Fossil spider crab preparation with a bonus crab sneaking in

This is the first Trichopeltarion greggi crab that I have tried to prep as they can be quite flakey. This is a Miocene era crab and there are still some extant species of Trichopeltarion today. These spider crabs usually have one very large claw that can at times be bigger than the rest of the crab.
If you are wondering how the fossil crab came to be in the rock, have a look at this video where I explain it: • Fossil crab - how did ...
Unfortunately, my camera stopped recording at one stage so I lost that footage.
This was a quick prep, roughly 3 hours and I managed to do it in one session, usually a crab this size will take 2 or 3 times the time but the rock was softer than usual.
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[@largent45]

Well that was interesting! Nice save on the prepping though. I like that you figured out the type of crab it was and overlayed a picture of its shell so we could see what it did look like, once upon a time! I love fossils and watching you prep them, is so satisfying! How is the penguin coming? Thanks for sharing your crabby adventures with us! Its amazing!

[@MamlamboFossils]

The penguin is slow going, there is quite a bit of rock to remove but I am doing a tiny bit every night. I still haven't hit the bone layer. I'm glad you enjoyed the overlay - I'm trying to do that more often now.

[@ShannonL7]

@@MamlamboFossils I was wondering why you don't completely remove the Rock from around the fossil. If you did would it completely destroy the structures of the specimens?

[@alliecollin1748]

​@@ShannonL7....I thinks so.....💕

[@Bothriolepis]

Missouri, California, Poland, Hungary, and Puerto Rico checked in. Thanks for sharing Mamlambo!

[@MamlamboFossils]

My pleasure mate! Thanks for keeping track of the geographies!

[@Bothriolepis]

@@MamlamboFossils No problem. It’s quite fun.

[@asaromsonarenpajas8199]

You should have the crab rave song in the end of the video when you are finished with it

[@MamlamboFossils]

I'll see if I can get one that's not copyrighted!

[@impunitythebagpuss]

Great prep work and patience! Breakage is upsetting I'm certain. Love the results! Imp from Newfoundland.

[@MamlamboFossils]

Those legs were fragile and not very firmly attached to the rock so the vibration was causing havoc!

[@impunitythebagpuss]

Interesting arrangement though...wonder what was going on back then eh?

[@gregderksen1996]

Crabtastic! Clawsome? or maybe Crabaliscious? anyhoo, that was cool watching the prep work. Thanks Morne!

[@MamlamboFossils]

Hahahah I love all of those! My pleasure!

[@wojciechtreffler2204]

Super prep & film 😆👍 Congratulations & greetings from Poland 👋

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thank you very much! It was quite a tricky one to prep!

[@seashoremudlark3916]

Nice job. luv how you always include a bit of your discovery of the concretions. And the photo over the fossil is always neat. Happy hunting.

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks so much! I'm really glad you enjoy the overlays 😀 they take a bit of time to do but are worth it I think

[@kathleensue1]

Spectacular fossils!

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks Kathy!

[@peterclegg2609]

It's a way off but finally booked a cottage in Dorset only 3 miles from the Jurassic coast, wanted to go there since I was a kid, great video.

[@MamlamboFossils]

Oooh that is exciting!! I hope you find some awesome fossils!

[@KarenUntz]

Like a giant fiddler crab, one large claw.

[@MamlamboFossils]

It does look like one! I wonder if that other giant claw I prepped was from one of these?

[@KarenUntz]

@@MamlamboFossils You know, I bet you're right!

[@kylaabegglen1275]

So very cool!😎 Looks to be getting pretty crabby in your work shop.👍 I love how each one is different from the rest. Thanks for sharing!✌️🤠

[@MamlamboFossils]

My pleasure! Yeah, I have a few crabs by now 😀

[@kylaabegglen1275]

@@MamlamboFossils 😄

[@lois4329]

Always so interesting, thank you!

[@MamlamboFossils]

My pleasure Lois!

[@micktepolt6276]

it had me fooled too, i think it came out all right , it's different , i like it

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks Mick! Yeah, it was tricky!!

[@chengdu1959]

great video as always, love the crabs display at the end, ciao from italy

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks for watching! I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@robbybobby6483]

Lot of work. Looks great!

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks mate!!

[@MrMmadura]

This blew my mind man! I live in Colorado at 1600 meters above sea level, and after the great flood of 2013 my son and I started finding huge concretions of sea life packed with mollusks, clams, squid etc…and we have these around our house, but they are raw and unpolished/ prepped like yours are. I have tons of pics of the nicer ones if you’d like to see, the inside of some of them are iridescent and filled with minerals I’d guess. But I’d love to prep them, we have lots of tools here but what is that little tool you use to begin prep on a rock? Is it a little jackhammer? Or Mini-Pneumatic hammer? Thanks so much for making such great content and revealing such wonderful things from our past!

[@WorldofRockhounds]

Do you have a special display case at home for all your prepped specimens?

[@MamlamboFossils]

I'm ashamed to say I don't! They are on random shelves in the garage! I need to sort something out!

[@WorldofRockhounds]

@@MamlamboFossils I know I'd love to see a shelf built just to show off those fine specimens :)

[@kengilmore4384]

Very cool. I fossil hunt here in Montana. I find aquatic specimens but never crabs

[@MamlamboFossils]

Nice! I've seen someone else find belemnites in Montana I think, a bit cracked because of the harsh weather if I recall!

[@valiantwarrior4517]

Interesting specimen…specimens. 😁 Thanks for the video!

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks for watching! Yeah, it was quite different this one!

[@vandelftcrafts2958]

The Trichopeltarion overlay on 4:40 needs to rotate 90 degrees anticlockwise to fit the fossil. Very interesting fossil, always fun to find a bonus inside a rock.

[@MamlamboFossils]

I agree, I saw it afterwards and had already uploaded it 😀

[@loyaltyuncrythro6788]

Man found an ancient sunny side up egg

[@MamlamboFossils]

It does look rather delicious!

[@allegg8804]

beautiful work. so delicate for a rock!!. thank you.

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thank you! Cheers! This one was quite tricky! Lots of repairs in there!

[@darcenumdah]

great video and comes with some facts

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks mate! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@patrickmaster7207]

So cool!

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks!

[@beach7694]

Very cool!

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks mate!

[@campbellmcgrannachan3859]

Awesome video

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks mate!

[@josephcormier5974]

Interesting little crab five stars brother

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks so much Joseph! Yeah, it was a weird little thing!

[@johnbruce2868]

My guess, from finding similar in the London Clay, is that this fossil is a disarticulated shed carapace. The legs, which belong to the same fossil, became disarticulated along with the claws which went missing when the shell was cast. Such fossils are always a bit more fragile. Whole fossil crabs are remains of those which died buried in the sediment and did not suffer predation. Dos that make sense? Whatever... a difficult but good prep.

[@MamlamboFossils]

Totally makes sense! I mentioned in another comment that I thought this could be a shed carapace, hence the missing legs. Thanks for the info!

[@Ontario_Rockhound]

What an awesome find, thats 2 different species of crab in one right?

[@MamlamboFossils]

I'm not 100% sure as I haven't seen the legs of the greggi, it could perhaps be the same one still

[@Ontario_Rockhound]

@@MamlamboFossils Okay interesting!

[@kareno8634]

I can Only handle So Much Watching these Crabs being revealed to the point, I NEED to try to find one and attempt this. lol *Always the Greatest Pleasure* seeing what you've found. Could the other part of Crab belong to body, _just 'departed'?_

[@MamlamboFossils]

I've found rocks with multiple crabs in them before, I think this goes towards the theory that they were buried together in some kind of event like a landslide.

[@TenaraKSC]

Wooooow

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks so much!

[@Cherrycola14]

Lol how much effort put in before you even find the fossil

[@MamlamboFossils]

It does take quite a while sometimes to find them!

[@sandmaker]

Ya just never know. Crab 1.5 the new update.

[@MamlamboFossils]

Can't wait for the next version 😀

[@seasonaloutdoorswitherin297]

Is it possible that the top of the crab got seperated from the bottom half and both parts are from the same crab

[@MamlamboFossils]

It is totally possible! I hadn't thought of that, thanks!

[@MarkLeo79]

Could that have been a crab that was eating and the top half tossed to the side?

[@MamlamboFossils]

I'm not sure, I think some of the are the shed carapaces but who knows what went on down there!

[@robertheuer7670]

went to a dino exhibit interactive thing with some family and the only picture i took was of a fossilized turd

[@MamlamboFossils]

Corprolites are awesome!!

[@robertheuer7670]

was pretty much the only interesting thing there...its neat to see the cast fake stuff kinda...would it have to be covered by silt kinda fast after deployment?

[@shawncharton9416]

Where's the penguin prep??

[@MamlamboFossils]

Its progressing, it's a big job!

[@zatoth13]

So this crab is similar to modern day fiddler crabs?

[@MamlamboFossils]

I think there are quite a few species in which the one claw grows bigger than the other - maybe to fight other males?

[@AYKH-pl8rf]

What type of dremel do you use ?

[@MamlamboFossils]

It's called an air scribe, an engraver, not a dremel. Dremels will damage the fossil

[@AYKH-pl8rf]

@@MamlamboFossils ok thanks

[@LaKa_10]

LoL fum channel 🤣

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks!! 😀