Haile Quarry, March 3rd

[Shellseeker]

I added a couple of threads on Activities connected with FPS field trip to Hallie Quarries in the vicinity of Newberry, Florida. I have some photos of the Quarry to provide a sense of what it was like and some additional finds.  

The Quarry I visited is just one of many at this location. and the one I was in... huge. A wall in the distance,  heavy movers to stay far away from, a "tiny" FPS member searching the low wall ahead. I am walking around this mountain of rock on my left ,  searching for fossils that may have fallen down the cliff face.  I am very careful the few times I attempt to climb the cliff face reaching for a fossil just a little too far away...

 

 

There can be great rewards...  Gorgeous,  and and there are lots of potential shell, and echinoids in this semi hard rock,  I have a rock hammer and trowel.  Can I possible get this out in one piece.. I have already broken others or found that they were already broken before my arrival.  So I decided not,  and just walked on with a photo and a memory.

 

As I continued around the mountain,  I came to this site , took a step forward,  and quickly stepped back .  A sinkhole about 4 feet  across,  and with a single glance inside I saw it was at least 25 feet deep. This one is not particularly large.  The Quarry has lost a number of large earth movers in sinkholes.

 

This is where I recall signing the waiver stating that I am totally responsible for any of the various dumb things I might do while hunting for fossils and hold the Quarry owners blameless for any/all damages to my body.

 

Roger Portell was our guide and Advisor and we moved a couple of times to locations that might provide different fossils.  The last stop was supposed to contained marine (shark teeth) and mammal fossils. 

As we stepped out of our vehicles, Roger showed us another sinkhole, advised us to be careful , and described recoveries of mammal bones and teeth from this area decades past.  

I was fortunate to find one of those teeth, described in this TFF thread.

https://www.thefossilforum.com/topic/139986-love-the-surprises/#comment-1479029 It was laying on the ground 5 feet to the left of this sinkhole. Sometimes I am just blessed in the right place at the right time.

 

Here are some other finds of the day,  with what ever I currently know about them... 

1) M. americanum ,  a Sea Biscuit,  approximately 4 inches in width, encased in matrix. 

2)  What I refer to as Jingle shells,  and a small Echinoid...On the Echinoid, I have to wash, brush , scrap off some of that concrete like matrix to figure out what it is....

 

3) A couple of Oysters... there few shells free floating from the concrete like matrix like these.

 

4) More shells, this time in Matrix

 

5) Did I mention Endocasts ?  All over the place.... Sometimes hard to differentiate from shells.

 

5a)  This one reminds me of a cowrie....  but not like any modern or even fossil ones that I have  seen...  I had previously found exactly like this one in a bone valley creek..  Would like to Identify..

 

Hope you enjoyed the trip.  Comments always appreciated.

 

[ClearLake]

Very nice, looks like a fun quarry (other than the sinkholes).

[MikeR]

Hi Jack

 

The echinoid is Amblypygus americanus, the other echinoid is probably Weisbordella cubae, the jingle shells are Lepidocyclina foraminifera and the large internal bivalve mold is Crassatella.  Your unknown is an internal bivalve mold, perhaps Corbula, but I would need to see different angles to be certain.  I am also including my pictures from the trip including one of the awesome crabs (Ocalina floridana) that were found that day.  Unfortunately I was skunked on crabs.

[MikeR]

I forgot to add that the pectens are Amusium ocalanum.

[ClearLake]

2 hours ago, MikeR said:

I am also including my pictures from the trip including one of the awesome crabs (Ocalina floridana) that were found that day

Dang, that looks like a nice big crab!  I'd love to see that cleaned up.

[Shellseeker]

4 hours ago, MikeR said:

Hi Jack

 

The echinoid is Amblypygus americanus, the other echinoid is probably Weisbordella cubae, the jingle shells are Lepidocyclina foraminifera and the large internal bivalve mold is Crassatella.  Your unknown is an internal bivalve mold, perhaps Corbula, but I would need to see different angles to be certain.  I am also including my pictures from the trip including one of the awesome crabs (Ocalina floridana) that were found that day.  Unfortunately I was skunked on crabs.

Mike,  

Thank you.  Many good things here.... 

You extended this thread and brought different views and different excellent finds into the arena. TFF Members have to love that.... Especially that CRAB !!!  Never go a sniff of one,  but one second the field trip is over,  into the cars, heading home.  Wanted to see some of the crabs found,  and hoped one might be in the Newsletter in a couple of months.  and here you deliver one.

The identifications of my finds are greatly appreciated  !!!!

and it gives me the opportunity to ask... How would you go about removing the matrix from the  Crab or even that nice gastropod you found ?.  By the way, what is the name of that Gastropod ?

[Shellseeker]

2 hours ago, ClearLake said:

Dang, that looks like a nice big crab!  I'd love to see that cleaned up.

Me, also... If I see it cleaned up,  I'll send a photo.. probably months away.   I think I may see Roger Portell tomorrow and ask him.. 

[Shellseeker]

7 hours ago, MikeR said:

Your unknown is an internal bivalve mold, perhaps Corbula, but I would need to see different angles to be certain.

I looked at many Corbula shells... Here are some different views....of the endocast

 

 

Looks like an elongated Strawberry Cockle...

 

[MikeR]

18 hours ago, Shellseeker said:

I looked at many Corbula shells... Here are some different views....of the endocast

 

Looks like an elongated Strawberry Cockle...

 

Looking at different angles, I think it is incomplete, but Cardium is correct.

 

The gastropod is a subadult Papillina gunteri.  Since it is an internal mold, it looks like I should be able to prep a little along the siphonal canal and easily pop it out.  I queried Roger and Jessie at the museum on their casting technique.  I am hoping to recreate their method to make a cast once the mold is removed.

 

[Shellseeker]

Thanks.  It is the 2nd time I have seen something like this.   This from a Peace River Tributary in February 2023... again an endocast...Maybe the 3rd time, I'll actually find a shell..