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December 3, 2008

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Here are two links to posts dealing with how to post pictures on Black River Fossils forums.

1. How to Post Pictures on Black River Fossils Forums by ditchweezil

2. How to Post Pictures on Black River Fossils Forums by Daryl

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PCS Season Star...

RE: PCS Season Starts Saturday!

3/9/2007 1:52:44 AM

legacyForum

725 posts

RE: PCS Season Starts Saturday!

Thanks BWD. The thought of frantic frenzied fossil collectors fighting over maps is funny.

I remember a trip from about 5 years ago ...

I had learned to not be so eager to board the bus as soon as Becky pulled it up in the parking lot. The reason was that as you got on, John usually told you to go to the back of the bus and fill it from the rear, which meant if you got on first, you got off last. Anyhow, I managed to get on last, sat right next to John E. right behind Becky as she drove us in. On this particular trip, the process involved off-loading near the collecting area (the pit) and stepping into a small over-hang like structure where one of the guides was passing out flares. You had to step up single file one at a time and sign to get your flare. After that you were free to go! and go we did! I don't remember the name of the guy in front of me, but I signed up for my flare so fast that I was no more than a few steps behind him exiting that overhang. As I caught up behind him he started to walk faster and so I then started walking faster too. I figured he knew where he was going (and I knew I didn't). On our way out to the area on the bus, Becky had told us about a new area of Yorktown in the back corner that they just opened up by moving the flagline. Well, this was were he was headed, and I was in hot pursuit! Soon his fast walk actually turned into a light jog, and then it almost turned into an all out sprint. Thinking about it now it must of looked funny as these two nuts were running over moon-like terrain, loaded down with heavy back-packs, mini-shovels and buckets, etc. We finally made it to the area and it was suddenly all business - noses to the ground - scouring like crazy, trying to be the first to spot that elusive Meg. Well, as it turned out, there were no behemoths to be found that day, at least not in that area. It was probably no more than 5 minutes later when about a half dozen or more other collectors showed up, huffing and puffing!

So now that I think about my map idea a bit more, it's probably best that we're left to just fend for ourselves.

happy hunting,
Daryl.

3/9/2007 4:43:09 AM

blackwaterdiver

79 posts

RE: PCS Season Starts Saturday!

Daryl,

That's exactly what I'm talking about!!! I haven't seen it that bad before, but I doubt I could stand let alone walk if that were to happen now!

I'll be there bright and early Sat. Catch me in the parking lot and I'll do my best to show you some of the areas, but it sounds like you've got the right idea about the different hills (Pungo, Yorktown, James City).

3/9/2007 1:41:54 PM

legacyForum

725 posts

RE: PCS Season Starts Saturday!

Here’s my two cents worth for identifying which layer you are in at PCS. One thing to keep in mind, you are almost never getting a pure layer, there is almost always a little bit of another layer mixed in due to the way the overburden (James City, Yorktown, and upper part of the Pungo River Formations) is stripped off and dumped by the drag lines.

The James City Formation (Pleistocene) is fairly easy to identify. It is loaded with shells and coral and can be sandy in some areas. Most people won’t spend any time in the James City, but some nice fossils can be found there including great white teeth, sand dollars and sea urchins, crab pieces, and a huge variety of nicely preserved clams and snails. Occasionally, teeth of land mammals can be found in the James City Formation.

The Yorktown Formation (Pliocene) is a gray muddy sand layer. There is so much silt and clay that it doesn’t look much like a sand layer. Not all of the Yorktown produces an abundance of teeth. Only the lowest layer of Yorktown will have the large teeth that most people think of when they think Yorktown. Much of the Yorktown is fairly fossil barren. Looking for whale bone is usually the way to go, but I usually look for the reworked layer of phosphate pellets and cobbles. The phosphate pebbles are found at the base of the Yorktown and they have been reworked from the underlying Pungo River and Eastover Formations. The Eastover Formation has been eroded away leaving only a layer of phosphate pebbles and fossils. This is where the black Megs and other black shark teeth originate. You can find a lot of nice teeth and other fossils in and around this reworked layer, but I think the best place to look for a pristine Yorktown Meg would be in areas with a lot of whale bone.

The Pungo River Formation (Miocene) will be the layer with a lot of white marl, which occurs in the mine as boulders but can be weathered down to small pieces. In more weathered areas you can find a dark fine sand. Hundreds of small teeth (and occasional large teeth) can be found in this dark sand. Teeth are also numerous in the weathered marl and can be found in the marl boulders. Dolphin bone is also abundant in the Pungo River Formation. This is the formation that nice chubutensis are found (also known as Pungo Megs). The ore body that PCS mines is within the Pungo River Formation. It is a dark clayey phosphatic sand layer (or sandy clay layer) that occurs in the middle and lower part of the Pungo River Formation.

I tend to look at all layers, even some fairly barren ones, because you never know what has been mixed in. Yorktown Megs can be found sitting on top of sediments of James City Formation and Pungo River Formations. It’s not unusual to find Yorktown teeth sitting beside Pungo teeth.

3/10/2007 4:40:30 AM

scubapaul

70 posts

RE: PCS Season Starts Saturday!

Eric - I am assuming your last name starts with an "S" based on the write-up. I didn't see you when I was down last weekend this year. Excellent write-up, thanks for taking the time.

As a side note, there are a couple of rules I learned while diving for teeth that apply to land hunting too
(1) If you are finding whale material, you should also find the things that fed on them - so whale material = good :) (2) (a) if you are not finding teeth in an area - move somewhere else; (b) if you are finding teeth, pick them up until you don't find any more and then see part 2a. Sage advice huh ;)

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