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A Cretan Fossils Collection


astron

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Hi Astrinos,

The difference in the head length is apparent but is it possible that the snout is only partially preserved in your specimen?

You might try emailing the author of the paper to help determine the genus you found and or other possible genera for Crete.

Hi Scott,

It's truth that this aspect came to mind, but the nice preservation of the bony parts of the hole fish didn't leave this window open...

Thanks a lot for the suggestion and for the help with it... ;):)

Edited by astron

Astrinos P. Damianakis

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Hello all.

I have just received the answer to my question with this fish of the Paleontologist (specialized on fish) A. Agathaggelou.

Based on my photo, he estimates it's of the order Signathiformes, family Centriscidae and genus Aeoliscus sp. and for the further determination of the species it belongs to (described or undescribed) an in person examination is required. Thus, when any more news I'll keep you updated.

Thanks very much everyone for the help with it ;):)

Astrinos P. Damianakis

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Hello all.

I have just received the answer to my question with this fish of the Paleontologist (specialized on fish) A. Agathaggelou.

Based on my photo, he estimates it's of the order Signathiformes, family Centriscidae and genus Aeoliscus sp. and for the further determination of the species it belongs to (described or undescribed) an in person examination is required. Thus, when any more news I'll keep you updated.

Thanks very much everyone for the help with it ;):)

Thank you for the update, Astrinos! I'm glad to have been of some assistance. :)

I think it is only a matter of time before you are a fish expert!

Warm regards,

    Tim    -  VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

   MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png      PaleoPartner.png.30c01982e09b0cc0b7d9d6a7a21f56c6.png.a600039856933851eeea617ca3f2d15f.png     Postmaster1.jpg.900efa599049929531fa81981f028e24.jpg    VFOTM.png.f1b09c78bf88298b009b0da14ef44cf0.png  VFOTM  --- APRIL - 2015  

__________________________________________________
"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."

John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~   ><))))( *>  About Me      

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Astrinos... More rare fossils of scientific interest... Your already an expert fossil finder & prepper... the rest will come naturally... You learn as you find ... (or I do anyway) :)

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

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Tim and Steve,

Thank you very much for the nice comments!

Thanks to you and to other important TFF members, aswell, I have learnt a lot here, but I feel I am still in the beginning... Otherwise, I am still too young to be knowledgeable... :P

Moreover, Tim, you were the first to say the genus of that fish... :)

Astrinos P. Damianakis

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Hello all.

I have some pleasant to me things to share...

At first, as I have already quoted, there is no paleontologist in the University of Crete and in the N.H.Museum of Crete. And this because the temporary academic chair of the UOC was abrogated due to the financial crisis !!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, it was in my big pleasant surprise a few weeks ago when I was informed by the former paleontologist of the UOC (and now of Patras) Dr. G. Iliopoulos, that the paleobotanist (and former his student) Mr. G.Zidianakis stays permanently in my city of Heraklion!!!!!!!!

Self evident, I was in contact with him immediately and I was informed that he is working in the Plantation Service (the recent plantation of coure!!!!!!!!!!) of a Municipality close to our one and that he is now preparing his doctorate concerning the fossil plants of Messara basin, that includes and my hunting area!!!!!!!!! Fantastic!!!!!!!!!! The only bad is that until Dec. 2013, when the work with his doctorate ends, his time is very compressed and thus our cooperation is not possible to be so extensive as I wished to... No matter though, he is a very good scientist and a nice and helpful person and I am glad I have known him and for our upcoming cooperation...

Our next step was he to visit me in my home, he was satisfied with my collection and his attention was firstly caught by five plant fossils that are very rare, important and they are the first of my finds he is going to include in his doctorate . I gave them him to examine them and to confirm his first estimation and after it was done my proposal was these fossils to be donated to the UOC and to the Natural History Museum of Crete.

A meeting with Dr. C. Fassoulas, geologist of the UOC was arranged, we went togerther to the UOC last Friday when the donation was done and thus these fossils will be of the first plant exhibits as soon as the fossil plants section of the Natural History Museum operates... Necessary to clarify that where parts and counterparts were found, only the parts of the fossls were donated, becouse I have promised a series of my collection to the Cultural Association of my village of Panasos, as well, when a local museum is established there.

The mentioned fossils are following on this and on the next post. At this stage, the family of the fossil plants is known and Mr. Zidianakis is continuing his researches on them in cooperation with known European paleobotanists in order the genus and the species to be exactly determined.

Here are the first two items beloning to the palm family of Arecaceae. Just a very few finds of this sort were found sofar in my island and these two are of a higher importance.

The first one (first pic) has already been presented in my collection a long before.

The second is the recently found and participating to the FOTM contest 34 x 17 cm leaf in 3 pics (before the prep and part and counterpart after the prep).

post-4345-0-17504400-1350944065_thumb.jpg

post-4345-0-97704200-1350944075_thumb.jpg

post-4345-0-89769400-1350944090_thumb.jpg

post-4345-0-95543700-1350944105_thumb.jpg

Astrinos P. Damianakis

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And here are the rest 3 items belonging to the cycad family of Zamiaceae.

The first two (one pic each) are leaves already presented in my collection, but their id is now being cleared out. They are the first finds of this kind in my island, just one leaf of this family has been found so far in Greece (Encephalartos sp. in kimi) and speaking of the Miocene epoch, they are the first in Europe to date.

The third one (two pics) is a recently found about 15 cm long cone, the first ever found in my island, as well.

When any more news on these finds, I'll keep you updated.

post-4345-0-40935500-1350945276_thumb.jpg

post-4345-0-26351400-1350945295_thumb.jpg

post-4345-0-48992100-1350945311_thumb.jpg

post-4345-0-75155000-1350945323_thumb.jpg

Edited by astron

Astrinos P. Damianakis

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It's nice that your finds can help fill in the paleogeographic map a bit.

Context is critical.

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Congratulations Astrinos! :fistbump::goodjob:

Well done, indeed!

Best regards,

    Tim    -  VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

   MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png      PaleoPartner.png.30c01982e09b0cc0b7d9d6a7a21f56c6.png.a600039856933851eeea617ca3f2d15f.png     Postmaster1.jpg.900efa599049929531fa81981f028e24.jpg    VFOTM.png.f1b09c78bf88298b009b0da14ef44cf0.png  VFOTM  --- APRIL - 2015  

__________________________________________________
"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."

John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~   ><))))( *>  About Me      

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This is wonderful news! Congratulations, Astrinos, on your tremendous accomplishment :goodjob:

"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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Roz, Missourian, Tim, Chas,

Thank you for the nice comments ;):)

I am satisfied with these evolutions and I am looking forward to the very interesting end of the story with these 5 fossils...

Astrinos P. Damianakis

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Hi,

Congrats Astrinos ! I think that you are going to become a great actor of the paleontology of your region :fistbump:

Coco

----------------------
OUTIL POUR MESURER VOS FOSSILES : ici

Ma bibliothèque PDF 1 (Poissons et sélaciens récents & fossiles) : ici
Ma bibliothèque PDF 2 (Animaux vivants - sans poissons ni sélaciens) : ici
Mâchoires sélaciennes récentes : ici
Hétérodontiques et sélaciens : ici
Oeufs sélaciens récents : ici
Otolithes de poissons récents ! ici

Un Greg...

Badges-IPFOTH.jpg.f4a8635cda47a3cc506743a8aabce700.jpg Badges-MOTM.jpg.461001e1a9db5dc29ca1c07a041a1a86.jpg

 

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Hi,

Congrats Astrinos ! I think that you are going to become a great actor of the paleontology of your region :fistbump:

Coco

Thank you very much, Coco, for the nice comment ;) I think it's too early yet, though!!! Maybe a (big) bunch of years later... :D

Off the record... This answer to you fills up the 1000 replies to this topic. I don't know if it is good or bad but it's possibly a record???

Astrinos P. Damianakis

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Astrinos.... fabulous news... Maybe you could arrange a joint collecting trip... I guess the experts would really like to find their own fossils to ;)

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

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Gus and Steve,

Thank you very much!

Yes, Steve, I and Mr. Zidianakis have agreed to make a joint trip and I am expecting his notification for the date it's possible to him. It's going to be a nice experience, anyway!!!

Astrinos P. Damianakis

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  • 1 month later...

Hello all!

Came back after a while...

There are some new finds in pending and their presentation starts with a little not impressive in appearance but important fossil plant that was found two weeks ago in my hunting area (late miocene Crete island, Greece - about 8 mya) with the prep finished today.

According to the paleobotanist G. Zidianakis, it's about a chamaerops cf humilis partial leaf, and for farther determination of the exact id (if it belongs to a known or to an undescribed species) more research on it is required and that is what follows.

This is the second Mediterranean Dwarf Palm sample I have found after the first one more than a year before that Prof. Retallak of the University of Oregon had identified as an undescribed chamaerops cf humilis species. I have to thank very much so Scott (Piranha) as Prof. Retallak for this identification.

Noteworthy that chamaerops sp. fossils are extremely rare. Just four fossils had been found so far in my country (in Santorini island), they belong to the Museum of the University of Athens and these are too much younger (of the late pleistocene epoch - some 60.000 years ago).

Three pics are following:

1.The fossil (part and counterpart),

2.A recent chamaerops humilis leaf and

3.The fossil close to the recent leaf after I had it appropriately cut for comparison.

post-4345-0-27898500-1354393010_thumb.jpg

post-4345-0-13857000-1354393025_thumb.jpg

post-4345-0-48091300-1354393041_thumb.jpg

Astrinos P. Damianakis

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This is an excellent presentation! Congratulations on your rare find, and thank you for the terrific display here :)

"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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This is an excellent presentation! Congratulations on your rare find, and thank you for the terrific display here :)

Thank you very much, Chas :)

In my surprise, I found yesterday one more sample of this palm in a 5 m distance, that looks to me identical to the above one!!!

Here are pics before and after the short prep...

post-4345-0-21816700-1354532776_thumb.jpg

post-4345-0-37956500-1354532793_thumb.jpg

Edited by astron

Astrinos P. Damianakis

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These are beautiful, Astrinos! :)

I especially like the comparison shot with the recent relative.

I am always intrigued by your artistic sensibilities in preparing your fossils for display.

Well done, my friend.

Regards,

    Tim    -  VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

   MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png      PaleoPartner.png.30c01982e09b0cc0b7d9d6a7a21f56c6.png.a600039856933851eeea617ca3f2d15f.png     Postmaster1.jpg.900efa599049929531fa81981f028e24.jpg    VFOTM.png.f1b09c78bf88298b009b0da14ef44cf0.png  VFOTM  --- APRIL - 2015  

__________________________________________________
"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."

John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~   ><))))( *>  About Me      

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Hello all!

Came back after a while...

There are some new finds in pending and their presentation starts with a little not impressive in appearance but important fossil plant that was found two weeks ago in my hunting area (late miocene Crete island, Greece - about 8 mya) with the prep finished today.

According to the paleobotanist G. Zidianakis, it's about a chamaerops cf humilis partial leaf, and for farther determination of the exact id (if it belongs to a known or to an undescribed species) more research on it is required and that is what follows.

This is the second Mediterranean Dwarf Palm sample I have found after the first one more than a year before that Prof. Retallak of the University of Oregon had identified as an undescribed chamaerops cf humilis species. I have to thank very much so Scott (Piranha) as Prof. Retallak for this identification.

Noteworthy that chamaerops sp. fossils are extremely rare. Just four fossils had been found so far in my country (in Santorini island), they belong to the Museum of the University of Athens and these are too much younger (of the late pleistocene epoch - some 60.000 years ago).

Three pics are following:

1.The fossil (part and counterpart),

2.A recent chamaerops humilis leaf and

3.The fossil close to the recent leaf after I had it appropriately cut for comparison.

Woah!! :o A very rare situation of living and fossilized comparison! Congrats on the awesome find Astrinos!! :) :thumbsup: ;)

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Hello all.

I have just received the answer to my question with this fish of the Paleontologist (specialized on fish) A. Agathaggelou.

Based on my photo, he estimates it's of the order Signathiformes, family Centriscidae and genus Aeoliscus sp. and for the further determination of the species it belongs to (described or undescribed) an in person examination is required. Thus, when any more news I'll keep you updated.

Thanks very much everyone for the help with it ;):)

Looks like a new species to me! :o Please do keep me posted Astrinos!! ;)

Edited by Sinopaleus
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Asrinos.... Great finds and fabulous prepwork.... I think the poss/negs display awsome that way....

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

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