A fossil Thanksgiving

[Fin Lover]

It's Thanksgiving here in the U.S., so let's see what fossil(s) you are thankful for getting this year.  Could be something you personally found or something you acquired.  

 

I'll start with a few things I found this year:

 

Knifejaw fish beak that won VFOTM in January -

 

Aetomylaeus sp. mouth plate -

 

 

And a beautiful retroflexus -

There are plenty of others, but these are a few of my favorites.  Let's see yours!

Edited November 24, 2023 by Fin Lover
wording

[Tidgy's Dad]

I would just like to wish a very Happy Thanksgiving to all our USA members, lots of wonderful people representing your country in a marvelous way.

And an especially big thank you to the members who have sent me fossils this year despite the increasingly ridiculous costs of international postage.

I love you America!

[ThePhysicist]

I've been very fortunate this year both in opportunities and in finds. My favorite find was probably this perfect troodontid tooth,

 

[jpc]

That is a great tooth.

 

[Ludwigia]

I don't go out collecting all that much any more, so I was more than pleased to have found this Notorhynchus symphesal this year.

 

 

[Fin Lover]

@Ludwigia, I do still go out often and I would have been thrilled to find that!

[FossilNerd]

I was only able to get out a time or two this year and didn’t come across anything exceptional, although I am thankful for all that I found. 
 

Still, I have to say that I am more thankful for one of those outings being a meet up with fellow TFF member @Jeffrey P . We don’t always get to hunt together when he is down my way, but it makes my day when we can.  
 

And of course I’m thankful for TFF and this wonderful community!

[Shellseeker]

I am so fortunate in the friends I have in this hobby of ours and the treasures that give me joy month after month... Here are a couple from January,

 

and one from November

 

Lots to be thankful for...

[trilobites_are_awesome]

I joined this year in august and everyone has been so kind to the newbie (ME) and I say thank you to all the forum members!

[Bjohn170]

I’m thankful for every time I’m able to go on a trip but my top finds of 2023 I’m most thankful for (so far) are:

 

 

Squalodon incisor found in March

 

 

 

 

Chubustensis tooth found in March

 

 

 

 

 

Carcharodon Hastalis tooth found earlier this month

 

 

[Fin Lover]

Great finds everyone! 

[SawTooth]

This year I found some of my best fossils in my collection, so I have a bit to be thanks for. Here's a few of my favorite finds of 2023

 

1. My first cow shark.

 

 

 

2. The most beautiful great white I have ever seen (in person), the picture doesn't near do it justice.

 

 

 

3. A nice piece of mammoth ivory, my first mammoth fossil.

 

 

[Fin Lover]

@SawTooth, congratulations on your first cow shark tooth and mammoth, and a beautiful great white!

[patelinho7]

I’m a little late to the party because I had to wrangle all my fossil photos from the year into an album, but I didn’t want to miss out.

 

First off, I’m very thankful for the manner in which paleontology has resumed its presence in my life this year. A huge part of that is due to the forum! My old footprint thread re-ignited interest right after the start of 2023 and I was put in touch with a paleontologist and ever since I’ve been able to remain engaged in paleo-stuff even while being at university.

 

Second, I’m so thankful that my mom strongly encouraged me to volunteer at Dino Park in MD. If I hadn’t done that, I would’ve missed out on new friends, new invaluable experiences, and new fossils!

 

Lastly, I’m thankful for Dino Park and my new friends there. It’s the perfect way for someone like me to get my feet wet with paleontological work while I still am pursuing a different degree. I’m hoping it continues in the future! I put in many hours this year, even coming back during holidays from university, and they paid off. I’ve come a long way with the fossils I’ve found and the skills I’ve obtained and I’m just getting started! I even put in ~14 hours across different days of real fossil yielding excavation work! Hope there’s room for more in 2024. 

and now for some fossils…

the good old track (Ornithomimipus jaillardi, which deserves a new picture now that it’s been repaired:


my first Cretaceous fossil, gar scale:

my first Cretaceous bone (maybe dinosaur):

turtle shell:

 

my first Cretaceous tooth (unknown):

crocodile tooth:

As well as my mailbox score for the year, of which I somehow don’t have photos of, which was a bottle of micro matrix from Hell Creek that yielded a gar tooth, a small croc tooth, numerous fragments, and an additional complimentary ceratopsian spit tooth and ray tooth.

 

Anywho, happy holidays, happy hunting, and good luck in 2024. Thanks for reading! And thanks @Fin Lover for a great thread.

 

Edited December 1, 2023 by patelinho7

[Andúril Flame of the West]

7 hours ago, patelinho7 said:

Lastly, I’m thankful for Dino Park and my new friends there. It’s the perfect way for someone like me to get my feet wet with paleontological work while I still am pursuing a different degree. I’m hoping it continues in the future! I put in many hours this year, even coming back during holidays from university, and they paid off. I’ve come a long way with the fossils I’ve found and the skills I’ve obtained and I’m just getting started! I even put in ~14 hours across different days of real fossil yielding excavation work! Hope there’s room for more in 2024. 

 

Looks like you've made some good headway in exploring the Mesozoic. The crocodile tooth is quite fantastic and I can imagine the excitement associated with the tantalizing possibility of dinosaur bone! 

 

Perhaps I may just have to join you at Dinosaur Park next season...