Anyone Ever Found A New Species?

[Frank Menser]

Close...but no taco.

Two different Museums had two different opinions.

[Ludwigia]

Nice to be brought up to date, Frank. Where did you get your information?

[Auspex]

Nice to be brought up to date, Frank. Where did you get your information?

I think Frank was commenting on a find of his own that didn't quite go all the way

[Ludwigia]

Thanks for clearing that up, Auspex. It's a little confusing here sometimes with these itty bitty sentences if you're not up to date on the history of things and if don't know who's talking to who.

Edited June 3, 2010 by Ludwigia

[Auspex]

Thanks for clearing that up, Auspex. It's a little confusing here sometimes with these itty bitty sentences if you're not up to date on the history of things and if don't know who's talking to who.

I understand and sympathize.

On-line communication is fraught with potential for misunderstandings; we try to help each other out, if something doesn't add up

[tracer]

I understand and sympathize.

On-line communication is fraught with potential for misunderstandings; we try to help each other out, if something doesn't add up

huh? i don't understand you but i did stay at a holiday inn express last night. i want to find a new species! name it tracersarus newberi...

[Frank Menser]

Yeah, sorry 'bout that. Am packing to move, so I am stealing moments here and there to post and play...

I was refering to a specimen that actually got caught between this Forum, The University of Kansas, and the Smithsonian rep at Fossil Fest

(By the way, my wife collects fossil starfish. Beware of a petite Irish lass with craving blue eyes... )

Edited June 4, 2010 by Frank Menser

[jpc]

I found a new species of Miocene bird here in Wyoming. It is being described and if all goes well it will be named after the rancher who let us collect on his place. I worked for several summers doing fieldwork for the U of Wyoming and ended up with a small Paleocene mammal named after me... it is known from one and only one tooth. In my freelance business I have prepared numerous new species. Maybe there's one or two in my collection. I have collected a likely new species of crab for the museum I work for. To be described later.. one of these days.

I agree with whoever said it above, that it takes time and a good knowledge of what you are actually looking at.

[Stonebreaker]

I havent found ANYTHING. But if I do it will be named after my daughter or the cubbies. (Depends on which 1 is on my good list at the time )

Maybe tomorrow at the conference/field trip. *crosses fingers and starts driving down*

[Uncle Siphuncle]

Well for sure I've found 5 new species, maybe more. The Permian reptile skull should be written up soon. One paper on it has already been published - not in describing the species of reptile, but for noting the cockroach antennae stuck in its teeth - perhaps the earliest direct evidence of insectivory currently documented in the fossil record. The reptile paper should be ready soon - I'll need to contact the professor again. He told me it would be named after me as Acroleter woehri, the Greek etymology of Acroleter being "mountain hunter".

Outside of that I have several new species of echinoids on hand. A couple specimens each of a new Codiopsis (Corsicana Fm, Maastrichtian) and a Hemiaster (Ozan Fm, Campanian) are currently catalogued with the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science awaiting description. I think the Codiopsis will happen first, and I think they will be C. woehri and H. woehri respectively. Outside of that Andrew Smith thinks I have a new Salenia from the Anachacho fm (Campanian), and a new Cardiaster from the Austin Chalk (Santonian).

One or two more slip my mind at the moment, but I have other specimens that have left some of the academics scratching their heads so far, such us Phyllobrissus specimens from the Anacacho fm that are 3-4 times normal size. I also have a bunch of oddball ammonites from the Corsicana fm which aren't detailed in Kennedy and Cobban's work on Corsicana ammonites of North Texas - I wonder if South Texas hosted a few different species in Corsicana seas. I have a good amount of other questionable stuff on hand as well.

As stated before, avocational paleo is fun because an amateur like me can look at some books, look at some maps, then go find something new to science. At any rate the wheels of science seem to turn pretty slowly unless you make a spectacular vertebrate find. I tend to donate once someone is ready to do the work.

[Ludwigia]

Hi Dan,

Congratulations on your great finds. Keep up the good work! I've already noticed how active you are :startle: It's great to see how many of you guys cooperate with the profis.

Best wishes, Roger

[Auspex]

I found a new species of Miocene bird here in Wyoming...

I would be very interested in knowing more about this!

If you don't mind filling in the details (not the site of discovery, of course, but the formation and very general area), a new discussion thread (or private message, if you'd rather) would do fine.

[Rover]

Well for sure I've found 5 new species, maybe more. The Permian reptile skull should be written up soon. One paper on it has already been published - not in describing the species of reptile, but for noting the cockroach antennae stuck in its teeth - perhaps the earliest direct evidence of insectivory currently documented in the fossil record. The reptile paper should be ready soon - I'll need to contact the professor again. He told me it would be named after me as Acroleter woehri, the Greek etymology of Acroleter being "mountain hunter".

Nice job on getting something with an awesome name named after you. I still find it amusing, though, that the paper focuses on the little bits of Gregor Samsa stuck in your find's mouth, though.

[pleecan]

I found a new Devonian brittle star and it was named after me (Acinetaster konieckii). This star also represented a new family of brittle stars. Unfortuantely the new family was not named after me. Here is the link to the paper that was published.

http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/handle/2027.42/48513

I was also in on the find of a 28 arm starfish from the same locality. It was named after the two brothers that collected it with me. Both publications came out on the same day so the writer tried to be fair with the naming. This is the link to that publication.

http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/handle/2027.42/48514

I do have a new crinoid that has yet to be written up. As was stated earlier, trying to find someone qualified and willing to write it up is the difficult part.

crinus

A few months ago while conducting a web search on Arkona stuff... came across Acinetaster konieckii.... that name sounded familiar... wow... the first thought that came to mind was that fossil crazed American Crinus that prowled the limestone blast zones of Carden Quarry... thanks for the confirmation and congratulation on that super find.

Hope you get your new crinoid published soon.

===================================================================================

Also Congratulations to All that have made contribution to science for their unique fossil discoveries.

PL

Edited June 4, 2010 by pleecan

[Jesta384]

wow. amazing starfish.

you guys are so lucky to have new finds. so cool.

[seanm]

When I started this post I never thought it would get so many responses. Makes you proud to be an amature.

[HeritageFossils]

I have a tendency to go find new species in bargain bins at fossil shows and purchase them to be written up.

Currently found the first and only example of a certain neuroptera suborder from the Crato formation, being written up, which I found in a bin for $8.

Also have a cricket from the Crato formation that's being worked on, and two mantis specimens that are being researched, each for less than $15.

Then there are several new insects in Dominican amber that are being worked on, although those cost me about $30 each.

Fun stuff!

-YvW

[cousin it]

I have an unusual lichid(trilobite) in which the occipitals are strange. I started working on it years ago, but stopped. Now, with a co-author, we should get published.

[Matt Kapraun]

2 for me, one a new species of insect from mazon creek that only had the wing preserved and another insect from mazon creek that I am told to be a new family,genus,species-how about that one.lol. both insects were described by paleoentomologist Dr. Jarmilla Kukalova-Peck. How this all happened was I had some mazon creek fossils I had found and brought them with me to the Mazon Creek Open house at the Burpee Museum back maybe 10 yrs ago and she was there and was really excited about them. She took them back with her to Canada for more research then mailed them back to me after 6 months or so. It was really cool she had a write up about them and drawings that she sent me. I know useless with out pics, fortunately my new computer arrived today so hopefully soon I can get some pics up on here.

a bit about her:

http://www.bookrags.com/wiki/Jarmila_Kukalova-Peck

[Fossil Hunter]

I have been fortunate to have found 6 new species, all from the same Miocene site.

3 Walruses 2 Dolphins, and a Whale. I also have a flightless bird being studied at my local Natural History Museum.

[siteseer]

I have been fortunate to have found 6 new species, all from the same Miocene site.

3 Walruses 2 Dolphins, and a Whale. I also have a flightless bird being studied at my local Natural History Museum.

Wow, which animals and from what site?

[tracer]

i prolly gots leben or twelb new species in all that junk i don't know what is. actually that's prolly not true...

dunno. our classification system is that if it looks cool it goes in tj's room, and if it doesn't, i get it to store until such time as tj changes his mind about it...

[Roz]

An echinoid I found while living in Arkansas about 4 years ago. The papers are

not finished as he is writing a new description of multiple new

echinoids. Maybe in February.

[Technologicaldreamer]

You guys are so lucky!!

[Ludwigia]

Yes, luck does play a role, but ya also gotta stick to it!