigritus (black grouper), Pomatomus saltatrix (bluefish), and Notorynchus cepedianus (broadnose shark), are found primarily in cooler and/or deeper waters. These species are rare or uncommon in the Palmetto Fauna which encompasses the Bone Valley Phosphate mines.

 

Age of finds in layer: Pliocene to early Pleistocene Epoch (2.9 to 1.6 mya); Blancan (Bl2) Land Mammal Age. 

Size: 

Feb 3rd 50 x 37 x 6 mm;  Feb 5th, 59 x 40 x 7 mm millimeters

 

• Photos of Find

 

 

 

 

[Meganeura]

For my entry - my first ever sloth tooth, a Paramylodon harlani M2, and it’s absolutely gorgeous! 
 

(Don’t mind the partial Holmesina sp. osteoderm I’m using to make it stand)

 

It measures: H:64mm x L:27.5mm x W:18.7mm.
 

Date of Discovery: February 25th, 2023

Scientific and/or Common Name: Paramylodon harlani - Harlan’s Ground Sloth Upper Second Molar

Geologic Age or Geologic Formation: Pleistocene, Peace River Formation

State, Province, or Region Found: Hardee County, Florida

 

Edited February 27, 2023 by Meganeura

[Mikrogeophagus]

This month was filled with interesting finds. Not necessarily any complete knockouts, but a really solid run to help add some depth to my collection. One source for a few of the better finds is from Kef matrix collected about 2.5 months ago from Central Texas. I've been steadily processing them for a little personal project. I had a difficult time deciding which one to submit for this month's contest, but at the end of the day, this Ptychodus marginalis is certainly the best shot. Crazy to think this big tooth was sitting hidden in a bag in my backyard for a couple of months!

 

• Date of Discovery: 2/9/23

• Scientific and/or Common Name: Ptychodus marginalis

• Geologic Age or Geologic Formation: Eagle Ford (South Bosque Member), Turonian, Cretaceous

• State, Province, or Region Found: Central Texas

 

First glimpse

 

[Mikrogeophagus]

This month I'm double dipping into the invert contest as well. Yesterday, I hung out with PSoA at Jacksboro. Lots of neat smaller finds. I'm not the biggest brachiopod person, but this specimen might just change that. I believe it's on the rarer side of the spectrum for Jacksboro.

 

• Date of Discovery:  2/25/23

• Scientific and/or Common Name: Rhynchopora magnicosta

• Geologic Age or Geologic Formation: Graham Formation (Finis Shale Member), Upper Pennsylvanian

• State, Province, or Region Found: Jacksboro, Texas

 

 

Update: I only found this yesterday, so I guess I didn't fully understand the rarity of this specimen, but I just chatted with @BobWill, and to his knowledge, this is a first for Jacksboro and extends their range to the Virgil Series, Cisco Group!!! Happy to know this isn't just a pretty fossil!

Edited February 27, 2023 by EPIKLULSXDDDDD
New Info

[Shellseeker]

2 hours ago, Meganeura said:

 

For my entry - my first ever sloth tooth, a Paramylodon harlani M2, and it’s absolutely gorgeous! 
 

(Don’t mind the partial Holmesina sp. osteoderm I’m using to make it stand)
 

Date of Discovery: February 25th, 2023

Scientific and/or Common Name: Paramylodon harlani - Harlan’s Ground Sloth Upper Second Molar

Geologic Age or Geologic Formation: Pleistocene, Peace River Formation

State, Province, or Region Found: Hardee County, Florida

 

Size , Daniel ?  Millimeters L, W, H

[Meganeura]

4 minutes ago, Shellseeker said:

Size , Daniel ?  Millimeters L, W, H

H:64mm x L:27.5mm x W:18.7mm

[Meganeura]

6 minutes ago, Shellseeker said:

Size , Daniel ?  Millimeters L, W, H

Was there a specific reason you wanted size? Or just so people know?

[Shellseeker]

Just now, Meganeura said:

Was there a specific reason you wanted size? Or just so people know?

It has been a long time since I submitted a FOTM entry.  I thought size was required. Turns out it is not... I wanted to know, and next time , I would PM you to get the info...  

[BobWill]

1 hour ago, Shellseeker said:

It has been a long time since I submitted a FOTM entry.  I thought size was required. Turns out it is not... I wanted to know, and next time , I would PM you to get the info...  

Ha! I never noticed. Maybe that's a oversight. We strongly request it for ID and other purposes but this is often such a beauty contest anyway I suppose it doesn't really matter unless you are trying to gather data or just gain some knowledge.

Most of what we see in the FOTM page should certainly be submitted to the collections pages so I guess that information ends up there.

[digit]

3 hours ago, Meganeura said:

Was there a specific reason you wanted size? Or just so people know?

Could have been useful parameters to help confirm the ID but dimensions not a requirement for a FOTM entry.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[Notidanodon]

these are rare from bracklesham! First good one I’ve found  
• Date of Discovery:  19/2/23

• Scientific and/or Common Name: Eotrigonodon serratus

• Geologic Age or Geologic Formation: Earnley fm unit 4/5 lutetian, Eocene 

• State, Province, or Region Found: Bracklesham bay, uk