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A helpful resource for those who love creature-shaped rocks!
Trachyscaphites spiniger spiniger
Scaphite from the Ozan Fm. - In my experience, 1 out of 10 found is mostly complete.
Trachyscaphites spiniger spiniger
Fully prepped - view 2
Trachyscaphites spiniger spiniger
Fully Prepped - View 3
Trachyscaphites spiniger spiniger - in situ
Found in the wall of the river
Trachyscaphites spiniger spiniger - Close-up
Menabites danei - in situ
This is as the Ammonite was found in the Ozan layer. This is the first in a series of pictures showing the restoration of this fossil.
Menabites danei - unwrapped
I carefully channelled around the fossil, wrapped teh top with heavy foil. Then using my K-Bar, I carefully pried the who;e fossil loose and rolled it over in my hands. I wrapped both sides in aluminum foil. If it was dry, I could have applied a field consolidant, like elmers and water, but it was very wet.
Menabites danei - unwrapped and drying
As the fossil dried out over many days, the mud shrunk and cracked severely.
Menabites danei - slow rebuilding
The shell was thin as a sheet of paper and the mud pretty much disentigrated as it dried. One piece at a time, I glued one piece to the next.
Menabites danei - remnants
Pretty soon all that was left was a pile of dried mud balls. but I was able to piece them back together into the complete specimen.
Menabites danei - Mostly restored
This is the final reassembled Menabites ammonite prior to final stages of prep.
Menabites danei - final restoration
This is the final restored version with a coating of Butvar to hold it all together. - Side view.
Menabites danei - final restoration
Showing the side view of the keel. notice the defined tubercles that seperate it visually from the similar Menabites delawarensis, which is smoother.
Menabites danei -in situ
Most of the ones you find ar 4 to 5" across. All of them are detailed, but can be pretty fragile. So when I remove them, I pull up all the mud around them, wrap them in aluminum foil and prep them at the home.
Eutrephoceras dekayi - in situ
This nautilod specimen has all of its original shell. Most do not.
Eutrephoceras dekayi - pre-prep
Pre-prep image
Trio of NSR Cephalopods
Trachyscaphites spiniger spiniger, Eutrephoceras dekayi, and Pachydiscus paulsoni
Trachyscaphites spiniger spiniger
In the river wall as found
Eutrephoceras dekayi
Without the external shell, you can see the straight septum segments representative of nautiloids.
Pachydiscus paulsoni - in the river
It is common to find these in the river bed, but 90% of the ones you can see are too far worn to recover.
Pachydiscus paulsoni - as found
Pachydiscus paulsoni section
This is somewhat unique to find an ammonite fossilized in phosphate from the red clay of teh Ozan.
Trachyscaphites spiniger spiniger
Worn specimen, but you just can't throw one of these aside. I have real issues.
Pachydiscus paulsoni
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