Ladonia Fossil Park Finds

[jenwat]

Hello, everyone! It’s been a while since I’ve been on this forum, but I was finally able to make my way back up to Ladonia this week to hunt a little. I didn’t walk too far from the bridge and mostly just surface-searched through gravel bars; unfortunately, I didn’t fulfill my dream of finding a mosasaur tooth, but I did find some other cool things! (Please note that all measurements are in centimeters)

 

1. My favorite find today was this Xiphactinus tooth. I found it just sitting on top of a submerged (but very shallow) gravel bar.  

2. I accidentally found this point after just picking up what looked like a black rock in the water. I’d love to learn more about it; I was thinking perhaps a Gary Point?

3. Next up is a tooth(?) that is so worn down I’m not even sure if it’s identifiable, but I thought I would put it out there in case anyone had any ideas. I was thinking perhaps Ptychodus, but someone suggested to me that it could possibly be Globidens. Any thoughts?

 

4. Fish bone?

 

5. Mosasaur vert? This is an unfamiliar shape to me so I’d love some insight. 

 

6. Another mosasaur vert. 

 

7. Bone fragment #1. Not sure if it’s possible to identify this, but it had a distinct shape, so I decided to just post and see. 

 

8. Bone fragment #2. Also not sure if this will be identifiable. 

 

That’s all that I have for right now!

[Lone Hunter]

I'm no expert but might want to post more angles of what you think are mosasaur verts.  I don't think that is a point,  wrong material and don't see evidence of it being worked.  7 kinda looks like hoof core maybe it's just the shape. Nice tooth btw!

Edited February 9 by Lone Hunter

[jenwat]

2 minutes ago, Lone Hunter said:

I'm no expert but might want to post more angles of what you think are mosasaur verts.  I don't think that is a point,  wrong material and don't see evidence of it being worked.  7 kinda looks like hoof core maybe it's just the shape. Nice tooth btw!

I agree that the point is made of a strange material, but I am almost completely sure—even with my amateur knowledge—that it is an arrowhead. Here are a few more pictures in different lighting that show how it’s been worked. I think it’s a fairly primitive point. 

[Lone Hunter]

That looks s little better but it's a strange one if indeed it is.  Curious what others think.

[jenwat]

1 hour ago, jenwat said:

5. Mosasaur vert? This is an unfamiliar shape to me so I’d love some insight. 

 

6. Another mosasaur vert. 

 

 

As requested, here are some more angles of the verts. 

 

5.

 

6.

[patelinho7]

5 does look like it could be part of a cervical vertebra. The "knob" end makes me think it is. After seeing new photos of the arrowhead, I now agree that it is a point.

[jenwat]

Just now, patelinho7 said:

5 does look like it could be part of a cervical vertebra. The "knob" end makes me think it is. After seeing new photos of the arrowhead, I now agree that it is a point.

Does 5 belong to a mosasaur?

[patelinho7]

10 hours ago, jenwat said:

Does 5 belong to a mosasaur?

 

Yes. Possibly. When I said cervical vert I meant mosasaur.

[LSCHNELLE]

"3. Next up is a tooth(?) that is so worn down I’m not even sure if it’s identifiable, but I thought I would put it out there in case anyone had any ideas. I was thinking perhaps Ptychodus, but someone suggested to me that it could possibly be Globidens. Any thoughts?

 

It doesn't look like a Ptychodus tooth to me. First of all, they are fairly rare but possible within the Campanian age Ozan Formation - generally only occur as reworked material. But the main reason is that a circular marginal area (like your specimen) is not likely for a Ptychodus tooth and root mass. Their margin is usually rectangular to square to rhombic with slightly rounded corners. I'm not seeing that in your photographs.

Edited February 10 by LSCHNELLE

[Mikrogeophagus]

I think you do have an arrowhead there.

 

3) I don't think is ptychodus as @LSCHNELLE has mentioned already. To me it looks like fish bone and has the shape of a vert that was broken in half. The apex of the cone is where it snapped from the other half of the fish vert. The base of the cone is where the vert would have attached to an adjacent vert. It's hard to be 100% confident though just from these pics.

 

Congrats on some neat finds