Auspex Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 After years of fantasizing, I have finally added a piece of an iconic genus of fossil bird to my collection. It is just a small piece, but it is perhaps the most identifiable piece short of the skull. This is the distal end of the right tarsometatarsus of an Hesperornithine, and research leads me to refer it to the species Hesperornis chowi (erected in 2002 by Martin and Lim). It was collected from the Lower Pierre Shale (Mid Campanian) in the south-west corner of South Dakota. There is not a lot of this material lying around; I am pretty happy to have acquired it . (Yes, the size is correct: this was a big bird!) "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...
squalicorax Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 Nice Bird. After going to field camp along the Missouri river in South Dakota for 10 total weeks now we have only come across one toe bone of this guy. So he must be rare. It was from the Sharon Springs Formation. Which is basal Pierre Shale Group, right above the Niobrara contact. NIce pickup! My Flickr Page of My Collection: http://www.flickr.com/photos/79424101@N00/sets Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 Beautiful addition to your collection, Chas. Congratulations! Regards, Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 __________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Siphuncle Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 glad to see you fill that critical void. Grüße, Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas "To the motivated go the spoils." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 Nice find, auspex. I imagine this piece is also from the Sharon Springs Member... the SharSpgs is the primary source of bones in the Pierre Shale, and it is esposed in the SW corner of SD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullsnake Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 Congratulations! I always know it's something exciting when you post! Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xiphactinus Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 congrats!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted June 25, 2012 Author Share Posted June 25, 2012 Thanks, everybody! I'm right chuffed about this acquisition. I've a couple other chunks that are "definite probable maybes", but this one's a "yup!" Just researching the stratigraphy of the site has been a blast; Sharon Springs is what I'd come up with, and I'm glad for the confirmation. "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...
squalicorax Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 The Pierre Shale in South Dakota has been upgraded to a group by James Martin etal pretty recently. Hesperornis was a really cool bird. Not sure how it survived with all those monsters with teeth in the seas. My Flickr Page of My Collection: http://www.flickr.com/photos/79424101@N00/sets Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosmoceras Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 An exquisite piece. Congratulations Chas! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramo Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 Nice piece. (One of the things I'm always looking for, and yet to find, when in the chalk) Ramo For one species to mourn the death of another is a new thing under the sun. -Aldo Leopold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TMNH Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 Wow! I don't think I've ever seen any Hesperoris material before...it seems like rare stuff! What a great addition to your collection...congrats! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolmt Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 Very nice indeed, Why is so much of the good stuff out in the Western USA................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astron Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 Congratulations, Chas, on this excellent acquisition and on the confirmation of the id!!! All of us know that sometimes the id of a fossil is far more difficult than finding or acquiring it and I have well tasted the feelings when I have a chance of an id confirmation... I am glad it has happened many times here in TFF. Astrinos P. Damianakis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted June 28, 2012 Author Share Posted June 28, 2012 Congratulations, Chas, on this excellent acquisition and on the confirmation of the id!!! All of us know that sometimes the id of a fossil is far more difficult than finding or acquiring it and I have well tasted the feelings when I have a chance of an id confirmation... I am glad it has happened many times here in TFF. Thanks! The path to refining an identification is made of stepping stones, and leads through many fascinating details about the creature, it's environment, and the times in which it lived; this, for me, is the best part of collecting! "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...
Sinopaleus Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 Wow, Hesperornis!! Amazing find!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missourian Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 Great snag. I'm sure I stepped over one while scambling over the chalk.... Context is critical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boesse Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 Nice find! I thought I'd mention that just down the hall from my office, a composite skeleton of one of those giant penguins is on display. You'd love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brendenfinder Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 The bird is the word...but seriously thats a huge bird! Go find the rest of it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted June 28, 2012 Author Share Posted June 28, 2012 Nice find! I thought I'd mention that just down the hall from my office, a composite skeleton of one of those giant penguins is on display. You'd love it. Your office in Duneden? Any chance for a picture? "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...
Auspex Posted June 28, 2012 Author Share Posted June 28, 2012 The bird is the word...but seriously thats a huge bird! Go find the rest of it The collecting crew has its orders: dead or alive! "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...
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