It's Fossil Friday #11

Another purchased Knightia specimen. Oh, and thanks to the information provided by one kind commenter, next Friday, I will initiate a brief Fish Knife Friday redux! Thanks to Lisa Kadonaga of BC, Canada for turning me on to an online supplier of reasonably priced fish knives. More on that later...

It's Fossil Friday #10

This one is not much to look at, but it represents a fossil in the making. This is the umbos and hinge of a bivalve mollusk, found on the shores of Ocean City, MD. The shell is nearly, but not completely mineralized, and the void is filled with packed mud that is nearly completely cemented and almost, but not quite, rock.

It's Fossil Friday #9

This is a fossil oyster from the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal deposits. I think its from the genus Ostrea, but I forget...

It's Fossil Friday #8

These little bits found on the beach near Calvert Cliffs, Maryland are reportedly the plate-like teeth of a long gone skate or stingray. I'm not sure about that myself, but it's plausible.

It's Fossil Firday #7

These are obviously (if you've ever spent time on a trawl survey boat, anyway) parts of crab chelae (i.e., upper claws). They were found at Calvert Cliffs, Maryland.

It's Fossil Friday #6

Another find from the C&D Canal area, this is a scallop shell (barely visible on the bottom of the formation) with some "mega barnacle" shells on top. The size of the barnacles is such that a U.S. penny would easily fit into the shell one....

It's Fossil Friday #5

Here's a scallop shell in rock matrix. If you look closely, you'll see other shell bits in the matrix, too. This one came from a Chesapeake Bay beach in Maryland.

It's Fossil Friday #4

I know it's hard to tell from this image, but this is a chunk of fossilized wood (i.e. "petrified"). It was found near my home in Townsend, DE while a friend was digging a pond, And you thought petrified wood was an artifact of the desert....

It's Fossil Friday #3!

These are assorted shark teeth from Calvert Cliffs, MD. These are a dime a dozen, or cheaper, in the surf zone of this area of the Chesapeake Bay (although the guy at the entrance of one park in the area is happily selling them for a buck apiece). If you go, stay away from the cliffs from which these fossils and others erode - they are unstable and could collapse. I recommend getting in the water when it's relatively clear and snorkeling the 1 - 2 foot trough within 10 feet of shore - for some reason these teeth accumulate there and they are visible due to their high contrast against the sand and shells.

It's Fossil Friday #2

These bullet-like fossils are called belemnites. They are the inner 'skeleton' of ancient squid-like mollusks. These are from the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal in Delaware, and are Delaware's "State Fossil". These fossils abound along the C&D Canal - if you know where to look. There's one particular trove of them less than a mile from a seedy bar full of seedy guys who couldn't give two shits about fossils. If you go to the Canal for belemnites, be sure to stop in for some beers.

It's Fossil Friday #1!

Shut up. It starts with "F".

I decided to make Fridays fossil days, since I'm shit out of fish knives. Plus, I have a few fossils. Now, I'm no paleontologist, nor do I want to be. Most of my fossils come from fairly local sources like the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal or Calvert Cliffs, MD. With that said, I decided to start the series with a purchased piece that was given to me a gift. I have no idea where this was collected, so it's contextual value is zero. However, as a fisheries biologist, this piece is fascinating. Plus, it's a fish.

The fossilized genus here is Knightia, which is very similar in many respects (size, shape, etc.) to modern herring; species that I have extensive experience handling. The similarities through time are compelling, and fossils like these only go to show the absolutely powerful process of evolution.

I'll get to some local fossils next time....