MarcoSr Posted October 1, 2013 Share Posted October 1, 2013 (edited) I collected these specimens from matrix from the Paleocene Aquia Formation Zone 4 of Virginia. The matrix was sand based and broke down very easily by washing it in a .4mm sieve using a water hose. I found a large number of fish fossils including several jaws, numerous teeth, fin spines and vertebrae. I also found shark teeth, a shark fin spine and multiple shark vertebrae and numerous ray teeth. I also found some specimens that I still need id help with. I’m posting the nicer and more unusual micros which I found. If you place your cursor on a JPEG image you will see the file name which will have the specimen id as best that I can determine and the specimen size. If you can identify the specimens further please do so. Each matrix that I search makes me more of an avid micro tooth collector. If anyone has or can collect good matrix with shark, ray, and fish micros please send me a PM. Below are some of the shark teeth, a shark fin spine and a shark vertebra which I found in the matrix: Continued in the next reply. Marco Sr. Edited October 22, 2015 by MarcoSr 2 "Any day that you can fossil hunt is a great day." My family fossil website Some Of My Shark, Ray, Fish And Other Micros My Extant Shark Jaw Collection Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcoSr Posted October 1, 2013 Author Share Posted October 1, 2013 (edited) Shark specimens continued: Below are some of the ray teeth which I found in the matrix: Below are two fish jaws, some of the fish teeth and several fish vertebrae which I found: Continued in the next reply. Marco Sr. Edited October 1, 2013 by MarcoSr 1 "Any day that you can fossil hunt is a great day." My family fossil website Some Of My Shark, Ray, Fish And Other Micros My Extant Shark Jaw Collection Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcoSr Posted October 1, 2013 Author Share Posted October 1, 2013 (edited) Below are some specimens that I still need id help with. I found almost 80 of these. I posted these same specimens earlier in an id post. I was informed from that post that they are not Ostracodes or Foraminifers and may be plant/algae fruits/seeds. The below specimens all have the same surface pattern, ridges and all have a uniform opening. Marco Sr. Edited October 1, 2013 by MarcoSr "Any day that you can fossil hunt is a great day." My family fossil website Some Of My Shark, Ray, Fish And Other Micros My Extant Shark Jaw Collection Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowsharks Posted October 1, 2013 Share Posted October 1, 2013 My favorite is the Pachygaleus lefevrei symphyseal looking tooth. That odd/patho looking squalus is neat too. Do you find any Otoliths in that matrix? Daryl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obsessed1 Posted October 1, 2013 Share Posted October 1, 2013 Excellent specimens! I have always been fond of the squalus. How much material did you go through to find that many nice teeth? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcoSr Posted October 1, 2013 Author Share Posted October 1, 2013 My favorite is the Pachygaleus lefevrei symphyseal looking tooth. That odd/patho looking squalus is neat too. Do you find any Otoliths in that matrix? Daryl. Daryl That odd squalus is my favorite. No Otoliths. I was hoping for some especially with all the fish teeth and vertebrae in the matrix. Marco Sr. "Any day that you can fossil hunt is a great day." My family fossil website Some Of My Shark, Ray, Fish And Other Micros My Extant Shark Jaw Collection Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcoSr Posted October 1, 2013 Author Share Posted October 1, 2013 Excellent specimens! I have always been fond of the squalus. How much material did you go through to find that many nice teeth? Mel and I partially washed down about 3 wheelbarrows of raw matrix at the site. We brought out three 5 gallon buckets. At home I washed the matrix really well and sifted out the larger material (shells) using a 1/4 inch sift. There wasn't anything in the larger material. I wound up with around five gallons of matrix to search that was shell fragments and fossils. I probably found over a thousand shark, ray and fish fossils. Marco Sr. "Any day that you can fossil hunt is a great day." My family fossil website Some Of My Shark, Ray, Fish And Other Micros My Extant Shark Jaw Collection Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Hamilton Posted October 1, 2013 Share Posted October 1, 2013 Great finds as always Marco! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridgehiker Posted October 1, 2013 Share Posted October 1, 2013 Super stuff. Really enjoy these. Easy to get excited with each scoop of material under the microscope. Who knows what little beastie might there. Is this a marine/ freshwater transitional zone? Just a note...none of the info shows for me on my IPad. If anyone has more experience on an IPad, is there a way of seeing the info on each image? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted October 1, 2013 Share Posted October 1, 2013 ...none of the info shows for me on my IPad. If anyone has more experience on an IPad, is there a way of seeing the info on each image? Is your Flash Player up to date? "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...
MarcoSr Posted October 2, 2013 Author Share Posted October 2, 2013 Is this a marine/ freshwater transitional zone? The depositional environment was a near shore (one to ten miles offshore) shallow marine zone. Marco Sr. "Any day that you can fossil hunt is a great day." My family fossil website Some Of My Shark, Ray, Fish And Other Micros My Extant Shark Jaw Collection Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plax Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 Below are some specimens that I still need id help with. I found almost 80 of these. I posted these same specimens earlier in an id post. I was informed from that post that they are not Ostracodes or Foraminifers and may be plant/algae fruits/seeds. Unknown1 2.5mm.jpgUnknown2 4mm.jpgUnknown3 3mm.jpgUnknown4 3mm.jpg The below specimens all have the same surface pattern, ridges and all have a uniform opening. Unknown5 2mm.jpgUnknown6 2mm.jpgUnknown7 2mm.jpgUnknown8 1.5mm.jpg Marco Sr. The hollow ones have an echinoderm look about them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcoSr Posted October 2, 2013 Author Share Posted October 2, 2013 The hollow ones have an echinoderm look about them I've been looking at a lot of images of fossil echinoderms on the web but can't find a close match but that's probably because I'm mostly seeing just star fish, sea urchins, sand dollars etc. Can you point to any images that might be close? Marco Sr. "Any day that you can fossil hunt is a great day." My family fossil website Some Of My Shark, Ray, Fish And Other Micros My Extant Shark Jaw Collection Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gizmo Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 Great Post and Pics! - G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyersfan805 Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 Very nice Macro, I love the photo's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katfish61 Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 These are some great finds and good job on the photos. I am working on a couple of buckets brought back from the creek. I stay up way too late working on going through it with a strong pair of glasses and a headlamp. YES.....My name is Kathy and I am addicted to micros. Kathy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MakoMeCrazy Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 Sweet micros. Really nice photos! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plax Posted October 10, 2013 Share Posted October 10, 2013 I've been looking at a lot of images of fossil echinoderms on the web but can't find a close match but that's probably because I'm mostly seeing just star fish, sea urchins, sand dollars etc. Can you point to any images that might be close? Marco Sr. am thinking comatulids, microcrinoids? no pics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcoSr Posted October 10, 2013 Author Share Posted October 10, 2013 am thinking comatulids, microcrinoids? no pics I didn't realize that crinoids survived to modern times with both the sea lilies and the feather stars until I just did some web research. So they were definitely in the Paleocene. Almost everything I see on sea lilies and feather stars on the web are photos or drawings of complete modern specimens. Hopefully someone here on TFF has access to some pictures of feather star (comatulid) fossils and can post them or a link so we can compare them to my specimens. Marco Sr. "Any day that you can fossil hunt is a great day." My family fossil website Some Of My Shark, Ray, Fish And Other Micros My Extant Shark Jaw Collection Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcbshark Posted October 10, 2013 Share Posted October 10, 2013 Very nice specimens Marco sr, awesome variety Every once in a great while it's not just a big rock down there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otodusobliquus Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 Wow! Those are some great finds! That pathological Squalus is pretty cool. ( I am very jealous!!!!!!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcoSr Posted October 28, 2015 Author Share Posted October 28, 2015 Wow! Those are some great finds! That pathological Squalus is pretty cool. ( I am very jealous!!!!!!) The Squalus isn't really pathological. The heavily serrate Squalus from the Aquia Formation have features which are different from the described Squalus minor or Megasqualus orpiensis. In my opinion, the Squalus from the Aquia Formation need to be reevaluated as I don't feel that they are currently accurately described. Marco Sr. "Any day that you can fossil hunt is a great day." My family fossil website Some Of My Shark, Ray, Fish And Other Micros My Extant Shark Jaw Collection Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otodusobliquus Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 The entire formation needs to be reevaluated and studied. Who knows how many undescribed species are still undiscovered. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted November 1, 2015 Share Posted November 1, 2015 The Squalus isn't really pathological. The heavily serrate Squalus from the Aquia Formation have features which are different from the described Squalus minor or Megasqualus orpiensis. In my opinion, the Squalus from the Aquia Formation need to be reevaluated as I don't feel that they are currently accurately described. Marco Sr. I have a heavily serrated Squalus from the Aquia. I picked this out of a bucket of pure formation. Very few teeth but this was a nice find. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otodusobliquus Posted November 1, 2015 Share Posted November 1, 2015 That is an amazing tooth! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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