GMS Field Trip

GMS Field Trip
Eocene Fossils in Alabama
Sunday, September 14, 2014

In anticipation of the September field trip to collect fossilized sharks’ teeth, juniors made screens at Sand Section. Bonney Weathers, Bob Jarrett, Ginny Loman, and Mary Gurney donated time and materials to make the special screens. We got to see some of the screens in action during the September field trip and they worked beautifully!

Despite concerns that the weather would hamper the trip, the water was even lower than last year and the sky was clear. Everyone found several sharks’ teeth and ray teeth. Gerard Case, a fossil shark tooth expert, was on hand to identify fossils for us. Mr. Case said if any of us found an unidentified species, he would name it after that person! How’s that for incentive to search?

Al Klatt found 2 teeth that are from a previously unidentified species, though Mr. Case was already in the process of confirming the new find so Al won’t have it named after him. Maybe on the next trip someone will find a new species.

New member Jamie chose to swim while his parents screened for teeth. Celesta honed her minnow catching technique using a screen. By the end of the day she had caught 3 big minnows and 1 very tiny one. Sadly, one of the fish didn’t survive, but he was carefully interred inside a little shell. The others escaped while we weren’t looking.

Other finds of the day were some tiny vertebrae, a perfect ray barb, a gar scale, some turtle shell, even some coprolite, plus a bucket of the prettiest sand we’ve ever collected! It was a great field trip and we are looking forward to future adventures there.

Lori Carter, on behalf of
Charles Carter, GMS Field Trip Chair
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