Fossil Hunting in Virginia

One of the best parts of my job is that it allows for a very balanced work/personal life and provides quite a bit of time allowing me to pursue hobby interests.  Usually when I travel for work I will look for something to occupy my down time.

I was able to stop on the southern James River, just above Surry, Va  last week and do a little surface collecting.  Because I'm not finding these in situ it's a little difficult to definitive identify them.

Right - shark tooth fragment, Concretion of scallops
Middle - Chesapecten Jeffersonius, Coral, Barnacles: Balanus sp.
Left - Chesapecten Middlesexensis (based on location to other samples)

Here's some background information on what we usually find on the James and the York Rivers.

Chesapecten, a New Genus of Pectinidae (PDF)

Mollusca From Themiocene And Lower Pliocene Ofvirginia AndNorth Carolina (PDF)