Let's see your latest mailbox score - 2018!

[paulyb135]

32 minutes ago, caldigger said:

Oh good, you are gathering items for next year's Secret Santa event. 

 

Somehow I think that even the kids who have been the most well behaved won’t be getting any of these items  

[LordTrilobite]

1 hour ago, piranha said:

Fortunately, the facts and the peer-reviewed literature are tirelessly persistent.  Mosasaurus hoffmanni is not a valid species in Morocco.

 

Street, H.P. & Caldwell, M.W. 2017

Rediagnosis and redescription of Mosasaurus hoffmannii (Squamata: Mosasauridae) and an assessment of species assigned to the genus Mosasaurus.

Geological Magazine, 154(3):521-557   PDF LINK

I respectfully disagree. There are a few differences in the teeth and as far as I know both are present.

 

I'd also like to point out that our resident local Mosasaur expert @jnoun11 has previously posted M. hoffmanni as a valid species in Morocco.

http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/35999-moroccan-mosasaurs/&do=findComment&comment=398316

 

[piranha]

5 hours ago, LordTrilobite said:

I respectfully disagree. There are a few differences in the teeth and as far as I know both are present.

 

I'd also like to point out that our resident local Mosasaur expert @jnoun11 has previously posted M. hoffmanni as a valid species in Morocco.

http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/35999-moroccan-mosasaurs/&do=findComment&comment=398316

 

 

In this 2013 post you cite from @jnoun11  he concedes: "officialy [sic] non present in morocco." 

Unfortunately in the real world; belief, gut feeling, blogs and random posts on TFF do not count. 

 

I understand the desire of collectors and dealers to apply the appellation "hoffmanni", but it is simply not supported by any of the specialists conducting the actual research or anywhere else in the peer reviewed literature.  Unless and until this claim is substantiated in an accredited journal, we have no other choice than to follow Street & Caldwell 2017, Bardet et al. 2015, etc. etc. etc...

[MrR]

OK, relative to what I'm seeing, this meg tooth barely qualifies as a fossil, age-wise, but it's my first actual purchase, and mailbox-received TFF item of interest. I had been wanting a meg tooth for a while, and had been watching what was happening on the big auction site. This one came up with a very fair BIN price, and I liked the looks of it. Not big at 3.25", but great condition and very eye-catching colors.

 

Based on the colors, any thoughts on where it might have come from?  Bone Valley perhaps? The person I bought it from bought it from someone in Hawaii some time back, and didn't have a lot of info. Thanks for any shared knowledge, opinions, etc. Cheers. 

 

 

[jnoun11]

8 hours ago, piranha said:

 

 

In this 2013 post you cite from @jnoun11  he concedes: "officialy [sic] non present in morocco." 

Unfortunately in the real world; belief, gut feeling, blogs and random posts on TFF do not count. 

 

I understand the desire of collectors and dealers to apply the appellation "hoffmanni", but it is simply not supported by any of the specialists conducting the actual research or anywhere else in the peer reviewed literature.  Unless and until this claim is substantiated in an accredited journal, we have no other choice than to follow Street & Caldwell 2017, Bardet et al. 2015, etc. etc. etc...

 

hi mosasaurs lovers

first i m not an official expert, the official scientist for the moment denied the occurence of mosasaurus hoffmani in south hemisphere, mosasaurus beaugei is still a valid sister specie of mosasaurus hoffmani. (https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/geological-magazine/article/rediagnosis-and-redescription-of-mosasaurus-hoffmannii-squamata-mosasauridae-and-an-assessment-of-species-assigned-to-the-genus-mosasaurus/2330EA89F7ABAB6B51FAAB1FB4275A1E/core-reader)

 

but...bardet in is last paper denied the presence of tylosaurus in morocco, but its lack of material and the studie of moroccan mosasaurs is still incomplete...

 

in caldwell 2017 its said:

Mosasaurus beaugei Arambourg, 1952

M. beaugei is known from Maastrichtian phosphatic deposits of Morocco (Arambourg, 1952; Bardet et al. 2004). Overall, its morphology agrees closely with M. hoffmannii but is distinguished at the species level by the low curvature of the anterior ramus of the jugal, the lack of a posteroventral process on the jugal and the greater anterior exposure of the splenial in lateral view. Additionally, while the marginal teeth are bicarinate and the carinae are asymmetrical anteriorly, the teeth are more compressed than in M. hoffmannii. The tooth count is maxilla = 12–13, dentary = 14–15, pterygoid = > 6. At this point in our analysis, we consider the species to be valid.

to me , the morphophologic variations intraspecific show lot of small differences inside of one group of mosasaur,

in morocco we have so much complete material we can see this intraspecific differences, but if you described only a single teeth the confusion is still possible.

i m present on different forum only for showing to the scientific world where to look.

its lot of work to do here about mosasaurs, but nobody work here... its will be good for the mosasaur world to organize a meeting here friendly for have a serious discution about the moroccan mosasaurs.

my home is open for people they are interested to visiting morocco and speacking about mosasaurs, so we can clarified some fact. so i will update the topic about moroccan mosasaurs.

 

[piranha]

6 hours ago, jnoun11 said:

in caldwell 2017 its said:

Mosasaurus beaugei Arambourg, 1952

"M. beaugei is known from Maastrichtian phosphatic deposits of Morocco (Arambourg, 1952; Bardet et al. 2004). Overall, its morphology agrees closely with M. hoffmannii but is distinguished at the species level by the low curvature of the anterior ramus of the jugal, the lack of a posteroventral process on the jugal and the greater anterior exposure of the splenial in lateral view. Additionally, while the marginal teeth are bicarinate and the carinae are asymmetrical anteriorly, the teeth are more compressed than in M. hoffmannii. The tooth count is maxilla = 12–13, dentary = 14–15, pterygoid = > 6. At this point in our analysis, we consider the species to be valid."

 

 

Evidently, it should be a simple exercise to follow the published literature.  Thank you!

[Ptychodus04]

12 hours ago, MrR said:

OK, relative to what I'm seeing, this meg tooth barely qualifies as a fossil, age-wise,

What is its age? It would have to be much younger than any known megs to qualify as barely a fossil.

[Tidgy's Dad]

14 hours ago, MrR said:

OK, relative to what I'm seeing, this meg tooth barely qualifies as a fossil, age-wise, but it's my first actual purchase, and mailbox-received TFF item of interest. I had been wanting a meg tooth for a while, and had been watching what was happening on the big auction site. This one came up with a very fair BIN price, and I liked the looks of it. Not big at 3.25", but great condition and very eye-catching colors.

 

Based on the colors, any thoughts on where it might have come from?  Bone Valley perhaps? The person I bought it from bought it from someone in Hawaii some time back, and didn't have a lot of info. Thanks for any shared knowledge, opinions, etc. Cheers. 

Very nice tooth, on my opinion. 

[Darktooth]

I got home from work today, and to my surprise there was a package from @InfoHungryMom. She had said that she wanted to send something for me and my family as a Thank-you for the goodies I sent, as her winnings from the auction. Though this was not necessary, it is a much appreciated gesture. Now this was not a package of fossils but instead I received a dozen caramel apples dipped in chocolate chips and spinkles! As soon as I opened the box my wife got all excited and called the kids over and they started attacking those scrumptious treats! Well they sure are a hit at this house. Thank-you so much Karen, my family and I really appreciate it!

[Darktooth]

Going in for the kill.

[Darktooth]

[Tidgy's Dad]

39 minutes ago, Darktooth said:

I got home from work today, and to my surprise there was a package from @InfoHungryMom. She had said that she wanted to send something for me and my family as a Thank-you for the goodies I sent, as her winnings from the auction. Though this was not necessary, it is a much appreciated gesture. Now this was not a package of fossils but instead I received a dozen caramel apples dipped in chocolate chips and spinkles! As soon as I opened the box my wife got all excited and called the kids over and they started attacking those scrumptious treats! Well they sure are a hit at this house. Thank-you so much Karen, my family and I really appreciate it!

Yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuummmmmmmmmyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[KCMOfossil]

On 12/12/2018 at 6:31 PM, Darktooth said:

Very nice! What a treat!

[Darktooth]

Just now, KCMOfossil said:

Very nice! What a treat!

Believe me when I say, they are delicious!

[MrR]

9 hours ago, Ptychodus04 said:

What is its age? It would have to be much younger than any known megs to qualify as barely a fossil.

Sorry, forgot the wink emoticon. I was just joshing about the fossil qualification. I suspect it is from a miocene creature, but I suppose it could be a bit later. It's my understanding that megalodons were swimming around, wreaking havoc, during the miocene to the pliocene epochs.  Cheers.

[caldigger]

Well I came home from work to something yummy as well. Although not exactly edible.

At my doorstep was a box filled with a royal spoiling from our esteemed Mr. Nimravis.

A plethora of Oligocene bone in matrix and loose pieces including tortoise shell, a beautiful Palaeolagus (Oligocene Lagomorph), a Titanothere/Brontothere tooth and vert. I even got a healthy handful of Moroccan echinoids.

It is hard to express the overwhelming kindness Ralph spreads throughout this forum's membership. 

I truly thank you from the bottom of my heart. You certainly made my day! 

[PaleoNoel]

On 12/12/2018 at 10:15 PM, caldigger said:

Well I came home from work to something yummy as well. Although not exactly edible.

At my doorstep was a box filled with a royal spoiling from our esteemed Mr. Nimravis.

A plethora of Oligocene bone in matrix and loose pieces including tortoise shell, a beautiful Palaeolagus (Oligocene Lagomorph), a Titanothere/Brontothere tooth and vert. I even got a healthy handful of Moroccan echinoids.

It is hard to express the overwhelming kindness Ralph spreads throughout this forum's membership. 

I truly thank you from the bottom of my heart. You certainly made my day! 

"And it was said that Christmas came a little early for Caldigger that year... Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night"

It seems like Santa's sleigh will be a bit weighed down by all the rocks, so he'll have to depend on his good friends in the postal service instead. 

[Ptychodus04]

2 hours ago, MrR said:

Sorry, forgot the wink emoticon. I was just joshing about the fossil qualification. I suspect it is from a miocene creature, but I suppose it could be a bit later. It's my understanding that megalodons were swimming around, wreaking havoc, during the miocene to the pliocene epochs.  Cheers.

Ahh. All the difference. 

 

I always thought they were the Miocene and Pliocene version of cuddly puppies...

[caldigger]

The mail-person delivered a package from the Orient this evening. I was scanning the "big auction" site recently and threw down I think a $2 max bid on an insect fossil plate that had a starting bid of .01 cent with free shipping.  There was only one other that bid on it and the bids took off to an astounding 14 cents. I won! I think the box it came in would cost more than that.

 

Here is my 14 cent fossil. There goes my fossil budget for the year!

[Bobby Rico]

5 hours ago, caldigger said:

astounding 14 cents

I thought I got some bargain this year but you smashed it with that insects. Really nice piece too. 

[Wrangellian]

Nice find for 14 cents. Did it come with any location/strat data?

[Tidgy's Dad]

On 12/13/2018 at 4:15 AM, caldigger said:

Well I came home from work to something yummy as well. Although not exactly edible.

At my doorstep was a box filled with a royal spoiling from our esteemed Mr. Nimravis.

A plethora of Oligocene bone in matrix and loose pieces including tortoise shell, a beautiful Palaeolagus (Oligocene Lagomorph), a Titanothere/Brontothere tooth and vert. I even got a healthy handful of Moroccan echinoids.

It is hard to express the overwhelming kindness Ralph spreads throughout this forum's membership. 

I truly thank you from the bottom of my heart. You certainly made my day! 

Delicious.

Tortoise stuff, Moroccan fossils, interesting mammal bits, what more could one want?

(apart from brachiopods and cheese, of course.) 

[caldigger]

10 hours ago, Wrangellian said:

Nice find for 14 cents. Did it come with any location/strat data?

No it didn't.  Perhaps I can get at least an ID on it besides "bug".

[FossilDAWG]

1 hour ago, caldigger said:

No it didn't.  Perhaps I can get at least an ID on it besides "bug".

Can you post a sharper photo?  I don't see any detail other than an insect shape, but it looks intriguing.

 

Don

[caldigger]

When I get home, I will try for a close up.