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Hunting the cretaceous of Alabama

After digging much of the Eocene of Alabama up, we decided to try our luck hunting the cretaceous marine of northern Alabama. We hunt a lot of cretaceous in Texas, but this was a different environment so despite there being some of the same species, there are also some different ones. We hit this little creek that was only about a foot deep where we were hunting and there wasn't a lot of gravel to be found. We kind of dug around testing areas and then found a spot where there was a decent amount of gravel. We promptly started digging and started finding fossils. We found a lot of teeth but most were damaged and condition-wise were similar to what one finds in Greens Mill Run. But we did find some keepers, and best of all, I found a new species for my collection! Out in Texas I find Ptychodus crusher teeth. We have certain species that are regularly found in spots, but then you get the rare/uncommon Ptychodus that you'll find once in awhile. I know Ptychodus mortoni has been found in Texas, but never by me. We found 4 of them, my girlfriend and I each finding two specimens. She found one of hers on the bank in a gravel pocket and the other 3 were found in the screens or on the shovelful of gravel as it made its way to the screen. The neat thing about them is that they are huge for Ptychodus. The Ptychodus whipplei tend to be smaller, but these mortoni are over an inch long and close to an inch tall. I am very pleased with it and am already plotting when I can go hunt the Cretaceous of Alabama and Mississippi again soon for more of these!
Location Greene County, Alabama, USA

ID723
Memberrock_splitter
Date Added11/25/2006

  

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