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Tom Piscitelli

Profile picture of Tom Piscitelli

Tom Piscitelli

@tom-piscitelli
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  • Profile picture of Tom Piscitelli

    Tom Piscitelli posted a new activity comment 3 years, 3 months ago

    3 years, 3 months ago
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Hi Here is some further information: The intact left valve with the pearl warts is not smooth at the umbo and as can be seen in the picture it has an interior that is pale violet or lilac in color. US Geological Survey Professional Paper 199 pp132 plate 20 describes Mercenaria carolinensis from the Waccamaw Formation Cape Fear River NC.…[Read more]

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    • Profile picture of Sadie Mills
      Sadie Mills replied 3 years, 3 months ago

      Hi Tom, I added this content to your other post containing Mercenaria reference info. Thanks for chiming in with additional research, Sadie

  • Profile picture of Tom Piscitelli

    Tom Piscitelli posted an update 3 years, 3 months ago

    3 years, 3 months ago
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Hi Ms Mills  I added a new post with a 2016 paper on fossil pearls. I can not find any info on Mercenaria fossil pearls although there are recent/modern quahod pearls that are very beautiful. I especially like the purple ones. FYI Tom

    • Profile picture of Sadie Mills
      Sadie Mills replied 3 years, 3 months ago

      Hi Tom, thanks for the update! I also emailed some folks here at the Florida Museum to see what they might know about the shells, and I’ll let you know when I hear back from them. I’m excited to learn more about what you’ve found, it seems like a unique discovery!
      -Sadie

      • Profile picture of Tom Piscitelli
        Tom Piscitelli replied 3 years, 3 months ago

        Hi Here is some further information: The intact left valve with the pearl warts is not smooth at the umbo and as can be seen in the picture it has an interior that is pale violet or lilac in color. US Geological Survey Professional Paper 199 pp132 plate 20 describes Mercenaria carolinensis from the Waccamaw Formation Cape Fear River NC.…[Read more]

        • Profile picture of Sadie Mills
          Sadie Mills replied 3 years, 3 months ago

          Hi Tom, I added this content to your other post containing Mercenaria reference info. Thanks for chiming in with additional research, Sadie

  • Profile picture of Tom Piscitelli

    Tom Piscitelli replied to the topic Possible Blister Pearl and/or Pearl Warts from North Myrtle Beach, SC in the forum What Is It? 3 years, 3 months ago

    3 years, 3 months ago
    3 years, 3 months ago

    I have been looking on the internet for any information on fossil pearls in Mercenaria. I do not have access to paleontological research but it is interesting what I have found.  “To conclude, Pleistocene pearls have so far only been found in Europe and North America from three mollusk species: Modiolus modiolus, Scotland (25); Mytilus edulis,…[Read more]

  • Profile picture of Tom Piscitelli

    Tom Piscitelli replied to the topic Possible Blister Pearl and/or Pearl Warts from North Myrtle Beach, SC in the forum What Is It? 3 years, 3 months ago

    3 years, 3 months ago
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Messed up . here’s the inside

  • Profile picture of Tom Piscitelli

    Tom Piscitelli replied to the topic Possible Blister Pearl and/or Pearl Warts from North Myrtle Beach, SC in the forum What Is It? 3 years, 3 months ago

    3 years, 3 months ago
    3 years, 3 months ago

    While no one has questioned my identification of the host shell as being a Mercenaria, I thought I should at least raise the question since I am not an expert at shell id. The shell portion that has the large blister pearl may not be identifiable but there is a whole half shell that has multiple “pearl warts. I will attach pictures showing both…[Read more]

  • Profile picture of Tom Piscitelli

    Tom Piscitelli replied to the topic Possible Blister Pearl and/or Pearl Warts from North Myrtle Beach, SC in the forum What Is It? 3 years, 3 months ago

    3 years, 3 months ago
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Hi Ms Mills  Thanks for posting for me. I do not want to confuse the responders by the modern oyster with a blister pearl DSCN4930-1. This my wife found while we were eating oysters out while we were there on vacation. I know that it is modern. You did not include (at least that I saw) that info in the write up So I wanted to clarify. Thanks…[Read more]

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    Sadie Mills and Profile picture of Tom PiscitelliTom Piscitelli are now friends 3 years, 3 months ago

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    Max Jones and Profile picture of Tom PiscitelliTom Piscitelli are now friends 3 years, 3 months ago

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    Tom Piscitelli became a registered member 3 years, 3 months ago

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Development of myFOSSIL is based upon work largely supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DRL-1322725. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

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