Uncle Siphuncle Posted October 8, 2008 Share Posted October 8, 2008 ? for the FL Boys I landed at Tampa at midnight last night, drove 2 hours north, and started collecting the Inglis fm around 3 a.m. using my flashlight. Hunted till just before dawn, slept a couple hours, got back up and hunted some more, then changed sites and hunted still more. Body count by noon was 365 echies and sand dollars, well over 300 of them being perfect. I think I got Eutapagus, Oligopygus(?), Fibularia, Durhamella(?), and possibly others. This is my all time high count on one day's take of echinoderms, and now my lifetime supply from this formation is in hand. How do you FL Boys prep these things? Some are nearly free of matrix, but as for the others, should I scribe away what I can and then do some sort of chemical bath and scrub? Looking forward to y'all's expert guidance and tutelage. Grüße, Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas "To the motivated go the spoils." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawkeye Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 ? for the FL BoysI landed at Tampa at midnight last night, drove 2 hours north, and started collecting the Inglis fm around 3 a.m. using my flashlight. Hunted till just before dawn, slept a couple hours, got back up and hunted some more, then changed sites and hunted still more. Body count by noon was 365 echies and sand dollars, well over 300 of them being perfect. I think I got Eutapagus, Oligopygus(?), Fibularia, Durhamella(?), and possibly others. This is my all time high count on one day's take of echinoderms, and now my lifetime supply from this formation is in hand. How do you FL Boys prep these things? Some are nearly free of matrix, but as for the others, should I scribe away what I can and then do some sort of chemical bath and scrub? Looking forward to y'all's expert guidance and tutelage. Sounds like a great haul, how about some pics? If you believe everything you read, perhaps it's time for you to stop reading... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Siphuncle Posted October 9, 2008 Author Share Posted October 9, 2008 I had to pack light so I didn't take a camera. I'll need to get them cleaned up before I shoot images. In the meantime I'll need to see how many I can stuff in my suit case and still keep the weight under 50 LB. I suppose I'll need to hand carry the balance. It may take me a couple weeks to prep these things. In the meantime, keep in mind that the big ones will look just like the killer Eutapagus shown in the rotating images nex to the logo. Grüße, Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas "To the motivated go the spoils." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bmorefossil Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 very cool, cant wait to see the pictures Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 Neither can I! I think on the FL page, we ought to start up a (sort-of) database where users can post pictures of different types of fossils found here in creeks, rivers, limestone, etc.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hogtownfossil Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 ? for the FL BoysHow do you FL Boys prep these things? Some are nearly free of matrix, but as for the others, should I scribe away what I can and then do some sort of chemical bath and scrub? Looking forward to y'all's expert guidance and tutelage. Nice Haul, guess you wouldn't want to disclose the exact location? Anyway, the best and cheapest way to clean off the excess limestone is with a vinegar solution. If it is real soft limestone dilute the vinegar down, if it is rocklike go with the straight stuff. Don't soak them for too long or they will dissolve away, soak-scrub-soak-scrub... tilll they are nice and pretty, then let them sit in pure water for a while to stop the chemical reaction(or until the vinegar smell is vary faint). Have fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jax Posted October 11, 2008 Share Posted October 11, 2008 I had to pack light so I didn't take a camera. I'll need to get them cleaned up before I shoot images. In the meantime I'll need to see how many I can stuff in my suit case and still keep the weight under 50 LB. I suppose I'll need to hand carry the balance. It may take me a couple weeks to prep these things. In the meantime, keep in mind that the big ones will look just like the killer Eutapagus shown in the rotating images nex to the logo. If you cant fit everything, feel free to ship them to me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Siphuncle Posted October 19, 2008 Author Share Posted October 19, 2008 I'm not yet done prepping all the micros, but here are the Eutapagus antillarum in their entirety. Dealing with squashed Texas Macrasters all the time, I couldn't believe the size, abundance, and preservation of these things. Certainly one of my best flashlight hunts ever! Grüße, Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas "To the motivated go the spoils." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawkeye Posted October 19, 2008 Share Posted October 19, 2008 Wow, those are fantastic! I can't wait to see the rest of them. If you believe everything you read, perhaps it's time for you to stop reading... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jax Posted October 19, 2008 Share Posted October 19, 2008 WOW, those are nice. I think next time I go to FL to visit the Grandparents, Im gonna have to do some looking around. They live close to where you were hunting, maybe a little farther south. Did you get a chance to test the waters of the Peace river? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted October 19, 2008 Share Posted October 19, 2008 Nice detail on those. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gatorman Posted October 19, 2008 Share Posted October 19, 2008 Wow dan you gotta tell me where you found those I dont have a good echinoid spot around here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommabetts Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 Wow, those are the best I have seen in a long time, great finds!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schizaster Posted October 21, 2008 Share Posted October 21, 2008 Eupatagus antillarum is probably the most common echinoid in the Southeast. They are very commonly found in large amounts, often with very good preservation. The main reason this species doesn't get crushed is the unusually thick test this genus is known for. Most spatangoids (heart urchins) are quite fragile, due to their thin test. If you're lucky you were able to find two small (almost round) spatangoids: Schizaster ocalanus and Agassizia clevei. These are probably in your yet to clean "micros" if at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oh-Man Posted October 21, 2008 Share Posted October 21, 2008 Cool stuff Dan - although I think I want to go visit JAX's g-parents over the holidays... The Pease River sounds good! What is geology? "Rocks for Jocks!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 The Echinoid Whisperer strikes again! "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...
Guest bmorefossil Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 wow awsome!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lonewuff Posted May 13, 2013 Share Posted May 13, 2013 Nice haul. Just got in from that site with a load myself. Vinegar works great if you haven't gotten an answer to that 5 year old question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foshunter Posted May 14, 2013 Share Posted May 14, 2013 Dan I hope you left a few seed so more would grow, just kidding, that is a haul but they are in abundance in some places. I clean with an engraver, the pin layiing flat on the specimen to shatter the limestone and a Dremel fitted with a wire brush to gently remove a fine layer until the matrix is removed----Tom Grow Old Kicking And Screaming !!"Don't Tread On Me" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Siphuncle Posted May 14, 2013 Author Share Posted May 14, 2013 holy smokes, what an ancient post! that was a fun leg of the trip, the fun tempered by a more somber reason for travel - grandpa woehr's funeral. he was an outdoorsman and very practical steward of finances, so i'm sure he would have applauded me for arriving early and sampling a bit of florida's outdoors. Grüße, Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas "To the motivated go the spoils." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Siphuncle Posted May 14, 2013 Author Share Posted May 14, 2013 and it was interesting to scroll through and see some equally ancient forum member names! makes me wonder what happened to some of these guys. Grüße, Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas "To the motivated go the spoils." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squalicorax Posted May 14, 2013 Share Posted May 14, 2013 Did you find any regular urchins there dan? Ive only seen one large one come from there. My Flickr Page of My Collection: http://www.flickr.com/photos/79424101@N00/sets Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Siphuncle Posted May 14, 2013 Author Share Posted May 14, 2013 no regulars, although i'm always happy to encounter them. i collected south carolina eocene last saturday, a crazy day of 2 quarries, hooking up with a good friend, 11 hours solo driving, 11 hours of full tilt collecting, all on 2 hrs sleep after flying into atlanta, made possible by 2 appropriately spaced bottles of 5 Hour Energy...end result was a holy snot pile of killer shark teeth, 4-5 species of crabs, and a half dozen species of echs, incl 2 regulars (one being partial). all to be featured in my may report. Grüße, Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas "To the motivated go the spoils." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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