Fossil Finds

2003 
VMNH June 21, 2003 Carmel Church Trip

CMMFC Member Paul Murdock attended the annual VMNH Carmel Church trip date on June 21, 2003 and had a great time. Some many exciting finds were made that day by several folks who choose to attend including numerous Mako teeth by another young CMMFC member. Paul’s sent in some photos of his best find of the day and of some of the dig that the VMNH folks were doing that weekend. Enjoy!!! 

Pictured above is a plaster jacket of a baleen whale dig on the Calvert contact layer in the quarry. Several epiphysis and other bones are not yet jacketed and visible.

Here’s a close up of some of the bones that have yet to be jacketed. At this point no elements of the skull or jaw were uncovered so it’s anyone’s guess as to the identity of the find.

Here are 2 of the better teeth found while uncovering the whale bones. They were both found right next to the same vertebra and with in 2 inches of each other. The first is a 1-inch hemmie, the other a 2+ inch Otodus.

This partial ray plate was Paul’s best find of the day. Although incomplete, it’s the largest section of a ray dental plate found to date from the site and was donated to the VMNH. They will in turn will be making a cast of it for Paul’s collection. Just image how big this find would have been if it were complete!!!

Here’s a different view of the same specimen. It’s nearly ¾’s of an inch thick!!