ECPHORA SHELL-FOUND IN HALIFAX AND NORTHAMPTON COUNTIES-ABOUT 5 MILLION YEARS OLD ECPHORAS WERE ONE OF THE FIRST FOSSILS TO BE SCIENTIFICALLY IDENTIFIED AND STUDIED IN THE UNITED STATES

PLACOPECTEN CLINTONIUS (SCALLOP SHELL)-FOUND IN HALIFAX AND NORTHAMPTON COUNTIES-THESE SHELLS ARE ABUNDANT IN THE YORKTOWN FORMATION, THE MEHERRIN RIVER HAS SEVERAL VERY NICE EXPOSURES WHERE THIS AND MANY OTHER SEASHELLS CAN BE FOUND.

PICTURED LEFT TO RIGHT, BISON TOOTH (BUFFALOE), WHALE TOOTH, GREAT WHITE SHARK TOOTH. THE BISON TOOTH IS FROM NORTHAMPTON COUNTY AND COULD RANGE IN AGE FROM THE PLIESTOCENE TO RECENT TIMES.(THE BUFFALOE LIVED IN NORTH CAROLINA UNTIL JUST A FEW HUNDRED YEARS AGO.) THE WHALE AND SHARK TOOTH ARE FROM HALIFAX COUNTY AND ARE ABOUT 5 MILLION YEARS OLD.

THE MINERAL "VIVIANITE" CAN BE SOMETIMES FOUND ASSOCIATED WITH FOSSILS. THESE PIECES WERE FOUND IN HALIFAX COUNTY.




GOOD THINGS COME IN SMALL PACKAGES

I HAVE BEEN HUNTING FOSSILS IN THE EOCENE MARINE-CASTLE HAYNE FORMATION FOR YEARS. ONE DAY I DECIDED TO SCREEN SOME MATERIAL FOR SMALL ITEMS. I SCOOPED UP A FEW SHOVELS OF DIRT AND CARRIED IT HOME TO SCREEN. IMAGINE MY SUPRISE WHEN I STARTING FINDING ALL KINDS OF THINGS. ALL OF THE ITEMS IN THESE NEXT HALF DOZEN OR SO PICTURES CAME FROM THOSE FEW SHOVELS OF MATERIAL. I HAD BEEN WALKING RIGHT OVER THESE ITEMS FOR YEARS. SO FAR I HAVE FOUND, CRINOIDS, ECHINOIDS, GASTROPODS, BRACHIOPODS, BRYOZOANS, CEPHALOPODS, FORAMINIFERA, SHARKS TEETH AND A FEW ITEMS I JUST DO NOT KNOW WHAT THEY ARE. ALL OF THE ITEMS SHOWN ARE BETWEEN ONE SIXTEENTH AND ONE QUARTER INCH IN SIZE. THE SCALE SHOWN IN PICTURES IS GRADUATED IN MILLIMETERS


THESE FORAMINIFERA ARE ONLY ONE EIGHT OF AN INCH IN DIAMETER!


ECHINOIDS (SEA URCHINS) ARE QUITE ABUNDANT. I HAVE ABOUT A HALF DOZEN SPECIES FROM THIS TRIP.


REMEMBER, THAT THESE ECHINOIDS AND FORAMINIFERA ARE NO BIGGER THAN THE HEAD OF A STRAIGHT PIN.


ECHINOID SPINES ARE VERY PLENTIFUL ALSO


CRINOIDS ( SEA FEATHERS ) ARE FAIRLY COMMON HERE


THESE APPEAR TO BE CRINOID STEMS BUT I AM NOT SURE. LIKE MOST OF THE ITEMS THAT I SIFTED OUT I CANNOT FIND AND PICTURES THAT RESEMBLE THEM.


THE UNDISPUTED KING OF ITEMS THIS SIZE HAS TO BE THE BRYOZOANS. THEY ARE EVERYWHERE, EVERY SIZE AND SHAPE YOU CAN THINK OF AND THEN SOME.


THESE GASTROPODS ARE COVERED WITH BRYOZOANS


LOTS OF SMALL GASTROPODS AND BRACHIOPODS CAN BE FOUND


EVEN SMALL SHARKS TEETH CAN BE FOUND AMONG OTHER THINGS


AND WHAT IS THE ACTUAL SIZE OF THESE ITEMS? SEE FOR YOUR SELF. THE SCALE IS IN MILLIMETERS. THIS PICTURE SHOWS FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: ECHINOIDS, CRINOID STEMS, FORAMINIFERA, AND GASTROPODS WITH BRYOZOA GROWING ON THEM. SOME OF THE ABOVE PICTURES ARE ENLARGEMENTS OF THIS PICTURE. THIS PICTURE IS SCALED TO BE THE CORRECT SIZE ON A 17 INCH MONITOR. IF ANYONE CAN NAME ANY OF THESE SPECIES OR KNOW WHERE I MIGHT FIND INFORMATION ON THEM PLEASE EMAIL ME AT: fossilman@vol.com


MORE PICTURES

RETURN TO HOME PAGE