A Few Finds From Frankstown

[diggerdan]

Hello.. I could use some help identifying some of the items pictured here. The sharks teeth are pretty common but some of the others have me stumped. I also included some points that I found there in 20 mile creek any input would be appreciated. Thanks.. Dan

[Northern Sharks]

I can only help on the shark teeth. You have several Squalicorax, probably S.kaupi. They are the small,triangular, serrated ones. Most, if not all, of the others are probably Goblin shark teeth, Scapanorhychus texanus. These are tough to tell apart from sand-tigers and I'm basing this guess based on what I've seen from Frankstown. The anteriors and laterals look nothing alike, but they are from the same species. Great bunch of stuff.

[greel]

The first pic (far left) shows what appears to be a cretaceous sawfish rostral tooth (Ischyrhiza mira) near the left center, while at the top right

the tooth of a cretaceous bony fish. The next pic (2nd left) shows the Squalicorax teeth near the bottom in a horizontal-v shaped pattern. The

squalicorax kaupi teeth are smaller and have a distinct notch in the blade just below the root. The larger squalicorax on the left of the v-pattern

are pristodontus, having more of a curved edge to the tooth. The majority of the teeth are the goblin shark (Scapanorhynchus texanus) anteriors

and laterals. The anteriors are the longer more slender bladed teeth with the laterals having broader somewhat angled blades often with side

cusps. The posterior goblin teeth are smaller and the roots tend to be quite rounded at the sides. You also have a drum fish (Anomaeodus)

tooth - it's the canoe shaped tooth mixed in with the teeth in the upper left of the pic.

-greel

[MB]

The first pic (far left) shows what appears to be a cretaceous sawfish rostral tooth (Ischyrhiza mira) near the left center, while at the top right

the tooth of a cretaceous bony fish. The next pic (2nd left) shows the Squalicorax teeth near the bottom in a horizontal-v shaped pattern. The

squalicorax kaupi teeth are smaller and have a distinct notch in the blade just below the root. The larger squalicorax on the left of the v-pattern

are pristodontus, having more of a curved edge to the tooth. The majority of the teeth are the goblin shark (Scapanorhynchus texanus) anteriors

and laterals. The anteriors are the longer more slender bladed teeth with the laterals having broader somewhat angled blades often with side

cusps. The posterior goblin teeth are smaller and the roots tend to be quite rounded at the sides. You also have a drum fish (Anomaeodus)

tooth - it's the canoe shaped tooth mixed in with the teeth in the upper left of the pic.

-greel

Hi, all of them are cretaceous in age?

[kauffy]

I dont know what they are but nice fossils!!! :Thumbs-up:

[diggerdan]

Hello.. yes the Frankstown site is all from the upper cretaceous. The site also has given me quite a few fossil teeth and bones from large mammals and some nice points too. I am a still stumped on the vertebrae and large black tooth shown together, they came from a site about a mile from Frankstown. I really appreciate the help.

[MB]

Hello.. yes the Frankstown site is all from the upper cretaceous. The site also has given me quite a few fossil teeth and bones from large mammals and some nice points too. I am a still stumped on the vertebrae and large black tooth shown together, they came from a site about a mile from Frankstown. I really appreciate the help.

For sure, at least the artifacts don't are cretaceous, yes???

Seems me see among the shark teeths a fish tooth of fish, I'm thinking you have an Eotrigonodon and this fish is from Eocene, perhaps rostral tooth of Pristis also? some of your teeths seems me close to Striatolamia, but perhaps I'm wrong, I'm jus tying to help.

[hybodus]

I agree with the IDs... you also have the following Enchodus palatine fang (bony fish), Xiphactinus audax tooth (bony fish), Hadrodus sp. pharygenal tooth (bony fish) and Brachyrhizodus wichitaensis (ray pavement teeth). You should be able to google these to match the species with your specimens. Also, the Frankstown site is a unique age in that it shows the transition of Squalicorax... looks like both Squalicorax kaupi and Squalicorax pristodontus. Make sure you pick up all of the real small stuff! A ton of rare small shark species can be found!

[MB]

I agree with the IDs... you also have the following Enchodus palatine fang (bony fish), Xiphactinus audax tooth (bony fish), Hadrodus sp. pharygenal tooth (bony fish) and Brachyrhizodus wichitaensis (ray pavement teeth). You should be able to google these to match the species with your specimens. Also, the Frankstown site is a unique age in that it shows the transition of Squalicorax... looks like both Squalicorax kaupi and Squalicorax pristodontus. Make sure you pick up all of the real small stuff! A ton of rare small shark species can be found!

I never were looking for fossils in Frankstown, and for sure that I'll never will be searching there, but is nice to learn this