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Part Two of the Limestone Zoo


Part Two of the Limestone Zoo
Photo Information
Copyright: Silke Force (Silke) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 727 W: 98 N: 1694] (5406)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-09-15
Categories: Fish
Camera: Nikon D70S, Sigma 18-200 mm (F3.5-6.3), Sigma UV 62 mm
Exposure: f/5.0, 1/80 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2007-09-21 8:57
Viewed: 866
Points: 28
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
The Limestone Aquarium
________________________________________

My previous submission from the limestone “aquarium/zoo” raised a few issues and I suspect that this one will as well. Before you decide whether this belongs on TN or not, I ask you to read through to the end.

This is another fossil from the Green River Formation. To be precise, it is a fossil of the Mioplosus labracoides. In its heyday, approximately 40 – 50 million years ago, it was a rapacious predator. It had a mouthful of pointed teeth, which are unfortunately not clearly visible here. There are a number of specimens elsewhere which went to their doom with smaller fish (like the Knightia of my previous post) still in their jaws, throats or gullets. Their modern descendants appear to include walleye (a.k.a. pickerel), pike and yellow perch.

From the instant that I saw this ugly 11” creature on the table of the recreation centre where the Gem and Mineral Show was being held, I thought of a bulldog with its outthrust lower jaw. It looks pugnacious to me, but maybe you won’t see it that way.
Maybe you’ll think me a bit pugnacious in posting this image. I ask you to think of this as part of a limestone aquarium. These fossils can only be seen if the matrix in which they have been preserved is scraped away. Once that is removed, the skeletons are vulnerable to erosion. So nobody is going to leave them out in the open to be either corroded by weather or stolen by treasure hunters. The only place to capture them now is on display tables. I would have liked to photograph this in studio conditions, but that would have been against our TN ToS. Instead, I shot this hand-held under the eyes of the curator of the museum to which this has since returned. And under those circumstances, it is less artificial than a flower captured at night by the light of a flash or speedlight.

But in the end, it is still up to you: does this belong on TN? If you think that it helps us to learn “more about the world through nature photography,” then I hope you will judge it under that criterion.

Thanks for looking and have a wonderful day (and weekend) full of learning, photography and discoveries.
go2stones, eqshannon, nglen, Juyona, marhowie, pierrefonds, angybone, jmirah, oscarromulus has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To marhowie: Thank you!Silke 1 09-22 07:11
To eqshannon: next posting: unscholarly!Silke 1 09-21 13:05
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Critiques [Translate]

It's interesting to think in terms of 40-50 million years and have specimens like this still available for us to study. Why would something as formidible as this is not succeed? One of my favorite creatures, robber flies, have been found fossilized in virtually the same configuration as today.

TFS!
Reid

I still have my 400 million year old coral but it is in a long que of pics...very nice and quite interesting in a scholarly way. Tres' Bon!
Bob

Hi Silke, wonderful fossil with splendid details and great sharpness, very well done, have a nice week end, ciao Silvio

Hello Silke,
Thank you again for sharing this awesome fossil in great sharpness and much details
well done and well seen
have a great weekend
cheers
Tony

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2926 W: 34 N: 8678] (32330)
  • [2007-09-21 13:17]

Hi Silke. great picture of this fossil. lots of detail. hard to think in the terms of 50 million years. well done TFS. good interesting notes too.
Nick..

Have a good weekend.

  • Great 
  • Juyona Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2270 W: 10 N: 2658] (15659)
  • [2007-09-21 16:30]

Hola amiga,
precioso trabajo,
realmente genial este fósil,
muchos saludos

Hi Silke,
Pugnacious post, I like it..As a matter of fact, this fossilized fish does have a bit of a pug nose ;-}
Seriously though, great detail in this 50 million year old rapacious predator.
Excellent supporting notes..TN should have more like you :)
Very well done.
Howard

Hi Silke,

A good POV of the fossil, it is very impressive. The photo has a good composition, sharpness and nice colors. Thanks for sharing.

Pierre

  • Great 
  • gannu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1169 W: 4 N: 3262] (14691)
  • [2007-09-22 5:22]

Silke nice informational note and excellent produce information. TFS Ganesh

I still maintain the photo belongs here.


Great shot - again,an artistic view of the past. Nice!

Hello Silke,
Yesterday I started to critique your image...anyway..
I think it is a very good one; looks like studio work IMO.
Presentation is well done too.
Good work!
TFS
Annick

  • Great 
  • jmirah Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 506 W: 5 N: 1135] (4665)
  • [2007-09-22 10:45]

Back later, cutting grass

Bonjour,
Que d'années sont passées !
Bonne journée.
clnaef

Silke,
This image does belong here on TN.
Have also posted a few such as this one.
Great details on this fossil. Sharp. EXCELLENT CLARITY.
Loved it.
Mario from Calgary with friendly greetings.

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