Search the Community

Hello All, Super Newbie here, trying to immerse myself in fossil ID and learn more about my surrounding area. I found some interesting patterns on some rocks near me and was hoping someone could shed more light on what they could be. What I've read of the area so far tells me that the Oswego sandstone I've been hunting in can have wave patterns and trace fossils, though I've found crinoids and shell imprints before. Here are my unknowns for this area. 1. Interesting Ringed Rock! 2. Would this be considered a hash plate? - Sorry for the blurry quality, some of these pictures didn't transition well from my phone to my PC. 3. I don't think this is a fossil. Any ideas? - just a hardened mineral lump in the sediment? Is that what concretions are? 4. Interesting orange crinoid imprints - is it common for fossils to be rust colored or is this the iron/pyrite I've been reading about in this area? 5. I'm just above the nautiloid-containing formation (whetstone gulf, I believe), is this a trace fossil of a nautiloid? 6. Bryozoan trace? Or nothing? Sorry about the lack of scale on this one, it was about 8cm long end-to-end. 7. Crystals and Fossils living together?? - Mass hysteria! Any information on this strange occurrence would be very interesting to me. This rock was way too heavy to carry back and too hard to split with just my trusty rock hammer. 8. A chance meeting - Whoops! Sorry fella! I'll just replace your roof and be on my way. My salamander ID is just as novice but I'm thinking Northern two-lined salamander? Not a great pic but I didn't want to stress the little one out too much trying for a glamor shot. Thanks for taking the time to read through this! Let me know if there are any formatting issues or other things I should keep in mind for future posts. Any information is greatly appreciated!