SOUTHWEST FLORIDA FOSSIL CLUB NEWSLETTER Founded in 1983

November 2012 Volume 29, Number 11 Editor: Roxane Wilson

Prez Sez Welcome Members & Friends, I hope all had a wonderful Halloween and your trick or treat bags were full of great fossils. The holidays are just around the corner - time to spend with family and friends. The River is going down. We had a long rainy season but we needed the rain, lots of new fossils will have been washed in the river for us to find in the coming months. Diving now you may have to use a wetsuit as the water temp has dropped. I want to thank Mike Nastashio for his display of fossil finds from diving especially the meg tooth in matrix which is a fantastic find, Gary Howe with his diving finds also had a great assortment and Ron Seavey with his garage sale find of modern bones and jaws. We thought he was kidding around about the purchase 3 hours earlier. Nice find Ron, and Gunther Lobisch with his shells from SMR pit trip and Paleo knives great show and tell this month. Also the club voted on the amended Bylaws with Bob Miller making a motion to the floor and Mike Kozlowski 2nd with the club members raising their hands in agreement. This month we will have Bruce MacFadden from the Florida Museum of Natural History give a talk so don't miss this meeting. It’s always interesting. It’s also time to think about donations for the Fossil Auction. If you have a nice specimen you would like to donate let me or Jim Davis know. We have some great fossils for the Auction in February and working on more items. Also I want to thank all who help with the setup and take down of the table and chairs it makes things go smoother and faster when we work together. Also those members who are helping out with picture taking too. THANK YOU ALL Our December meeting will be our potluck party so start thinking about your favorite Christmas dish and/or helping out on the setup and decorating committee. See you all at the meeting get out and live the adventure.

November Meeting The November meeting will be on Saturday, November 10th at 7:00 pm at OUR NEW MEETING LOCATION at 118 Sullivan St. in downtown Punta Gorda. (See directions on back page). Our speaker will be Bruce MacFadden, the Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology at the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville. He will do a PowerPoint presentation entitled “Fossils in the Cloud,” which is a new initiative to put 100 million fossil specimens currently located in natural history museums onto the web, which will greatly increase public access to images of fossils.

Craig, Celeste, Courtney, Natalie & Valerie Welch

SMR FIND

KEEP YOUR HEAD HELD HIGH BUT LOOK DOWN ONCE IN A WHILE; YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU MIGHT BE STEPPIN’ ON

OF THE DAY

2

Southwest Florida Fossil Club Newsletter, Vol. 29, No 11 November, 2012

SWFFC Executive Board & Committee Phone Roster President:

Chuck Ferrara (941) 769-2725

Vice President:

Jim Davis (941) 379-3286

Treasurer & Editor:

Roxane Wilson (863) 993-1649 e-mail: [email protected] OR [email protected]

Secretary:

Membership:

Kathy Caldwell (941) 629-5952 e-mail: [email protected]

Dues: $15.00 $20.00 $ 4.00

Individual Family Child joining indepent.

Make check payable to: Southwest Florida Fossil Club (SWFFC) Send to:

Kathy Caldwell 1540 Schenley St. Port Charlotte, FL 33952

Kathy Caldwell (941) 629-5952

Directors Doug Reichard

Cay Small

Linda Warner

Kim Westberry

Field Trips Trip Director Chuck Ferrara (941) 769-2725 email: [email protected]

The SWFFC Web site can be found at: http://www.southwestfloridafossilclub.com

Trip Guide Cay Small

(941) 623-3009

Gainesville Museum Web Site is at: http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/

Raffle:

Jim Davis

Smithsonian (Natural History Museum) www.mnh.si.edu

Club Website:

Tiffany Reichard

Club Photographer: Refreshments:

Sandi Bailey

Canoe Outpost in Arcadia (gives info on Canoe rentals and peace river water levels) http://www.canoeoutpost.com/Peace/ prwaterlevel.htm Florida Vertebrate Fossil Permit http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/natsci/vertpaleo/ vppermit.htm Aurora Fossil Museum: www.aurorafossilmuseum.com/

Southwest Florida Fossil Club Newsletter, Vol. 29, No. 11 November, 2012

3

SHELLS, SHELLS AND SHELLS By Chuck Ferrara Life started in the ocean when the earth was covered by water. That's where it all began . So when the opportunity came for the club to go on a trip with Roger Portell from the Museum of Natural History to a pit that he takes his undergraduate students to we said YES. This was a real treat for members. Most members are interested in teeth and bones, me included, but you can’t have a fossil collection from Florida without including fossil shells. We all met at the gate at 8:00 am. Roger met us to escort us through the pit. There had been lots of rain so all were expecting to do well. Once we got the safety talk - do’s and don'ts we carpooled from the office to the spot. There were piles everywhere. All found many shells. Everyone filled up their buckets. Marilyn Martin found a beautiful whale tooth. I found some crab claws and so did Donn Smart and we gave them to roger for some study. He gave me a stone crab claw. I also found the periodic ear bone from a whale; that is always overlooked. Everyone finds the tympanic bulla ! Some of the shells found were: Trigonostoma, Cancellaria, Vasuum, Typhis, Cypraea, Trivia, Strombus, Carrier, Limpet, Cone, Tusk & Olive shells. All had a great time and thank you to all the members for following the safety instructions. Roger said we had a great group no issues. After the pit we went and had lunch at Ruby Tuesdays. You should have heard Roger talk about how shark teeth and bones just get in his way; they are overburden covering up the shells that he needs to get to. He uses Megs as skipping stones. When he was in Peru the big Megs are too heavy; he just throws them away. Oh yes, he was serious too. It was funny to hear him carry on about how he hates bones and teeth. We had a great laugh. Thank you all members who went on this trip. I can’t tell you when we will have this opportunity again but it was a real treat. It shows how the FLMNH wants to work with the fossil clubs and we need to work with them. Thank you Roger Portell.

SMR TRIP

MORE SMR PICTURES ON NEXT PAGE

4

Southwest Florida Fossil Club Newsletter, Vol. 29, No. 11 November, 2012

How You Represent Your Club When you do go to the field, not only do your represent yourself, but you are also representing your club and the things that you do and say reflect on both. When you go into the field, one of the most important things is that you have permission to be at that location. If there is a fence or gate, somebody owns that property and if you don't ask to be there, you're trespassing. Whether it’s a creek or a field or a quarry, someone owns the rights to that location and without their permission it reflects badly on all of us. Later on, those of us trying to get on the property are turned away due to trespassers upsetting the landowners. If you feel you have to be sneaky, think of the other honest people out there trying to do the same thing and the one that you're hurting is them. Field Trips: When we go on trips, we represent ourselves and our club to a high standard. These people have graciously let us on their property with very strict guidelines. There are several rules that we try to follow: a. Wear appropriate clothing such as long pants (so if you do slide down a hill, you don't injure your legs due to rocks, shells, etc.) and good footwear (no sandals or flip-flops) b. If required, a hard hat and safety glasses c. You must show up on time d. If a liability release form is to be signed, you need to make sure that your name gets put on it e. Make sure that the safety lecture is adhered to Just remember, when you are out hunting, sometimes people are watching you to see how you act and if they know you belong to a certain club, that can come back and reflect on your club as a whole (it can be in a good way or a bad way). We have a great club that people are very proud of and we have worked very hard to maintain the image that we have so all of us should work extra hard to keep up our good name. These are some simple easy-to-follow guidelines for all of us to go by. So remember, have permission to be where you are and hunt safely while you're there so you can come back and do it another day.

Southwest Florida Fossil Club Newsletter, Vol. 29 No. 11 November, 2012

5

General Fossil Shark Tooth Information By: Steven A. Alter Since shark skeletons are composed of cartilage instead of bone, often the only parts of the shark to survive as fossils are teeth. Fossil shark teeth date back hundreds of millions of years. The most common, however, are from the Cenozoic Era (65 million years ago to present). How a Tooth Becomes A Fossil A tooth become a fossil when it is buried in sediment (or other material) soon after being lost from a shark's mouth. The sediment precludes oxygen and harmful bacteria from reaching the tooth and destroying it. The general fossilization process varies greatly depending on the exact situation. In general it takes approximately 10,000 years for a tooth to become a true fossil. Why Fossil Teeth Are Different Colors The color of a tooth is determined solely by the color of sediment in which it is buried while fossilizing. The tooth absorbs minerals from the surrounding sediment. As the minerals replace the natural structure of the tooth, the tooth becomes the same general color as the sediment. Therefore, color is not an effective indicator of the age of a tooth. The most common color for shark teeth is a black root with a grayish crown. Different colors are more uncommon and significantly increase the value of a tooth. Where the Teeth are Found and How Old They Are The majority of the teeth I offer for sale in this catalog are from the MiocenePliocene Epochs (approximately 24.5 million to 2 million years ago). During this time period oceans sporadically covered many parts of what is now the Southeastern United States. For this reason many of the teeth I have to offer come from South Carolina rivers (which cut through the fossil-rich Hawthorne Formation) or from South Florida phosphate mining operations (which unearth fossils from the Bone Valley Formation). Most of the teeth from these locations are between 3 and 10 million years old. History of the Carcharocles megalodon Shark I specialize in teeth from the Carcharocles megalodon shark which thrived during the above time period. This shark was the largest shark to ever swim the ocean. Reaching an overall maximum length of approximately 60 feet, this shark was three times the size of the modern Great White (Carcharodon carcharias) shark.

6

Southwest Florida Fossil Club Newsletter, Vol. 29 No. 11 November, 2012

Carcharocles megalodon Teeth and What Makes Them So Valuable The teeth from the megalodon shark are truly massive in both length and width. The largest teeth are as large as a man's hand and can weigh well over a pound. The largest complete megalodon tooth ever found measures just over 7" in slant height (measure of the longest side from tip of tooth to the top of the root). Teeth this size, however, are extremely rare. There are only a few teeth in the world that measure over 7" legitimately (however there have been lots of "stretched fakes" so be careful what you buy!!). Smaller teeth are much more common with the average size being about 3 1/2" - 4 1/2" in slant height. Teeth over 5" are uncommon and over 6" are very rare, so the value of teeth this size is significantly greater than the smaller ones. Another factor that greatly increases the value of a tooth is the degree of preservation. The vast majority of teeth that have become fossils have been destroyed by natural processes (erosion, chemical processes, etc.). Most megalodon teeth found have undergone quite a bit of destruction, with chunks of the tooth broken off, the enamel eaten through, or significant erosion wearing the natural features of the tooth. Occasionally, one comes across a perfectly preserved tooth still bearing its original features and sheen. While uncommon, teeth like this are found and are of significant value. This article was reprinted with permission from the author.

Modern day Great White on top Man in middle Megalodon on bottom

Southwest Florida Fossil Club Newsletter, Vol. 29 No. 11 November, 2012

7

FOSSIL SHOW 2012 The Fossil Club of Lee County Saturday Dec 1st 9am to 5pm Admission: $3 (children under 12 FREE) Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium Corner of Colonial Blvd. & Ortiz Ave. Entrance: 3450 Ortiz Ave. Ft. Myers I-75 Exit 136- Go West to 1st Light Turn Right. Entrance 500 Feet on Left Kid’s Fossil Dig Door Prizes

Raffles

Silent Auctions

Games Exhibits

SUGGESTIONS?? We encourage members to let us know what changes or additions you would like to see— speakers—fieldtrips—raffle—anything you think should be changed or ideas for meetings or projects we want to hear them (BE NICE). Seriously, we do want your input. If there’s anything in particular you like about the club or meetings, let us know that too, so we’ll know how we’re doing. This is your club too and we want to make it enjoyable for ALL.

ARE YOU GETTING YOUR NEWSLETTER???

FOSSIL TALKS By Dr. Charles o’Connor 11am—Florida’s Fossils Fossilization, Saber-Tooth Cats, Mammoths, Giant Ground Sloths, Huge Sharks, How to Hunt fossils & much more. Many fossils on display 2:30—Sharks Biology, Fossil Teeth & Megalodons– the largest shark of all time. Many teeth on display

SouthWest Florida Fossil Club Code of Ethics 1. Members of the SouthWest Florida Fossil Club are expected to respect all private and public properties. 2. No member shall collect without appropriate permission on private or public properties. 3. Members should make a sincere effort to keep themselves informed of laws, regulations, and rules on collecting on private or public proper ties. 4. Members shall not use firearms, blasting equipment, or dredging apparatuses without appropriate licenses and permits. 5. Members shall dispose of litter properly.

If you are on the email listing, you should be receiving your newsletter via the internet. You should get it by the Monday before the meeting. Whenever you don’t receive a newsletter, if you will email or call me to let me know, I will try again. We don’t want you to miss out on any of your newsletter copies. If you should change your email address, be sure to email me your new address. You can reach me at either [email protected] or [email protected]

6. Members shall report to proper state offices any seemingly important paleontological and archaeological sites. 7. Members shall respect and cooperate with field trip leaders or designated authorities in all collecting areas. 8. Members shall appreciate and protect our heritage of natural resources. 9. Members shall conduct themselves in a manner that best represents the SouthWest Florida Fossil Club.

Roxane Wilson P.O. Box 1308

We meet on the second Saturday of each month at 7:00 pm at the Punta Gorda Historical Society at 118 Sullivan St. DIRECTIONS

TO

M EETING

IN

D OW N T OWN P U N TA G O R DA

From U.S.41 southbound turn left on E.Retta Esplanade. Go a short distance and turn right on Sullivan St. The building is not far, on your left side. From U.S.41 northbound turn left on Hwy. 17 (W. Marion Ave.) Go a short distance and turn right on Sullivan St. The building is not far, on your right side. From I-75 exit at Exit 164. Turn left onto US-17 S/Duncan Rd. Go approximately 2.4 miles. Turn Right on Sullivan St. The building is not far, on your right side. From Kings Highway Take Kings Hwy. to the end and turn left on Highway 41 South. Just after you cross Peace River Bridge, take the first left (Retta Esplanade) and then your first right.