2023 Vertebrate Fossil Of The Year Poll!

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Here we are with our 2023 VFOTY contest entries. These are all 12 of our VFOTM winners from 2023, listed in the order of the month they won. Carefully review these entries and vote for the one you think deserves the title of 2023 Vertebrate Fossil Of The Year!

 

Poll closes on the 25th of January just before midnight. You can also vote for the 2023 Invertebrate / Plant Fossil Of The Year contest HERE.

 

1. Parrotfish (Scaridae) dentary (beak) - Oligocene (Ashley Fm/Chandler Bridge Fm) - Summerville, South Carolina

 

2. Paramylodon harlani (Harlan’s Ground Sloth) upper second molar (M2) - Pleistocene, Peace River Formation - Hardee County, Florida

 

3. Mammuthus columbi, Columbian Mammoth, lower left molar - Undifferentiated Pleistocene Sands - Hardee County, Florida

 

4. Ceratopsian horn - Late Cretaceous, (76.5-74.4 Ma) - Cretaceous, Dinosaur Park Fm - Steveville Area, Newell County, Alberta Canada

 

5. Hadrosaurid ungual w/ pathology - Late Cretaceous, Campanian, Dinosaur Park Formation, (76.5-74.4 Ma) - Alberta, Canada 

6. Crocodile skull - Lower Jurassic, Upper Lias - Yorkshire Coast, Whitby, England

7. Brachauchenius lucasi pliosaur tooth - Cretaceous (Middle Turonian), Kamp Ranch Limestone - North Texas

 

8. Pelagosaurus sp. (crocodile skull) - Upper Lias, Lower Jurassic - Whitby, UK

9. Hadrosaurid tooth battery - Late Cretaceous, Dinosaur Park Frm - Newell County, Alberta, Canada

10. Pachycephalosaur skull dome - Late Cretaceous (Campanian), Dinosaur Park Fm, (74.4 Ma) - Newell County, Alberta, Canada

 

11. Platypterygius australis ichthyosaur - Early Cretaceous, Toolebuc Formation - NW Queensland, Australia

 

12. Pelagonithid bony-toothed bird jaw - Late Miocene / Pliocene - North Canterbury, New Zealand

[Randyw]

Ooooooo tough choice!

[snolly50]

All are outstanding pieces and it was a treat to review them as a group (although it makes for a tough decision). 

[mr.cheese]

Some of my favourite creatures lurk in those finds! Very tough choice.

I cannot imagine the joy at finding any of those.

Great bunch!

Well done all!

[fifbrindacier]

I really don't know what to choose.

[RuMert]

Wonder why one croc is so much ahead of the other😀

[pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon]

5 hours ago, RuMert said:

Wonder why one croc is so much ahead of the other😀

 

I think it's just been prepped to reveal more of the skull...

 

But, man, is this ever a tough choice! Such great finds this year, everyone!

[Balance]

What a cool way to see them all together! Just wow. 
 

jp

[LiamL]

On 1/19/2024 at 4:48 AM, RuMert said:

Wonder why one croc is so much ahead of the other😀

 

The large croc was preserved within a thick pyrite nodule, which had preserved the bones perfectly and protected them from the sea but brings the added difficulty of a tougher prep.

The small croc was found far out at low tide and the sea had already hit it eroding some portions of it. It was preserved in a shale slab which wears much down much faster on the beach system.  Probably afew tides would be enough to completly destroy the fossil. Given where I found it, far out at low tide among the rocks where nobody looks. It is very lucky it survived at all.

 

Another interesting thing is with the small skull you are looking at the underside of the skull, so it's on it's back if that makes sense. Sure there is a better way of explaining it.

[musicnfossils]

I forgot how many submissions I had this year haha 

[Andúril Flame of the West]

Very hard choice as these are some great finds!

[Tidgy's Dad]

What a lot of seriously great finds!