Wrangellian Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 Interesting stuff, Astrinos, those scales are quite distinctive.. just cross your fingers, One day an ichthyologist will walk into your 'museum' and fill in a lot of blanks for you. And I dare say the promise of more rare and spectacular finds grows greater with everything you post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astron Posted August 18, 2012 Author Share Posted August 18, 2012 Tim, Missourian, Eric, I feel privileged for being among you here and for receiving your of special weight posts. Thank you all together and each one seperately... Astrinos, You have become quite the fisher of fossils! I am enjoying watching you add to your amazing collection. Best regards, Tim, Your post has brought to my mind the nearly forgotten item shown in the attached pics that I had presented some months ago in the ''Fossil id'' forum and it was you the first who had said it's about a FISH GILL!!!. I check it out and it hasn't been added so far to my collection. So, here it is. The second pic indicates that another specimen is hidden under the revealed one!!!. That looks like my plate after finishing a meal at the Catfish Shack. Missourian, I see... And one ''after lunch'' this time fishy plate is on the way....... Interesting stuff, Astrinos, those scales are quite distinctive.. just cross your fingers, One day an ichthyologist will walk into your 'museum' and fill in a lot of blanks for you. And I dare say the promise of more rare and spectacular finds grows greater with everything you post. Eric, The confirmation of your sayings to date makes this one more important to me... Astrinos P. Damianakis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrangellian Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 That's what I'm talking about! If I found that I wouldn't know what it is except that it is fishy, and interesting enough to keep. Good thing you've got people like Tim to look at them. What would we do without the Forum? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astron Posted August 19, 2012 Author Share Posted August 19, 2012 That's what I'm talking about! If I found that I wouldn't know what it is except that it is fishy, and interesting enough to keep. Good thing you've got people like Tim to look at them. What would we do without the Forum? Absolutely right!!! I have been meaningfully helped many times by a big team of TFF members (including you of course) and this helpfulness is one of the reasons this place is great. That's (and not only) why I started my previous post that way and I have accessed this point and other times in the past!!! As for Tim, this is the recent comment on him by Kris (NiobraraFossilHunter): ''Could not have picked a better, more deservng person!...''. Is there anyone anywhere to disagree with this aspect??? Astrinos P. Damianakis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Dactyll Posted August 19, 2012 Share Posted August 19, 2012 astron... Very nice new additions to your splendid collection... What a very rich and diverse fossil collecting site you have there... Cheers Steve... And Welcome if your a New Member... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrangellian Posted August 19, 2012 Share Posted August 19, 2012 (edited) Absolutely right!!! I have been meaningfully helped many times by a big team of TFF members (including you of course) and this helpfulness is one of the reasons this place is great. That's (and not only) why I started my previous post that way and I have accessed this point and other times in the past!!! As for Tim, this is the recent comment on him by Kris (NiobraraFossilHunter): ''Could not have picked a better, more deservng person!...''. Is there anyone anywhere to disagree with this aspect??? Tim is always gracious, as are a number of other members.. but few have as much energy and enthusiasm as you do! I wish I had the energy and time to start a thread like yours, with my finds, but my photog. skills etc. make that difficult. At least I can rest assured that both helpers and 'helpees' are needed to make this place interesting, and I have played both roles. Anyway, I wont divert you from your show any longer, keep them coming! Edited August 19, 2012 by Wrangellian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astron Posted August 19, 2012 Author Share Posted August 19, 2012 Hello Steve, Eric and all! Thanks a lot for the nice comments , Steve I am glad you like them Agreed, Eric . Thanks again Just one item is going to close the current round of my fossils. It's about ''the after lunch fish plate'' I told Missourian yesterday or a fish mortality plate measuring 34 x 28 cm. This is the most difficult in prep thing I have handled during the 5 decades I am into fossils!!!. It was found on the 15th of July and until yesterday when the prep finished, I was devoting from one to four hours of work with it almost every day!!! One strong hit was enough to turn the slab as the first pic shows and to convince me that something more was hidden in the inside of the slab. The question was what should be the best way to uncover it avoiding damages. So, I decided to remove the 1,5 cm matrix over the fossil layer by grinding it with a sand parer. That was I did first untit some tips of the fossils had come up. After that it was the turn of my magnifying glass along with my sharpen knife, as in pics 2 - 4. They were taken yesterday in my ''laboratory'' a while before the end of the hole work and I have to thank George (my son in law) for these pics. It was a nice feeling as every piece of fossils was coming up. To be continued... Astrinos P. Damianakis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astron Posted August 19, 2012 Author Share Posted August 19, 2012 Attached is a high sized photo of the final result. I can distinguish on the 34 x 28 cm slab 6 vertebrae and a lot of fish bones, fins, scales... Though some (complete or disarticulated) spiral figures into this mess are puzzling me... Are these fishy material??? What could they be??? Thanks in advance for your help... Some in detail pics are to follow tomorrow. Astrinos P. Damianakis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted August 19, 2012 Share Posted August 19, 2012 Great find, and wonderful work! The odd items are "soft rays" that help support the fins (along with the spines). "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...
hitekmastr Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 Such exquisite fossils! These are artistic and look wonderful on display. This proves that all fossils, not just Jurassic dinosaur bones, are worth collecting, studying and preserving. These fossils reveal a lot about the habitats they represent - congratulations on a wonderful collection! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 Good work Astrinos! Love your "laboratory". Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astron Posted August 20, 2012 Author Share Posted August 20, 2012 Great find, and wonderful work! The odd items are "soft rays" that help support the fins (along with the spines). Perfect job, Chas!!! It's just one more confirmation of what we discussed here a while before about this unique place!!! Thanks a lot for the valuable help!!! Astrinos P. Damianakis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astron Posted August 20, 2012 Author Share Posted August 20, 2012 Such exquisite fossils! These are artistic and look wonderful on display. This proves that all fossils, not just Jurassic dinosaur bones, are worth collecting, studying and preserving. These fossils reveal a lot about the habitats they represent - congratulations on a wonderful collection! At first welcome to the Forum and thank you very much for the nice comments and for the correct observations. It's wonderful when nice people and new friends join us and enrich TFF!!! Your finds are very nice, as well, and especially your fern stuff is stunning!!! Astrinos P. Damianakis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astron Posted August 20, 2012 Author Share Posted August 20, 2012 (edited) Good work Astrinos! Love your "laboratory". Thanks, Roger! Me too Edited August 20, 2012 by astron Astrinos P. Damianakis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astron Posted August 20, 2012 Author Share Posted August 20, 2012 (edited) As I have promised, I am presenting a lot of details of my 34 x 28 cm fish mortality plate on this and on the next posts. I have to thank George (my son in law) for the total of the photos. At first an upper and a side view of the hole plate. Edited August 20, 2012 by astron Astrinos P. Damianakis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astron Posted August 20, 2012 Author Share Posted August 20, 2012 Here are 3 up close shots of the mess of fish bones with focus on the longer ones measuring up to 12 cm long. Astrinos P. Damianakis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astron Posted August 20, 2012 Author Share Posted August 20, 2012 Upper and both sides views of the first set of 3 vertebrae. Astrinos P. Damianakis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astron Posted August 20, 2012 Author Share Posted August 20, 2012 Upper and both sides views of the second set of 3 vertebrae. Astrinos P. Damianakis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missourian Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 Ok, seriously, that is a work of art. Context is critical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astron Posted August 20, 2012 Author Share Posted August 20, 2012 Thanks a lot Missourian for the honoring comment!!! Very kind of you!!! Some branched soft-rays are following. Astrinos P. Damianakis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 Ok, seriously, that is a work of art. Seriously! "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...
astron Posted August 20, 2012 Author Share Posted August 20, 2012 And finally 3 almost complete simple soft-rays. It's admirable how soft things are preserved that way... Astrinos P. Damianakis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astron Posted August 20, 2012 Author Share Posted August 20, 2012 Seriously! Thanks a lot, Chas!!! Your help was once more so important!!! Astrinos P. Damianakis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrangellian Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 One of your best so far. That's a lot of work... guess that's why I haven't gotten into prepping fossils yet... that and the cost But I wonder if your specimens like this one could benefit from a quick blast from an air abrasive unit, if you could ever get use of one, if only temporarily. Maybe someone more experienced with these could comment, but I'm wondering if blasting it with baking soda or whatever would remove that last coating of matrix that you are unable to get with your hand tools. Then you would have some truly museum-quality specimens. You would only do this on the fish bits if they are harder than the matrix, you wouldn't do it with your leaves/etc. of course. BTW I was also going to ask, do you know the exact age/stage of your formation? I know you said 'Middle Miocene' but I didn't catch a date or stage if it was mentioned - say Langhian or Serravallian, or say 12 or 14 million years? Just wondering if this has been pinned down yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astron Posted August 21, 2012 Author Share Posted August 21, 2012 (edited) Eric, You have always someting useful to observe -suggest. Actually, a use of an air abrasive unit could help mainly with the vertebrae small cavities, but not any chance me to reach one, even temporarily. The fossils in this case are harder than the matrix only if my hand tools are appropriately directed when smoothly approaching the bones surface. Otherwise the thin bones may broke as it happened twice at the last time of prep. Some days ago I started think '' That's it..'' and every next day I was saying ''Let's go ahead a little more...'' until the accidents occured. My heart came back to the original order only after I had the broken two bone pieces stuck back fully succesfully... After these I am fairly convinced that what I could do with this item, has already been done... Though, the other methods of matrix removal you have refered to will be useful in the future for sure. In what it concerns the exact age of my formation, as I conclude from the next parer (p. 432 - 433) and other relative ones, it's of the upper Tortonian to lower Messinian (at about 7-8 mya) http://gap.entclub.org/taxonomists/Dlussky/Polyrhachis,%20Miocene.pdf Thanks for your interest and help. Edited August 21, 2012 by astron Astrinos P. Damianakis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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