A couple of Ws

[Shellseeker]

I had the pleasure of meeting a Florida Fossil Expert and dealer of 50 years. I went to his home and viewed many amazing treasures including numerous high quality 6 inch Megs . I also picked up 2 fossils for my collection: A whale tooth from a Bone Valley phosphate mine and a Walrus Tusk Tip from SMR Aggregates Quarry west of Sarasota. Both were found in the 1980s.

I love whale and previously had no walrus. At first, I thought that this looks a lot like the heavily fossilized Dugong ribs that I find in the Peace River,  but in looking closely at the shape, ridges, texture of the fossil, I believe it fits the identification of Walrus.

This is a request ID thread. Let me know what you think. Thanks Jack

[RyanDye]

@PrehistoricFlorida

[fifbrindacier]

I'm afraid I won't be able to help you on this, but they are neat and nice, you made a good deal !

[ynot]

Nice pieces!

@Boesse

[Plantguy]

Hey Jack, neat additions. Having nothing really to add other than you sparked my interest in Walrus in Florida...had forgotten about the possibility--seems like someone had mentioned finding some material here in the forum before. Anyways I was particularly interested in your mention of Sarasota and this little paragraph from the UF site as I work in the Sarasota area. 

 

This blurb was extracted for Ontocetus emmonsi. Not saying that its even that genus but that I found the link while wandering the web. I suspect you have already seen the pics in the link. Anyways I like thinking about the possibility even though these sites are now closed...

 

The greatest number of specimens found in Florida derive from commercial shell pits on either side of Interstate Highway 75 near Sarasota; Macasphalt Shell Pit on the west side; Richardson Road (later Quality Aggregates, and then SMR Aggregates) Shell Pit on the east side (Figs. 4, 6). Fossils of Ontocetus emmonsi from these quarries come from beds 10 and 11, which are Pliocene in age. All walrus fossils from Florida are regarded as belonging to this species.

From here: 

https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/florida-vertebrate-fossils/species/ontocetus-emmonsi

 

Nice to think about some vert stuff as a bit of a diversion..I've been messing with bryozoans from this area lately and I'm out of my league and I'm now cross-eyed from squinting/looking at the dang small things...dang fossils!

 

Regards, Chris 

[Shellseeker]

4 hours ago, Plantguy said:

Hey Jack, neat additions. Having nothing really to add other than you sparked my interest in Walrus in Florida...had forgotten about the possibility--seems like someone had mentioned finding some material here in the forum before. Anyways I was particularly interested in your mention of Sarasota and this little paragraph from the UF site as I work in the Sarasota area. 

 

Thanks Chris,

Hurrying for dinner, but your post triggered me to go looking.

I have been to SMR Aggregates Pit before it closed about 5 times and loved every minute there. Roger Portell (FPS) was our guide.  He had talked about the finds of Walrus and Gomph from some of the pits, but all I ever saw were fantastic shells.. and I felt blessed to just be there.

I found this site and this photo and I think I know someone at Cofc

https://blogs.cofc.edu/macebrownmuseum/2016/04/29/friday-fossil-feature-thinking-of-a-good-walrus-pun-is-no-easy-tusk/.

 

I am wondering if I have the tip of the middle tusk below. If Only I had some indication of marrow which is so distinctive.

@Boesse

[jcbshark]

Excellent  acquisitions  Jack 

[Boesse]

Hi all! Sorry, it's the first week of classes for me so I haven't been on TFF for several days. I do not see an obvious core of globular dentine, so this is not a walrus tusk. It does not really look like it has any dentine at all, to be honest, and so I am not quite sure that it's a tooth even. It could be the waterworn end of a dugong rib - they often do not have marrow cavities at all, or even many channels or pores. Lastly, sea cow ribs often have that dimpled pattern on them - I'm not sure what causes it (e.g. pre or post mortem; I assume it's post mortem spalling of dense bone from grain impacts, but I feel like I've seen it even on non-transported dugongid fossils as well). Sorry to be the bearer of bad news =/

[Shellseeker]

4 hours ago, Boesse said:

they often do not have marrow cavities at all, or even many channels or pores. Lastly, sea cow ribs often have that dimpled pattern on them - I'm not sure what causes it (e.g. pre or post mortem; I assume it's post mortem spalling of dense bone from grain impacts, but I feel like I've seen it even on non-transported dugongid fossils as well). Sorry to be the bearer of bad news =/

Thanks, 

You always provide value and insight.

I did not pay very much for it, the seller is a good guy and I'll likely get to trade it back for something I know a little better, like whale teeth from phosphate mines.

 

 

[Plantguy]

oh geez, man what a collection...any chance you know what the item on the right above the caramel colored meg is? Is that an echinoid? 

Thanks Jack. 

Regards, Chris 

[Shellseeker]

58 minutes ago, Plantguy said:

oh geez, man what a collection...any chance you know what the item on the right above the caramel colored meg is? Is that an echinoid? 

Thanks Jack. 

Regards, Chris 

Chris,

I imagine that I'll get there again, but I do not know what that is... I think it is an echinoid because it was in a group of echinoids and sand dollars (see the corner of one).  Also, he believed that that is a Marlin Bill tip just below the meg.

[Plantguy]

22 hours ago, Shellseeker said:

Chris,

I imagine that I'll get there again, but I do not know what that is... I think it is an echinoid because it was in a group of echinoids and sand dollars (see the corner of one).  Also, he believed that that is a Marlin Bill tip just below the meg.

Thanks! Crazy stuff Jack...I've talked to some who used to frequent the pits years and years ago and seen some of their finds and what they had access to/collected just was incredible...

Regards, Chris