Lake Texoma, TX Cretaceous- Echinoids, Sharks, Ammonites and MORE

[JamieLynn]

It's been over a month since I was at Lake Texoma, but I am just now getting around to posting!  The Paleontological Society of Austin goes to Lk Texoma each fall but this is the first time I.ve been able to join them!  I went up a day early to do a little extra hunting and hit up a spot I'd visited in August (Duck Creek/Grayson). It was still hellaciously hot but I had some good finds-I love the crab claws, so finding a nice sized one is always a treat:

 

a partial ammonite which I think is a Greysonites and a nice small one which I need to get prepped a little bit. 

 

and of course, my favorite, the littlest echinoid - a tiny Goniophorus 

 

Stopped at another site which was supposed to be some more Greyson formation, but it was too hot and I had already driven 5 hours and hunted for a while, so I called it a day....because the next morning, we were meeting at Lake Texoma ! 

 

Lake Texoma is a beautiful lake that is on the border of Oklahoma and Texas (hence the Tex-Oma if you hadn't already figured that out!) It's well known for ammonites and large echinoids- Macrasters.  It's primarly Duck Creek Formation and PawPaw, depending on which direction you are hunting, or maybe just what formation is being eroded, not real sure. All I know is that the direction I went was PawPaw.  I love that name. I have no idea why it's called PawPaw formation, maybe something to do with the native Pawpaw trees from East Texas - apparently the fruit is kind of like a fat banana and delicious (custard) but is very delicate so can only be harvested and sold locally... 

 

Anywhooo....PawPaw formation is pretty famous in North Texas, I've only stumbled across a couple of outcrops (since I don't hunt North Texas often, I'm not in the know as to where it can be found), but this area was an absolute easter egg hunt in the gravel beds.  I was told there were Cidarids to be found here, and if you know anything about Texas Echinoids, you know we are always on the look out for the very elusive Cidarids! Well, I did not find a whole one, but I found enough plates to maybe make one!! 

 

Just kidding!  Gonna need a lot more plates. But it was fun picking up all the little pieces. And a few nice spines as well:

 

I had heard tell of a field trip member who did find a whole one but that is a rarity apparently. 

 

Also common were the really lovely little oysters Peilinia quadripilicata- the colors and ornamentation on them is amazing:

 

There were also Rastellum carinatum oysters (Denture Clams) by the thousands too. I love them and always pick up some to include in my

Texas Fossils Study Sets. I didn't find any particularly great ones so no photos....

 

But of course, as I was finishing up my day, I got myself a bucket full of beach gravel to see what kind of tiny stuff was to be found and once home and all processed....I was thrilled to find a whole mess of new tiny things! I didn't find any large shark teeth at the Lake itself (only one was found on the field trip day - lucky Ricky!) but I was happy to find two little ones in the micro matrix!

A little Carcharias amonensis:

 

and a, sadly, broken Protolamna! 

 

A couple of cool crustacean claws:

 

Another surprising little find was these button corals - I believe they are Coral Platycyathus

 

And I FINALLY found an Ammonite! hahhaah! A very very small one and I have no idea what it might be, but hey, it's an ammonite....

 

Also, this lovely little gastropod Drepanochiles

 

Finally, a little mystery fossil- I thought it was a worn Fish Pycnodont tooth, but on closer inspection, I am not exactly sure what it is....another type of coral? any ideas y'all? 

 

 

 

 

So thus concludes my first trip to Lake Texoma. I already can't wait to go back! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ClearLake]

Excellent report and very nice pictures.  We were at Lake Texoma also a little over a month ago (with the Dallas Paleo Society) and it was my first time as well.  Your finds all look familiar to me, but especially the "echinoid beach" as I suspect we were at the same spot.  I still have my bucket of gravel from there to finish going through.  The little Pelinia from there were my favorite, even though quite common, they were just so variable and nicely preserved.  I couldn't stop picking them up.    Thanks for the great report!

[JohnJ]

Beautiful finds and photos, Jamie!  Thank you for reminding me how interesting that area can be.  

[Mikrogeophagus]

Looks like a fun trip with some great finds! I thought the tidbit on pawpaw trees was very interesting. First I'd heard of them!

[Coco]

Hi,

 

9 hours ago, JamieLynn said:

Lake Texoma is a beautiful lake that is on the border of Oklahoma and Texas (hence the Tex-Oma if you hadn't already figured that out!)

Thank you for this information, the origin of the name of this place can not be guessed by foreigners and it is very interesting !

 

Beautiful finds.

 

Coco

[Al Dente]

12 hours ago, JamieLynn said:

 

Finally, a little mystery fossil- I thought it was a worn Fish Pycnodont tooth, but on closer inspection, I am not exactly sure what it is....another type of coral? any ideas y'all? 

My guess would be a bryozoan.

[hadrosauridae]

Nice finds, and great pics of your finds.  I wanted to join that fieldtrip, but alas, it was a weekend I worked.  ITs been a while since I've been back to Texoma.  Need to get my canoe back up there and find some more fresh exposures.