Monmouth County NJ Trip - Cretaceous/Eocene/Miocene

[Masonk]

Took my brother out this Sunday to do some fossil hunting in Monmouth County, NJ. Rainy day, but it didnt stop us from spending a good 5 hours in the water.

 

We started out at Big Brook, and spent most of our time there. Everything from the Belemnite down were my finds, which included a Crow Shark tooth (Squalicorax), a few Gobblin Shark teeth (Scapanorhynchus), several Enchodus teeth, a small section of Ratfish jaw (Ischyodus), couple crustacean claw pieces, a Mosasaur tooth fragment and an unidentified jaw fragment (brown piece, bottom right). Coin is 21mm. 

 

The items left and right of the coin were found in a different area in Monmouth, with deposits from the Eocene and Miocene. This was my first time here and I had a great hunt despite being there for only about an hour. Definitely need to go back and spend more time here. Big thanks to another collector for helping me with ID's. I believe the large teeth are Sand Shark (Carcharias). The teeth L & R of the coin are Tiger Shark (Galeocerdo) and the smaller tooth to the left Lemon Shark (Negaprion). Unsure of the small tooth to the right. The Sand Shark tooth to the left is my largest tooth find to date, despite missing the root, measuring in at almost 3cm. Gives me hope there is are complete examples that size in the same area.

 

Thanks for looking, and feedback good/bad is always welcome!

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 18, 2023 by Masonk

[Notidanodon]

great finds!

[njcreekhunter]

Nice! The tooth to the left of the coin is actually a partial notorynchus (cow shark). The two large sand tiger teeth are also different species. The sand tiger on the left is a partial Carcharias cuspidata and the tooth on the right is a partial Striatolamia macrota. 

[Masonk]

13 minutes ago, njcreekhunter said:

Nice! The tooth to the left of the coin is actually a partial notorynchus (cow shark). The two large sand tiger teeth are also different species. The sand tiger on the left is a partial Carcharias cuspidata and the tooth on the right is a partial Striatolamia macrota. 

 

Wow, thank you so much! I'm really struggling with the shark teeth identification, and differentiating between the changes (some very slight) between species, plus the differences of teeth type in the same species. Throw in size variations due to age of the shark, and it can be complicated for a newbie. 

 

Cow Shark is on my "bucket list" of species to find, so that's awesome to hear. Hope to find a complete example. Some I've seen pulled from Calvert Cliffs are just amazing. 

 

I had a feeling the species of Sand Tiger may differ. Obviously the curvature in the tooth is the big indicator?

 

Thanks again!

[bockryan]

Good finds, I'll be at Big Brook next weekend hoping for a Mosasaur! Nice to see some Cenozoic stuff out of NJ

[Masonk]

Thanks, and good luck at Big Brook! Lot's of rain there this past weekend loosening up material, so you may luck out. 

 

Yeah, I can't wait to get back there. I enjoy Cretaceous, but it's fun finding new species from a new period.

 

Actually going back several hundred million years, and heading up to the Poconos with the family this weekend. Going to check out Beltzville State Park. Lot's of Devonian fossils on the shore line, so should be a good time. 

[njcreekhunter]

@Masonk Happy to help! One giveaway to identify Striatolamia macrota teeth vs Cuspidata are the striations on the lingual side of the tooth. A lot of the time these striations are worn but you can still see them in your example. Striatiolamia macrota is Eocene and Carcharias cuspidata is Miocene. 

 

Cow sharks can be tricky to find in NJ so congrats on finding your first one! Complete ones can be found but they break up quickly in the stream gravel. 

[njfossilhunter]

Nice finds .....  congrads

 

[Masonk]

On 7/25/2023 at 6:09 PM, njfossilhunter said:

Nice finds .....  congrads

 

 

Thank you, sir!

[Masonk]

On 7/18/2023 at 12:46 PM, njcreekhunter said:

@Masonk Happy to help! One giveaway to identify Striatolamia macrota teeth vs Cuspidata are the striations on the lingual side of the tooth. A lot of the time these striations are worn but you can still see them in your example. Striatiolamia macrota is Eocene and Carcharias cuspidata is Miocene. 

 

Cow sharks can be tricky to find in NJ so congrats on finding your first one! Complete ones can be found but they break up quickly in the stream gravel. 

 

Thanks again! Hoping to make it back in the next week to the same spot.

[Masonk]

Took another trip to the same Eocene/Miocene spot, and had a decent collection of finds. Worked in a 5 mile hike, to boot. 

 

Area isn't as plentiful as the more popular brooks in Monmouth, but I'm enjoying discovering new species.

 

Not a fossil, but found this 70's Anheuser-Busch bottle and a few marbles (all in different spots).

 

 

Group shot of the other finds - Coin is 21mm

 

Venericardia perantiqua

 

 

Lemon Shark - Negaprion eurybathrodon

 

Tiger Shark (Galeocerdo aduncus?)

 

 

 

 

Sand Tiger Shark

 

 

Edited August 3, 2023 by Masonk

[Masonk]

Some unknowns.

 

I believe both are coral pieces?

 

 

Concretions, teeth or unknown?

 

This has the appearance of a crustacean claw stuck in matrix, but could just be a concretion. 

 

[automech]

Nice colors on the shark teeth. Cool bottle. Too bad their stock is tanking.

[Masonk]

6 minutes ago, automech said:

Nice colors on the shark teeth. Cool bottle. Too bad their stock is tanking.

 

Thanks! The bottle was a nice surprise. 

 

I'm a fan Stella and Hoegarden. Never liked Budweiser or Busch. I may or may not have helped polish off a few 30 packs of Natty Light during my misspent youth 

[Stingray]

Very nice pictures and details …..

[Masonk]

33 minutes ago, Stingray said:

Very nice pictures and details …..

Thanks! Appreciate it!