November 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 (or any staff) 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 NOVEMBER 30, 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 READ AND UNDERSTAND THE RULES BEFORE YOU POST!!!

IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, PLEASE CONTACT A MOD OR ADMIN.
ENTRIES NOT FOLLOWING THE REQUESTED FORMAT WILL BE ELIMINATED FROM THE CONTEST!!

 

******* 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.)

[Huntlyfossils]

After 5 years of hunting we finally found our 1st Ichthyosaur. This is a small one only estimated to be about 2m long. Bones which were found include jaw, teeth paddle bones, verts, limb bones.

 

 

 

Date of Discovery (month, day, year) :11/5/2023

• Scientific and/or Common Name: Ichthyosaur (Platypterygius australis)

• Geologic Age or Geologic Formation:  Toolebuc Formation, Early Cretaceous.

• State, Province, or Region: NW Queensland, Australia. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jared C]

Now that's a way to start... especially spectacular, because of how late in the reign of Ichtyosaurs this specimen is.

[Jaybot]

@Huntlyfossils Great find.  I am interested to see how it looks once prepped.

[Jared C]

On 11/6/2023 at 9:47 PM, Jared C said:

now that's a way to start... especially spectacular because of how late in the reign of Plesiosaurs this specimen is

***ichthyosaurs

[Huntlyfossils]

3 hours ago, Jared C said:

***ichthyosaurs

Thats Ok i knew what you meant , in that formation ichthyosaurs are still found quite regularly but you are right it is surprising as they go extinct only about 5million years after the age of this formation which is about 100myo. 

[trilobites_are_awesome]

I found this right after i was told no trilobites could be found at Rockport quarry. Probably the best trilobite I have ever found.

 

• Date of Discovery (month, day, year): 6/29/2023 Prep date 11/14/2023

• Scientific and/or Common Name: Pseudodechenella nodosa

• Geologic Age or Geologic Formation: Bell Shale or the Ferron Point Formation.

• State, Province, or Region Found: Rockport quarry Alpena MI

 

Unprepared:

 

 

Fully prepped:

 

[piranha]

1 hour ago, trilobites_are_awesome said:

• Date of Discovery  (month, day, year) 6/29/2023

• Scientific and/or Common Name:Pseudodechenella

• Geologic Age or Geologic Formation Bell Shale or the Ferron Point Formation.

• State, Province, or Region Found Rockport quarry Alpen MI

 

 

The axial nodes match with Pseudodechenella nodosa : reported from the Ferron Point Formation by Lieberman 1994.

 

Congrats on the great prep!

 

 

 

Lieberman, B.S. 1994

Evolution of the Trilobite Subfamily Proetinae Salter, 1864, and the Origin, Diversification, Evolutionary

Affinity, and Extinction of theMiddle Devonian Proetid Fauna of eastern North America.

American Museum of Natural History Bulletin, 223:1-176  PDF LINK

[connorp]

4 hours ago, trilobites_are_awesome said:

I found this right after i was told no trilobites could be found at Rockport quarry.

They're there, just rare. Mostly corals and occasional fish there.

[trilobites_are_awesome]

48 minutes ago, connorp said:

They're there, just rare. Mostly corals and occasional fish there.

Once a member of my family found i really big fish plate.

[Andúril Flame of the West]

The preservation is certainly lacking on this one, but the size and the location make it the best find of the year. 

 

Date of Discovery: November 12, 2023

Scientific/Common Name: Mosasaur (Mosasauridae indet.)

Geologic Age and Formation: Severn Formation, Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian)

State, Province, or Region Found: Maryland, USA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[JamieLynn]

Since it's getting a bit late in November, to have some variety,  I'll add in my little lobster leg

Date of Discovery  - November 8 2023

• Scientific and/or Common Name - Crustacean Homarus sp. 

• Geologic Age or Geologic Formation - Cretaceous Lower Glen Rose Formation

• State, Province, or Region Found - Texas 

 

 

 

 

 

[Echinoid Express]

I think I'll give this one a go, I'm pretty proud of my little sand dollar I uncovered inside of the cockle valve! It's not flawless, but a mostly intact echinoid specimen is a pretty rare find from the formation, not to mention it's a neat combination of fossils. I won't lie though, I was a little scared to pick it up in it's current state to get a photo of the Dinocardium exterior!

 

• Date of Discovery  - November 8th, 2023

• Scientific and/or Common Name - Mellita caroliniana (Sand Dollar) and Dinocardium robustum (Atlantic Giant Cockle)

• Geologic Age or Geologic Formation - Early Pleistocene, Waccamaw Formation (~2.5 Ma)

• State, Province, or Region Found - Columbus County, North Carolina, USA

 

 

 

[Dawson Sensenig]

I often find just the impressions of these lycopod trees, so to find the body of the fossil was a nice change!

 

• Date of Discovery: 11/14/2023

• Scientific and/or Common Name: Stigmaria

• Geologic Age or Geologic Formation: Late Pennsylvanian, Llewellyn Formation

• State, Province, or Region Found: Pittston, Pennsylvania 

[FossilDAWG]

While returning from a visit north, I stopped by a site in southwestern Virginia where I previously have found a diversity of Ordovician fossils, including trilobites, brachiopods, bryozoans, sponges, and abundant Echinosphaerites cystoids.  This time I also found a calyx of the very rare and incredibly ornate crinoid Paleocrinus planobasilis.The very pronounced ridges are hollow, and they may have served a respiratory function.

 

Date of Discovery  (month, day, year):       November 13, 2023

• Scientific and/or Common Name:           Paleocrinus planobasilis Brower & Veinus, 1974   (crinoid calyx)

• Geologic Age or Geologic Formation:     Ordovician, Benbolt Formation

• State, Province, or Region Found:            Scott County, Virginia USA

 

The first two images show the base of the calyx, with the attachment point for the stem in the middle:

 

This image shows the side of the calyx, showing the attachment for one of the arms (A) and the hollow ridges (B).

 

 

 

 

[RuMert]

Just to diversify: a xenomorphic Gryphaea oyster which grew on an ammonite shell

 

• Date of Discovery  - November 11th, 2023

• Scientific and/or Common Name - Gryphaea dilatata (oyster)

• Geologic Age or Geologic Formation - Mid-Oxfordian (~160 Ma)

• State, Province, or Region Found - Syzran, Samara Oblast, Russia

 

 

 

Edited November 30, 2023 by RuMert

[digit]

30 minutes ago, RuMert said:

Just to diversify: a xenomorphic Gryphaea oyster which grew on an ammonite shell

I like diversity.

 

Few more hours to get in your last submissions for this month's contest.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[FossilDAWG]

6 hours ago, RuMert said:

Just to diversify: a xenomorphic Gryphaea oyster which grew on an ammonite shell

 

There are some formations, such as some chalk deposits, where the only remaining record of aragonitic shells is the impressions left in calcitic shells such as oysters that happened to grow on the now long dissolved aragonite shells.