Some help with fossil ID's? Oligocene from central FL.

[cthulhu]

Site should be around Oligocene in age.

Any ideas of species on this vertibrae??



The tooth that looks like gator I was told that I would not find here. But from my references it's not flat enough to be baracuda. It's conical. Thoughts? (for ref, the cow shark tooth is 1" long)



piece of whale bone?

[Harry Pristis]

Hi, Darren . . .

The vertebra is from a shark. It is an anterior scyliorhinoid-type centrum of a vertebra, according to Bretton Kent.

The cone-shape tooth is either a crocodilian or a fish tooth -- can't say from the image. I'd lean toward crocodilian ('gator).

These look like typical Miocene marine fossils -- why do you suppose they are Oligocene?

[cthulhu]

Hi, Darren . . .

The vertebra is from a shark. It is an anterior scyliorhinoid-type centrum of a vertebra, according to Bretton Kent.

The cone-shape tooth is either a crocodilian or a fish tooth -- can't say from the image. I'd lean toward crocodilian ('gator).

These look like typical Miocene marine fossils -- why do you suppose they are Oligocene?

I could be wrong of course, but there are no Megs there at all and with cowshark I thought it was older. Thanks Harry! I'd love to know how to determine this age properly.

Is there any way to determine what type of whale the large bone is from? A complete whale (didn't get the species) skeleton was found previously near this site.

[Harry Pristis]

Hi, Darren . . .

The vertebra is from a shark. It is an anterior scyliorhinoid-type centrum of a vertebra, according to Bretton Kent.

The cone-shape tooth is either a crocodilian or a fish tooth -- can't say from the image. I'd lean toward crocodilian ('gator).

These look like typical Miocene marine fossils -- why do you suppose they are Oligocene?

I could be wrong of course, but there are no Megs there at all and with cowshark I thought it was older. Thanks Harry! I'd love to know how to determine this age properly.

Is there any way to determine what type of whale the large bone is from? A complete whale (didn't get the species) skeleton was found previously near this site.

That whale species could be dispositive to age. The Vulcan Mine near Brooksville is a vast exposure of Oligocene limerock. If you are working a river north of Tampa that cuts Oligocene age Suwannee Limestone, you could find Oligocene teeth. Little Withlacoochee and the Withlacoochee might be such rivers.

The cow shark, Notorhynchus primigenius, was widespread in both the Oligocene and the Miocene.

[cthulhu]

Hi, Darren . . .

The vertebra is from a shark. It is an anterior scyliorhinoid-type centrum of a vertebra, according to Bretton Kent.

The cone-shape tooth is either a crocodilian or a fish tooth -- can't say from the image. I'd lean toward crocodilian ('gator).

These look like typical Miocene marine fossils -- why do you suppose they are Oligocene?

I could be wrong of course, but there are no Megs there at all and with cowshark I thought it was older. Thanks Harry! I'd love to know how to determine this age properly.

Is there any way to determine what type of whale the large bone is from? A complete whale (didn't get the species) skeleton was found previously near this site.

That whale species could be dispositive to age. The Vulcan Mine near Brooksville is a vast exposure of Oligocene limerock. If you are working a river north of Tampa that cuts Oligocene age Suwannee Limestone, you could find Oligocene teeth. Little Withlacoochee and the Withlacoochee might be such rivers.

The cow shark, Notorhynchus primigenius, was widespread in both the Oligocene and the Miocene.

It's from a site just west of Orlando (not a river but a man-made drainage).

[Harry Pristis]

From the locale, I'd say Late Miocene/Early Pliocene.