Stonebone Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 Got back from a week vacation in Tucson yesterday. Daily highs in the mid seventies to low eighties. Got up this morning with the thermometer finally reaching 38 degrees at about 11:00. I decided to go see if I could find a shark tooth in the upper Greenhorn here in Kansas. I didn't find any sharks teeth, but I did find these items just under the fence post layer in a concretion. I took the pictures in my basement with my iPad, so they aren't the best. Plesiosaur paddle and verts maybe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulgdls Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 (edited) I'll say it is and it's a major find. Looks more like pliosaur to me and very big. You'd better go back and make sure you've got it all. thanks for posting Paul Edited March 24, 2014 by paulgdls Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stonebone Posted March 25, 2014 Author Share Posted March 25, 2014 Thanks Paul. Definitely going back and checking for more. I will post more pictures. Regards, Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lissa318 Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 How exciting!!! Congrats!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stonebone Posted March 26, 2014 Author Share Posted March 26, 2014 Thanks Lissa. Went back and am finding more "stuff". What a large reptile. Will post more pictures. Woo hoo!!! Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramo Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Wow, nice find. Hope you get more out of there. 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...
paulgdls Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Michael, Don't forget to pick up all the "scraps" - some of those might end up being the missing links when you put it all back together. That's one big beast you have there. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old bones Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Michael, What an exciting find! Do keep us updated with photos please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KansasFossilHunter Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Awesome! I've never found any plesiosaur material before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xiphactinus Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Way cool find! Hope there's more, but even if there isn't that is a tremendous find! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4circle Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 This is an absolutely brilliant find! I used to study and describe ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs for a museum, regularly working with worse material than this! Happy to try to identify it further - the paddle digits (small tessellated bones) are the most diagnostc (and sometimes the vertebrae if they're complete) in identifying sauropterygia. From these photos of the limb, it's either a plesiosaur or pliosaur. Do post more photos - would love to see Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stonebone Posted March 27, 2014 Author Share Posted March 27, 2014 Wow, nice find. Hope you get more out of there. Ramo Ramo, If I find much more, you might have to come over and help dig this thing up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stonebone Posted March 27, 2014 Author Share Posted March 27, 2014 Ramo, If I find much more, you might have to come over and help dig this thing up. Paul, I did go back and found lots of small pieces, "digits"?, a couple of vertebrae all on the slope below. Also dug around some more and found more bones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stonebone Posted March 27, 2014 Author Share Posted March 27, 2014 Michael, What an exciting find! Do keep us updated with photos please. Thanks Old bones,This is a childhood dream come true!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Paul, I did go back and found lots of small pieces, "digits"?, a couple of vertebrae all on the slope below. Also dug around some more and found more bones. Here we go! "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...
Stonebone Posted March 27, 2014 Author Share Posted March 27, 2014 Awesome! I've never found any plesiosaur material before. Your going to have to get up here one of these days. Lots of bones in those rocks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stonebone Posted March 27, 2014 Author Share Posted March 27, 2014 This is an absolutely brilliant find! I used to study and describe ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs for a museum, regularly working with worse material than this! Happy to try to identify it further - the paddle digits (small tessellated bones) are the most diagnostc (and sometimes the vertebrae if they're complete) in identifying sauropterygia. From these photos of the limb, it's either a plesiosaur or pliosaur. Do post more photos - would love to see Thanks 4circlle, Let me know what you think! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stonebone Posted March 27, 2014 Author Share Posted March 27, 2014 Here we go!Auspex, You might have to help me out a little here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KansasFossilHunter Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Here is a KU specimen of a short necked plesiosaur (Dolichorhynchops osborni) for some comparison: Close up of the paddle: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KansasFossilHunter Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Seeing some similarities: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stonebone Posted March 27, 2014 Author Share Posted March 27, 2014 Here are some new pictures of what I found. There is more in the ground. I can hardly believe I am finding this kinda stuff. Wow... Apple pictures, sorry. First picture is verts. Forgot to scale. Second picture is a close up of the bigger vert. Third picture is the group minus all the other small parts. DEEP BREATH..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stonebone Posted March 27, 2014 Author Share Posted March 27, 2014 Forgot to mention the other propodial "ball joint"? Another paddle in the ground. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnBrian Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Great finds! Hope you can get it all up. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4circle Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Wow, these are certainly good, especially if there's more to come! The vertebrae don't possess any diagnositc features I'm afraid, but the limb assembly you've got is brilliant. If the other limb you mention in the ground is still there, it would be really helpful to see a photo of it in-situ before you try to remove it - this will show the structure of the whole limb more clearly and may help with better identification. It will also help you when you come to try to reassemble all the pieces which become separated when you extract it! The 'ball joint' may be the head of humerus/femur, although I'd be reluctant to confirm this without seeing more - can you maybe provide a photo of it end-on from the left - i.e. looking into the broken end? Good luck with the rest! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulgdls Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 (edited) Michael, Great to see that there is more there. This is looking very good. The second propodial head looks very well preserved as well. The foramina on the vertebrae confirm plesiosaur/pliosaur and the distal expansion on the end of the humerus/femur points more to plesiosaur (but still could be either). If you can get it out in blocks of matrix and prep. off site it would be better. This specially applies to any skull bones some of which are very thin. Thanks for showing us your progress. good luck regards Paul Edited March 27, 2014 by paulgdls Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now