Featured Fossil

Hello everyone, Is there someone here who knows about fossils? I bought this interesting fossil but I have no way to identify it. I've looked at it from every angle and can't figure out what I'm seeing. Any ideas? Or should I list it as "Unknown Fossil"? It measures about 3.5" x 2.5" and weighs one pound. Thanks!

 

Might be...with emphasis on the maybe part...a lightning strike eons ago on sand or mud?

 

That's an interesting thought. Thanks.

 

Looks sorta like an ammonite thingy, at least is some of the pix.

 

I don't suppose seller gave any info on where found?

 

No, it was sold in a lot with lots of little things. I think you might be right about ammonite.

 

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/facts/ammonites

 

I'm not seeing an ammonite there, but don't know what it might be. It might be plant rather than animal - some kind of seed pod or cone - but that's just speculation.

 

My only other thought, since it is obviously not a brachiopod, is that it is a crinoid stem in cross section. See Ethelocrinus here:

https://isgs.illinois.edu/outreach/geology-resources/crinoids

We have now reached the end of my knowledge of fossils.

 

That gives me lots to investigate. Thank you!

 

I think it's too big to be a crinoid or blastoid, but wouldn't it be nice to be wrong.

 

I thought ammonite initially for the first photo. You can just make out the outer most part of one. Then it struck me as being a prawn . Also the fourth photo appears to show a fossilised beetle.

Generally speaking it's all just dead plants and creatures caught up in sedimentary rock. If you are unsure you could just call it unknown fossilised species for arguments sake.

 

Good idea - thanks!

 

Could it be just pareidolia? Looks like one of the rocks you split open to see what's inside. (I don't know the word to desribe those)

 

Are you thinking of geodes? I'm sure this is not a geode.

 

Agree, that's why I didn't propose plant life first. Something segmented & coiled? Or segmented & circular? Looks concave to me on one side & convex on the opposite. Not sure it's all one structure going through. A bit of reading told me not all ammonites made a flat coil.

Oh, & not a trilobite. Now we really are at the end of my fossil vocabulary.

 

I was absolutley sure Purdue was going to beat Fairleigh Dickenson tonight also - Never say "Never".

 

I don't think they have a specific name. Sometimes you just find a rock with a sedimentary seam in them and split it.

 

Could it be an opened "Septarian Nodule" ? I find these every now and then at the Vermilion River..........

 

I see some similarity. I will do more research. Thank you!