Durdontid and Basilosaurid Fossil Teeth

 

This image is of fossil teeth on display at Mace Brown Museum of Natural History (August 2017). It was found in Cross Formation, Pregnall Member of Dorchester County, South Carolina, USA and dates to the Paleogene Period in the Eocene Epoch (36-34 million years ago).

The Mace Brown Museum of Natural History is located at the College of Charleston, 202 Calhoun Street, 2nd Floor, Charleston, South Carolina 29424.

Learn more at their blog: http://blogs.cofc.edu/macebrownmuseum/

Paleohyptodus rutoti Fossil Shark Teeth

This image is of some fossil teeth of the Sand Tiger shark aka Paleohyptodus rutoti (Winkler, 1874) on display at Mace Brown Museum of Natural History (August 2017). It dates to the Paleocene Epoch of the Paleogene Period. The fossils were maybe found in the rivers of South Carolina USA.

The Mace Brown Museum of Natural History is located at the College of Charleston, 202 Calhoun Street, 2nd Floor, Charleston, South Carolina 29424.

Learn more at their blog: http://blogs.cofc.edu/macebrownmuseum/

Carcharodon hubelli Fossil Shark Teeth

This image is of some fossil teeth of the extinct White shark aka Carcharodon hubelli (Ehret, 2012) on display at Mace Brown Museum of Natural History (August 2017). It dates to the Miocene Epoch (about 5-15 million years ago) of the Neogene Period. The fossils were found in the rivers of South Carolina USA.

The Mace Brown Museum of Natural History is located at the College of Charleston, 202 Calhoun Street, 2nd Floor, Charleston, South Carolina 29424.

Learn more at their blog: http://blogs.cofc.edu/macebrownmuseum/

Isurus hastalis Shark Teeth Fossils

This image is of some fossil teeth of the Mako shark aka Isurus hastalis (Agassiz, 1843) on display at Mace Brown Museum of Natural History (August 2017). It dates to the Miocene Epoch (about 5-15 million years ago) of the Neogene Period. The fossils were found in rivers of South Carolina (S.C.), Ridgeville, S.C. and Aurora North Carolina, USA. It appears the genus was renamed in 2021 to Cosmopolitodus (Glikman, 1964) an extinct mackerel shark.

The Mace Brown Museum of Natural History is located at the College of Charleston, 202 Calhoun Street, 2nd Floor, Charleston, South Carolina 29424.

Learn more at their blog: http://blogs.cofc.edu/macebrownmuseum/

Myliobatus Eagle Ray Toothplate Fossils

These images are of Myliobatus striatus? (Eagle Ray) fossils on display at Mace Brown Museum of Natural History (August 2017). They date to the Eocene Epoch (about 50-45 million years ago), Paleogene Period. The fossil was found in Santee Quarry, Harleyville, South Carolina USA.

The Mace Brown Museum of Natural History is located at the College of Charleston, 202 Calhoun Street, 2nd Floor, Charleston, South Carolina 29424.

Learn more at their blog: http://blogs.cofc.edu/macebrownmuseum/

 

Sea Robin Fish Snout Fossil

In August 2017, I visited Folly Beach near Charleston, South Carolina USA. While there, I spent a number of hours looking for shark teeth on the beach. For all my effort, I found one tiger shark tooth. While at the beach, it was somewhat disorienting looking for fossils. One, I was not sure what color the teeth and other fossils would be, were they white, gray, brown, blue, or black? In addition, I knew there were vertebrate parts of different animals that were phosphate fossils. Also, seashells were plentiful but also distracting from trying to find teeth/skeleton shapes.

So I would tried to find black shapes which I assumed were phosphate. I did not find a lot of them but one that stood out to me is pictured here. I thought it might be some sort of small animal skull. The first picture is the top of the skull. The next image is side view of the bottom of skull turned up. The picture below is view of the bottom of the snout of the skull.

Unfortunately, I did not have any good guides and my poor understanding/knowledge of vertebrate anatomy lead me to no identification. So I bagged the fossil and put it in a box. Last week, I put some effort into finding out what it is. After much searching on the Internet, I determined I had found the snout of a fish called Prionotus (Lacepède , 1801) aka Sea Robin or gurnard. It probably dates to the Pliocene Epoch and might be from the Goose Creek Limestone. Ironically, I was accessing web pages while staying at a hotel near the beach and on one of the pages was the fossil I had found. Also Sea Robin fish fossils can be common finds on Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico beaches in the United States. If only I known the correct search term to look for in the image databases. Needless to say, I am happy to have finally figured out this mystery and I have a little bit more understanding of fish anatomy.

The picture below is the top of snout with the nose part pointing up. Note the textured pattern plate marking the top.

The next picture is of the fossil back which would be in front of the skull where the eyes and mouth are located. Note the white circles which are bases where more recent corals were growing while the fossil was on the seafloor.

Learn more about the modern Sea Robin fish, a member of the Triglidae family. Note the sea robin is called that because its pectoral fins look like bird wings moving while the fish is swimming.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triglidae

More about fossils like this at this site:
http://elasmo.com/leecreek/lc_fish/fishSp.html?tgtSp=pri_sp

Learn more about this geological area from a blog by Robert Boessenecker of College of Charleston in South Carolina.
http://coastalpaleo.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-ashley-phosphate-beds.html

Carolinapecten eboreus Scallop Fossil

This image is of a Carolinapecten eboreus scallop fossil. The fossil was found in Horry County South Carolina USA. It dates to the Pleistocene Epoch. It is possible the fossil was found in the Waccamaw Formation. The specimen was on display at The Charleston Museum on August 2017. It is one of the United States oldest museums being founded in 1773.

Santee Limestone

These images are of the Santee Limestone composed of numerous marine fossils from 45 million years ago. The limestone was found in Dorchester County South Carolina USA. It dates to the Eocene Epoch, Paleogene Period. The specimen was on display at The Charleston Museum on August 2017. The museum is considered America's First Museum being founded in 1773.

Odontocete Fossils

These images are of an odontocete whale-like fossils(?) on display at Mace Brown Museum of Natural History (August 2017). It dates to the Oligocene Epoch (about 28-26 million years ago), Paleogene Period.

The Mace Brown Museum of Natural History is located at the College of Charleston, 202 Calhoun Street, 2nd Floor, Charleston, South Carolina 29424.

Learn more at their blog: http://blogs.cofc.edu/macebrownmuseum/

Waipatiid Cetacean Fossil

This image is of a waipatiid cetacean whale-like fossil(?) on display at Mace Brown Museum of Natural History (August 2017). It dates to the Oligocene Epoch (about 28-26 million years ago), Paleogene Period.

The Mace Brown Museum of Natural History is located at the College of Charleston, 202 Calhoun Street, 2nd Floor, Charleston, South Carolina 29424.

Learn more at their blog: http://blogs.cofc.edu/macebrownmuseum/

The images below are of an unnamed Odontocete whale fossil. It was found in Chandler Bridge Formation, Village Green Subdivision, Berkeley County, South Carolina, USA.

Divaricella quadrisulcata Sea Shell

These pictures are not of fossils but of a modern day bivalve. It is a cross-hatched lucine (Divaricella quadrisulcata Orbigny 1842). I am posting it because of the unique pattern of its shell. It reminds me of a Waldron Shale brachiopod fossil Dictyonella reticulata not that they have similar patterns but that they have such distinct patterns. Once you see a shell like this, you know what it is because of its unique pattern.

This shell was found on Folly Beach South Carolina USA in August 2017.  See this site for help with shell identifications:

https://www.mitchellspublications.com/guides/shells/articles/pictorial/

Atlantic Auger Shells

Working on this year's fossil Christmas tree which will partially not consist of fossils. I am using some specimens I collected while at Folly Beach near Charleston South Carolina USA in August 2017. The images in this post are of Common American Auger gastropod shells aka Atlantic Auger (Terebra dislocata Thomas Say, he originally named it in 1822 Cerithium dislocatum).

Thanks to this web site for identification: https://www.mitchellspublications.com/guides/shells/articles/pictorial/

Cynthiacetus Whale Fossil

This image is of a Cynthiacetus maxwelli whale fossil on display at Mace Brown Museum of Natural History (August 2017). It dates to the Eocene Epoch (about 38-34 million years ago), Paleogene Period. The fossil is a composite of material found at various sites: Harleyville, South Carolina USA, Hinds County Mississippi USA, and Paracas Bay, Peru (Cynthiacetus peruvianus).

The Mace Brown Museum of Natural History is located at the College of Charleston, 202 Calhoun Street, 2nd Floor, Charleston, South Carolina 29424.

Learn more at their blog: http://blogs.cofc.edu/macebrownmuseum/

Lettered Olive Shells

While in Charleston, South Carolina USA we stayed at Folly Beach (August 2017). During beach time, I tried to find shark teeth, phosphate fossils and shells.  Luckily, I found some the the state's official shell, the Oliva sayana aka lettered olive snail. Dr. Edmund Ravenel (1797-1871) named it this due to the patterns found shells reminded him of hieroglyphic symbols. The dark shell in the image might be a Pliocene fossil.

Xenorophid Whale Skull Fossil

This image is of a Xenorophus sp. whale skull fossil on display at Mace Brown Museum of Natural History (August 2017). It dates to the Oligocene Epoch (about 32-30 million years ago) of the Paleogene Period. The fossil was found in Ashley Formation, Charleston County South Carolina USA.

The Mace Brown Museum of Natural History is located at the College of Charleston, 202 Calhoun Street, 2nd Floor, Charleston, South Carolina 29424.

Learn more at their blog: http://blogs.cofc.edu/macebrownmuseum/

Odontocete Whale Skull Fossil

This image is of a Cotylocara macei whale skull fossil on display at Mace Brown Museum of Natural History (August 2017). It is named after Mace Brown. It dates to the Oligocene Epoch (about 28 million years ago) of the Paleogene Period. The fossil was found in Chandler Bridge Formation, Bed 2, Berkeley County South Carolina USA.

The Mace Brown Museum of Natural History is located at the College of Charleston, 202 Calhoun Street, 2nd Floor, Charleston, South Carolina 29424.

Learn more at their blog: http://blogs.cofc.edu/macebrownmuseum/

Hexanchus agassizi Fossil Shark Teeth

These images are of Hexanchus agassizi fossil shark teeth on display at Mace Brown Museum of Natural History (August 2017). This animal was also known as a cow shark. They date to the Eocene Epoch (about 45 million years ago), Paleogene Period. The fossils were found in Harleyville South Carolina USA.

The Mace Brown Museum of Natural History is located at the College of Charleston, 202 Calhoun Street, 2nd Floor, Charleston, South Carolina 29424.

Learn more at their blog: http://blogs.cofc.edu/macebrownmuseum/

Loggerhead Turtle Fossil

This image is of a Carolinachelys wilsoni loggerhead turtle fossil on display at Mace Brown Museum of Natural History (August 2017). They date to the Oligocene Epoch (about 11-5.3 million years ago), Paleogene Period. The fossil was found in Summerville South Carolina USA.

The Mace Brown Museum of Natural History is located at the College of Charleston, 202 Calhoun Street, 2nd Floor, Charleston, South Carolina 29424.

Learn more at their blog: http://blogs.cofc.edu/macebrownmuseum/

Amusium mortoni Bivalve Fossil

Recently I visited The Charleston Museum in South Carolina USA. It is one of the oldest museums in the United States. Founded in 1773 and opened to the public in 1824. I was hoping to see the natural history exhibit with special interest in fossils and minerals on display. Unfortunately, these areas were undergoing remodeling during my visit. In the main entrance area, they did have some minerals and this fossil was on display.

The picture above is an Amusium mortoni Ravenei 1844 saltwater clam fossil. Fossil dates to the Pliocene epoch (Neogene Period) and was found in Charleston County South Carolina.

Outside the closed Natural History Gallery was a model showing what the renovated area will look like when it re-opens September 23, 2017.