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4 for m4!

Well, the long wait for a trip into Lee Creek was worth the wait for M4. Although no 4"+ megs made their way into my goodie bag, the pungo crawl that I implemented yielded the bounty I desired - Squalodon teeth – and nice ones!!! I’m confident that at least one of the incisors is in fact a "tusk" tooth – the very last tooth that sticks straight out of their jaw. The molar is missing both of its roots but the crown is complete and in great shape. The crawl also yielded my best pungo mako ever. You know it’s got to be a good tooth when the wife admits it’s even hard for her to stop admiring. I wish that I had a "money shot" of it before I picked it up but the fossil euphoria was just overwhelming... The species tally for the trip was extensive. The only things that seemed to be missing were bramble, whale, and paratodus shark teeth. Size does matter, but no teeth this trip were over the 3" mark. Many teeth over the 4" barrier left the mine that weekend, just not with me. Maybe next time. No long story for this trip but I did think of the BRFC crew when on the way to the mine… I saw a NC trooper had a fossil hunter pulled over on Rt. 33. I just couldn’t help but think of da f0ssZ when I drove past. When asked in the parking lot, the offender stated that she admitted her past speeding tickets to the cop and was let off with a warning. Lucky girl. I guess not asking to pay by credit card pays off!! Actually, since I was only 5 minutes behind her, I’m glad she took the bullet on that one or else it would have been me getting nabbed by the man. That would have meant HUGE trouble with porpoise girl (The Mrs.’s). I got a ticket on the trip down for the 2003 Aurora Fossil Festival and another would mean suffering her wrath.
Location Lee Creek Mine, Aurora, North Carolina, USA

ID519
Memberm4
Date Added9/24/2005

The total haul for the trip. Not much in the way of overall quantity, but the quality and diversity leave no room for complaints.
Lots of whale and porpoise vertebra. Most of these will go towards education give-a-ways for the youngsters. There were a few with some bite damage but no embedded teeth.
Three partial marine mammal jaw sections. Largest is a 5 1/8" section of porpoise (probably a Eurhinodelphid). The second is a 4 1/4" section of left lower squalodon with three molar sockets viewable. The third is a 1 3/4" section of unknown porpoise jaw
Various porpoise teeth ranging in size from 1 5/16" to 5/8".
Small thresher shark tooth – 7/16"
Hammerheads, probably two separate species 1/2" each
Contortus and Aduncus tiger teeth ranging in size from 7/8" to 1/2".
Chubentensis teeth ranging in size from 1 7/8" to 1 3/8".
Squalodon teeth!! Four for M4!!! The largest one is probably the first incisor or tusk tooth and measures 3 7/8". This was found sticking straight up out of a hill of pungo. You can still see that weather line on the tooth and some matrix left attached. The next largest tooth is 3 1/8" and probably is a second incisor. The double rooted molar is a beauty and measures 1 1/8". The fourth tooth is banged up and is a shamer and comes in at 1".
Nice group of makos. Most are from the Pungo crawl but at least one is from some Yorktown. The largest is 2 3/8" and is my best lower yet from the mine. The coloration and preservation on this tooth is awesome. The teeth range in size down to 7/8".
The cowshark lower is a notorynchus coming in at 15/16". The upper is probably a hexanchus and is 1" high and 3/4" long. Considering its reworked it is amazing that it is complete and in such great shape
The two Cuviers teeth ranging in size from 1 1/8" to 1".
Shark centra are small but pretty - ranging in size from 7/8" to 3/4".
Lots of nice upper Hemmies on this trip. The teeth ranging in size from 1.5" to 5/8".
lower Hemmies
Modern dusky teeth ranging in size from 1 1/16" to 3/4".
Pungo dusky teeth at 5/8". Both show a common pathology – an outward bulge on one side of the blade as it nears the tip.
Crab claws from the Pungo
I found this Urchin lying out in the open in some of the scour sediments. I have no idea on the species., I just know it would have been a shame to leave it - even though it's not a vertebrate fossil :)
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