Although Montbrook is not active at this time due to the summer heat and rain storms, we’ve been active behind the scenes in the museum cataloging finds, preparing jacketed fossils, and picking through endless bags of matrix looking for microfossils.

Fish and shark/ray teeth are the most common microfossils found while picking through Montbrook matrix. Of these, whip-tailed stingray (Dasyatis sp.) teeth are by far the most common. Though individual stingray teeth can grow to be around 2 mm in size, many are much smaller. During mating season the teeth of male stingrays grow sharp cusps that allow them to hold onto the females better.

Learn more about the living Dasyatis species:

Atlantic Stingray Bluntnose Stingray