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Extreme Belemnite

TqB

By TqB
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TqB Regular Member

TqB

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This is one of my favourite belemnites, Youngibelus tubularis (Young and Bird) from near Whitby, Yorkshire, where it's common in one bed of the Lower Toarcian. This specimen, just under 12", has a largely uncrushed epirostrum - more usually it's flattened. They come out in bits, gluing them's fun.

Tarquin

post-4556-077476300 1291898965_thumb.jpgpost-4556-050921700 1291898985_thumb.jpgpost-4556-093480600 1291898997_thumb.jpg

Tarquin

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clemsonskulls Member

clemsonskulls

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Wow, in my view a very unique specimen. What type of matrix are these found in? I would assume that it is relatively soft, with whole intact specimens found within the matrix.

Clemsonskulls

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Auspex Regular Member

Auspex

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A real knitting needle! Way cool :wub:

"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!

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Terry Dactyll Regular Member

Terry Dactyll

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Tarquin.... I havent seen that many complete ones from the Jet Rock.. They are quite diverse in shape really to your traditional belemnite.. Thanks for sharing it... :)

Edited by Terry Dactyll

Cheers Steve... And Welcome if your a New Member... :)

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Shamalama Regular Member

Shamalama

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Very cool, thanks for sharing!

-Dave

__________________________________________________

Geologists on the whole are inconsistent drivers. When a roadcut presents itself, they tend to lurch and weave. To them, the roadcut is a portal, a fragment of a regional story, a proscenium arch that leads their imaginations into the earth and through the surrounding terrain. - John McPhee

If I'm going to drive safely, I can't do geology. - John McPhee

Check out my Blog for more fossils I've found: http://viewsofthemahantango.blogspot.com/

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TqB Regular Member

TqB

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Thanks, everyone.

Clemsonskulls - the bed is a fairly soft dark shale, easy to get them out but they always break.

Here are a couple more typical specimens,not quite so big and more crushed; also a "normal" belemnite from the same bed without the epirostrum which is thought to be the same species but is currently called Youngibelus simpsoni. Sexual dimorphism is probably involved although they're not necessarily simple dimorphs.

Tarquin

post-4556-099489900 1291980760_thumb.jpg

Tarquin

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Plantguy Regular Member

Plantguy

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Hey Tarquin, great belemnites! I wonder how many predators made the mistake of getting one of those stuck in their throats? Wow.

I have a much smaller one that I acquired from over in Holzmaden labeled Youngibelus gigas from the Toarcien as well. I am not very familiar with belemenites genera/species although I like them and have several. I am curious is gigas a species that you see in your strata at Whitby? I'll have to dig up a good photo--not sure if its complete enough to get to species level but its labeled as such..I'm just back from a bone chilling cold trip to Chicago (still shaking) and I'm doing some catch up getting to see all the great new posts. Us Floridians should not go north of the 30th parallel north during winter or we'll freeze up and die! Darn it was cold up there. You all are tough bunch! :D Regards, Chris

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jpc Regular Member

jpc

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cool belemnite.

I am intrigued by the name.... Youngibelus, and described by Young and Bird... did Young name it after his/herself? That doesn't happen too often.

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TqB Regular Member

TqB

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Hey Tarquin, great belemnites! I wonder how many predators made the mistake of getting one of those stuck in their throats? Wow.

I have a much smaller one that I acquired from over in Holzmaden labeled Youngibelus gigas from the Toarcien as well. I am not very familiar with belemenites genera/species although I like them and have several. I am curious is gigas a species that you see in your strata at Whitby? I'll have to dig up a good photo--not sure if its complete enough to get to species level but its labeled as such..I'm just back from a bone chilling cold trip to Chicago (still shaking) and I'm doing some catch up getting to see all the great new posts. Us Floridians should not go north of the 30th parallel north during winter or we'll freeze up and die! Darn it was cold up there. You all are tough bunch! :D Regards, Chris

Thanks,Chris; Y. gigas is supposed to occur near Whitby but I've not found any yet. It's more robust and usually with a longer epirostrum than Y. tubularis (not longer than my first one here though), I'd love to see yours.

Tarquin

Tarquin

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TqB Regular Member

TqB

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cool belemnite.

I am intrigued by the name.... Youngibelus, and described by Young and Bird... did Young name it after his/herself? That doesn't happen too often.

This one's been put in a few genera down the years - originally Belemnites by Young and Bird, then Cuspiteuthis, Dactyloteuthis and Salpingoteuthis.Youngibelus dates from 1980(Riegraf)in honour of Young.

A lot of the confusion is down to it having an epirostrum - many different species do and it's not now thought to be of much taxonomic significance.

I don't think anyone's named a fossil after themselves, if you find a new one, get someone else to write the paper!

Tarquin

Tarquin

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Plantguy Regular Member

Plantguy

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Hi Tarquin, Thanks for the reply. Here's a shot of the Y. gigas specimen from Holzmaden as it has been labeled. Not sure if you can see enough to allow/verify an ID to species level due to the level of prep/completeness and its in matrix masking some of the skeletal details. But I think its sort of a really neat fossil. Overall length of fossil is 13.5 cm.

post-1240-0-60767200-1292643299_thumb.jpg

Another question, do all of your specimens from Whitby have to be glued/reassembled? Is is possible to collect yours while still in matrix? I only ask as I'm partial to specimens still in matrix...not really sure why, probably seeing/being able to compare the varying rock types.

You should consider starting a thread in the Members collection section called "Show me your belemnites". I wonder how many belemnite folks might have some other species out there to show us? Regards, Chrs

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Ludwigia Regular Member

Ludwigia

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Hi Tarquin,

I'm a little late on the boat here. Just wanted to say thanks for sharing this extraordinary belemnite. I wonder if the stoneage tribes used it in their bows. ;)

Roger

 

Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger

http://www.steinkern.de/

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Ordovician_Odyssey Regular Member

Ordovician_Odyssey

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thats real new to me!! i never new belemnites grew to that size!!! congrats!! :):D

-Shamus

The Ordovician enthusiast.

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TqB Regular Member

TqB

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Thanks all; as I say, they're common in one bed although this one's near the top end for length. I've seen them a bit bigger. Roger, stone age guys probably thought they were thunderbolts ;)

Chris, a lovely specimen, I won't argue with the species. With an epirostrum that could easily reach 30cm.

I did have a Whitby Y.tubularis in matrix (a lot of my collection went AWOL unfortunately), it's perfectly possible although it obviously takes a lot longer to extract and might be rather frowned on, the whole Yorkshire coast is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and collecting/hammering should be kept to a minimum. Good idea to have one though, especially with a bit of phragmocone.

"Ordinary" belemnites sometimes come out in one piece but many seem to be already fractured.

"Show me your belemnites" is a good idea, I'll start it soon if no-one else does :) .

Tarquin

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