Fossils of Texas
A Journey
This crab is from a hunt in Arkansas last year, when I
was living there. Just got an ID, so am posting it. It
is a Costacopluma bishopi.
ID by Alex (MB)
The under side
*****************************************************************************************************************
*****************************************************************************************************************
I hunted my favorite creek in Arkansas on Sunday, June 22nd, 2008
Here are a few of my finds below and the area I hunted.
A cottonmouth snake that shared his creek with me
A few fossilized shells I spotted while checking the banks
Beautiful falcatas below
Pycnodonte, maybe P. convexa, and the two valves are the those of a single individual.
The convex one, that's mostly showing in the photo, is the left (lower - the one that
originally lay on the sea floor) valve, and the concave one on the other side is the right
(upper - the one that acts like a lid, and only opens slightly) valve. (see linked pic also)
ID and information, Earl Manning
Deer Bone Below Odocoileus virginianus
ID Earl Manning
Picture 2976
Another view Pic 2978 (below) Link on pic below is Pic 2979
Final view
Pic 2980
A few echs I found (main goal of the trip was to find one complete one, but no
such luck as you can see.)
was living there. Just got an ID, so am posting it. It
is a Costacopluma bishopi.
ID by Alex (MB)
The under side
*****************************************************************************************************************
*****************************************************************************************************************
I hunted my favorite creek in Arkansas on Sunday, June 22nd, 2008
Here are a few of my finds below and the area I hunted.
A cottonmouth snake that shared his creek with me
A few fossilized shells I spotted while checking the banks
Beautiful falcatas below
Pycnodonte, maybe P. convexa, and the two valves are the those of a single individual.
The convex one, that's mostly showing in the photo, is the left (lower - the one that
originally lay on the sea floor) valve, and the concave one on the other side is the right
(upper - the one that acts like a lid, and only opens slightly) valve. (see linked pic also)
ID and information, Earl Manning
Deer Bone Below Odocoileus virginianus
ID Earl Manning
The oddly-textured circular area at the bottom I believe to be the the inside of a
mammal cranium (pic 2980),
with a surface that was against the brain (this is the ventral view of the rt. top of the cranium).
The conical shape at the top I take to be the the pedicle (the little pedestal the antler is attached to)
of a male white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus. The bone appears to be the post. half of the rt. frontal
of the skull (the bone that bears the horns of bovids and antlers of cervids). In the third photo (2979), t
he base of the rt. pedicle is at rt., the raggedy edge in the lw. rt. is the suture where the post. frontal meets
the ant. edge of the rt. parietal, and the raggedy lower left edge is part of the mid-line (saggital) suture,
where the two frontals meet in the middle. The little hole in the upper left is the start of the foramen over
the top of the rt. orbit (eye-hole). In the first photo (2976), you can see the hole again, in the top center,
to the upper left of the base of the pedicle. The rt. pedicle points posteriorly and toward the right.
with a surface that was against the brain (this is the ventral view of the rt. top of the cranium).
The conical shape at the top I take to be the the pedicle (the little pedestal the antler is attached to)
of a male white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus. The bone appears to be the post. half of the rt. frontal
of the skull (the bone that bears the horns of bovids and antlers of cervids). In the third photo (2979), t
he base of the rt. pedicle is at rt., the raggedy edge in the lw. rt. is the suture where the post. frontal meets
the ant. edge of the rt. parietal, and the raggedy lower left edge is part of the mid-line (saggital) suture,
where the two frontals meet in the middle. The little hole in the upper left is the start of the foramen over
the top of the rt. orbit (eye-hole). In the first photo (2976), you can see the hole again, in the top center,
to the upper left of the base of the pedicle. The rt. pedicle points posteriorly and toward the right.
Deer can be found in both
late Pleistocene and modern sediment, and look the same.
A picture also provided by Earl, so you can clearly see the area that he is speaking of (below the bone pics)
A picture also provided by Earl, so you can clearly see the area that he is speaking of (below the bone pics)
Picture 2976
Another view Pic 2978 (below) Link on pic below is Pic 2979
Final view
Pic 2980
A few echs I found (main goal of the trip was to find one complete one, but no
such luck as you can see.)
Videos of the hunt by Lance Hall
Video 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qa39BZxupho
Video 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1C0XjnWb7cY
Lance, Frank, Kelly, and George, comparing fossil notes.
Some of Lance's finds, including falcatas and gastropods.
My cardia (bi-valve) above.
Lance, holding one of the echinoids below
http://www.geocities.com/lancelhall/fossils/index.htm
This one is
********************************************************************************************************************
********************************************************************************************************************
This is a Linthia Variabilis Slocum
(Nacatoch Sand
This one isn't another paddle bone as I thought. It turns out it is part of a giant turtle. 
This is a neck vert from the elasmosaurid. It was the largest and most
advanced of the long-necked plesiosaurs. It is the base of the neutral
canal, where the nutritive formaminae are visible. 
Video 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qa39BZxupho
Video 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1C0XjnWb7cY
Trip hunt to the local creek in Arkansas
Arkadelphia, yielded echinoids, falcatas, cardias, sponges, and various
shark teeth. 2 teeth were enchodus and also a squalicorax kaupi. We
were hunting in the Ozan Formation.
Getting ready for the hunt. Left to right, Lance Hall, Kelly Irwin,Frank Holterhoff, and George Phillips.
Lance hunting in the gravel bar.
and a shark tooth he found, in the matrix
Ozan Formation
Getting ready for the hunt. Left to right, Lance Hall, Kelly Irwin,Frank Holterhoff, and George Phillips.Lance hunting in the gravel bar.and a shark tooth he found, in the matrixOzan FormationLance, Frank, Kelly, and George, comparing fossil notes.
Some of Lance's finds, including falcatas and gastropods.My cardia (bi-valve) above.Lance, holding one of the echinoids below
http://www.geocities.com/lancelhall/fossils/index.htm
This one is from a past trip. It gives clearer detail.
The crew (minus George, who took the pic), at days end. Thanks George! Kelly, Frank, Roz, Lance
An echinoid that I found the next day, still in matrix. Unfortunately the other side had worn away.
********************************************************************************************************************
This is a Linthia Variabilis Slocum
(Nacatoch Sand
Found today in a local ravine.
*********************************************************************************************************************
This bone is the distal end of a femur, Polycotylid Plesiosaur, which is the short-necked Plesiosaur.
This one isn't another paddle bone as I thought. It turns out it is part of a giant turtle. Found this today in a Cretaceous Creek. 
I found this on February 21st, 2007, in a nearby creek. This is my largest so far. It is of the genus, Prognathodon sp.
