Beach Rocks Yield Unexpected Boon to Paleontologists
by Linda J. McCall, Avocational Paleontologist
There are rocks all over the beach on North Topsail Island. Thirty million year old rocks to be precise. To say the
shoreline restoration project has gotten off to a “rocky” start would be an understatement. The rocks weren’t
planned, and it seems that NO one likes them, not the homeowners, not the tourists, not the turtle lovers nor the
environmentalists, but every cloud has a silver lining. It turns out someone DOES like the rocks on the beach.
Paleontologists. We love them. I mean REALLY love them.
Topsail has always been known for its fossil shark teeth, and lots of folks come to collect them, but this is different.
Most of the rock being dredged up is actually 30 million year old solidified sandy ocean bottom from the Oligocene
age and it’s full of ocean fossils. This gives paleontologists an incredible opportunity to study extinct organisms that
were offshore and therefore rare or non-existent in North Carolina previously, but right now they are all over the
beach! As an added bonus, when the slurry of sand and rock is pumped through the miles of pipe, the fossils are
blasted clean by the sand and come out looking incredibly pristine. So, if you are a paleontologist (amateur or
professional), it’s like having Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and your birthday all rolled into one, AND you
won the lotto.
The lure of collecting and/or studying these unique fossils is drawing folks from the paleo community to the shores
of North Topsail Beach in droves. Some come to collect just for fun, some collect for scientific study, but all of us are
walking North Topsail’s beaches, patronizing its establishments and adding to the islands’ economy.
Some of the fossils on the beach are prettier and in better condition than ones we currently have in our museums, so
we will use them to upgrade our collections. Some are new to science and will have papers published to describe
them. Studying these fossils gives us a unique window into a part of North Carolina’s ancient history that we didn’t
know about before and adds another facet to the growing body of knowledge we have about our state.
Understanding our past may be the key to our future, so next time you walk the beach, take a closer look at the rocks
beneath your feet – they may be trying to tell you something.
Linda J. McCall is an avocational paleontologist from Colfax, North Carolina. McCall has been a member of several different clubs
including the North Carolina Fossil Club and the Paleontological Society of Austin. She and her fellow amateurs often collaborate with
professionals. It has been estimated that 75% of paleontological specimens in museums were found by amateurs. McCall has made
several visits to North Topsail Beach since the Town’s recent Phase 5 Shoreline Restoration Project began and will continue to return to
look for more specimens to study and share. See next page for some photos of her finds.
Sea Urchin – Gagaria mossomi
Fossil sea urchin (sea biscuit) – Marieta
carolinensis
Fossil brittle starfish – new to science and
needs a name!
Rock with a fossil in it
Fossil oyster
Small rocks with a fossil nestled among
them.