Al Dente Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 I recently went to an Eocene Castle Hayne Formation quarry in Eastern NC. I found a few nice fossils but not a lot of stuff. The collecting area was fairly small. Here's a picture of the top of the Castle Hayne at this location. There are a lot of solution cavities in the upper layer. Green clays that oxidize to a reddish brown will fill these holes. You can see some of the clay filling a large hole down to the left of my bucket. Sometimes teeth can be found in these clays. Here is an auriculatus tooth found in the clay. The other picture has a piece of Cylindracanthus (rostrum from a fish). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted November 12, 2014 Author Share Posted November 12, 2014 Echinoids are the more common finds at this quarry. Here is Echinolampas appendiculata, one of the more common echinoids in the Castle Hayne. Also common is the sand dollar Periarchus lyelli. This one is larger than what is normally found. Here's the bottom of one of our larger echinoids, Linthia harmatuki. These are fairly rare, I've never found a whole one but I have seen other collectors find them. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted November 12, 2014 Author Share Posted November 12, 2014 I think my find of the day was this nautiloid Eutrephoceras carolinense. Most of the living chamber is present. Here is a photo of ground water seeping into the pit. Iron bacteria is feeding on the iron dissolved in the water forming bacterial mats. People who use well water that comes from this formation often have problems with iron staining their clothes. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamalama Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 That looks like a fund place to hunt, even if the area is small. The nautiloid is very cool! -Dave __________________________________________________ Geologists on the whole are inconsistent drivers. When a roadcut presents itself, they tend to lurch and weave. To them, the roadcut is a portal, a fragment of a regional story, a proscenium arch that leads their imaginations into the earth and through the surrounding terrain. - John McPheeIf I'm going to drive safely, I can't do geology. - John McPheeCheck out my Blog for more fossils I've found: http://viewsofthemahantango.blogspot.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 Nice report... thanks for sharing. Oh... and cool fossils, esp that nautiloid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Hamilton Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 (edited) Eric, Awesome report and great photos! How big was that ric? Edited November 12, 2014 by John Hamilton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilized6s Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 I love that Nautiloid also! Id be happy with any of those finds. Congrats! ~Charlie~ "There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why.....i dream of things that never were, and ask why not?" ~RFK ->Get your Mosasaur print ->How to spot a fake Trilobite ->How to identify a CONCRETION from a DINOSAUR EGG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plax Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 wow! that Linthia isn't usually found with Periarchus lyelli. Any protoscutella sp? Am guessing that more than one of Kier's biozones is present? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixgill pete Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 Great finds Eric. If that is where I think it is, that is the most complete nautiloid I have seen from there. 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...
JohnJ Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 Very interesting finds, Eric. Looking forward to more images of your echinoids. The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true. - JJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted November 13, 2014 Author Share Posted November 13, 2014 wow! that Linthia isn't usually found with Periarchus lyelli. Any protoscutella sp? Am guessing that more than one of Kier's biozones is present? At the older pit down the street I found Protoscutella. I looked up Kier's publication to see what he lists with harmatuki. His "Middle Zone" where harmatuki occurs also has three sand dollars- Periarchus, P. plana and P. conradi. This seems like a strange combination for a single zone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coco Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 Hi, Ouahhh ! Al Dente, marvelous sea urchins. As John, I would like to see more pics of them (cleaned ! ) Coco ---------------------- OUTIL POUR MESURER VOS FOSSILES : ici Ma bibliothèque PDF 1 (Poissons et sélaciens récents & fossiles) : ici Ma bibliothèque PDF 2 (Animaux vivants - sans poissons ni sélaciens) : ici Mâchoires sélaciennes récentes : ici Hétérodontiques et sélaciens : ici Oeufs sélaciens récents : ici Otolithes de poissons récents ! ici Un Greg... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcoSr Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 Eric Great pictures. I really like the nautiloid. These days it is great to get into a quarry even if it has only a small collecting area. 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...
Jeffrey P Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 Wow! Great finds, Eric. Especially the nautiloid. Very cool. Would love to see that huge echinoid cleaned up and prepped. Thanks for posting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickNC Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 (edited) Those are spectacular specimens. Thanks for sharing them. I have an echinoid which I identified as Linthia sp. Unfortunately it is not complete. Edited November 13, 2014 by RickNC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcbshark Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 I love the in situ Ric pic Eric, thanks for sharing! 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...
Al Dente Posted November 13, 2014 Author Share Posted November 13, 2014 Eric, Awesome report and great photos! How big was that ric? I forgot to measure it but somewhere around 2 inches. I was cleaning the serrations with a safety pin and noticed that the pin was making dents and grooves in the enamel even though I was using a light touch. The enamel was very soft. I've never seen that happen before. It must be leached of some of it's mineral content. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 Great trip and finds! Thanks for the virtual hunt. Regards, Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 IPFOTM -- MAY - 2024 _________________________________________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustPlainPetrified Posted November 14, 2014 Share Posted November 14, 2014 Great nautiloid! Thanks for sharing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted November 14, 2014 Share Posted November 14, 2014 Love the in situ pics. Those are always great. Love the ech's too. Thanks for sharing. RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
masonboro37 Posted November 15, 2014 Share Posted November 15, 2014 Eric, you have some beautiful specimens! Love the nautiloid! Fantastic! Your Linthia is so interesting and beautiful. Thank you for sharing. Have a great weekend. Process of identification "mistakes create wisdom". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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