A Good Day At Arcadia

[Shellseeker]

A number of tigers, bulls, lemons, hemis, and even a sand tiger (one of my favorites).

Here are a couple of pictures and a couple of questions:

Next to the Glyptodont is a gastropod -- any ideas on the name of the gastropod? Is this the actual shell or a cast, or compacted sand inside the shell or what?

Marine mammals -- 1,2,3 have been identified as dolphin/porpoise teeth. #5 was identified as a sperm whale tooth. #4 is new today -- larger dolphin or smaller whale?

[Tarheel59]

Its hard to tell about the shell without additional pics are there any openings ?? If not it is an endocast of its outer self maybe minus a spot here and there where sand silica were not able to fill the cavity completly. Also not sure of the exact family that it would belong to but it is a gastropod. Here is a site you can cross check to see if there are any of these found in that area. My link

[Nandomas]

A number of tigers, bulls, lemons, hemis, and even a sand tiger (one of my favorites).

Here are a couple of pictures and a couple of questions:

Next to the Glyptodont is a gastropod -- any ideas on the name of the gastropod? Is this the actual shell or a cast, or compacted sand inside the shell or what?

Marine mammals -- 1,2,3 have been identified as dolphin/porpoise teeth. #5 was identified as a sperm whale tooth. #4 is new today -- larger dolphin or smaller whale?

Great hunt, shellseeker

I like so much the Glypto "daisy"

[Shellseeker]

Its hard to tell about the shell without additional pics are there any openings ?? If not it is an endocast of its outer self maybe minus a spot here and there where sand silica were not able to fill the cavity completly. Also not sure of the exact family that it would belong to but it is a gastropod. Here is a site you can cross check to see if there are any of these found in that area. My link

Thanks for the valuable link. I have bookmarked it for future reference. It does seem to be an endocast, certainly not the original shell. I have found a number of bivalve casts where sand, mud is compressed inside the bivalve, the shell in gone leaving the internal impression. This "seems" to be one of those.

But I am really curious -- How did all the shell material "dissolve" without doing more damage to the cast? A bivalve shell cound easily peel off, but not a gastropod.

Consistent with my Avatar name, I am very familiar with all types of current SW Florida gastropods -- and I can not envision this one. -- at first I thought it is some type of cone, but now I am less sure thinking maybe #86 (from your link)variation on Nutmeg, or #82 fresh water snail might fit.

[Shellseeker]

Great hunt, shellseeker

I like so much the Glypto "daisy"

Nando, I agree -- the Glyptos are a special gift. In just under 2 years of looking for fossils, finding thousands of shark teeth, I have found exactly 9 Glyptodont osteoderms and 11 Armadillo osteoderms, a handful of gator, and 1 ray dermal denticle. This is a pretty low find ratio.

Although this one is chipped around the edges, it is not worn on the surface and has lots of details. I chuckle with glee when I see one in the sieve.

[Tarheel59]

Shellseeker Thats why I gave you the link I could not figure which it could be and what layers are present at Arcadia. I too am confused as to how the outer shell is dissolved or removed without much damage if any to the endocast. I have included some picks of mine. All were found in the beach surf here in NC and SC. Such fine detail is preserved. I do know that the inner cast is so hard it is what I like to call natures cement that being said it is far denser than the outer mold (shell). The shell is made up of Calcium carbonate so it could be some type of chemical reaction that causes some to dissolve while others not. But I love finding these things. It is just so cool to see it from the inside out.. I have some that partial shell are still attached.

[Scylla]

Thanks for the valuable link. I have bookmarked it for future reference. It does seem to be an endocast, certainly not the original shell. I have found a number of bivalve casts where sand, mud is compressed inside the bivalve, the shell in gone leaving the internal impression. This "seems" to be one of those.

But I am really curious -- How did all the shell material "dissolve" without doing more damage to the cast? A bivalve shell cound easily peel off, but not a gastropod.

Consistent with my Avatar name, I am very familiar with all types of current SW Florida gastropods -- and I can not envision this one. -- at first I thought it is some type of cone, but now I am less sure thinking maybe #86 (from your link)variation on Nutmeg, or #82 fresh water snail might fit.

Home science experiment:

1 get a modern gastropod shell

2 fill it with portland cement, as best you can, vibration may help

3 soak it, let it dry

4 put it in a bucket of vinegar for a day or two, see what's left.

[Shellseeker]

Home science experiment:

1 get a modern gastropod shell

2 fill it with portland cement, as best you can, vibration may help

3 soak it, let it dry

4 put it in a bucket of vinegar for a day or two, see what's left.

Thanks Scylla. I realized that there has to exist a process that could dissolve shell and leave endocast (because I have the reality of a relatively perfect endocast), I just was not attuned sufficiently to Chemistry to know the actual equations. It was a Monday morning class in college.

[Scylla]

Thanks Scylla. I realized that there has to exist a process that could dissolve shell and leave endocast (because I have the reality of a relatively perfect endocast), I just was not attuned sufficiently to Chemistry to know the actual equations. It was a Monday morning class in college.

Its almost as fun as putting a tooth on a bottle of Coke

[Tarheel59]

Home science experiment:

1 get a modern gastropod shell

2 fill it with portland cement, as best you can, vibration may help

3 soak it, let it dry

4 put it in a bucket of vinegar for a day or two, see what's left.

Yeah I knew about the vinegar trick but I still wonder from in nature (water or soil ) could produce this type of acdic reaction to the shell. Maybe decomposing seaweed ???

[Auspex]

Just mildly acidic ground water, and lots of time.