Its not metal, but its a great find!!!

1869er · Jan 6, 2009

It's not metal, but it's a great find!!!

Well it's funny how things work out. I went to search a new area I've never been to before this afternoon. There are a few historic landmarks peppering this semi remote area. One spot I checked out had many huge limestone boulders piled up along a corner of a field. This field is in the process of being developed and all the big rocks were piled up together in one spot. Naturally I wanted to see if any remnants of old buildings, bricks, broken cobalt glass, or anything else was scattered amongst the rubble that could indicate the area was old and worth searching. Well as I looked around I spotted this whole and complete fossilized turtle embedded within the limestone. It was nearly impossible to get it out of the Lime stone but eventually, and after a trip to the local Home Depot, I retrieved the 50 million year old turtle.

I am in the process of contacting a local fossil expert to find out the value of this complete turtle fossil. Not sure if it's worth much, but still a cool and unique find!!

By the way, these pictures really don't do it justice! Looks better in person.

1869er · Jan 8, 2009

Re: It's not metal, but it's a great find!!!

Crusader ~ Well the fossil guy did tell me a few things, I just hadn't mentioned before:

It's most likely a box turtle from the Pleistocene period, which roughly started 1.8 million years ago, up until about 10,000 years ago. However a few turtle fossils have been found in the area from the period just before the Pleistocene, but they are apparently less common. He is suggesting this is a box because of other turtle remains that are found in the area, and also by the size. However he won't know for sure until he sees it in person. This turtle fossil I found measures about 5.5 inches from front to back. So he confirmed what I saw on another website.... Here is that web site... http://www.paleodirect.com/pgset2/mv14-007.htm

I plan on meeting him in about a week, he lives up in Orlando which is about three hours away from where I am. He is planning on taking a few of his most recent finds, and my fossil, if I agree, to a prep. fossil expert up in North Carolina. This guy will be able to clean the remaining limestone off the shell, and he is actually the one who can give an exact value of the piece. He did say that while finding whole and intact turtle shell fossils are not unheard of, it is very uncommon in this area. Usually the shells are broken and people generally only find pieces of turtle shells. So that alone makes this piece more unique and rare. In his 25-30 years in searching for fossil remnants, he, himself has never found a whole turtle shell intact.

Fishfinder~ Sorry I was sort of joking about 50 million years old.... Actually I had know idea how old this fossil really was when I first posted it on here. As I mentioned, the fossil guy says it's probably from the Pleistocene period..... 1.8 million to 10,000 years ago. I did A little research with google, and apparently this was about the same time that wholly mammoths, saber toothed tigers, giant sloths, and even the first man was running around. However this period is kind of late as far as prehistoric dates go.

1869er · Jan 8, 2009

Re: It's not metal, but it's a great find!!!

By the way, he suggested that I go back to the site I found this at and look around some more, maybe bring a sledge hammer and break up more of the rock I found this in. More often than not.... several of the same fossils are found in the same rock, in the same place. So there is a chance that more turtle shells are still embedded in the same stone! However I will tell you, this limestone I found it in is really hard rock. I bought a heavy chisel and a 3 lb. mini sledge at home depot to get this turtle out of the rock, and it was a real chore, took at least twenty minutes of hammering away with both hands. The chisel tip was malformed by the time I was finished!

CRUSADER · Jan 8, 2009

Re: It's not metal, but it's a great find!!!

now thats more like it & more interesting than how much they may be worth.

The Master Chief · Jan 8, 2009

Re: It's not metal, but it's a great find!!!

Great Find just love the story. good luck finding more.

dinosaur50 · Jan 10, 2009

Re: It's not metal, but it's a great find!!!

you should get in touch with Richard Hulbert he at Florida Museum of Natural History
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida 32611
Tel: (352) 273-1821
Email: rhulbert@flmnh.ufl.edu

he is a Vertebrate paleontologist their they have a lab their your best thing 2 do is donate 2 the Florida Museum of Natural History or any museum of Natural History that this a paleontologist it dose not sound like guy you talked 2 is a paleontologist but a paleontologist is who you need 2 talk i know paleontologist so i would be glad 2 help you with it but you need 2 make sure a paleontologist sees it asap before it going 2 NC and buy the way you have a great find not many Complete Fossilized Turtle know most have been found in pieces and have been put back together

Michigan Badger · Jan 10, 2009

Re: It's not metal, but it's a great find!!!

I'm guessing that thing is worth some very serious money!

Myself I would sell it, not donate it. Museums often just sell donated items later on anyway.

Anyone who really wants it will pay for it.

I'd put it as a featured item on ebay and maybe seek some major press.

Sorry, just my thoughts.

Great find!

diggergrl · Jan 10, 2009

Re: It's not metal, but it's a great find!!!

Neat find! I would also recommend selling the fossil if you want to get rid of it. I have heard too many stories about museums selling or not giving back peices that have been lent to them.

daytondigger · Jan 10, 2009

Re: It's not metal, but it's a great find!!!

Gee, from looking at the pics, I would of thought it was a modern day turtle shell that had been covered in some sort of slurry from a phosphate plant or concrete or crushed lime. Doesn't look like the limestone I'm accustomed to. Neat find

trikikiwi · Jan 10, 2009

Re: It's not metal, but it's a great find!!!

A fascinating fossil find :thumbsup:

I look forward to seeing the end result after cleaning up.

Mike

EDDE · Jan 10, 2009

Re: It's not metal, but it's a great find!!!

sound like the "experts" are already fighting over it $:-\$
sell it on ebay local pickup or delivery only by yourself
Donate it sure ::)

dinosaur50 · Jan 11, 2009

Re: It's not metal, but it's a great find!!!

i know that guy and others that work for Museums and most Museums are not like what your saying no if it a small Museum that dose not have room for some stuff then maybe but non of bigger ones wall sometimes it wall go 2 another museum but that all