08-09-vl-jaw-4436
Part of a fossil fish jaw, with several teeth still embeded in the jaw.
2008-09-20
08-09-vl-calcite-4430
This large slab of calcite or selenite crystals was found near the entrance to the gully.
08-09-vl-shells-4428
A couple of shells common to the area, though most are broken in pieces.
08-09-vl-flagged-4477
An area that has been flagged to mark several areas of fossil fish.
08-09-vl-crocodile-4457
This tiny bone found by Vicki turned out to be one of the most important finds of the day. At first thinking it was a very large bird, after closer examination, James realized it was a baby crocodile, the only baby one found in Alabama! After waving us all away from the area, he proceeded to search on hands and knees, finding at least 8 tiny scutes, which had been missed when the bone was flagged. He even hiked back to the cars to get a screen, so the area below the find could be searched. If you examine the photo carefully, the small items that look bits of broken shell are actually parts of scutes.
08-09-vl-flower-4464
Wild flower. The chalk gullies are last places where ancient prairie grasses and flowers are found since European settlement and the practices of modern agriculture.
08-09-vl-fish-4520
Back half of a fish that was embedded in the chalk gully wall. According to James Lamb, it was only half there when it fossilized - none has been lost. After finding so many partial fossils, we are speculating that this was a shallow feeding ground.
08-09-vl-shark-vert-4588
Remember the pile of shark vertebra laying on the side of the gully? This is them after being cleaned up in the lab.
