Identify these fossils? |
Identify these fossils? |
Jan 15 2012, 12:09 PM
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#1
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Diggin' In! Group: Members Posts: 7 Joined: 14-August 11 Member No.: 26,480 |
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Jan 15 2012, 12:52 PM
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#2
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Diggin' In! Group: Members Posts: 7 Joined: 14-August 11 Member No.: 26,480 |
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Jan 15 2012, 04:44 PM
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#3
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Diggin' In! Group: Members Posts: 7 Joined: 14-August 11 Member No.: 26,480 |
The first one appears to be a tooth with a broken tip. The root is rough.
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Jan 17 2012, 10:31 AM
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#4
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Master Mucker! Group: Admin Posts: 4,149 Joined: 7-October 03 From: Colorado Member No.: 3 |
Hi coloradorocket,
I merged your posts all into this thread from the other section and left all the pics since there were different shots for close up. Nice finds and I was thinking tooth of some herbavore as well for the first one. No clue on the second but the blue color is striking. Who else has any ideas? -------------------- CP-Owner/Administrator
www.ColoradoProspector.com IF YOU USE IT, THE GROUND PRODUCED IT! MINERS MAKE "IT" HAPPEN!! |
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Jan 17 2012, 12:59 PM
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#5
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Rock Bar! Group: Members Posts: 637 Joined: 5-April 11 From: All of Colorado Member No.: 15,615 |
Hello Dan, Interesting pics and thanks for sharing,
I have done a fair amount of fossil hunting in my time but by no means considered an expert. So everything here after is only speculation on my part; The first item could very well be a tooth but it seems to be missing the enamel. The outer layer of teeth is very hard and preserves extreamly well. Usually it is highly polished and shinny. The inside of teeth is where you find the layering that looks like bone. Also this rough layering effect is what one would find on the root of the tooth. It is difficult to tell from the pictures but I see a vague line that could represent the transition from root to enamel. If that is the case then this tooth has been preserved in a solution that leached the smooth surface and did not preserve well. Also I Will extend myself further out on a limb and say that what you have is a tooth from a carnivores marine reptile , very similar to an Ichthyosaurs or Plesiosaurus. There are many different sub-critters within these two groups and the size/shape fits the bill nicely. "“about 1 ˝ inches in length, well rounded, lacking serrated edges, and found in material bearing aquatic fossils”". That last part is a very important piece. I think that these are aquatic fossils by your other two items; In an ocean or stream sediment and material is collected and carried for perhaps long distances. Often it can displace material far away from its original location and therefore it looks out of place. I have commonly found pebbles and small stones mixed in with the fossil matrix that look identical to your pictures. The stones sometimes have odd indentations or shapes to them and this is from the way they formed. They were deposited before they were completely cooled and still soft enough to take on the shape of whatever they landed on. Think of a ball of hot tar being thrown into the air and then landing on a bed of crushed rock. After eons of time spent washing around in the waves most of the pebble is smooth. However the indentation portions still show irregular shapes to them. I find these quite common and think they are very interesting. Think about it for a minute, you are holding a rock with fossils in it and therefore must be very old. But hold on, there is also rocks in my fossilized rock! That makes these little bitty pebbles some of the oldest material on earth. Sorry for the long “101” class but hope this helps, Woody. -------------------- Proud CP Lifetime Member
(currently working hard in the procurement department) |
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Jan 21 2012, 09:40 AM
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#6
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Diggin' In! Group: Members Posts: 7 Joined: 14-August 11 Member No.: 26,480 |
Thanks everybody. From the pictures of teeth on the Internet, it definitely resembles a Plesiosaurus tooth.
I'm going to get a better picture of the dark fossils. The impressions have a V shape to them, which seems unusual. I'm going back today to see what else I can find! |
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Jan 29 2012, 09:46 AM
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#7
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Diggin' In! Group: Members Posts: 7 Joined: 14-August 11 Member No.: 26,480 |
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Jan 29 2012, 01:05 PM
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#8
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Shovel Buster! Group: Members Posts: 60 Joined: 4-October 10 From: Sweden Member No.: 7,387 |
The second pic might just not be a fossil but rather hematite, magnetite, psilomelane or even slag from bloom making. Open one of them up to see a fresh surface.
-------------------- Geologists are gneiss, tuff and a little wacke.
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Feb 3 2012, 01:39 PM
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#9
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Diggin' In! Group: Members Posts: 16 Joined: 20-January 12 From: Boulder, Co Member No.: 38,697 |
The smooth stones are what are known as Gastroliths...... stones that were held in the stomach of dinosours and it helped them grind or digest food. We used to find lots of them around the Moab area and they were always near Dino bones. Here is a link http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&a...EziE8YXiECglBaA
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Feb 4 2012, 01:19 AM
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#10
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Rock Bar! Group: Members Posts: 637 Joined: 5-April 11 From: All of Colorado Member No.: 15,615 |
I did not think they were Gastroliths.
The possibility did cross my mind but I opted to go with the ocean dewelling creatures. Normally when I have found "Gut Stones" they were quite evident. By that I mean you would suddenly come accrossed a section of ground and there might be 40 or more polished stones just lying there. The stones were all about the size of a plum, not much varriation to them. Absoluty correct about them being an indicator to look for other bones. When I was a kid I hunted Dinos with my Grandfather and he always got excited when we found a patch of gut stones. You could be right. I would like to see them in person. Woody. -------------------- Proud CP Lifetime Member
(currently working hard in the procurement department) |
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Feb 18 2012, 10:15 AM
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#11
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Diggin' In! Group: Members Posts: 7 Joined: 14-August 11 Member No.: 26,480 |
Probably not gastroliths, at least not the original rocks. Both have V-shaped fossils embedded in them.
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