Xiphactinus Posted September 25, 2010 Share Posted September 25, 2010 Finally life is slowing down a little and I can start a long-neglected prep job. Found this giant Pachyrhizodus several years ago, but the preservation of it was such that I didn't know how to prep it. Now that my prepping skills have improved, I'm ready to tackle it. We excavated the fish in two large jackets. The skull, pectoral fins, vertebral column and tail are what is preserved. The tail was eroding out, so it has a lot of work to do to make it presentable. (This jacket not shown.) The fish was scavenged heavily. There are hardly any ribs, and no fins on the body. The body was folded in half, so when found, the tail was next to the head. Here is the jacket with the head. The skull is a little over a foot long. The entire fish is 7-8 feet long. Note how the vertebral column bends sharply in this jacket. Should be a beauty when done, but this will be a lonnng project. I'll post pix as I go along. Pachyrhizodus caninus Upper Cretaceous Niobrara Chalk Fm. W. Kansas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
32fordboy Posted September 25, 2010 Share Posted September 25, 2010 Man, you're one heck of a fisherman! www.nicksfossils.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracer Posted September 25, 2010 Share Posted September 25, 2010 well if anybody can do it, you can. but wow... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barefootgirl Posted September 25, 2010 Share Posted September 25, 2010 You'll do a great job and I can't wait to see how it turns out. In formal logic, a contradiction is the signal of defeat: but in the evolution of real knowledge, it marks the first step in progress toward victory. Alfred North Whithead 'Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia!' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foshunter Posted September 25, 2010 Share Posted September 25, 2010 Your work is going to be formidable with so much to replicate by will be worth all the labor and gratification upon completion. Love the amazing Cretaceous--Tom Grow Old Kicking And Screaming !!"Don't Tread On Me" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CreekCrawler Posted September 25, 2010 Share Posted September 25, 2010 Well if it turns out anything like your Xiphactinus it should be museum worthy. Good luck ,and keep us posted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mexx Posted September 25, 2010 Share Posted September 25, 2010 Thanks for sharing this enterprise with us! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted September 25, 2010 Share Posted September 25, 2010 Another little six-year project? Plenty of time to build another addition... "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Owens Posted September 25, 2010 Share Posted September 25, 2010 Talk about a challenge! I wouldn't know where to begin. You'll do a great job. Just hope I get to see the finished mount. -----"Your Texas Connection!"------ Fossils: Windows to the past Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FF7_Yuffie Posted September 25, 2010 Share Posted September 25, 2010 Good luck with it! I hope it turns out to be as well as your other one did Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted September 25, 2010 Share Posted September 25, 2010 That looks pretty awesome the way it is. Can't wait to see how it turns out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worthy 55 Posted September 25, 2010 Share Posted September 25, 2010 Sweet!!!!!! I just love those fish of yours. It's my bone!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest N.AL.hunter Posted September 26, 2010 Share Posted September 26, 2010 Isn't it against the Forum rules for a member to have two large creataceous fish? What else do you have hidden away from us? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bear-dog Posted September 26, 2010 Share Posted September 26, 2010 Great fish.Take your time,you will do a wonderful job judging from your other work. Can't wait to see the finished product. Bear-dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted September 26, 2010 Share Posted September 26, 2010 Fantastic, X-man! I'm excited to see more photos of the jaws, too. They will help others to recognize the differences between Pachy and mosasaur. The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true. - JJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foshunter Posted September 26, 2010 Share Posted September 26, 2010 Fantastic, X-man! I'm excited to see more photos of the jaws, too. They will help others to recognize the differences between Pachy and mosasaur. You are correct, the bigger jaw I just posted looked like the end snout of a mosasaur especially the loose tooth on the back side with the root lobe but just couldn't understand the numbers of teeth being mos.--Tom Grow Old Kicking And Screaming !!"Don't Tread On Me" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmytee Posted September 26, 2010 Share Posted September 26, 2010 that fish is gonna look SO COOL when it's done! keep us updated -emily I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day. ~ E. B. White Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Dactyll Posted September 27, 2010 Share Posted September 27, 2010 WOW...... Great find again.... I know when you say big you mean BIG. ... Keep us posted on the prep.... Cheers Steve... And Welcome if your a New Member... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xiphactinus Posted January 23, 2011 Author Share Posted January 23, 2011 Update... The first jacket is cleaned and stabilized. No reconstruction started yet. This fish was really chewed up by sharks. I thought I had both dentaries and they were next to each other. Turns out the left maxilla is totally displaced and is below the right dentary. The left dentary is gone. Still not sure how I am going to display this one. I will now prep out the second jacket which contains the rest of the vertebral column and the tail. Pix to come... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xiphactinus Posted January 23, 2011 Author Share Posted January 23, 2011 Here are both jackets arranged as found in the field. Note the edges of the pectoral fins extending from the bottom of the 1st jacket into the top of the second. The jacket with the tail was closest to the surface (the tail was partially exposed) and is more poorly preserved. (4 foot drywall square for scale) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piranha Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 Very cool fossil Xiphactinus! Will you flip one of the jackets or just present it as found with the tail folded back near the head? Either way it's spectacular, looking forward to following this thread to its completion. You're going to need another large space on the wall ... what a great problem to have! Thanks and Good Luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xiphactinus Posted January 23, 2011 Author Share Posted January 23, 2011 Very cool fossil Xiphactinus! Will you flip one of the jackets or just present it as found with the tail folded back near the head? Either way it's spectacular, looking forward to following this thread to its completion. You're going to need another large space on the wall ... what a great problem to have! Thanks and Good Luck! Right now, I'm leaning towards leaving it as found. Will be easier to display that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Dactyll Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 Xiph... Looking very nice... I agree, as found makes more sense with the fin overlapping... Have you got any free space on your wall? lol Cheers Steve... And Welcome if your a New Member... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xiphactinus Posted January 23, 2011 Author Share Posted January 23, 2011 Xiph... Looking very nice... I agree, as found makes more sense with the fin overlapping... Have you got any free space on your wall? lol I'm going to have to get creative, for sure! Some fossils may have to be moved into another room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mexx Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 That "other room" could be at my place, I have several empty walls to fill. Just want to offer you some help!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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