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River treasures

Collecting along the Potomac river at a small Paleocene locale has over time become less and less productive.  The fossil layer is super hard material that just doesn't erode fast enough to keep up with the collecting pressures.  On any given day you can pic up several worn and faded sandtigers, but most collectors are there for the elusive Otodus and rarer Paleocarcharodon.  Another even rarer tooth in my opinion is the Paraorthocodus clarki.  I have three times more Paleo's than P. clarkii teeth. 

What I enjoy most about collecting along the river is the scenery and wildlife.  On any given day you'll startle a few deer in thee woods, maybe some Turkey or other birds.  Once on the beach you'll see a variety of Bald Eagles, Osprey, Turkey Vultures, Blue Heron, and other birds.  On your mile long walk along the beach you'll stumble upon snakes, lizards, and all sorts of insects.  Depending on the time of year, you may see some neat foilage, flowers, plants, and even a wild tomato plant or two (I have no idea where they came from but I ate one once and it was great!).  You're almost guaranteed a tear or two in your waders or skin as you cross and climb over the million or so fallen trees.  You may even skin a knee as you slip on the slimy covered rocks as you walk around some of the fallen trees, or better yet, trip over one of the hidden branches from the fallen trees.  I'm not really complaining, just describing how interesting your walk is on the way to the hunting area.

Below are some of the nicer finds from some trips spanning 2007 and 2008 so far.  You'll see some decent Otodus and a couple of Paleo's, but no P.clarkii.  I actually found a couple of them but they were only partials and really worn.  It's funny how sought after the Paleo's are from Maryland compared to those from Morocco.  The ones from Morocco are much bigger, have bigger serrations and cusps, etc.  Yet, because they are so plentiful, almost no one wants them.  The fact that the ones in MD are rare makes it that much more exciting when you find one. 

Location Potomac River, Maryland, USA

ID2952
MemberDaryl
Date Added8/7/2008

  

Links
Potomac River Almosts and Not Quites
Potomac River Almosts and Not Quites
Potomac River Monster
Potomac River Monster
Still Looking
Still Looking
  

Comments
Sweet paleos! - 8/7/2008
Reviewer : Tom from Maryland United States
Total Rating : 10
I still can't find any paleos! I agree, the Potomac is an awesome place to hunt, but the pickings are extremely thin. I was down there Sunday, and the best I found was a 1-1/4 striatolamia to show for 6 hours of hunting, both surface and sifting. At least the aquatic grasses weren't too bad, though. Content Quality : 10 of 10

Drool Quotient : 10 of 10

Picture Quality : 10 of 10
VOTE! Agree  Disagree  1 of 1 voters agreed.

- 8/7/2008
Reviewer : Chris from
Total Rating : 10
very nice!! Content Quality : 10 of 10

Drool Quotient : 10 of 10

Picture Quality : 10 of 10
VOTE! Agree  Disagree  1 of 1 voters agreed.

- 8/8/2008
Reviewer : toothpuller from
Total Rating : 9.667
great stuff! but how many trips is this? :) the pickings can be slim but its nice to be able to find something a little different. Content Quality : 10 of 10

Drool Quotient : 9 of 10

Picture Quality : 10 of 10
VOTE! Agree  Disagree 

additional info... - 8/8/2008
Reviewer : Daryl from Maryland United States
Total Rating : No Rating
...these teeth are the result of at least 15 trips. I found a lot more teeth that aren't shown because they are the usual worn sandtigers. The specimens shown are just the ones among the nicer teeth found. I didn't include the few tiny teeth such as nurse, angel, and houndsharks. I'm still collecting teeth from my super duper secret palo spot where the teeth make the stuff from the river really look like cra_. I'll post those later. I agree that it is nice to colelct something different other than constant Miocene - megs, hemis, makos, tigers, cows, etc. It's nice to break it up with a different mix from time to time, espceially since there aren't very many Paleocene exposures in the US. Where else in the US can you find Paraorthocodus clarkii?
VOTE! Agree  Disagree 


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