At last they cry, French ammonites !

[spartacus]

for your delectation, image no.1 of a pair of Toarcien Harpoceras falciferum as I found them except for a quick scrub.
the biggun (220mm) appeared about a foot down while I was filling gap in a hedge

they're in better condition than shown but the flash has washed out some of the detail. All what I'm finding at the moment has the top side washed out by ground water nicely displaying sutures with the underside still protected by matrix for me to tickle with the tungsten carbide. Just wait til my fosse septique & 25 cubic metre sand filter go in !

 

[cthulhu77]

Jealous, jealous, jealous...what a great find!

 

[um...]

At last! French ammonites!

More, more, more...

 

[Phil]

That's amazing! And you found those in your backgarden? I really need to move.

I think that Harpoceras along with the closely related Hildoceras of Whitby fame displays sexual dimorphism with the female macroconch much larger than the male microconch. Maybe you have a male and female there as opposed to the smaller one being a juvenile or broken individual. To tell the truth, not sure, will try and do some sleuthing when time permits.

If anyone is wondering about a timescale, the Toacian Age was Early Jurassic, 189-180 million. This makes them very early for true ammonites.

Watch out, be great if you could find an aptychus in one of those things when you prep it!

In awe!



(PS Why are all the best ammonite websites on the net in French? All that terminology plays havoc with Babelfish. My French 'O' Level grade 'C' from 1985 just doesn't cut the mustard attempting to grapple with Toacian bedding planes and involute conch forms).

 

[Jean]

Very nice........TOTALLY jealous

J

 

[TPOTH]

That's amazing! And you found those in your backgarden? I really need to move.

In that case, i can only recommand you to resettle in an ex-mining area. Unsurprisingly miners were the best placed to find fossils and would more often than not bring them home.... quite a few of those found their way outside as garden ornements

(PS Why are all the best ammonite websites on the net in French? All that terminology plays havoc with Babelfish. My French 'O' Level grade 'C' from 1985 just doesn't cut the mustard attempting to grapple with Toacian bedding planes and involute conch forms).

Always happy to help, Phil. Even if my geological lingo is a bit rusty

TPOTH

 

[Architeuthoceras]

Fantastic finds Spartacus

How do I get to your backyard

 

[cthulhu77]

Must be nice...all I ever find are rusty beer can tops and old cigarette butts when I dig...

 

[Architeuthoceras]

I thought maybe I would look around here for some nice ammonites of that age, but the rocks around here only preserve a large Erg.

 

[Phil]

...all I ever find are rusty beer can tops....when I dig...

Oh Greg,

How many times must you be told? A metal detector is no good for fossil hunting. You'll never find a fossil with one of those.

(He never listens, you know.)

 

[cthulhu77]

You know, the funny part is, I just bought one...we are going to look for meteorites this friday !!! (your sense of timing is impeccable...must be getting over the runs!)
greg

 

[Phil]

Well....er....look forward to see images of your soon to be vastly expanded rusty nail and ring-pull collection then!

 

[cthulhu77]

Shall I send those TIFF or JPEG ?
actually, we will be going out into the barren desert (and yes, I will take some photos), not digging in my backyard...I recently tore down a section of block wall, and discovered that the fence builders had filled one of the cells with cig butts...no wonder they cough so much!!!

 

[spartacus]

glad you like 'em peeps ! there's loads more yet
today we took the canines out for usual afternoon stroll & after a few good frosts & some crumbling, fresh goodies have appeared in the ditch (accessible only to approved guests of our future B&B/gite corporation including Paleo tours, astronomy, twitching, fishing, llama racing & getting rat *rsed ):

another top
Harpoceras by Wend, tiny Hildoceras by moi, a mystery object yet unclassified, a sack of belemnite gravel & heap of bits all in an hour.
Will scrub, snap & post 'morra.

Kevin, just head east ! stop at the "Hammer Museum"
A large erg ?

Phil, have eyes peeled for aptychus artisticus & on the subject of French websites can we please recap on the one you gave me the link for regarding my claimed Cardioceras chalcedonicum coz I lost it & yes , they are the best without a doubt though Utah ones aren't bad either eh ?!

My bible here is the "Poitou, Vendée & Charentes" regional geological guide & the French in it is whoosh, over my head, but a bit of common & some Babelfish normally cracks the code.

thankyou for bidding

 

[spartacus]

You know, the funny part is, I just bought one...we are going to look for meteorites this friday !!! (your sense of timing is impeccable...must be getting over the runs!)
greg

Greg ol' mate ol' buddy, swap ya Harpo for a chunk ?
last chance for decent Geminids tonight BTW