"Long time listener, first time caller": an amateur's ambitions in Paleontology

[FossilDAWG]

    

 

Don

[doushantuo]

 

Way to go Mike.

Awesome

[digit]

Awesome!

 

It takes a deep familiarity with a site and the known (and expected) types of fossils to spot the significance of an unexpected treasure among the ranks. Most (virtually all) fossil hunters would have walked right by that specimen without as much as a second glance. Your experience and curiosity combined to allow you to spot this Scientifically Important Specimen.

 

A red letter day that you'll always remember!

 

 

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[JohnJ]

Mike, I wish circumstances would allow a handshake in person.  

 

 

[Ludwigia]

11 hours ago, PFOOLEY said:

I tucked it away and have been researching what it could be since then. I had recently discovered it's genus and am currently working with Spencer Lucas to label its species...

Very cool!!!

[Jared C]

You're getting me fired up! I have my own project just barely brewing, of a fossil I found in August, and I'm daunted by the task at hand. Reading this thread was inspirational, as others have said. Thanks for taking us on this journey of yours

[PFOOLEY]

On 4/7/2022 at 9:49 PM, fossisle said:

You are an inspiration!!

 

On 4/8/2022 at 5:22 AM, Bobby Rico said:

Well done my friend. I also just going say that  @PFOOLEY is one of my favourite photographers of all. Documents with beautiful photos of his finds, the landscape, the flora  and the adventures of his lovely Daughter and her dog. I am still waiting for his coffee table book to come out...

 

...Thank you, good sirs. 

 

 

 

And @Bobby Rico, you'd get the first copy.

[PFOOLEY]

On 4/8/2022 at 5:34 AM, doushantuo said:

Way to go Mike.

Awesome

 

On 4/8/2022 at 6:46 AM, digit said:

Awesome!

 

It takes a deep familiarity with a site and the known (and expected) types of fossils to spot the significance of an unexpected treasure among the ranks. Most (virtually all) fossil hunters would have walked right by that specimen without as much as a second glance. Your experience and curiosity combined to allow you to spot this Scientifically Important Specimen...

 

On 4/8/2022 at 7:50 AM, Ludwigia said:

Very cool!!!

 

Thank you! I have to agree...it is pretty awesome. I've been wandering the Puerco for fifteen years now and I never fails to surprise me...whether it be the current ecosystem or the ancient one...its a special classroom.

[PFOOLEY]

On 4/8/2022 at 7:20 AM, JohnJ said:

Mike, I wish circumstances would allow a handshake in person.  

 

 

...one day.

[fossilhunter21]

Congratulations, Mike!  That is super cool! I really wish I could meet you in person one day. 

[PFOOLEY]

On 4/8/2022 at 9:37 AM, Jared C said:

You're getting me fired up! I have my own project just barely brewing, of a fossil I found in August, and I'm daunted by the task at hand. Reading this thread was inspirational, as others have said. Thanks for taking us on this journey of yours

 

Right on, Jared...good luck with your project! It is a lot of work, but well worth the effort. With each idea, abstract or paper I have been more and more involved with the process. Spencer let me run with the abstract this time and then offered his professional critique and edits. I truly appreciate his willingness to work with me on my ideas...there is a mutual respect and a common goal. I can't thank him enough.

[PFOOLEY]

3 minutes ago, fossilhunter21 said:

Congratulations, Mike!  That is super cool! I really wish I could meet you in person one day. 

 

Thank you! We'll stay in touch through this great place and hey, you never know. I have been fortunate to meet a number of these great members in person and look forward to meeting more. I need to get my butt on the road and hit some places myself...lol.

[fossilhunter21]

11 minutes ago, PFOOLEY said:

We'll stay in touch through this great place 

Sounds good!

11 minutes ago, PFOOLEY said:

and hey, you never know.

Very true!  Sometimes you are sure that something won't happen, and then it happens.

 

-Micah

Edited April 9, 2022 by fossilhunter21

[PFOOLEY]

1 minute ago, fossilhunter21 said:

...Sometimes you are sure that something won't happen, and then it happens...

 

Exactly. I am a transplanted Michigander so you never know when I could make it back up that way. 

[Ludwigia]

28 minutes ago, PFOOLEY said:

 

Exactly. I am a transplanted Michigander so you never know when I could make it back up that way. 

 

Well how'bout dat. And all the time I thot you wuz a tried and true New Mexicaner.

[fossilhunter21]

47 minutes ago, PFOOLEY said:

I am a transplanted Michigander so you never know when I could make it back up that way. 

That is cool! Michigan is a beautiful place.  

 

-Micah

[PFOOLEY]

34 minutes ago, Ludwigia said:

 

Well how'bout dat. And all the time I thot you wuz a tried and true New Mexicaner.

 

Born a Michigander...New Mexican at heart (love NM ).

[The Amateur Paleontologist]

Can't believe I never saw this thread until now!

 

You're truly an inspiration @PFOOLEY

[PFOOLEY]

Thank you, @The Amateur Paleontologist...it makes me very happy to hear that!

 

Good luck to you out there in the world of paleo.

[PFOOLEY]

For this year's New Mexico Geologic Society spring meeting, I have been working on a draft regarding some echinoids I recently discovered out in the Puerco...

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

...have really enjoyed learning about echinoids and am very much looking forward to presenting a poster!

[JohnJ]

Love it, Mike. 

[Fossildude19]

Good on ya, mate!  

[rocket]

On 3/28/2018 at 8:31 PM, PFOOLEY said:

Last August, while doing some fieldwork, I stumbled across this specimen...

 

 

 

...and though I had never seen one for this genus, I knew exactly what it was.  For the 2018 NMGS Spring meeting my co-authors and I present:

 

 

Hooray for science! ...

 

...and as always, Happy Hunting!

 

-P.

 

just seen this a minute ago, incredible piece! One of the most interesting cretaceous ammonite - find I have ever seen

Do have the paper, but never seen the original fossil

wow 

[PFOOLEY]

10 minutes ago, rocket said:

...incredible piece! One of the most interesting cretaceous ammonite - find I have ever seen

Do have the paper, but never seen the original fossil

wow 

 

That is a pretty special find. I have seen hundreds of Spathites puercoensis and only one with the aptychus preserved. It was a lucky break...one more hammer whack and that would have crumbled. I am glad I paused and took a moment to look over that nodule. I have been very fortunate to find some pretty cool specimens and at the same time have the support to be a part of their description.

[PFOOLEY]

51 minutes ago, JohnJ said:

Love it, Mike. 

 

33 minutes ago, Fossildude19 said:

Good on ya, mate!  

 

Thank you, gentlemen...very happy to be able to contribute in such a way. I just hit 10 years of being a member here and I know I have said this many times before, but I feel like I owe it to this Forum for the guidance I received early on and the many great examples of how an amateur can make an impact in a professional environment...delighted to be one such example.