October 2014 Finds Of The Month

[JohnJ]

The weather is cooling in the northern hemisphere...which means the fossil hunting is heating up! Maybe your find will advance the science of paleontology, or it might just be the best fossil you ever laid your eyes on. Either way, we want to see it!

Carefully read the rules below, make sure you include all the required information, and submit your discovery!

Please remember that we recently introduced another qualification to the current rules. Make a note of Rule #5: Before and After Preparation photos must be submitted for Prepped specimens not found during the Month of the Contest. In addition to keeping the contest fair, this new qualification will encourage better documentation of our spectacular past finds. Best of luck to all and good hunting!

Entries will be taken through October 31st. Please let us know if you have any questions, and thanks for sharing more of your fossils and research this month.

To view the Winning Fossils from past contests visit the Find Of The Month Winner's Gallery.
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Rules for The Fossil Forum's Vertebrate and Invertebrate/Plant Find of the Month Contests

1. You find a great Vertebrate Fossil or Invertebrate/Plant Fossil! Only fossils found by you.

2. Post your entry in the Find of the Month topic. Use a separate post for each entry.

3. Your Fossil must have been found during the Month of the Contest, or significant Preparation of your Fossil must have been completed during the Month of the Contest.

4. You must include the Date of your Discovery or the Date of Preparation Completion.

5. Before and After Preparation photos must be submitted for Prepped specimens not found during the Month of the Contest.

6. You must include the common or scientific name.

7. You must include the Geologic Age or Geologic Formation where the Fossil was found.

8. Play fair and honest. No bought fossils. No false claims.

Shortly after the end of the Month, separate Polls will be created for the Vertebrate and Invertebrate/Plant Find of the Month.

In addition to the fun of a contest, we also want to learn more about the fossils. So, only entries posted with a CLEAR photo and that meet the other guidelines will be placed into the Poll.

Within a few days, we will know the two winning Finds of the Month! Now, go find your fossil, do your research, and make an entry!

[Doctor Mud]

Can't believe I'm the first poster this month.....

My first invertebrate entry:

Fossil Clam shell: Cucullaea worthingtoni (Hutton, 1873)

Otekaike Limestone

Late Oligocene/Early Miocene 21 - 25 million years old

South Island, New Zealand

Found 20th September 2014, Prep. finished 14th October 2014

Individual valves (shells) are fairly common, complete specimens less so at this locality. This is the first time I have found one saying "aaaaahhhhh" or open with valves attached. Thought it would be a challenge to prep and keep them together.

Before Prep.

Edited October 16, 2014 by Doctor Mud

[Doctor Mud]

Cucullaea worthingtoni after prep.

It was a nervous time towards the end as I didn't want to have to re-attach the valves. I wanted them attached as nature had left them.

Edited October 16, 2014 by Doctor Mud

[RyanNREMTP]

I was going to enter mine in tomorrow. Just wanted to get better pictures.

Nice entries.

[Doctor Mud]

Couldn't resist

[Doctor Mud]

Thanks RyanNREMTP,

Looking forward to seeing what you have discovered.

[MarleysGh0st]

Nice prep work, Doctor Mud!

[JohnJ]

Couldn't resist

This could qualify as an associated find....

...what.

[RyanNREMTP]

Here are my two entries.

First one:

Cenomanocarcinus renfroae

Found October 15th, 2014

Lake Waco Research Area

Del Rio/Grayson Formation
Late Cretaceous Period

[RyanNREMTP]

Second one:

Caloxanthus americanus

Found October 9th, 2014

Lake Waco Research Area

Del Rio/Grayson Formation
Late Cretaceous Period

[Fossildude19]

Awesome crabs, Ryan!

I think I know where my vote is going...

Regards,

[RyanNREMTP]

Still plenty of time left.

[Triceratops]

I wouldn't go near that ghost pac man......

Edited October 17, 2014 by Triceratops

[Doctor Mud]

Neat Crabs Ryan.

Good eye to spot these little guys!

Are these juveniles?

[RyanNREMTP]

To be honest, no clue. I don't have any papers on the crabs here in Waco. I hope they are juveniles. That would mean there are still bigger ones out there.

[32fordboy]

Here is an oreodont I found on September 24th. I did the prep work today, 10/19/14. It was a surprisingly easy and quick prep, requiring only soda blasting after the rocks were pulled away.

Crawford, Nebraska

Brule Formation, White River Group

Oligocene

[Doctor Mud]

Here is an oreodont I found on September 24th. I did the prep work today, 10/19/14. It was a surprisingly easy and quick prep, requiring only soda blasting after the rocks were pulled away.

Crawford, Nebraska

Brule Formation, White River Group

Oligocene

Nice work fordboy!

Is this a fully grown specimen? Seems smaller than others I have seen.

The teeth are in amazing condition and I love the colour of the bone. Most of these skulls seem to be white or cream coloured.

[32fordboy]

I'm not quite sure, but it does look juvenile due to the short "canines" and tiny crest at the rear of the skull. The other oreodont I'm prepping is at the other end of the spectrum at about twice the size of this little guy.

The brown coloration of the bone seems to be common in northern Nebraska. The bones are often brown underground, but turn white when exposed. If part of the skull is visible, it will often be white, while the part under the matrix will still be brown.

The larger specimen (not shown) is very dark brown, whereas the specimen posted above is fairly tan.

Edited October 20, 2014 by 32fordboy

[morgansilk]

Found several specimens of this chondritid (Chondrites isp.) feeding traces in a layer of rock in a cut on the Oriskany Creek in central NYS on 10/13/14. Thanks to Piranha for helping me ID it. I thought it was plant material, because crinoid stems have been found near the same place.

[RyanNREMTP]

Those look pretty cool.

[Cpt. Nemo]

Bone and egg of Palaelodus discovered on October 20th. French oligocene.

The typical lakeside bird Palaelodus, the close relation of flamingos and grebes, laid their eggs in nests installed on the banks of lakes shallow, even in floating nests. Eggshells fallen in the water were protected, with the rest of the small lakeside flora and fauna.

[Fossildude19]

Found several specimens of this chondritid (Chondrites isp.) feeding traces in a layer of rock in a cut on the Oriskany Creek in central NYS on 10/13/14. Thanks to Piranha for helping me ID it. I thought it was plant material, because crinoid stems have been found near the same place.

If you are entering your fossil, it must be posted here, per the rules:

"

Rules for The Fossil Forum's Vertebrate and Invertebrate/Plant Find of the Month Contests

1. You find a great Vertebrate Fossil or Invertebrate/Plant Fossil! Only fossils found by you.

2. Post your entry in the Find of the Month topic. Use a separate post for each entry.

3. Your Fossil must have been found during the Month of the Contest, or significant Preparation of your Fossil must have been completed during the Month of the Contest.

4. You must include the Date of your Discovery or the Date of Preparation Completion.

5. Before and After Preparation photos must be submitted for Prepped specimens not found during the Month of the Contest.

6. You must include the common or scientific name.

7. You must include the Geologic Age or Geologic Formation where the Fossil was found.

8. Play fair and honest. No bought fossils. No false claims.

Shortly after the end of the Month, separate Polls will be created for the Vertebrate and Invertebrate/Plant Find of the Month.

In addition to the fun of a contest, we also want to learn more about the fossils. So, only entries posted with a CLEAR photo and that meet the other guidelines will be placed into the Poll.

Within a few days, we will know the two winning Finds of the Month! Now, go find your fossil, do your research, and make an entry! "

Your's is a great fossil for the Invertebrate\Plant category!

Regards,

[Triceratops]

Bone and egg of Palaelodus discovered on October 20th. French oligocene. The typical lakeside bird Palaelodus, the close relation of flamingos and grebes, laid their eggs in nests installed on the banks of lakes shallow, even in floating nests. Eggshells fallen in the water were protected, with the rest of the small lakeside flora and fauna.

Cool find!

[masonboro37]

I would like to enter an invert find for October. The crab carapace was found on October 3, 2014 at a quarry in eastern North Carolina. I finished prepping the light matrix off on Saturday, October 4, 2014.

The crab carapace is from the Castle Hayne Formation, Eocene, North Carolina, USA.

Eocarpilius blowi

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Subphylum: Crustacea

Class: Malacostraca

This was my first find that day of the trip and I am still thrilled about it!

Libby

Edited October 25, 2014 by masonboro37

[JohnJ]

Wow, Libby!