Meanderings of a Texas Fossil Hunter - 2018

[Uncle Siphuncle]

As a man on the go, I tend to prefer "grab and go" finds, like this smaller chunk of mammoth tusk.

[Uncle Siphuncle]

Until this year, I had never found anything that was definitely bear AND Pleistocene.  The specimen below, with a little research, made it very clear that that box had been checked.  This is a very complete bear radius with adhering matrix serving as "proof seal of Pleistocene pedigree".  I'm just not sure which bear genus it came from.  But that can flush out in time.

[Uncle Siphuncle]

More bear radius pics.

[Uncle Siphuncle]

[Uncle Siphuncle]

This next find won't be as exciting to Florida collectors who can expect to find tapir material on any given day they are screening, but in Texas, diagnostic tapir remains are much less commonly encountered in any condition.  So I found myself gobsmacked at the moment I first laid eyes on this tapir jaw, especially since I was looking for unrelated stuff. 

 

Sure, I'd love to find one side of the mandible with all teeth complete, as a few others have in Texas, but this find was certainly an upgrade from my placeholder mandible with an infuriating half crown remaining.  The lesser specimen has had its well lit display space supplanted by this newer find, and the other is literally occupying the shadows of better finds at this point.

[Uncle Siphuncle]

In the middle of all this easily identified stuff, I'll inject this unidentified vertebra, showcased here mainly the cool matrix presentation.

[Uncle Siphuncle]

I had a hankerin' to do a little wood work, so I fired up the bandsaw and made this unique display stand, and then hoped to find something to drop in...

[Uncle Siphuncle]

And as luck would have it, I bumped into this spiffing example of a Paramylodon harlani femur, almost 18 inches in length.  A little online reading revealed that this ungainly beast reached body proportions similar to an extant bison bull, about 2000 lbs.  

 

Truth of disclosure is warranted here regarding condition.  It has a bit of erosional wear on the anterior distal end.  The ball was completely missing.  But since this rare bone was 90% complete, I had to do something to display the original form and proportions.

 

I rummaged around in my shed and turned up a loose femur ball, hopefully sloth, then spliced it in with perhaps a 1.5 inch wide band of Apoxie Sculpt to hit proper proportions.  Carving, whittling and sanding ensued.  At first I had planned to leave the epoxy putty in contrast with the bone to clearly reveal the constructed area, but I ran out of one brand of epoxy and resumed with a different brand, and the interplay of epoxy colors looked too distracting, so I attempted to color match the bone using acrylic paints.  

 

The worn knee area was saturated with Paleo Bond and left unfilled.  Now to convince my loving wife that this thing belongs in the house...

[Uncle Siphuncle]

...and as luck would have it, this thing was a drop-in fit for that display stand...whew...quite a coincidence.

[Uncle Siphuncle]

There were other cool finds this year, but we've been able to spin a good yarn here without them.  Some are prepped, some backlogged, but all brought the thrill of adventure and discovery that feeds my soul.  I suppose I got a bit of a jump start on year end chronicling.  If I bump into anything else worthy of mention before the new year, I'll do an addendum.  

 

But in closing, let's enjoy a montage of some things I prepped this year, obtained in the raw through trades.  First are a couple Devonian trilobites from Black Cat Mountain, OK, found by departed Forum member, JGCox.  The bugs flank a Pulalius crab from Washington state which took me at least 6 hours to prep.  That crab nodule had been sitting in storage for several years.  I'm glad I finally committed to the task.

[Uncle Siphuncle]

A few heteromorphic ammonites.

[Uncle Siphuncle]

A Metaptychoceras nodule

[Uncle Siphuncle]

A couple Longuscorbis crabs

[Uncle Siphuncle]

And finally, a killer Placenticeras ammonite, courtesy of our own Tom Newman.

[Tidgy's Dad]

What a tremendous year you've had! 

How marvelous. 

Love the turtle and camel pieces and am so glad your stand found a piece to fit it exactly! 

Hope 2019 is an even better year for you. 

[facehugger]

Your knowledge and your specimens are astonishing. 

 

Please accept this comment as an official application to be your apprentice...

[Uncle Siphuncle]

2 hours ago, facehugger said:

Your knowledge and your specimens are astonishing. 

 

Please accept this comment as an official application to be your apprentice...

My last apprentice (my kid) quit on me and took up video games.

[Tidgy's Dad]

6 minutes ago, Uncle Siphuncle said:

My last apprentice (my kid) quit on me and took up video games.

Well I wouldn't! 

[facehugger]

12 minutes ago, Uncle Siphuncle said:

My last apprentice (my kid) quit on me and took up video games.

Not me! Video games are okay, but I prefer exploration, adventure, and finding dead things...

[Uncle Siphuncle]

2 hours ago, facehugger said:

Not me! Video games are okay, but I prefer exploration, adventure, and finding dead things...

A life of outdoor strenuosity suits me best as well.

[belemniten]

Wow you did very very good job this year 

Gratuliere 

[Pemphix]

Gratulation - das nenne ich mal eine Ausbeute !!!

[ricardo]

After saw this  I´m tempted in be a fossil collector.
Thank you for show an extraordinary Cretaceous!

 

ps. Of course other ones were nice too  

[Kane]

Incredible.  You are a collector of the first water, for sure. Thanks for the awe inspiring eye candy, Daniel... Your efforts have certainly been rewarded with exquisite specimens!

[Uncle Siphuncle]

37 minutes ago, Kane said:

Incredible.  You are a collector of the first water, for sure. Thanks for the awe inspiring eye candy, Daniel... Your efforts have certainly been rewarded with exquisite specimens!

Good times and good finds come at a cost....had my truck stolen in the process this year!