JimC Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 Does anyone know what this shell is? It's about 4.5" long, 4" wide and 2.25" high Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 Hi Jim, Welcome to the forum. Age and where found, would help for an id. KOF, Bill. Welcome to the forum, all new members www.ukfossils check it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Siphuncle Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 Looks quite similar to some of the Upper Cretaceous Exogyra oysters we have here in TX. Other Campanian-Maastrichtian (roughly 65-75 million year old) deposits in the Gulf Coast may have similar forms. Grüße, Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas "To the motivated go the spoils." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bmorefossil Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 welcome to the forum any extra information would help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Nicholas Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 I would also suggest oyster, but as stated more info please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest solius symbiosus Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 As Dan mentioned, It is some kind of gryphaeid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 Both valves are present; nice oyster! Supply the name of the formation and someone here will be able to name it "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...
JimC Posted September 24, 2008 Author Share Posted September 24, 2008 I found it in the woods on the side of a hill in Alabama at about 330' above sea level west of Eufalla. That's all there is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 Looks like it might be from the Upper Cretaceous Selma Group. "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...
Guest bmorefossil Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 is it really 4 inches long? it doesnt look that big Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bmorefossil Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 i found a picture of the shell you found but there is no name listed sorry, ill keep looking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommabetts Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 I would say EXOGYRA, they are found in the Atlantic coastal areas, gulf coast and all the way to Utah. They get pretty big I have found them in the NSR as much as 6 inches long so far! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bmorefossil Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 sweet i would love to have like a really big shell, i have ones that are in the 5-6" range but i want a shell thats like 10-11" i dont think you can find any in maryland )= Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimC Posted September 24, 2008 Author Share Posted September 24, 2008 is it really 4 inches long? it doesnt look that big It is 4.5" long x 4" wide x 2.44" high see attached Thankya'll for the input So by definition is this a shell of fossil? It appears to me to be shell by the coloration and detail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommabetts Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 Yes it is a shell fossil. The shells on them are so thick that they remain pretty much intact. Unlike alot of the shells that are molds and the shell has gone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracer Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 it's a fossil shell. what it really comes down to is the old argument about what the definition of a fossil is. and that's been argued quite a bit here, but your shell pretty much can't be anything close to modern, so even if the shell material is original, it's a fossil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 So by definition is this a shell of fossil?It appears to me to be shell by the coloration and detail. If I've deduced the formation correctly, it's in the neighborhood of 70 million years old, which definitely qualifies as fossil! "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...
MOROPUS Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 And it is extint! I agree with Exogyra. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest N.AL.hunter Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 Those are very common in Alabama, try Exogyra costata. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimC Posted September 25, 2008 Author Share Posted September 25, 2008 Those are very common in Alabama, try Exogyra costata. How is the condition compared to most found? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest N.AL.hunter Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 I would say it is a very good specimen. If you found it high and dry, good. If you found it in a watery environment (actually submerged), be careful as they sometimes crack when drying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkfoam Posted September 26, 2008 Share Posted September 26, 2008 I agree with N.Al Hunter, its Exogyra costata, an upper Cretaceous oyster. They are found in the Gulf Coast plains in upper Cretaceous outcrops. The condition of this specimen I would consider a little better than average. The major valve is complete and the minor valve is almost complete. A 4 inch specimen is not particularly large but is a nice size. JKFoam The Eocene is my favorite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimC Posted September 26, 2008 Author Share Posted September 26, 2008 Thanks for the info guys. I havn't been able to find a pic of the exogyra costata though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted September 26, 2008 Share Posted September 26, 2008 ...I havn't been able to find a pic of the exogyra costata though. Here you go: "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...
jkfoam Posted September 27, 2008 Share Posted September 27, 2008 JimC, For images of Exogyra costata go to Google and click on Images, then enter Exogyra costata. You will get several images of this fossil. JKFoam The Eocene is my favorite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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