dinodigger Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 Hi guys, Just wanted to post a pic of an Eocene Swordfish rostrum we collected a while back; what a wonderful creature. Many of the Texas eocene formations contain Cylindricanthus elements, but finding anything articulated is rare. It was definitely a highlight for us and the work we're doing on the Eocene. It seems deepwater predatory fish are extremely uncommon in the Stone City formation of East Texas. Most of the Cylindricanthus specimens we collected over the years appear to be juveniles or relatively small individuals. Prep time included lots of needlework to reduce a gypsum coat on the exterior. The iron coating on the tip is interesting also. Hope you enjoy, Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 Great work on an amazing find, Chris. The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true. - JJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AgrilusHunter Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 (edited) Wow! What amazing prep work. Fantastic fossil, thanks for giving us a chance to see it. Edited September 19, 2012 by AgrilusHunter "They ... savoured the strange warm glow of being much more ignorant than ordinary people, who were only ignorant of ordinary things." -- Terry Pratchett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 That much of a Cylindricanthus rostrum is an extremely rare find: WTG! "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...
Xiphactinus Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 Now THAT's what they look like! I have a bunch of little pieces from Andalusia, AL and was having trouble imagining the entire fossil. That's really neat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixgill pete Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 Awesome Bulldozers and dirt Bulldozers and dirt behind the trailer, my desert Them red clay piles are heaven on earth I get my rocks off, bulldozers and dirt Patterson Hood; Drive-By Truckers May 2016 May 2012 Aug 2013, May 2016, Apr 2020 Oct 2022 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mzkleen Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 Awesome fossil!! Great job on the prep work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 It seems deepwater predatory fish are extremely uncommon in the Stone City formation of East Texas. Nice find. That is a big one. Do we know that cylindracanthus was a predatory fish? I haven't been able to find much information on them. I would like to see a complete skull. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtdauber Posted September 21, 2012 Share Posted September 21, 2012 Great specimen and prep, Chris. But, is this a 'rostrum' or a 'spine'? I've collected many pieces of these at Pt. "A" Dam in AL along with sawfish rostrals (P. lathami). Thanks. George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
masonboro37 Posted September 21, 2012 Share Posted September 21, 2012 That is awesome! I have only found small sections previously and I am so pleased you shared your find. Process of identification "mistakes create wisdom". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Pristis Posted September 21, 2012 Share Posted September 21, 2012 That is awesome! I have only found small sections previously and I am so pleased you shared your find. It's nice to see a complete rostrum. These sections erode out of the Late Eocene Ocala Limestone here in Florida. Here's a sample of those: http://pristis.wix.com/the-demijohn-page What seest thou else In the dark backward and abysm of time? ---Shakespeare, The Tempest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dinodigger Posted September 21, 2012 Author Share Posted September 21, 2012 It's nice to see a complete rostrum. These sections erode out of the Late Eocene Ocala Limestone here in Florida. Here's a sample of those: Thanks for the post; Nice photo of the rostral fragments. We get so many of the fragments as well, and it was a nice surprise to finally get an articulated one. Stenzel collected a complete specimen from Texas Eocene as well back in the 1930's as he was writing up the strat and geology for the Stone City formation. The specimen is housed at UT Austin; I went out to do some work with their Eocene collections last year and took a measurement. It is almost identical to this rostrum, in length and width. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dinodigger Posted September 21, 2012 Author Share Posted September 21, 2012 Great work on an amazing find, Chris. Thanks John, good to hear from you. Hope you are behaving out there on the outcrops. CF 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted September 21, 2012 Share Posted September 21, 2012 (edited) Here's a comment on the classification of Cylindracanthus. More likely a sturgeon than a billfish: A perplexing taxon, Cylindracanthus is not known from any material other than rostra. Although Cylindracanthus has traditionally been classified among extinct scombroid billfishes (FIERSTINE 2006), some authors are skeptical of this assignment to the point of doubting its identity as a teleost or even a fish (MONSCH 2004). Based on anatomical evidence from the teeth and on the posterior insertions of the rostrum, PARRIS & GRANDSTAFF (2001) concluded that Cylindracanthus is a primitive actinopterygian of the order Acipenseriformes (sturgeons and paddlefish). from: Stevens et al. 2011. Paleocene ichthyofauna and paleoenvironmental setting, Imo Formation, southeastern Nigeria N. Jb. Geol. Palaont. Abh. 260/3, 289-296 Edited September 21, 2012 by Auspex 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dinodigger Posted September 22, 2012 Author Share Posted September 22, 2012 Here's a comment on the classification of Cylindracanthus. More likely a sturgeon than a billfish: A perplexing taxon, Cylindracanthus is not known from any material other than rostra. Although Cylindracanthus has traditionally been classified among extinct scombroid billfishes (FIERSTINE 2006), some authors are skeptical of this assignment to the point of doubting its identity as a teleost or even a fish (MONSCH 2004). Based on anatomical evidence from the teeth and on the posterior insertions of the rostrum, PARRIS & GRANDSTAFF (2001) concluded that Cylindracanthus is a primitive actinopterygian of the order Acipenseriformes (sturgeons and paddlefish). from: Stevens et al. 2011. Paleocene ichthyofauna and paleoenvironmental setting, Imo Formation, southeastern Nigeria N. Jb. Geol. Palaont. Abh. 260/3, 289-296 This is a great paper; that theory has definitely been passed around the office a few times. This guy is definitely a strange one who's identity is without argue, extremely elusive. Thanks! Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Posted September 26, 2012 Share Posted September 26, 2012 Cripes... What a find. Well done! Now go out there and find the REST of that fish!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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