JohnJ Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 Sorting through some matrix I recently aquired from the Lower Cretaceous Glen Rose Formation, I may have found my smallest echinoid. The pics are the best I can get with the macro settings on a 4 megapixel camera. I think the top left is some type of floating crinoid; to its right is possibly a Globator sp.; a fish tooth; a very small Salenia sp.; and below left a very tiny Pentacrinus stem segment next to my smallest (sp. undetermined) echinoid. I welcome any corrections or additional info. Thanks. The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true. - JJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oh-Man Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 John, My brain starts to hurt when I think of looking for fossils that small! I'll have to stick with stuff I can actually see - like pieces of palm wood and 14" ammonites. BTW - WB was COLD today. Wind was funneling down the river channel. Still, there were about 8 folks roaming around there including Silverphoenix and Mako-ken. Everyone had a few sharks teeth, but nothing like last week. O What is geology? "Rocks for Jocks!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CreekCrawler Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 John, it looks like the items in question are part of an informal exploration of what it would be like to miniaturize a certain brand of cereal???? LOL Very cool ,but I need to get Lasik to really appreciate items like that! thanks for sharing B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CreekCrawler Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 [ BTW - WB was COLD today. Wind was funneling down the river channel. That's why I slept in! I know ...... call me a wuss , but I had a hot shower at 9am Muahaha!!! O Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bmorefossil Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 hmmm im really loss for words right now, not just because im waking up but due to the fact that your finds are so small, c.r.a.z.y Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracer Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 hi john! this is in response to your welcoming any corrections or additional information. other than one spellilng typo and a failure to throw a hyphen in a compound adjective, i didn't see anything needing correction. if you meant about the fossil identification, you'll have to ask someone who knows something about fossils. i can, however, verify that the building with the fang growing from its dome is a likeness of monticello, which in latin means, "mountain of guys who play cellos". regarding the best method of dealing with categorizing and identifying these sorts of fossils, after giving it a lot of thought, here's my "best practices" advice. get all of these fossils together on a flat, portable surface, like an index card. carry them carefully on the card to one of two places - either the room in your house with the deepest pile carpet (shag would be good), or the back yard. ok, while holding the card in one hand, snort some pepper up your nose with the other hand. problem solved. onward into the abyss! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted January 25, 2009 Author Share Posted January 25, 2009 OHH GREAT............... I had the little buggers too close to my computer when I read your responses. By the time I got to tracer's "best practices", all I had was a nickel! (Good thing I've watched CSI....OK, nobody move! Lights out, LED flashlights on, packaging tape dispenser on my belt, I'm going down!) tracer, thank you for your mercy. i only now realize i had placed myself squarely in your sights with such an open request for "corrections or additional info". (whispering under his breath - whewww! that was close!) The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true. - JJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommabetts Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 Tracer, you are going to have to be more careful with other peoples stuff, if you are going to cause people to loose their things, at least you could do is find them again for them. And besides the pepper grains are as big as the fossils, so why don't he just snort them and store for safe keeping? Problem solved!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracer Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 i thought i'd respond to two posts with one so as to save bytes. john - yes you skated, and as penance you can explain the function of LEDs to those with whom which are unfamiliar. (i ablosutely love thissing like talk).] mommabetts - your referent for the pronoun "them" was too far removed from the pronoun to be biguous (as opposed to "ambiguous"). were you saying john should snort his macro settings from his 4-mexapigel camera, and, if so, please pm him regarding the exact methodology as it seems quite ambiguous (as opposed to "biguous"). it is ironic that tj found a capudine patent medicine bottle yesterday, and that it is sitting next to me, because ya'll are giving me an antique headache. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted January 25, 2009 Author Share Posted January 25, 2009 ...FOUND THEM! mommabetts, I'm pretty sure your suggestion is illegal, soooo I know you were just joking...right? tracer, I've got you covered in case you run out...is my penance fulfilled? The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true. - JJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommabetts Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 ...FOUND THEM!mommabetts, I'm pretty sure your suggestion is illegal, soooo I know you were just joking...right? tracer, I've got you covered in case you run out...is my penance fulfilled? Yes I was kidding, but I do like the bottle, I collect them too. As for your fossils, I really never knew echs were so small. I would have never even thought to look for echs that small, I don't know how you spotted them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted January 25, 2009 Author Share Posted January 25, 2009 I just took a few shovelfuls of "dirt" from a productive layer, washed it on some window screen and started hunting with a 4X visor...inside, where it's warm. The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true. - JJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NSRaddict_1 Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 Wow , those are awesome , tiny , but awesome ! Hunting fossils is fun , but discovering is better ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommabetts Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 I just took a few shovelfuls of "dirt" from a productive layer, washed it on some window screen and started hunting with a 4X visor...inside, where it's warm. I was wondering if you used some type of magnifier or not. I have one of those visors, have you ever tried using it out in the field, you think it would help? I might start taking those along with me, my eyes aren't what they use to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Nicholas Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 Micros! Great stuff JJ! One would be shocked how small fossils can be when they try sifting for them in soil for them self. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkfoam Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 John J, I really like the micro fossils. They are great for several reasons. First I think they show more detail because they get hidden in cracks and crevices and escape abrasions and destruction. Those that don't escape we never see. Second, they don't take up much room for storage. Do you realize how many micro fossils you can store in a 35 mm film can. You can buy a used 10x-20x binocular microscope on e-bay at a pretty reasonable price. I recommend it. Below is an example one what I'm talking about. It is Skaptotion nitens (I. Lea), a Pteropod, from the Eocene in Alabama. This fossil is only 1.2 mm wide. The Eocene is my favorite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted January 25, 2009 Author Share Posted January 25, 2009 mommabetts, I do take them into the field. Just look for all the other people laughing at the guy with the funny glasses. You give up your field of view, but you wouldn't believe the "universe" that opens up before you! Nicholas, yes they would. How did your micro hunt turn out? pics? JKfoam, I agree. In addition, my wife thinks they're "cute". The microscope is definitely on the "to do" list. The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true. - JJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Siphuncle Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 Johnny Yes you did get a floating crinoid. I only have 3 from that site, 2 found with you that day. And yes the teeth are rare there too so your bucket was chock-full-o-serendipity I must say. Your echie in the lower right requires closer scrutiny though for me to wager a guess. I'd like to look at it under my microscope as I can't tell if it is a different genus than the others or simply a decapitated specimen (lacking apical system). As for me this weekend, Hemiaster, Plesiaster, Proraster, Linthia, Cardiaster.....BWah ha ahahahahahah! Grüße, Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas "To the motivated go the spoils." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grampa dino Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 Great finds you got there. One has to try Micro fossiling at else once. I have sorted matrix for Donald Brinkman of the Tyrrell Museum Alberta. To sit for hours looking throught a microscope at screen washed dity for fossils realy opens ones eyes to the way you think fossils. Have you ever seen Embryonic Hadrosar vertabra that would fit on the head of a pin. or teeth just as small. Celestron.com ,make every good and cheap microscopes along with telescopes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crinoid Queen Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 Those micro fossils are nice JJ you all are lucky u can go out this time of yr too cold here -5 with wind chill. I have a few stems of crinoids that i have found that are that small too! Hope you keep finding good stuff:) Debbie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Murphy Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 John: I cannot add any more than Dan did on these echinoderms. The microcrinoid may represent one of the species of Plotocrinus sp. which have been identified from the lower and middle Albian of Texas. Those are some awfully small echinoderms and there are just not enough details to afford more identification. I agree on the Salenia but I cannot even begin to consider species due to the lack of clarity. Definitely need microphotography with these. Like you, I carry a visor to the field with me and use it when necessary to look at smaller specimens. I also carry a couple of hand lenses as well. I ordered a special set of 10x lenses to mount in the visor as the normal 2x to 4x lenses just don't give enough maginfication. I only use the visor when I am stationary, however, as walking with the visor down is asking for a disaster. Plus, it doesn't look cool! Regards, Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 Wow, those are small. I think the only smaller ones I have seen were electron microscope pics of microfossils from the Little Brazos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted January 26, 2009 Author Share Posted January 26, 2009 Thanks everyone. Maybe I can get Dan to help me with some microscopic photos. Now where did I put those little.... The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true. - JJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 Sorting through some matrix I recently aquired from the Lower Cretaceous Glen Rose Formation, I may have found my smallest echinoid.... You're joshing! They look like pollen! Mount them on a slide "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...
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