Terry Dactyll Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 I just managed to fit some collecting in over the weekend in Lyme Regis Dorset and on the north Somerset coast and I came across I think what is a femur... Im not to clued up on bone.... After cleaning it up it has what appears to be teeth marks one definate.... It appears the fibrous structure of the bone has been scraped... prior to fossilisation... do you think this could be the case? Heres my finds.... 2 More decent nautilus and 2 more ammonites (Dorset) Somerset Stuff.... The Femur?.. you chaps know more about bone than I do.... any help appreciated.. I think a gastropod that had washed inside the body chamber of a large Angulaticeras ammonite... I will have to investigate it sometime and try and prep it out.... A picture of the seabed from the Hettangian Stage Angulata Zone.... showing a few impressions of ammonites and some bivalves and gryphea... I dont usually pick up bits like this, but the sea had prepped it.... Cheers Steve... And Welcome if your a New Member... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bear Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 Those all look like fun to me, Terry. I have no clue on the tooth or bone questions though, must await enlightenment from one of our more astute members on those. *Takes a chair by the door and waits* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barefootgirl Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 Thats a nice bone you got there, I have no idea about the predation marks though. Im sure one of our more experienced members will clue you in on that. I like your other finds as well, don't forget to show us your finished product when you get done prepping them. In formal logic, a contradiction is the signal of defeat: but in the evolution of real knowledge, it marks the first step in progress toward victory. Alfred North Whithead 'Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia!' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fig rocks Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 Wow, that bone find must be a rarity for you Steve! That's a nice little plate you found too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 I agree with you that your bone appears to have been damaged prior to fossilization, and that the marks are consistent with bite marks. Nice find! "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Dactyll Posted November 9, 2009 Author Share Posted November 9, 2009 BFG & Bear.... I spent 3 hours 'proving' the Nautilus in the big chunk earlier... its a dud...the shell had broken badly prior to fossilisation taking place, so I will start the next one and post some piccys for you when its finished.....Thanks for showing an interest in my finds..... Figgy I know, I very rarely pick stuff up like this, but I'm glad i did... I like the association block to.... Auspex....Ive had confirmation that our thoughts on the marks are correct from a Plesiosaur specialist.... hes told me what it is to.... I was just guessing... ''Very nice. It's the left humerus of a plesiosaur, and it shows a very characteristic bite mark. Plesiosaur bones were rather soft and you can see the plastic deformation to the bone caused by the bite.'' so Jobs done really.... Cheers Steve... And Welcome if your a New Member... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 Excellent finds, Steve. Finding a humerus is always cool.... I wonder how many skulls are locked up in the rocks on "your" beach. The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true. - JJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boesse Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 The 'tooth mark' is a bit faint for it to be 'slam dunk' - I buy it, but I can see how you'd have a hard time selling it (I've been working on a bite mark paper journal article for the last couple months). Also, it sounds liken this guy is pretty confident with it being a humerus, *but* - often the humeri and femora are indistinguishable in pleisosaurs; when that is the case, and you can't identifiy either, plesiosaur workers identify them simply as 'propodials'. Bobby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Dactyll Posted November 9, 2009 Author Share Posted November 9, 2009 JohnJ..... Both coasts have done some beautiful specimens.... and its hardly ''my beach''....lol...I dont normally look for bone, I was searching out a large crushed ammonite spot .... and stumbled upon it, to good to leave, kinda thing.... Id love to find a complete specimen......maybe one day if my lucks in .... Boesse... Glad it has your approval and acceptance....and thanks for the information.... Cheers Steve... And Welcome if your a New Member... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Dactyll Posted November 17, 2009 Author Share Posted November 17, 2009 The first Nautilus was crushed and luckily I found this out only after a few hours in so i didnt waste to much time, the second one was ok.... I got a displayable fossil out of it, although as Bear once said, some of the shell must of been poking out from the sediments for a while prior to total burial taking place, and as a consequence rotted away leaving just about half a shell.... Ive turned it into what it can be.... Cheers Steve... And Welcome if your a New Member... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracer Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 i still can't believe what you do with those ammonites. it's just amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Dactyll Posted November 18, 2009 Author Share Posted November 18, 2009 Tracer..... Thanks for showing an interest....It wernt to bad this one it about 17 hours I think...lol... and theres plenty cracks and distortions taken place during fossilisation.... but its come out ok.... Cheers Steve... And Welcome if your a New Member... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barefootgirl Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 I love it!! Your are an amazing artist! In formal logic, a contradiction is the signal of defeat: but in the evolution of real knowledge, it marks the first step in progress toward victory. Alfred North Whithead 'Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia!' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Dactyll Posted November 19, 2009 Author Share Posted November 19, 2009 Thanks.... Ive thrown another one from that trip on the prep bench.... I'll post a pic when its eventually finished.... I keep picking up the dodgy ones for some reason and saving the best till last.... Cheers Steve... And Welcome if your a New Member... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barefootgirl Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 Thanks.... Ive thrown another one from that trip on the prep bench.... I'll post a pic when its eventually finished.... I keep picking up the dodgy ones for some reason and saving the best till last.... Well I wouldn't want you to stank up your collection with inferior specimens, just send those to me. In formal logic, a contradiction is the signal of defeat: but in the evolution of real knowledge, it marks the first step in progress toward victory. Alfred North Whithead 'Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia!' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Dactyll Posted December 2, 2009 Author Share Posted December 2, 2009 (edited) Ive finished the Bone.... Ive took some pics but the lighting isnt to good... Drying the bone after soaking it to remove any salt I wrapped it it damp newspaper and kept it outdoors for a week, it dried nice and slowley and didnt crack..... I was advised to use 5% paraloid in acetone solution, with the idea being that the paraloid beads dissolve in the acetone, then the acetone soaks through the bone, and after 24 hours soaking, when it dries out the plastic (reforms?)then stiffens and preserves the bone.... Its worked ok...... The superglue dissolved totally, so as Bill suggested i just re-attached the bits afterwards.... I was'nt sure what container I could keep acetone in while it soaked as the plastic beads dissolved, so presumably a plastic container could, and i didnt have anything made of glass or ceramic suitable....the acetone only came in 50 ml bottles from the chemist, so I made a container from cooking foil... the correct shape as the bone so not to much acetone soulution was required to fully immerse it... I dont think it looks to 'plasticy'... The bite marks look quite close together and one having some directional distortion taken place to the bone surface....marine croc from this period, so maybe the carcass washed ashore, and this was someones meal...we shall never know we can only speculate Edited December 2, 2009 by Terry Dactyll Cheers Steve... And Welcome if your a New Member... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xiphactinus Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 Ive finished the Bone.... Ive took some pics but the lighting isnt to good... Drying the bone after soaking it to remove any salt I wrapped it it damp newspaper and kept it outdoors for a week, it dried nice and slowley and didnt crack..... I was advised to use 5% paraloid in acetone solution, with the idea being that the paraloid beads dissolve in the acetone, then the acetone soaks through the bone, and after 24 hours soaking, when it dries out the plastic (reforms?)then stiffens and preserves the bone.... Its worked ok...... The superglue dissolved totally, so as Bill suggested i just re-attached the bits afterwards.... I was'nt sure what container I could keep acetone in while it soaked as the plastic beads dissolved, so presumably a plastic container could, and i didnt have anything made of glass or ceramic suitable....the acetone only came in 50 ml bottles from the chemist, so I made a container from cooking foil... the correct shape as the bone so not to much acetone soulution was required to fully immerse it... I dont think it looks to 'plasticy'... The bite marks look quite close together and one having some directional distortion taken place to the bone surface....marine croc from this period, so maybe the carcass washed ashore, and this was someones meal...we shall never know we can only speculate Well done! Beautiful fossil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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