- - - - - Summer 1997 -- - - -
- August 9, 1997 If you haven't heard, the special Aurora Fossil Museum Lee Creek
trip was an outstanding success -- clearly the finest collecting at the mine since last season's
premier (September, 1996) which followed Bertha's fury. Two buses were made available
for the 7:30 departure so all seventy were assured the full opportunity to collect. The
oppressive summer weather never showed itself -- this allowed the collecting day to be extended
to 1:30. I'm not certain how many neat finds left the mine, but some of those I heard of included:
3" inch class C. megalodon teeth by John Timmerman, Eric Woody, John Everett,
Eric Beach & George Powell, a 3, 4 & 5 inch triptych by Jim Earman, and Debbie
Burdette's show-stopper -- a magnificent six incher. Bretton Kent found an excellent
Paratodus and both Richard Chandler & Jeff Greaser, beautiful seal teeth.
I think we all would like to thank Candace for coordinating this event -- it couldn't have worked
out better for those fortuneate enough to get a ticket. Those who contributed and failed to
obtain a pass can take solace in knowing that the funds will be put to good use. The raffle
was sufficiently successful that the museum may have an opportunity to do this in the future. If
only one trip to the mine can be made in a season, this is certainly the one to be on
I recieved an e-mail from Candace which said, "thank all those who purchased tickets for
me. I'm planning to use some of the money collected for new display cases and possibly
items for a prep lab.
- July 31, 1997 Well I got my special ticket and will see some of you bright and early
I heard from Candace and she advises that the collecting area will probably be last spring's,
but possibly expanded a bit. These details will be finalized next week.
I heard from a few readers of dates awarded in the the summer call-in. I'll be there on
Oct. 25th and Nov. 22th. Maybe I'll luck out and come up with another in September.
- July 18, 1997 The Aurora Fossil Museum should have held its
Summer Visit Raffle drawing today, but I haven't recieved
word of the results. Collecting in mid-summer should be a hot, but interesting experience
- - - - - Spring 1997 -- - - -
- May 24, 1997. THE COLLECTING SEASON IS OVER. Memorial Day signifies the end
of the Spring collecting season at Lee Creek. Despite the negative baggage carried by this
season, this paticular weekend proved quite productive. Prior to departing for the White River
badlands with Rita McDaniel, Becky brought 47 collectors into the mine. She found a bird sternum
and immediately donated it to the Smithsonian. The visiting Japanese paleo-student, Hideo Yabe,
found a large (2") C. carcharias tooth and a posterior from C. subauriculatus.
Looking around the "bus stop area" which now sports a shed, Arlene Castleman found a 2"
C. megalodon and, it was reported to me, Ron Harding a Triaenodon obesus
(Whitetip reef shark) tooth. I subsequently heard from John Nay that he found a T. obesus
near the shed, and that is already in the Smithsonian collection. If anyone can confirm the Harding find,
I'd like to hear about it.
Barbara Ermler reported a Squalodon
premolar. Howie Cohn continued to work an area which has been producing
whale skull material and added another dozen pounds of bones and three teeth. A Squaladon
incisor, 3/Notorhyncus and a perfect sand dollar (Mellita cf aclinensis) highlighted the author's finds.
A Notorhyncus symphyseal was reported, and Dick Grier, Sr donated to the Smithsonian a Callophoca
(seal) squamosal.
The FOSSIL FAIR was bigger than ever. The "sand box" provided by PCS was more productive than
the mine. I was told that a five and a four inch C. megalodon tooth were found and also a
Triaenodon obesus. S. Applegate was seated with the Smithsonian group, the North Carolina and
Maryland Fossil clubs provided excellent displays, and George Powell was representing the American
Fossil (?)Federation.
- May 17, 1997. The collecting conditions at the mine continue to worsen. Joy Pierce reported that
only 29 people went out this weekend. Despite rain during the week, very little material surfaced. She
heard of two 3 inch megalodon teeth being found but little more of interest. I contacted Becky, and she
noted that a terrific Hexanchus tooth was found, but confirmed that it was hand-and-knees collecting
and that some were now bring in screens. Rain is not in the forecast for the last weekend of the season.
I'll be there, but will I be alone?
- May 11, 1997. I've been out collecting in the Kansas Cretaceous and Nebraska Oligocene, and have recieved
no word on Lee Creek results from the last couple weeks. Input is always appreciated.
- April 19, 1997. Never got word on Saturday, but
Eric Woody dropped me a note that it had rained Saturday evening and he was in on Sunday.
Working a hillside, he had picked up some whale and shark teeth. He was then "stunned and
amazed to find a large megaladon standing straight up at the bottom of the
gulley -- half covered and the rest visible. It was a beautiful site for soar eyes."
He went on to note that other people had found smaller C. megaladon teeth,
but his 4-1/2 incher was the the day's largest. Also found was a partial ray plate
and a beautiful sturgeon scute by Frank Hyne.
- April 12, 1997. Feedback on this weekend was particularly negative. But, as is often the case,
Aurora allows the collector to make their own luck. Joanne Panek-Dubrock e-mailed me
that she had found another (her second) megamouth tooth this weekend -- albeit from the DPW
spoil piles. Dick Grier and Mel Hurd both brought up the luck of one collector that found 5 inch
C. megalodon tooth, in a footprint, while entering the mine.
- April 5, 1997 weekend update. I heard from Dick Grier, and he advised me that
Tom Parks found a beautiful Hexanchus symphyseal Sunday and that
Zachary Hubbard found the "largest Notorhynchus symphyseal I have ever
seen on Saturday. It has 8 accessory cones on each side of center."
- April 5, 1997 weekend. The impact of a small collecting area, and little rain has now
been demonstrated. There had been no rain since the prior weekend, and the only large
tooth I heard of was a nice 3 incher by Melissa Manwaring on Saturday. That day produced
some other very good finds: Arlene Castleman's pilot whale tooth was as beautiful as I'd ever
seen, Howie Cohn recovered another matching set of whale earbones, this time with other
skull elements, but Eric Thompsen made the headlines with a cow shark symphyseal, an excellent
bramble and a dolphin tooth with an unusual root. Most collectors spent the day on their knees or
bending over to closely scrutinize the surface. Sunday's collectors were to face even harsher
conditions -- I've heard of no noteworthy finds, and even small teeth were hard to come by. It would
seem that this new collecting area can support two trips without rain, but not a third.
- New Safety Regulations. Collectors will no longer be permitted to stand on the bus. To provide
for equitable collecting time, those taking the first will return on the 2:00 bus, allowing those
going out on the second, to take the 3:00 return. In addition, the whole group on April 5th was required to
depart early because of the tempertature in the pit. It was a sunny day with little breeze and non-mine
temperatures were in the high 80's
- March 22, 1997 weekend. Mike Folmer was kind enough to e-mail me on this visit.
He reports that not much was found and notes that finding nice invertebrates was even
getting tough. The trip did afford the opportunity to carry out whale material often passed
over. He went on to say that "Mark Bennett had two Carcharadon teeth, small but nice"
and heard about a Squaladon but not much else. He also "hit Green Mill Run and
had better luck there with sharks teeth than in the quarry." The DPW site at Cox Corners
continues to get attention. Dwight Warren (NJPS) said he heard that two perfect 2-1/2 to 3-inch
teeth came out of there the weekend before.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- Middle March, 1997. Well, I've now made my first trip of the season -- and what is it like?
I would think that most Lee Creek collectors would be disappointed, as were the majority of those
present this past weekend. The collecting area has been reduced in size and by topography
(no hills). Mostly Pungo River material is exposed, limiting opportunities for those desiring
C. megalodon teeth. The reduced size is important, but maybe more so, is the topography.
With collecting exposures generally level, even a heavy rain doesn't do too much. Frank Hyne
measured 2.5" of precipitation for the week, yet collectable fossils were merely exposed,
not sitting on pedestals.
I have recieved mail asking whether it is worth making the trip this season. Good finds were made
this weekend, and will likely be made each weekend this seaon. However, good does not equate
with large C. megalodon teeth. This collecting season will likely be poor if "the Big One" is
your quarry. Amongst other items, this weekend yielded a couple bramble shark teeth, an
associated set of whale tympanic bulla and a huge, softball-sized chunk of copal (amber) found by
Becky. I even heard a rummor that a fragment of shark jaw with teeth
had been found but that has evaded confirmation. The accompanying illustration appears to be
a pathological Notorynchus symphyseal from this weekend.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- March 1997 It may not be related to this website's primary subject, but it should be noted that the
New Jersey State Museum continues to be very busy in providing those interested in
paleontology with outstanding exhibits. The Great Russian Dinosaur exhibit (highly
recommended) continues thru the end of May. This presentation includes much more than dinosaurs
and has a "feel" which is different than the cookie-cutter exhibits currently so prevelant in the U.S.
Now, Ned Gilmore has advised me that the NJSM "... just opened the largest yet exhibit featuring
New Jersey Amber. The exhibit is a display of amber specimens collected mainly by
Ralph Johnson & Penny Dillon. Numerous Cretaceous Period insect inclusions are
nicely magnified and displayed. There are twenty enlarged micro-photographs showing
the details of 90 million year old insects and other animal life presered in amber."
Dr. Parris, Curator of Natural History at the museum, is one of the leaders for the South Dakota
School of Mines' Field Paleontology course held each summer on the Missouri River. In my
opinion, this two week session should be a prerequisite for anyone considering themselves
anything more than a casual fossil collector.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- Early March, 1997 as reported by Richard Chandler.
"The old area is inaccessible. The bus takes you to the east side of the
pit, quite close to the highway. There is very little water compared to
the west side of the pit last fall (no wading necessary) but there are
quite a few soggy spots. The actual collectible area is probably a
little greater now but it is more easily gotten at. By noon you couldn't
find a hill that wasn't covered with footprints"
Finds he reported included a large fragment of a very large Aetobatis mouth
plate, about ten Carcharodon teeth, the largest a reworked 6 incher,
Paratodus, Hexachus, etc. The best find was probably by Rita McDaniel -
a section of tapir (?) jaw with 2 1/2 teeth in place,
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- This website has created interest by amatuers and professionals. Of particular note is
responses from the Pacific rim. The exchange of faunal information has brought out one
very interesting point -- while we share a relatively similar fauna, Glaeocerdo contortus
does not appear in the listings from the western Pacific. Just something to keep in mind
when finding "another".
