June 03, 2006 - Paleocene Fossils, Clarke and Wilcox Co, AL
Today BPS went way down south to Clarke County,
Alabama. We were
quite excited because this was a new site Steve found, and we were
chomping at the bit, ready to go. We found a good variety of
bivalves and gastropods, a few shark teeth and ray teeth. The
most numerous fossil we found is Flabellum
cuneiforme pachyphyllum, a type of
coral from the upper Lisbon formation. This is unlike any
corals
we have collected in the past,
as it has a flattened shape, as if someone took a horned coral and
squashed it. Some were tinted a pinkish color, which made
them
easy to spot in the mostly white matrix. At least one
specimen of
Endopachys maclurii
was found
(looks similar to the flat one, but has two bumps on each flat side),
and several very tiny round specimens of Discotrochus
orbignianus were found. (Specimens from this
site are very
fragile, and should NOT be placed in a bucket of water to clean, as
they will crumble. Even the ones that look thick and
solid.
Brush them off dry, or very lightly wet them, then put them where they
can air dry, perhaps on a wire screen.)
Later in the day we headed to Wilcox County, Alabama, to some huge road construction rubble piles. These rocks were from the Paleocene, Midway Stage. Several nice nautiloid casts (Hercoglossa ulrichi) were found at this site, as was an extremely nice vertebra, which has not yet been identified. The nautiloids are made of compressed sand, and the actual shell has disintegrated. Though they are very heavy and appear sturdy, if left exposed to the weather, or cleaned with water, they will crumble into a pile of sand.
Update: July, 2006 - on the trip, Martha found a large bone that appeared to some of us to be recent, as it was very lightweight; however, Jun Ebersole and James Lamb of the McWane Science Center asked to examine the bone, and determined it is from the only early whale of this species ever found in the state. The specimen has been sent to an early whale expert for study.
(photos courtesy Steve Corvin and Vicki Lais)
![BPS members ready for fossil trip](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_group335.jpg)
![looking at fossil corals](/system/files/images/06_jun_sc_group005.jpg)
Greg is showing the group some specimens from this site - nice corals.
![searching for fossils](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_banks339.jpg)
And the group scatters - the low water level makes hunting easy.
![fossil shells in rock](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_shells345.jpg)
All the rocks at this site are filled with shells and corals. The trick is getting them out whole, as they easily crumble.
![searching for fossils in chalk wall](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_becky382.jpg)
Becky is looking high . . .
![Anca searching for fossils at site](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_anca358.jpg)
and Anca is looking low!
![Greg searching for fossils at site](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_greg357.jpg)
Greg carefully easing out a small coral.
![fossil shell](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_shell352.jpg)
A nice bivalve found by Vicki.
![Leisa's fossil shells](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_shellsLeisa392.jpg)
Nice gastropods found by Leisa.
![fossil whale bone found by Martha](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_boneMartha365.jpg)
A large piece of bone found by Martha. According to James Lamb, it appears to be another bone fragment from an early whale found in this area. This specimen has been sent to an early whale expert for study.
![David searching for fossils at site](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_david342.jpg)
David is heading to another location. The corals and shells were found from the bluffs to the waterline, while Steve engages in his favorite activity, getting wet!
![Steve showing off his fossils](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_steve369.jpg)
![Jan searching for fossils at site](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_Jan377.jpg)
Jan, look over here!
![fossil shark and ray teeth](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_tooth386.jpg)
Shark teeth and a ray "tooth".
![Steve with fossil shark tooth](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_toothSteve384.jpg)
A nice larger shark tooth found by Steve.
![Steve showing fossil coral](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_steve354.jpg)
Steven has found coral and a shark tooth.
![fossil oyster shells](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_shellsVicki034.jpg)
Some shells found by Vicki.
![corals and other fossil shells](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_coralVicki036.jpg)
Shells and corals in Vicki's bag.
![fossil shell](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_shellBecky383.jpg)
![river at site](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_river337.jpg)
One last look at the river before we head for lunch, then on to the next site.
![Paleocene rocks containing fossil nautiloids](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_pile426.jpg)
Later in the afternoon we headed north to Wilcox county, to this pile of rocks from nearby road construction.
![small fossil nautiloid](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_nautiloid436.jpg)
This was spotted on the way in, but the rock was too hard to easily remove the fossil.
![searching for fossil nautiloids in rock pile](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_pile429.jpg)
Jan and Lea headed over to this pile of rocks where they found . . .
![fossil nautiloid](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_nautiloidNovak439.jpg)
a cast of a very large nautiloid!
![fossil nautiloids](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_nautiloidNovak447.jpg)
More nautiloid casts.
![fossil nautiloid](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_nautiloidClaire434.jpg)
Claire found this piece of nautiloid barely out of the ground. She dug quite a while to work it loose.
![fossil nautiloid with crystals in cavity](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_nautiloidClaire465.jpg)
This is what Claire found inside the nautiloid after removing the matrix. Beautiful quartz crystals!
![Martha searching for fossil nautiloids in rock pile](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_martha435.jpg)
Martha searching for an easy way up, which required the skills of a mountain goat!
![Beckys fossil gastropods](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_gastropodsBecky458.jpg)
Becky has found some nice gastropods.
![Beckys fossil nautiloid](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_nautiloidBecky448.jpg)
And a large nautiloid cast in extremely hard rock!
![Claire's large fossil vertebra](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_vertClaire451.jpg)
Claire had a very nice day. In a wash near the nautiloid filled with crystals, she found this large vertebra.
![Claire's large fossil vertebra](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_vertClaire452.jpg)
Side view of the vertebra.
![sunset](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_sunset460.jpg)
As the die-hard fossil hounds called it a day, we were treated to a beautiful sunset!
Later in the day we headed to Wilcox County, Alabama, to some huge road construction rubble piles. These rocks were from the Paleocene, Midway Stage. Several nice nautiloid casts (Hercoglossa ulrichi) were found at this site, as was an extremely nice vertebra, which has not yet been identified. The nautiloids are made of compressed sand, and the actual shell has disintegrated. Though they are very heavy and appear sturdy, if left exposed to the weather, or cleaned with water, they will crumble into a pile of sand.
Update: July, 2006 - on the trip, Martha found a large bone that appeared to some of us to be recent, as it was very lightweight; however, Jun Ebersole and James Lamb of the McWane Science Center asked to examine the bone, and determined it is from the only early whale of this species ever found in the state. The specimen has been sent to an early whale expert for study.
(photos courtesy Steve Corvin and Vicki Lais)
![BPS members ready for fossil trip](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_group335.jpg)
![looking at fossil corals](/system/files/images/06_jun_sc_group005.jpg)
Greg is showing the group some specimens from this site - nice corals.
![searching for fossils](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_banks339.jpg)
And the group scatters - the low water level makes hunting easy.
![fossil shells in rock](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_shells345.jpg)
All the rocks at this site are filled with shells and corals. The trick is getting them out whole, as they easily crumble.
![searching for fossils in chalk wall](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_becky382.jpg)
Becky is looking high . . .
![Anca searching for fossils at site](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_anca358.jpg)
and Anca is looking low!
![Greg searching for fossils at site](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_greg357.jpg)
Greg carefully easing out a small coral.
![fossil shell](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_shell352.jpg)
A nice bivalve found by Vicki.
![Leisa's fossil shells](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_shellsLeisa392.jpg)
Nice gastropods found by Leisa.
![fossil whale bone found by Martha](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_boneMartha365.jpg)
A large piece of bone found by Martha. According to James Lamb, it appears to be another bone fragment from an early whale found in this area. This specimen has been sent to an early whale expert for study.
![David searching for fossils at site](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_david342.jpg)
David is heading to another location. The corals and shells were found from the bluffs to the waterline, while Steve engages in his favorite activity, getting wet!
![Steve showing off his fossils](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_steve369.jpg)
![Jan searching for fossils at site](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_Jan377.jpg)
Jan, look over here!
![fossil shark and ray teeth](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_tooth386.jpg)
Shark teeth and a ray "tooth".
![Steve with fossil shark tooth](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_toothSteve384.jpg)
A nice larger shark tooth found by Steve.
![Steve showing fossil coral](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_steve354.jpg)
Steven has found coral and a shark tooth.
![fossil oyster shells](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_shellsVicki034.jpg)
Some shells found by Vicki.
![corals and other fossil shells](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_coralVicki036.jpg)
Shells and corals in Vicki's bag.
![fossil shell](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_shellBecky383.jpg)
![river at site](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_river337.jpg)
One last look at the river before we head for lunch, then on to the next site.
![Paleocene rocks containing fossil nautiloids](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_pile426.jpg)
Later in the afternoon we headed north to Wilcox county, to this pile of rocks from nearby road construction.
![small fossil nautiloid](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_nautiloid436.jpg)
This was spotted on the way in, but the rock was too hard to easily remove the fossil.
![searching for fossil nautiloids in rock pile](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_pile429.jpg)
Jan and Lea headed over to this pile of rocks where they found . . .
![fossil nautiloid](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_nautiloidNovak439.jpg)
a cast of a very large nautiloid!
![fossil nautiloids](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_nautiloidNovak447.jpg)
More nautiloid casts.
![fossil nautiloid](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_nautiloidClaire434.jpg)
Claire found this piece of nautiloid barely out of the ground. She dug quite a while to work it loose.
![fossil nautiloid with crystals in cavity](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_nautiloidClaire465.jpg)
This is what Claire found inside the nautiloid after removing the matrix. Beautiful quartz crystals!
![Martha searching for fossil nautiloids in rock pile](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_martha435.jpg)
Martha searching for an easy way up, which required the skills of a mountain goat!
![Beckys fossil gastropods](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_gastropodsBecky458.jpg)
Becky has found some nice gastropods.
![Beckys fossil nautiloid](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_nautiloidBecky448.jpg)
And a large nautiloid cast in extremely hard rock!
![Claire's large fossil vertebra](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_vertClaire451.jpg)
Claire had a very nice day. In a wash near the nautiloid filled with crystals, she found this large vertebra.
![Claire's large fossil vertebra](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_vertClaire452.jpg)
Side view of the vertebra.
![sunset](/system/files/images/06_jun_vl_sunset460.jpg)
As the die-hard fossil hounds called it a day, we were treated to a beautiful sunset!