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Important Maryland Fossil Discovery

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  • Important Maryland Fossil Discovery

    There were not supposed to be fossil dinosaur footprints in Maryland. Until amateur fossil hunter Ray Stanford found thousands, stored them in his home, and absolutely blew away every skeptical paleontologist who visited. All were prepared to dismiss him. Instead, their jaws dropped. Just goes to show what an amateur can do.

    Now, one of his most important finds has been published. Mammal and Dino tracks mixed together on a slab. There is an excellent video of the discovery at this link:

    https://wtop.com/local/2018/01/routi...-ages/slide/1/

    And here is another clip describing his find:



    How an amateur rewrote the book on dinosaurs in Maryland:

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifes...=.6ccbeb11ca4a

    "This is College Park? More like Cretaceous Park.

    “My jaw stayed dropped for an hour,” said Robert T. Bakker, perhaps the most famous dinosaur hunter of the past half-century, who toured the Stanford Museum some years back.

    Here and there, riding the rocky waves, peek out actual dinosaurs — the plastic variety. A leering two-legged carnivore threatens from behind a chair, all stubby arms and flashing teeth. Under the coffee table, a little low-slung, spiky ankylosaur stands guard. Each dinosaur is roughly of the type that made the track upon which it stands: visual aids for the overwhelmed visitor.

    There’s even more to take in, as Stanford’s interests range far beyond dinosaur tracks. Cases of Indian arrowheads hang on the walls. Dozens of matchbox-size plastic boxes hold slices of meteorites. A dozen stone discs cover a round coffee table, some resembling old-style flying saucers, pieces for a game known as Chunkey played by the plains Indians beginning 1,500 years ago. The Indians rolled the discs and threw spears at them."

    -----------------------------------
    Ray Stanford in the field, doing what he does best:



    Ray also collects Native American artifacts and meteorites. And, if you're into UFOS, his name may ring a bell. As the Washington Post article above points out, he was an important researcher in the subject decades ago. It's still his first love.
    Last edited by CMD; 02-01-2018, 11:54 AM.
    Rhode Island

  • #2
    Wow that is great stuff!!! Thanks
    Professor Shellman
    Tampa Bay

    Comment


    • #3
      Thanks Charlie, Enormous amount of ancient history packed into a small area. It's beautiful how the sand highlights the tracks.
      Michigan Yooper
      If You Don’t Stand for Something, You’ll Fall for Anything

      Comment


      • #4
        Very interesting. What was that rock that he stuck in his bag supposed to be? It didn’t look like much to me.
        South Dakota

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        • Scorpion68
          Scorpion68 commented
          Editing a comment
          Hey Gary - We all know that sometimes a rock is just a rock - Right???

      • #5
        Wonder what part of MD he's hunting? Like Gary I question what's so special about that rock he packed out? I suspect like many of us he brings home a few plain ordinary rocks. But he sure makes up for it with his Dino rocks. Wow! Thanks Charlie, neat story.
        Child of the tides

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        • CMD
          CMD commented
          Editing a comment
          I think there are clues in some of the articles written about him, and you could probably find out by doing research on the geology of Maryland as to where to look. And obviously, the rocks around College Park are a good start!

      • #6
        Very interesting. I don't believe I would have learned about the man unless you brought it to our attention. Just additional proof of what dedicated amateurs do to further our scientific knowledge in many fields including archaeology and astronomy.

        Comment


        • #7
          Thanks Charlie - I really liked the Dino tracks that he found but I also got caught up in one of the video about Carboniferous plant fossils. My neighbor brings me stuff all the time when he plows the field. He just thinks of them as strange rocks and wants me to weigh in on them. I might post a couple that I have If you're interested. Not sure how many members are into fossils. Again thanks muchly for all the info, including UFO's.
          Pickett/Fentress County, Tn - Any day on this side of the grass is a good day. -Chuck-

          Comment


          • rock ON.
            rock ON. commented
            Editing a comment
            I'm always into seeing fossils I like to collect them too

        • #8
          I'd love to come across something like that. That's fascinating.

          Comment


        • #9
          Originally posted by SDhunter View Post
          Very interesting. What was that rock that he stuck in his bag supposed to be? It didn’t look like much to me.
          It did not look like anything to me, from what I could see. Who knows? I will say Ray is an experienced artifact hunter. He's no slouch in that respect. He's changed dinosaur studies so fundamentally, though, I guess he's entitled to collect river cobbles too. I saw a table of cobbles in the video, but some of them probably have tracks on them too, we don't really see them but for a second. Would not surprise me if there were worn tracks on water worn cobbles in that setting.

          Ray had to overcome resistance that included accusations he imported the tracks, that they did not come from Maryland. He does seem to be a citizen-scientist, another name for a self taught amateur or hobbyist who, once in awhile, actually changes the science.

          I think it's very often hard to spot tracks, and that's what he meant when he said "I see things that other people don't see". He had an eye for them, found them and was able to interpret what he found long before any paleontologist even saw his collection. It's not easy interpreting track slabs in my own experience, or recognizing them. They are often very ephemeral images on stone, because the portion of the foot touching the mud is uneven, sometimes it's toe marks made underwater, they can be just tough to even recognize.

          Rhode Island

          Comment


          • SDhunter
            SDhunter commented
            Editing a comment
            Yes, you are probably right. He sure has found some amazing things. It definitely takes an eye to see things.

        • #10
          Originally posted by Scorpion68 View Post
          Thanks Charlie - I really liked the Dino tracks that he found but I also got caught up in one of the video about Carboniferous plant fossils. My neighbor brings me stuff all the time when he plows the field. He just thinks of them as strange rocks and wants me to weigh in on them. I might post a couple that I have If you're interested. Not sure how many members are into fossils. Again thanks muchly for all the info, including UFO's.
          Sure, Chuck, post away. Carboniferous plants are what we find here. Lots of trackways as old as those plants here as well, but I only know of sites where collecting is not possible anymore.

          Rhode Island

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          • #11
            Obviously he has self taught himself. He may know as much as any paleontologist with a degree. A person usually studies from a text book in school with a professor guiding and teaching. Any of us could read the same text books. It just takes dedication. Someone should give him an honorary degree!
            South Dakota

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            • CMD
              CMD commented
              Editing a comment
              Yeah, the study of trace fossils is a specific discipline within paleontology, and I just know from seeing studies of the little amphibian, reptile, insect, millipede, etc. trace fossils found in the far older RI Formation that lots of times I have found myself thinking, "geez, how did he learn to recognize these markings?!" And yes, I'm certain, where trace fossils are concerned, Stanford is as expert at finding and interpreting them as any PhD specializing in trace fossils. They certainly thought enough of him to include him as a co-author in peer review articles.
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