Paleo-shark_hunter Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 I've been looking for Titanis fossils for a long time, does anyone know of any Florida sites that have a few remains from titanis? I also need to know how to identify a terror bird fossil. I would really appreciate that. Thanks a million!!! "Re-living History, one piece at a time..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 I wish you luck; all the Titanis fossils that have been found in Florida can be carried in your two hands. As for recognizing a Titanis bone, they have the same general features (excepting the vestigial wing bones) as other birds, just much bigger; "bone up" on avian osteology and you'll have the fundamentals. "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...
Paleo-shark_hunter Posted April 8, 2011 Author Share Posted April 8, 2011 I wish you luck; all the Titanis fossils that have been found in Florida can be carried in your two hands. As for recognizing a Titanis bone, they have the same general features (excepting the vestigial wing bones) as other birds, just much bigger; "bone up" on avian osteology and you'll have the fundamentals. Is there anywhere specific in Florida that has a higher population, or more people have had more luck there? Thanks "Re-living History, one piece at a time..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siteseer Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 You need to hunt sites that produce Late Pliocene, or I should say specifically Blancan-age, vertebrates. The Pleistocene was recently extended to include what used to be part of the Pliocene (Gelasian stage). Titanis is not known from Irvingtonian-age (once Early Pleistocene, now more like Middle Pleistocene) sites. Geologically, that's a narrow time window. You start with books on Florida fossils or fossil birds (or simply google it) to get the titles of the technical articles on Titanis which will give you at least general locality data and photos of studied specimens. Then, you need to determine if the sites are still open to collecting. As Auspex noted, Titanis material is super-rare. You probably already know that other collectors have been hunting for that for years and they already have an idea what it looks like and where to go. You're going to have to get very lucky even after you get to that point. Depending on where you are in the state, one place to track down articles is the earth sciences library at the University of Florida in Gainesville (or you might find PDF's online). That's a great one. The library at USF (Tampa) is pretty good too. I've been looking for Titanis fossils for a long time, does anyone know of any Florida sites that have a few remains from titanis? I also need to know how to identify a terror bird fossil. I would really appreciate that. Thanks a million!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 I'll agree with what's been said. After you've figured out places to hunt, you must familiarize yourself with avian osteology. The more of it you can actually learn, the more likely you will be able to recognize a piece of bird bone. From a Wyoming point of view, we have one out here, too. Diatryma is an Eocene oversized bird. There are only a few skeletons, but there are also a lot of people working in the Eocene rocks of Wyoming, and who have been for decades, and these things rarely turn up. Even as isolated parts and pieces. Good Luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 Just one more thing: Dibs. "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...
xonenine Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 a paper on Titanis walleri (PDF) which is in Friutbats library along with more articles you may like, under Order Gruiformes in the Fossil Birds Library Section "Your serpent of Egypt is bred now of your mud by the operation of your sun; so is your crocodile." Lepidus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 Aaaaaand, >THIS<! We happen to have a member with a T. walleri claw in his collection (the link is to Harry Pristis' gallery entry). "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...
Paleo-shark_hunter Posted April 10, 2011 Author Share Posted April 10, 2011 It says the best place to find them is in the Santa fe river in the Gilchrist country, thanks "Re-living History, one piece at a time..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 Texas..... sorry, I couldn't resist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 Just one more thing: Dibs. auspex...I'll send you the second skeleton I find... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 auspex...I'll send you the second skeleton I find... What a guy! "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...
jpc Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 Always lookin out for ya, man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paleo-shark_hunter Posted April 11, 2011 Author Share Posted April 11, 2011 Texas..... sorry, I couldn't resist. Are those eggs?????? :startle: "Re-living History, one piece at a time..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 Are those eggs?????? :startle: Makes you wonder, doesn't it? Texas terror bird or egg shaped concretions....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DLB Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 Concretions for shure!! Egg suckers LOL out there!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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