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Hello wonderful fossil-people! If you and you're gang enjoy solving a groovy mystery, I have a post for you! This rock was found in an area of Northern Arizona that is very well know for producing lots and lots of bryozoan, brachiopod, and crinoid fossils, as well as crystals and geodes. The bit of rock in question was found in the side of what appears to be a broken geode. There is a triangular fragment of stone that does not match the material surrounding it. There is also a white discoloration encompassing the triangle that I've highlighted in green on one of the photos below. The colors in the 3rd photo are a little more true to what it looks like in real life. The geode is kind of a pink-ish color and the triangle "fossil" is a dark brown/reddish color. Given the abundance of marine fossils found in the same location, I wonder if this is also fossil. It just seems so out of place in this rock. I have oodles of bryozoan, brachiopod, & crinoids that I've found in the same location and I can share pictures of these, if it somehow helps So what do you think, fossil or random bit of stone? If it is a fossil give me your best guess as to what it might be... or even give me your worst guess. I'm not picky lol.
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While removing an unknown sponge by acid dissolution from the Permian Fort Apache Member of the Schnebly Hill Formation from northern Gila County in Arizona I found several silicified brachiopods with spines. Several Bellaclathrus spinosus brachiopods were present ranging from 0.75 to 1.5 inch across and had spines as long as 1 inch. The pedicle valve of the brachiopod in the first and second photos is about 1 inch wide not including spines. This is the finest specimen with spines that I have found. The third photo shows the brachiopod attached to several others of the same species. Fourth and fifth photos are from Winters 1963 reference below. Taxonomy per Fossilworks: http://fossilworks.org/bridge.pl?a=taxonInfo&taxon_no=27149 Winters, Stephen S. 1963. Supai Formation (Permian) of eastern Arizona. Geological Society of America Memoir 89:1-99.
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This silicified lacustrine Miocene stromatolite is a trace fossil made by a gram-negative photosynthetic blue-green bacteria. The originally limestone stromatolite was formed as a bacterial mat trapped sediment and precipitated limestone as it grew from the lake floor towards the sun. It shows classic convex layering towards the top. The stromatolites occur in tuffaceous and lime rich lake sediments that might be part of the Chalk Canyon Formation that is bounded on the bottom by basaltic lava and volcanic rich conglomerate and sandstone on the top. Locally numerous silicified casts and molds of reed like plants, their roots, and palm wood occur in the lacustrine sediments. Since the area is under possible scientific investigation I will not give a more specific locality. The Arizona Museum of Natural History has fossils from the site per my showing them the site. The taxonomy is very unsettled as is the author of Cyanobacteria. Taxonomy per International Registry of Marine and Nonmarine Genera: https://www.irmng.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=110 See also: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10750-014-1971-9 “The cyanobacteria are named under Botanical and Bacteriological Codes, and the usage of both systems at the same time causes considerable confusion as the rules of the Botanical Code are quite different from those of the Bacteriological one.” Photo 1: detail of photo 2. Photo 2: 9” wide polished cross section cut and polished courtesy of Stan Celestian. Photo 3: 6” wide polished cross section of another side. Photo 4: top of colony. Photo 5: bottom of colony. Fossil Cyanobacteria & stromatolite overview: https://ucmp.berkeley.edu/bacteria/cyanofr.html Interesting paper that suggest Cyanobacteria created calcified structures because of interactions with viruses: White, R. A., 3rd, Visscher, P. T., & Burns, B. P. (2021). Between a Rock and a Soft Place: The Role of Viruses in Lithification of Modern Microbial Mats. Trends in microbiology, 29(3), 204–213. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tim.2020.06.004 https://newsroom.unsw.edu.au/news/science-tech/stromatolites-–-fossils-earliest-life-earth-–-may-owe-existence-viruses
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Several days ago I ventured to a Devonian desert locality near Superior, Arizona. I found the largest fossilized coral colony that I have ever found: 2 ft across. A giant Iowaphyllum nisbeti coral was covered over it’s entire length with several inches of a stromatoporoid sponge. I should have taken a photo, but it was not very photogenic; it looked like a white ledge in cross section. First photo is a piece of light colored Iowaphyllum nisbeti coral covered with a medium gray calcitic stromatoporoid coral that is about 8 inches across. The top of the coral is pointed up. The second photo shows a detail of the stromatoporoid with horizontal layers and faint vertical pillars Nearby I found a partly silicified stromatoporoid 5 inches across that may be the same as the one mentioned above. This is probably the best hand sample of a stromatoporoid that I have found since the vertical pillars are so prominent. Only about 20% of the pillars are easily visible. Pillars differentiate stromatoporoid sponges from stromatolites which show only horizontal (to the growing direction) layers. See up close section of the stromatoporoid in the last photo. See an Iowaphyllum nisbeti in Collections: http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/collections-database/cnidarians/corals/iowaphyllum-nisbeti-oliver-1978-r1966/
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Hey guys! I’m going to be in Arizona for a few months and need to get my fossil hunting itch scratched! I’ll be viewing the petrified forest (and not taking anything of course), but I wanted to know where I could go to find some fossils. I will be getting a permit. As someone who hunts heavily in Florida I can’t wait to see the difference in Fauna and age in Arizona! let me know what you all recommend.
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This dolomite stone was discovered near Chasm Creek, central Arizona. It appears to have the fossilized impressions of raindrops splashing into a fine muddy surface. The stone seems to be dolomitic, as HCl causes a low fizz, unlike typical limestone's more energetic fizzing. Most of the "splashes" have the central "rebound" splash seen in my high-speed imagery of water droplets. That central rebound appears to have been broken off over time. Does my assumption that this is a somehow frozen-in-time rain shower make sense?
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Three of my family members found this footprint in Lake Powell, Arizona last October 2020. They differ in what they say the size is from 4 to 12 inches, but my husband is probably the most reliable measurer and saying 12 inches. They looked for more quickly but did not see any. The photo of scenery has a person in a white shirt in the upper central middle in the shadows it was right there or right below there where they found it. A university professor has said it is prehistoric. I did minor searching for clues and the only thing I have so far is it may be a therapod (dilophosaurus?) from the Kayenta formation. If we had to take someone to the exact location that is possible. Thank you for any input....
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It appears that the Tucson fossil show will happen, but greatly reduced, with a scheduled start on April 8th. The Governor in Arizona also just dropped all Covid 9 restrictions but I'm not sure Tucson's mayor supports or will follow that call. From what I can see its not the best year to come to the show with lots of venues canceled and many dealers will be a no show. What to expect: Big changes were already expected this year with the Arizona Mineral and Fossil Show moving from the Tucson City Center Hotel (TCC) to the El Conquistador Golf and Tennis Resort 10 miles away. However this show has been canceled and I'm not sure if any of those dealers will go back to the Tucson City Center Hotel for this year. Despite the move of the Arizona Show the TCC will have a show (The Big Gem Show) with about 60 dealers but only few fossil dealers on the dealer listing. The Black Hill Institute will not be at this venue and has permanently moved to the Marketplace venue but it appears they will be a no show this year among many others https://www.thebiggemshow.com/floorplan The 22nd Street Show will continue as normal but it continues to see an exodus of fossil dealers to other venues. Parking remains a mess https://22ndstreet.show/ The Days Inn show with the bulk of fossil dealers has not posted a dealer listing and looks like a cancellation. They have many international dealers. The Marketplace place show has been canceled but a couple of fossil dealers will be present. https://mfmshow.com/ Not sure about the other venues or if the Moroccan tent venues will be around. https://jogsshow.com/tucson-gem-show-schedule/ All of this is subject to change and it's a wait and see approach to see who actually shows up.
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Hi, this was found in a dry wash in Phoenix, AZ. It was pretty dirty and dusty before I cleaned it off. It has an odd shape, it’s angled and curved. Don’t have any other info really. It feels how I would imagine a dinosaur skin would be though... or maybe dragon.
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Second picture is what appears to be a tridactyl track. First picture might be also. According to the paleontologist there is discussion of the possibility of dinosaurs being around in this time period.
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This is a Late Devonian sponge collected from the Percha Formation found at the type locality on Brandenburg Mountain in Pinal County, Arizona. This sponge, has the largest complete head reported. Although mostly covered in calcareous sediments and maybe caliche it has the best preserved spicules of the species that I have seen; better than the photos in the Rigby reference below. First photo is a close up of the star shaped spicules that average 1 mm across. Second photo is of the top of sponge that is 70-75 mm across. First published in: Rigby, J Keith; Dietmar Schumacher; and Sally J. Meader. 1979. The genus Ensiferites, a Devonian astraeosponge of North America. Journal of Paleontology 53(2):475-493. Meader, Sally J. 1976. PALEOECOLOGY OF THE UPPER DEVONIAN PERCHA FORMATION OF SOUTH-CENTRAL ARIZONA. Master’s Thesis, DEPARTMENT OF GEOSCIENCES, UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA, Tucson, Arizona. https://repository.arizona.edu/bitstream/handle/10150/566637/AZU_TD_BOX292_E9791_1976_329.pdf?sequence=1 Geological map: https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/Prodesc/proddesc_1977.htm
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A friend cut a polished a silicified lacustrine Miocene stromatolite from central Arizona that I found. Thanks Stan C. It is about 8 inches in maximum length. Two faces were cut that show the upward convex growth. I am currently looking for a researcher to help write a paper about these and the other plant fossils that occur in the area. A piece that was cut from the same colony as this piece is being donated to the Pinal Geology Museum in Coolidge, AZ. https://pinal geology museum.org Another Arizona museum wants one. I am seeing if other local institutes want one. Top of colony. Bottom. Side. Side. Detail.
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Hello, fossil friends! I'm a first-time poster to the forum. I've had this little fellow for several years now. I found it hanging out among the gravel decorating an apartment complex in the southwestern United States; Tucson, Arizona, to be specific. I cannot explain why it was there, unless it was somehow ignored as a rock, or discarded by someone who no longer wanted it, but all the same, I was aware of the general shape of an ammonite, and brought it home with me because, well, its spiral was pretty! There are several dry rivers about the area, but I know next to nothing about where these little guys might be found. I can offer that Tucson is well-known for its gem and mineral show, where one can often find such things for sale. It appears to have flecks of turquoise, which is common in the area, among so many other bits and pieces I cannot identify. Otherwise, I have no other information to offer regarding it, so I leave it to some of you vastly experienced individuals! A complete novice, I'm attaching several photographs, and pray you'll find it in your hearts to be kind with me in my quest to find out the genuineness of this neat little buddy. Included in the images are my attempted measurements, as indicated. In advance, I thank you!
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Could use some locals knowledge. I'm in Phoenix and looking at making a run to Quartzsite to look for some trilobites to take home. I was there years ago but can't remember which area the fossil vendors are in? I've been mostly to the area north of the highway that is almost all "odd ball" stuff. Thanks Steve
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Been digging my new area. Finding large area with what seems to be deep mud. Lots of partial, poorly impressed tracks so far. From the exploratory holes I’ve dug the area seems to cover at least an acre so hoping to find some good things.
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This little thingy was in Mississippian Redwall limestone in central Arizona. It was in a section of the Redwall with very few other fossils. It's about 10mm long and 7mm wide. What do you think?
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Found this today. Rock is about 12-14” long. Paleontologist thinks it looks organic but doesn’t know what it is offhand. I’m thinking fossil unicorn, but I could be mistaken. Anyone?
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I found another Ensiferites brandenburgi sponge that is now currently the largest ever found at 7 cm x 7.5 cm across. Part of the top displays lots of 1 mm spicules. Unfortunately the top of the calcareous sponge is mostly covered with caliche and possibly the limestone matrix. Is there any hope to prep this to expose all the spicules on the top? How? This could become a near museum piece thus I don’t want to practice my prepping skills in it. Help @Ptychodus04.
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Started hitting another good load of rocks. Found the one huge chirotherium. Some interesting tracks I can’t identify too.
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I’ve got 186 pieces that all pretty much fit together. I numbered them and took photos to send to a paleontologist who is going to try to photoshop them together. I got the first two together.
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This was found in North Phoenix sandy wash area after rainfall, near another fossil that looked like teeth, but the structure seems to have a star like pattern in the center of the rectangular seam.
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The attached photo is a group of Thamnopora corals found in the Devonian Martin formation - dolomites of central Arizona's Verde Valley. There is also a group of tabulate corals that I suspect are Syringopora sp.. but some collection notes by others don't show this genus, but they do show Aulopora sp. as found in the same location. See the small worm-like cluster near the center of the image. Can any of you confirm which genus is in the image?
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