LEE CREEK aka AURORA
News and Interesting Finds
- - - - - Winter 1996 - - - -
- The summer's hurricanes left an indelible mark -- not only were
tailings severely eroded, but the waters never fully receded. Collecting areas were
significantly diminished stressing not only the collecting environment. but the collectors as well.
A day's foraging on a cool and windy Autumn day becomes less appealing after wading
through the waters now separating each hill. In early November, a record was set when most,
usually diehard, visitors departed before 2:00.
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- Another hallmark of this fall season was the type of fossils that
made news. Other than the first week, large teeth didn't usually make the news. With less area
available, greater emphasis was placed on smaller items. Grabbing headlines were
Megamouth (Megachasma), Cookiecutter (Isistius), Sixgilled (Hexanchus)
and Bramble (Echinorhinus) shark teeth. This is not to say that the hallmark teeth
weren't found. In mid-November, a perfect 6-3/4 inch (lateral edge measurement)
C. megalodon tooth was found by a non-veteran collector.
- - - - - - Fall 1996 - - - - - -
- The fall collecting season started with a bang, albeit wet. The swarms
of summer rain storms, presented by multiple hurricanes exposed an inordinate amount of
material which benefited early season colectors. The most unusual aspect of this season
was the wading. The hills of tailings were now islands, often separated by chest high water. Few
complaints were heard from those that became custodians of natural treasures such as large
C. megalodon, P. benedeni teeth or the odd bramble shark tooth.
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- The Smithsonian's internal review of the Lee Creek vertebrate manuscript is now done,
and it has been forwarded, for publishing, to the museum's printing office. It will likely be 1998,
before the third installment of this series will be available. The clock, however, has started.
- - - - - - Summer 1996 - - - - - - -
- Collecting at Lee Creek can have an incredible "jading" effect. In May,
Eric Thompsen found an Isistius tooth that drew numerous (envious) admirers. On August, 1st,
I found one and deemed it a monumental event. Last week while inspecting material collected
in September, I found six more. None are in the condition of Eric's perfect tooth, but they are no
longer "rare".
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- On July 10th, 1996, George Powell made the formal presentation of his
Paratodus dentition to the Smithsonian. This event had its roots on an Auroran hiilside in 1992.
Before it was over, some 114 associated teeth of an adult Paratodus benedeni were
recovered - the greatest find ever for this species. Studied by Bretton Kent of the University
of Maryland, this dentition, part of our continent's heritage, is now an "official" national treasure.
Assisting the scientifc community is a primary goal for most of the serious amatuers that walk
this mine's tailings.
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