October 2011 Finds Of The Month

[dhk]

Hey dhk,

I can just imagine that little critter dancing around in the mud. The little guy could never have imagined just how much his little tracks would mean to someone so far in the future. Very nice find.

Ya, perhaps someday someone will find my tracks while I was digging his tracks.

[Diplotomodon]

Well, here's my first ever FOTM entry...

This is "the Muthaload", a gorgeous shale plate of ferns discovered on 10/16/11 from Saint Clair, Pennsylvania. It measures approximately 18 inches long and 2 inches thick. It's from the Llewellyn Formation and is Carboniferous in age (308-300 million years old, give or take). It includes ferns (namely Alethopteris and Neuropteris), horsetails, a few scraps of bark, and probably more. I still have to ID all the examples in this plate.

It was exhilarating to chisel this piece out, and it's one of my new favorites in the collection

[sixgill pete]

Well, let me throw this one in thew mix. I am finding out this a not a very common tooth, it is the first in my collection.

Abdounia recticona

1 cm slant length ( large end for the species)

MM quarry, Richlands, Onslow County, NC

Castle Hayne Formation (Eocene)

Found 10-21-2011

Edited October 23, 2011 by sixgill pete

[astron]

Hello all.

At first, congratulations everyone for the high quality participations of this month.

This is my second participation to the contest:

Fossil: Spiny puffer (or porcupine fish) of the family diodontidae.

Largest dimensions: 18 x 16 cm.

Location: Middle Crete island, Greece.

Age: Late miocene.

Date: Found on 18 Sept. 2011 with the prep finished on 01 Oct. 2011.

It's presetend in 3 pics, the first on before and the rest two after prep. Here is the story and this is the answer of Dr. Francesco Santini of the University of California on it:

''Dear Mr. Damianakis,

Many thanks for your message and for sending me the photos of the interesting fossil that you found. I think that the specimen you have is a member of the family Diodontidae (known as porcupine fishes or spiny puffers), a groups that is quite common in extant tropical, coral reef ecosystems. It's difficult to say more based on the photos, due to the spines that are covering the fish, and I would probably need to have a look at the specimen with the aid of a stereoscopic microscope in order to be able to determine if this is a species that is already known or if it is a new species. Do you know the age of the deposit where you found the specimen (besides the fact that it is from the Miocene) or what other fish fossils may be found in the same strata?

Best regards

Francesco''

Having searched it enough, I start to believe that this is the unique recorded (inflated) spiny puffer fossil worlwide. I know how heavy is the term ''unique worldwide'' and it's valid until the opposite is proven by anyone of my fellows here or by any other way.

Any way, I didn't expect to find something so rare in my life...

Good luck all

Best regards

Astrinos

[Shamalama]

I think I have a pretty nice fossil for the IFOTM this month. It is a reconstructed Thamnoptychia limbata branch from the Menteth member of the Windom Formation (Devonian, Givetian) found at Buffalo Creek, near Marilla, NY.

It was found in September (09/07) in about three to four dozen pieces as I extracted them from the hillside exposure. It's taken me until this weekend to put the puzzle all back together to yield the specimen below.

Front and Back

Detail of some of the terminal points

Looking down the length of the specimen

I presume this was the life position of the coral based on the having the thickest portion of the coral facing down.

Dimensions are 7" wide by 15" at it's longest tip to tip. Total length of the branch from stem base to farthest tip is 20".

[bear-dog]

My entry for Fossil of the month is this beautiful pre-dinosaur reptile track way with both the positive and negative impressions. This track way includes one of the best prints I have ever found. The definition, clarity and depth of the prints are just perfect. The prints are approximately 315 million years old. This track way, although only six inches long has eight very well defined four & five toed prints. Also on the same stone is a small insect (arthropod) track way which is 5 inches long and originates and terminates in a burrow. Preserved and fossilized in fine siltstone 150 million years before the evolution of the dinosaurs, these trace fossils are amongst the oldest evidence of land dwelling animals. Found in Plainville, Massachusetts on October 2, 2011 – Pennsylvanian (coal age).

Wow that trackway is impressive.I have only seen one nearly as good.It was a series of tracks that ended up one short,then drag marks.Surely has my vote. :Bananasaur:

[xonenine]

I think I have a pretty nice fossil for the IFOTM this month. It is a reconstructed Thamnoptychia limbata branch from the Menteth member of the Windom Formation (Devonian, Givetian) found at Buffalo Creek, near Marilla, NY...

congrats on a unique entry, very cool to see, what adhesive did you use?

[Fossildude19]

Hello all.

At first, congratulations everyone for the high quality participations of this month.

This is my second participation to the contest:

Fossil: Spiny puffer (or porcupine fish) of the family diodontidae.

Largest dimensions: 18 x 16 cm.

Location: Middle Crete island, Greece.

Age: Late miocene.

Date: Found on 18 Sept. 2011 with the prep finished on 01 Oct. 2011.

It's presetend in 3 pics, the first on before and the rest two after prep. Here is the story and this is the answer of Dr. Francesco Santini of the University of California on it:

''Dear Mr. Damianakis,

Many thanks for your message and for sending me the photos of the interesting fossil that you found. I think that the specimen you have is a member of the family Diodontidae (known as porcupine fishes or spiny puffers), a groups that is quite common in extant tropical, coral reef ecosystems. It's difficult to say more based on the photos, due to the spines that are covering the fish, and I would probably need to have a look at the specimen with the aid of a stereoscopic microscope in order to be able to determine if this is a species that is already known or if it is a new species. Do you know the age of the deposit where you found the specimen (besides the fact that it is from the Miocene) or what other fish fossils may be found in the same strata?

Best regards

Francesco''

Having searched it enough, I start to believe that this is the unique recorded (inflated) spiny puffer fossil worlwide. I know how heavy is the term ''unique worldwide'' and it's valid until the opposite is proven by anyone of my fellows here or by any other way.

Any way, I didn't expect to find something so rare in my life...

Good luck all

Best regards

Astrinos

Astrinos!

My most sincere congratulations on this remarkable find!

I knew you would one day be making contributions to science!

I'm so very happy for you! Congratulations, once again!!

Best regards,

[Shamalama]

congrats on a unique entry, very cool to see, what adhesive did you use?

Thanks Carmine. I used a mixture of White Glue and Super Glue. Some pieces just wouldn't hold with the super glue so I wound up using white glue instead.

[flyguy784]

Thanks Carmine. I used a mixture of White Glue and Super Glue. Some pieces just wouldn't hold with the super glue so I wound up using white glue instead.

Did ya try the super glue gel Dave? It thicker and may have helped. Nice piece by the way, very nice.

John

[astron]

Astrinos!

My most sincere congratulations on this remarkable find!

I knew you would one day be making contributions to science!

I'm so very happy for you! Congratulations, once again!!

Best regards,

Thank you so much, my friend, for the kind words.

I think that the contest bar gets higher and higher and I am satisfied if some of the fossils I am finding in my birth place stand decently next to the quite enough very nice contestants

[amaltheus]

WOW!!!!!!!!

Some fantastic entries,keep it up folks.

[Shamalama]

Did ya try the super glue gel Dave? It thicker and may have helped. Nice piece by the way, very nice.

John

Thanks John, I'm going to have to look for that. Didn't know they made a gel. It sure would have helped in those cases where the branch broke and there was not a whole lot of contact between pieces. I should note that the piece is reassembled based on how is was found within the rock. That explains why some branches turn at 90 degree angles from the main stem, they were crused and broken that way during (after?) deposition.

[mikeymig]

This fully inflated (1") Eldredgeops rana was found on 10/6/11 in Livingston County, NY. Eldredgeops might be a common trilobite but finding them complete with no damage and not flattened out isn’t common. No repairs or restoration!

[Fossildude19]

This fully inflated (1") Eldredgeops rana was found on 10/6/11 in Livingston County, NY. Eldredgeops might be a common trilobite but finding them complete with no damage and not flattened out isn't common. No repairs or restoration!

Great trilobite, Mike!

Can I ask how you prepped this, and your other finds?

Regards,

[Fossildude19]

I think I have a pretty nice fossil for the IFOTM this month. It is a reconstructed Thamnoptychia limbata branch from the Menteth member of the Windom Formation (Devonian, Givetian) found at Buffalo Creek, near Marilla, NY.

It was found in September (09/07) in about three to four dozen pieces as I extracted them from the hillside exposure. It's taken me until this weekend to put the puzzle all back together to yield the specimen below.

Front and Back

Detail of some of the terminal points

Looking down the length of the specimen

I presume this was the life position of the coral based on the having the thickest portion of the coral facing down.

Dimensions are 7" wide by 15" at it's longest tip to tip. Total length of the branch from stem base to farthest tip is 20".

Dave,

This is a really cool fossil ! Good luck with this...

Nice to see some diverse inverts here!

Regards,

[Fossildude19]

Darin,

This is a primo trackway!

Wow, this month's vote is gonna be tough!

Regards,

[mikeymig]

Great trilobite, Mike!

Can I ask how you prepped this, and your other finds?

Regards,

Tim,

Thanks. I have a nice set of scrimshaw tools. In other words I prep them by hand.

[BobWill]

Thanks John, I'm going to have to look for that. Didn't know they made a gel. It sure would have helped in those cases where the branch broke and there was not a whole lot of contact between pieces. I should note that the piece is reassembled based on how is was found within the rock. That explains why some branches turn at 90 degree angles from the main stem, they were crused and broken that way during (after?) deposition.

Another choice for fossils that don't adhere well is Q-Bond. It has a powder to fill gaps that you drop liquid like super glue into. Sete up very fast . I found it at auto paint store. Nice job.

[mikeymig]

Another choice for fossils that don't adhere well is Q-Bond. It has a powder to fill gaps that you drop liquid like super glue into. Sete up very fast . I found it at auto paint store. Nice job.

Thank u for the info. Im going to get some Q-Bond for this guy!

[Nandomas]

My entry for Fossil of the month is this beautiful pre-dinosaur reptile track way with both the positive and negative impressions. This track way includes one of the best prints I have ever found. The definition, clarity and depth of the prints are just perfect. The prints are approximately 315 million years old. This track way, although only six inches long has eight very well defined four & five toed prints. Also on the same stone is a small insect (arthropod) track way which is 5 inches long and originates and terminates in a burrow. Preserved and fossilized in fine siltstone 150 million years before the evolution of the dinosaurs, these trace fossils are amongst the oldest evidence of land dwelling animals. Found in Plainville, Massachusetts on October 2, 2011 – Pennsylvanian (coal age).

"What a beautiful, little hands,

let me vote them for you"

free translation from Puccini's "La Boheme" :D

Edited October 28, 2011 by Nandomas

[Hit The Deck]

OK,

This is my first post for the contest so please let me know if i need to make any adjustments to my info. I found this Saturday October 29th on a HGMS trip to central Texas. My daughter was actually sitting on it looking through some other material. If you look at the side view you can see a new tooth that haden't penetrated the gum line yet!

Cat: Vertebrate

Location: Eagle Ford Formation Texas

Age: Cretaceous

Fossil: Xiphactinus partial Jaw

[pleecan]

Here is my other find entry:

Found Oct 28, 2011... this is a cool find....

Entry = Fossilized Plate of Micro/Macro Fossil in Black Chert Nodule filled with Byrozoans and other interesting critters that are in the process to be ID... they include weird like burrow or wormy looking shaped fossilized object scattered with bryozoans and other bits of

Devonian debris

The fossil of great interest is Protoscolex worm! (ID by Dr. Joe Botting )

Early Devonian

Bois Blanc Formation

Fort Erie , ON Canada

Scattering of Bryozoans....

Close up of worm like shaped object... id not known

The Bois Blanc sits on top of the Silurain Bertie Lagerstatte

Tentative ID Log:

Got my first response from Dr. Carole Burrow curator of Queensland Museum "not a conodont - they had v-shaped muscle blocks & this has circular 'bands' - could it be a filled-in burrow?"....

Yes I got confirmation from Dr. Joe Botting (Cambridge UK)

"Ooh, now that's interesting... and yes, it looks like a worm to me, probably something like (the poorly-defined) Protoscolex. There are several worms in the Carboniferous with this sort of narrow, possibly segmental annulations, and they've commonly been thought to be palaeoscolecids (last definite record late Silurian) but have never had good enough preservation to check. This might just do it, but you'll need SEM. "

[Archimedes]

Here is my find for the month

Crinoid Slab from the St. Genevieve in SE Huntsville Alabama

I found this 2-3 weeks ago when they were widening the drainage ditch to an apartment complex

I was waiting for some rain to wash it off but we have had little rain this month. Last week I began washing it off and about 50-70 crinoids came off the slab in the soft shale above the slab. Though the slab still needs quite a bit of cleaning, it is very nice fossil for my collection, there are about 100 crowns on the slab, maybe more, there are many many small crowns and many just beneth the surface,

[xonenine]

Here is my find for the month

Crinoid Slab from the St. Genevieve in SE Huntsville Alabama

I found this 2-3 weeks ago when they were widening the drainage ditch to an apartment complex

I was waiting for some rain to wash it off but we have had little rain this month. Last week I began washing it off and about 50-70 crinoids came off the slab in the soft shale above the slab. Though the slab still needs quite a bit of cleaning, it is very nice fossil for my collection, there are about 100 crowns on the slab, maybe more, there are many many small crowns and many just beneth the surface,

magnificent find, Archimedes, congratulations on a truly one of a kind find!!!!

Edited November 1, 2011 by xonenine