TOP TO BOTTOM: • In their transport of quarried rock, miners create a landscape 

 that entices fossil diggers. • NMEA members gather at UNC-Wforan introduction 

 from Timmerman (seated) on the art and science of fossil hunting. • Andrew Wilson 

 examines a shark's tooth — an extremely desirable find. 



similar specimen. According to Timmerman, sharks' teeth are pretty rare in 

 Castle Hayne. 



While the shark's tooth, from hurns preacursor — an Eocene mako 

 shark — is the first great find, a rare chambered nautilus, Atitria sp., immedi- 

 ately follows. The nautilus is preserved in a scarce condition in which the outer 

 shell casing has disintegrated, leaving the fragile fossilized chambers behind. 



NATURALIST'S 



NOTEBOOK 



Off to a great start and hoping for continued luck, Timmerman and 

 Larrick decide to move the group to a solid Eocene deposit. More impor- 

 tantly, the site seems to be fresh. 



"I almost hate to step in here. This is a really great site that hasn't 

 been worked in a while," says Larrick. Such reservations are justified as the 

 trip draws to a close, and the group is able to compare findings. 



The riches are amazing. Timmerman has found a heavy boulder with 

 a Rapana sp., or whelk, attached in near perfect condition. 



Several more chambered nautiluses have been found along with sand 

 dollars, rare sea biscuits such as Linthia wilmingtonensis, heart urchins, an 

 Ice Age bear tooth, and enough brachiopods, bryozoans and other Eocene 

 fossils to satisfy every educator on the trip. 



The day couldn't have turned out any better for collecting, with no 

 other explanation than beginner's luck in an outstanding site. "Even when 

 you become skilled at it, fossil hunting is 90 percent luck and 10 percent 

 skill," says Timmerman. 



Anyhow, Larrick reasons, "Whether you find them or not, you sort of 

 lose yourself, commune with nature, and meditate." 



Taking Home More Than Fossils 



While the educators enjoyed their fossil hunting, they did not forget 

 why they were there: to share what they found with their students and 

 professional peers. 



Elaine McClure has taught fifth-grade science in South Carolina 

 for 34 years and lives up to her belief that "teachers will collect anything." 

 She maintains a comer in her classroom called Science Sizzlers, where she 

 displays mystery objects related to science that the students research and 

 identify. 



"It's something to get them excited about science, and is a great moti- 

 vation for research," says McClure. While she focuses this trip on searching 

 for a chambered nautilus, McClure admits to having collected everything 

 from cocoons and hornets' nests to seashells. 



Many teachers swear by fossils as a teaching tool. Merryl Kafka, cura- 

 tor of education at the New York Aquarium, agrees that "kids are turned on 

 by tangible evidence of ancient life." She incorporates ancient relics into her 

 teaching, comparing fossils with a living marine collection to complete the 

 geologic timeline — a complex concept for children and adults alike. 



For the Hobbyist 



Fossils can be found on any North Carolina beach. Fossil trips, such 

 as those sponsored by museums, aquariums and clubs, are the best way to 

 be permitted into private sites, like quarries. The North Carolina Fossil Club 

 schedules trips to PCS Phosphate mine in Aurora, among other locations. 

 To get involved, go to www.ncfossilchib.org. 



Fossil hunters should always be equipped with a good reference book. 

 Trmmerman's books, coauthored by Richard Chandler, can be purchased 

 by contacting the North Carolina Fossil Club, P.O. Box 13075, Research 

 Triangle Park, N.C. 27709. They are titled: Cretaceous and Paleogene 

 Fossils of North Carolina: A Field Guide and Neogene Fossils of North 

 Carolina. Q 



COASTWATCH 29 



