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Hello, I recently collected a stromatoporoid fossil from Mortimer Forest in Shropshire, UK. I've since bought some general ID guides to help me with my other fossils, and in the one I'm currently using (Atlas of Invertebrate Macrofossils by John F. Murray) all of the stromatoporoid photos look to be thin sections under a microscope. I've also found a couple sources online that say stromatoporoids are identified using thin slices under a microscope. Unfortunately I don't have access to a high-powered microscope nor equipment/knowledge to produce those thin slices, and so my question is can my ID be taken further than stromatoporoid? I have a x15 hand lens but that is of course nowhere near a microscope. I think by using the general order descriptions in the Atlas I could try, but I'm not sure... Thank you
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I am fortunate enough to have such a huge amount of Middle Devonian Givetian material that I thought it best to put the older Middle Devonian stage, the Eifelian, in its own thread. There are some spectacular fossils here as well though! I thought a good place to start would be in the Formosa Reef, which I believe is quite early Eifelian. This tabulate coral and stromatoporoid reef continues similar complexes found from the Middle Silurian, see my: https://www.thefossilforum.com/topic/84678-adams-silurian/page/3/ thread from page three onwards for details. All these Formosa Reef specimens come from a delightful gift from my good friend @Monica who is a tad busy with life at the moment but is fine and still thinking of the forum. This outcrop can be found on Route 12 near Formosa/Amherstburg, Bruce County, Ontario, Canada. This beautiful-looking specimen came to me with only a third of it revealed but I managed to get it this far after nine days of painful pin prepping. Monica found another one and posted it for ID here: https://www.thefossilforum.com/topic/105528-weird-circular-imprints-formosa-reef-lower-devonian/#comment-1172285 The specimen was identified by another Canny Canadian @Kane to be the little stromatoporoid sponge Syringostroma cylindricum. Hardly a reef-builder, but gorgeous nonetheless. It does have a little thickness to it, but not much. Beautiful! Pretty thin, actually. I love this Monica, thank you!
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I have assembled quite the collection of stromatoporoid fossils in the last year and a half since I began this hobby. They are my 'main focus' for now, together with brachiopods and corals to a lesser extent (especially Gypidulid Brachiopods). I have been reading scientific papers on stromatoporoids for a few days because I hope to get a full understanding of them. The articles were mainly by Stephen Kershaw and collaborators and by the late Colin Stearn who have both produced some great stromatoporoid literature. I am currently reading https://journals.ku.edu/treatiseonline/article/view/4088/3855 (Internal morphology of the Paleozoic Stromatoporoidea by Stearn 2015) in order to identify my fossils. I have found it a good tool but I'm having a hard time distinguishing between pillars and pachysteles and between laminae and pachystromes. I understand pachysteles and pachystromes are thicker and more robust versions of their counterparts, but the problem is that the figures provided in the paper don't have a scale (only magnification is mentioned) and it subsequently becomes very hard to distinguish. I have also not found any other clear illustrations of the difference on the internet. Here's a useful table by Stearn for determining the type of stromatoporoid: cyst plates and pillars (Labechiida) laminae and pillars (Clathrodictyida, Stromatoporellida) pillars and colliculi (Actinostromatida) pachysteles and pachystromes in an amalgamate structure (Stromatoporida, Syringostromatida) My questions are: Does anyone know a useful way to determine genus/family other than what I'm doing? Is there any particular way to distinguish pachystromes and pachysteles from laminae and pillars other than looking at their robustness? If anyone has some interesting literature about this, please tell me about it. I have provided close-up pictures of an example specimen below (I have dozens more, so I'm able to provide them if necessary). Is anyone able to say if it is composed of laminae and pillars, pachystromes and pachsteles or any combination thereof (maybe also cyst plates)? Also, I assume all my specimens are the same genus because: They were all found at the same locality in the same formation (Middle to Upper Hanonet fm.) Stromatoporoid assemblages typically have low species diversity, having one genus more abundant than others ( as stated in Kerschaw 1990; Da Silva, Kershaw, Boulvain 2011) I will look at every specimen before assigning it a genus/species though, just to be sure. There's also a question I have about why there are less stromatoporoid fossils in units 1 and 2 of Hanonet fm relative to the later units (at least in my experience). They are more abundant where there are argillaceous limestones than where there are calcareous shales. I know stromatoporoids preferred to grow on carbonate substrates so it might be because there's simply more carbon in the limestones. Then there's the question of why the shales are followed by limestones, which I think is because of a transgression resulting in the deepening of the sea (as mentioned by others in research). Limestones are more characteristic of deeper areas so that's why I think that. I have read articles about this in the past but I'll have to re-read them to fully understand. Also, if there's anything I got wrong please point it out.
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Central AL Pottsville Formation What are these round, flat cookie shaped things? Stromatoporoids? Mineral concretions? Thanks for looking!
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I drive 8 hours with a friend to a location he remembers from his childhood as yielding a lot. Oh boy it did. 100% worth the drive. Lake Huron, among the agates, pyrite, yooperlite, has some extraordinary Devonian fossils. All fossils were collected from the beach of his family’s property except for the fenestelid bryozoan, which was found at a gas station on the way there. please enjoy this collection of gastropods, petoskey stones, various tabulate corals, crinoids, stromatoporoids, bivalves, Brachiopods, tenteculites, horn corals, an unidentified agatized fossil in jasper matrix, and a pudding stone I felt like showing off too. Thanks! I highly recommend the area.
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Stromatoporids, other sponges, or not a fossil? Thanks!
SilurianSalamander posted a topic in Fossil ID
All collected in gravel and beach rocks from SW Wisconsin. Thanks so much for the help! I love this community:) -
Hey there, me again (since my first ever post had great success)! The photos I am about to show you may depict one or two different animals, found in the Neuville Formation of the Trenton Group (Middle Ordovician). The host rock would be micritic limestone and all pictures were taken in Neuville, 30 km west of Quebec City (Québec Province, Canada). Stratas had a subhorizontal dip, slowly sinking into the Saint Lawrence River. Today, I have 6 pictures showing 6 different specimens. The photos might be showing the same animal, but seen from the top AND the bottom (which are quite different). In my opinion, those are probably encrusting bryozoans. The first three pictures would be the top of the animals, with the individual zooeciums (hundreds of small zooid holes) still preserved; whereas the last three ones would show the bottom. The thing is: I'm not sure and I never asked anyone knowledgeable. My second guess would imply two different animals. The three first pictures would show the top of encrusting bryozoans (or something else?), while the last three ones would be another animal (algae? stromatoliths? sponges?). I'm open to your feelings and diagnosis. Thank you very much!
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Fun weathering forms at a stromatoporoid reef; Silurian, Keyser Formation
SteveE posted a topic in General Fossil Discussion
I visited a well-studied outcrop of the Silurian Keyser Formation in Altoona PA (USA). This is the historic quarry of the Altoona Furnace, right in the town of Altoona PA. Its a big reach for me (a relative noobie) to go through the tech reports and guides and understand it all. But its fun to try. Anyway, on a recent picture only trip, I stopped by one part of the wall with loads of stromatoporoids. I ran into another forum member and her husband a few days earlier up there. And they pointed out some structures on the top of this wall. I may ask a photographer friend to get better pics, but this was the best I could do with my phone from a safe spot. Besides some bioherm or stromatoporoid, what else might these be? The reef write up includes crinoids, bryazoa, various brachiopods etc- 4 replies
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I found this while fossil hunting see my post The day I went fishing for fossils. I'm wondering what it is , it's between 4 and 6 inches I guess, didn't have an rule with me at that time .
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From the album: Lime Creek Devonian Rockford Iowa
Stromatoporoid -
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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I found this a couple of years ago with no resolution or thoughts on what it might be. It is astoundingly close to circular. 6 feet (1.83 meters) in diameter. Dark brown in color but with color variations. Unfortunately, I did not get any close-ups of the orb itself. It seemed fairly indeterminate as to any pattern such as corals might make. The formation it is in is full of crinoids. The brown orb seems to have a radial pattern. Again too dark to get a decent shot while I was there. I am sort of thinking this may be some sort of reef material? Giant stromatoporoid?
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This rock has me puzzled. The sides look like they might be the laminae of a stromatoporoid. The top of the rock though, lacks any trace of mamelons and the wavy lines between them that I typically see on stromatoporoids. Instead the rock is full of Cheerios ;-). So I'm wondering if this is something totally different. Maybe geological? Oddly preserved oolites? But then, what are the layers visible on all the rock's sides? Dimension: 1.5" long. TIA to all! Detail of top: Side:
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I picked up this jasper for its banding. Only later, when checking the rock through my hand lense did I discover what I think are a bunch of little rugose colonial corallites at the top and bottom of this rock. If these are indeed corals, all but one lack most detail in the center. If septa are faintly visible, they look differently preserved than on any of my other coral specimens. Mostly it's just circle after circle here, and areas full of "pores". Now that I'm looking at them on my larger screen, the "pores" themselves seem to be corallites - microscopic ones. The black dots are in the center of honeycomb like shapes. I'm confused now, are these the fossilized remains of one or two type of corals, or maybe a colonial coral and a bryozoan? Sorry about the bad quality and distortion of the pictures taken through a microscope lens on my phone. Please help me ID these tiny hurricane look-alikes. As always, thanks in advance. Here a couple of them in various states of preservation. Lots of them have a vug where the center of the corallite would be. Here the circles look like growth rings and in some areas the "pores" are clearly visible. #1: This one is the only one with detail in the center. Septa? #2: a vug at the center seems all that's left here. #3: Just pores in the center, and in between the circles, maybe the faintest lines that could have been septa? #4: Area in between corals, with faintly visible honeycomb shapes: Detail of the above: Another area in between, looking somewhat different again:
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Hi, I spent part of the evening cutting and hand-polishing one of the Devonian stromatoporoids I found this summer and thought I'd share the results. First, a complete specimen (top and bottom of mound): Here is a cut and hand-polished face (multiple grits of sandpaper followed by polish): Here is a view through the microscope. You can see the pillar structure in the layers:
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Greetings from Central PA. I'm a total noob when it comes to fossil prep. Today I have a flattish piece, about 10" across and 1" thick. It from a large outcrop of wavy laminations that I believe are from a Keyser Formation stromatoporoid. It's pretty weathered and too hard to tell if pillars are present. So I'd like to try to grind/polish one edge. I have a good collection of metal and woodworking sanders and grinders available but nothing specifically designed for rocks. So my QUESTION IS.... is there a reasonable way to grind/polish the edge of this sample to look for stromatoporoid pillars? I'm just guessing that false negatives are common doing this sort of thing. so I thought I'd seek expert advice before I just make up some hatchet job only to get iffy results. Thanks
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The fossil I am posting today does not contain calcium. I does contain agate and my question is could it be a fossil stromatoporoid or stromatolite or something else?
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Together with these two coral colonies http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/96001-corals-10-11-from-the-campanian-st-bartholomä-formation-styria-austria-gosau-group-eastern-alps/ I "discovered" also this specimen during my last visit at point 25, east of Kalchberg, in St. Bartholomä. "Discovered"? - I have found this specimen about a year ago, but did not take it with me - "It´s just a mineral". As I have not found much during my last visit, so I took it with me this time... After cleaning, I saw a somewhat faint wavy lamination - "Ah, some kind of calcite deposit"... Inspection with a hand lens revealed a tiny mesh or sieve structure in some parts - "Oh, that´s interesting"... Now I asked my local fossil expert. After some pondering he said: "This looks like a stromatopora from the nearby Devonian Plabutsch-Formation!" A quick look at his voluminous library revealed, that there indeed exist Cretaceous stromatoporoids, with nice names like Actinostromaria (compare with Paleozoic Actinostroma). I don´t think, this is an Actinostromaria, but we are rather sure, that it is a Cretaceous stromatoporoid. What do you think? Thank you very much for your opinion! PS, I found also this interesting diagram, from Wood & Reitner (1988). See also: http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/94175-fossil-ball-campanian-st-bartholomä-formation-gosau-group-eastern-alps/ Franz Bernhard
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These fossil stromatoporoids came from the Traverse formation, Potter formation, Bell Shale, and antrim/dundee formation locations near the north eastern tip of the Mitt in Michigan USA.
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New to the Forum! Just a rookie looking for some help. This fossil was found just outside of Defiance, Ohio 70 yrs ago. The rock was found on the surface of a farm field, in an area not plowed. Rock is approx 8 inches in length, with its entire surface uniformly covered in bumps. Under magnification, very small crustacean type organisms can be seen embedded in the rock. At first, I thought it may be a stromatoporoid, but bumps on surface may not have enough of a conical shape....? Looking for advice on where in N.W. Ohio this could be taken for ID, if needed.
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I found this along the Fox River in Elgin, IL. At first I thought it was a stromatoporoid fossil (I find them everywhere in this area), but upon closer inspection I couldn't see anything that looked like pillars or laminae. Someone suggested chaetetid sponge, or a stromatoporoid that was distorted by silicification. I can't find any photos that look like my spec. except dino bone and we don't have those in northern Illinois. Is it a natural formation, crazy looking oolites? I'm totally stumped! More pics
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From the album: Ord. Red algae and stromatoporoid
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From the album: Ord. Red algae and stromatoporoid
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