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Cretaceous
November 1-2, 2008 - Cretaceous and Tertiary Fossils - Butler County
If you wanted a day/weekend out in the woods, you couldn't have custom-ordered more perfect weather or a more perfect spot to enjoy the outdoors. A small group of BPS’ers set out for Butler County to a site owned by a member’s relatives. They kindly let us in there at least once a year and a big THANK YOU goes out to them from BPS. We use the word “intrepid” a lot to describe our membership, but, what else can you say when you see people wading up to “there” in icy-cold water on a Fall day? Lots of tiny shark-teeth were found, along with a very tiny ray tooth, numerous pieces of cochina stone, a variety of shells, including gastropods and bivalves, and a few very weathered nautiloids. Also of interest for many of us are the native American artifacts we always find at this location. Several pottery sherds were found, some with excellent examples of incised designs.
Then it was time to chill out…literally, as the day wore down the temperature started dropping. But what a better time than a nippy Fall evening for a bonfire and cooking out? The overnighters got tents and vans set for the night and turned in.
With the arrival of morning, the smell of breakfast and the sounds of fellow-campers stirring got all but the most determined late-sleepers up and going. Most stayed for the day. Nancy decided that a flat tire, a broken water-bottle, bee sting, and an uneasy tummy perhaps meant a message from the camping gods to head back to civilization.
Those who stayed for the day hiked along the dirt roads near the creek, and later rode in Big Blue to a different location on the property where a canal had been dug in the distant past, and rocky debris had been tossed to the side, creating a mound of rocks. Many of the rocks were filled with fossil shells.
A great weekend under the stars, hiking in a beautiful clear creek, and spending time out in the clean Fall air! Who could ask for anything more?
Photos courtesy Claire Smith and Vicki Lais
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September 20, 2008 - Cretaceous Fossils, Dallas County, AL
Once again, BPS took a trip south to Dallas county, Alabama, to search in the extensive Cretaceous chalk gullies found there. This was our last gully trip of the season, since hunting season is about to start, so we were in a frantic hurry to collect the items we had previously flagged, and find as much as we could so it could be preserved, and not get washed down a gully, and potentially lost for research. In addition to the normal variety of shells, shark teeth and vertebra, fish including enchodus, and turtles, this month a baby crocodile was found, the first one found in Alabama, so we were quite excited.
(Photos courtesy Joey Golson and Vicki Lais)
A hot day in the gullies, but we had a good turnout.
After a slight delay, well, a very long delay, due to a mixup in who was going to call who, we finally gained access to the site. To get to this new set of gullies, we had to drive in, then park and walk the rest of the way.
We've just gotten into the gully, and are preparing to survey in different sections so we can cover the entire gully several times.
Overview of the large gully where we first collected today.
When we first arrived at the gully, it was difficult to find anything. No matter where we looked, it didn't seem like there was anything other than rocks and broken shells.
Fossils: shells
A couple of shells common to the area, though most are broken in pieces.
This large slab of calcite or selenite crystals was found near the entrance to the gully.
Fossils: teeth, Fossils: fish, Fossils: jaw
Part of a fossil fish jaw, with several teeth still embeded in the jaw.
Part of what makes it difficult to find fossils is the large quantity of rubble on the ground, that all looks like fossils. One has to tune out the "trash" and tune in to the correct shapes before being able to spot vertebra and teeth.
Fossils: shark teeth
Squalicorax on left, Cretolamna appendiculata on right
Fossils: shark vertebra
Three shark vertebra
Fossils: crocodile
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.
Fossils: shark teeth, Fossils: enchodus teeth
Shark teeth and a couple of enchodus teeth
Fossils: fish
Fish bone
Fossils: enchodus tooth
Pieces of fish bone, probably enchodus.
Fossils: enchodus
Enchodus fish tooth and part of the jawbone
Fossils: bone
Fossil bone, possibly a very weathered mosasaur vertebra.
An unknown item, but it certainly looks interesting. Might be a horned coral.
Fossils: shark tooth
Cretoxyrhina shark tooth
An area that has been flagged to mark several areas of fossil fish.
Searching for parts of a fossil fish
Becky displaying the bird bones she found.
Fossils: bone
Ichthyornis bones (a type of seabird) found by Becky.
Fossils: fish
Fragments of fossil fish bones (enchodus).
A fish is being carefully excavated from the side of this gully. It was found by accident, when the tooth part of an enchodus jaw found on top of the gully rolled down, and we were hunting for the broken off tooth.
Parts of a turtle were found in this wash, everyone is searching for more tiny fragments.
Fossils: fish bones
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.
Fossils: fish vertebra
Tiny fish vertebra.
This is where the baby crocodile bone and tiny scutes were found. James is flagging the highest point; there is a flag where every single fossil has been found. Afterwards, the entire area will be scoured on hands and knees for more bones and scutes.
Fossils: crocodile scute
Scute from a baby crocodile, the smallest one ever found in Alabama.
After searching the first gully carefully, some of us moved on to the next large gully.
Fossils: shark vertebra
A large number of shark vertebra were found on the side of this chalk bank. More vertebra, both whole and broken, littered the ground below, where they had washed down the gully. After collecting, washing and sorting out the pieces, it was discovered there were approximately 20 whole vertebra found at this spot.
Fossils: fish vertebra
Row of fish vertebra on the side of a gully.
Fossils: fish vertebra
Close-up of a fish vertebra
Fossils: enchodus tooth
Very badly worn fish bones, based on the tooth, it looks like a type of enchodus.
Fossils: enchodus tooth
Worn enchodus tooth.
This is the location where the baby crocodile bone and scutes were found. James and Claire are sifting the dirt down the gully from the find, in hopes of finding more scutes and bones.
Fossils: crab
Tiny pieces of a crab found by Claire.
Gully season is over for the year due to hunting season. On a prior trip, parts of a fossil were found, and James is hoping to find more small bones in the large bags of dirt he collected from the same area. We had so many fossils to collect, it was dark by the time we arrived at this gully.
Fossils: crocodile bones
James Lamb pulls out a tray of fossil crocodile bones, to show us the difference in the size of the baby crocodile bone we've found, and what is normally found in Alabama. He is holding the same bone in both hands.
Fossils: crocodile scute
Back at the lab, James showed us the difference in size of the baby crocodile we found in the gully, and what is normally found in Alabama. This scute is the smallest one found in Alabama thus far.
Fossils: crocodile, Fossils: scute
James Lamb demonstrating the difference in size of the baby crocodile bone and scutes we found, and those of an adult.
Fossils: shark vertebra
Remember the pile of shark vertebra laying on the side of the gully? This is them after being cleaned up in the lab.
Prairie flower
Prairie flower
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.
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08-09-vl-shark-teeth-4461
Squalicorax on left, Cretolamna appendiculata on right
08-09-vl-unknown-4439
An unknown item, but it certainly looks interesting. Might be a horned coral.
08-09-vl-collecting-turtle-4499
Parts of a turtle were found in this wash, everyone is searching for more tiny fragments.
