Triceratops Horn? Marine Invertebrate? Petrified Wood?

[TXFossilGirl]

Hello! Purchased this piece at a Gem and Mineral show. Seller had the item listed as an unknown dinosaur bone, and potentially thought part of a ceratops horn and acquired in Utah. Bottom looks almost suture like? Honestly, not sure. Got at a good price so it was worth the risk. About 5 inches tall, 3 inches wide, 2 inches thickness. Probably weighs 1-2lbs.  Has been glued. 

[LordTrilobite]

Doesn't look like Ceratopsian horn to me at all. Too smooth.

It looks more like a tusk fragment, maybe from some type of mammoth or mastodon?

[Rockwood]

Schreger lines ?

[Fossildude19]

Welcome to the Forum.  

 

Some clear, well lit photos of the edges would be helpful.  

[TXFossilGirl]

33 minutes ago, Fossildude19 said:

Welcome to the Forum.  

 

Some clear, well lit photos of the edges would be helpful.  

Will do!! Thank you! 

[Rockwood]

I think the end may show the trunk structure of a tree fern (sporophyte) that is composed of leaf bases embedded in adventitious roots surrounding the stele.

[TXFossilGirl]

4 hours ago, Fossildude19 said:

Welcome to the Forum.  

 

Some clear, well lit photos of the edges would be helpful.  

Hope these are helpful! Please let me know if you would like any additional angles. Thank you so much!

[Fossildude19]

Thanks for the additional pictures. 

I am not seeing anything like Schreger lines, so I will go with Rockwood, and join the plant camp.

[Rockwood]

1 hour ago, TXFossilGirl said:

Please let me know if you would like any additional angles.

Another look at the top right photo of the original post might help.

[TXFossilGirl]

4 hours ago, Rockwood said:

Another look at the top right photo of the original post might help.

Are these any help?

[Rockwood]

6 hours ago, TXFossilGirl said:

Are these any help?

Yes, and, no.

@paleoflor @Plantguy  Help!

[paleoflor]

While I don't know what else it could be, since others seem to have ruled out horn or tusk, this specimen does not scream wood to me. Or, al least, it definitely is not like any petrified wood from Utah that I'm familiar with. The outer surface is way too smooth (no knots or gnarls) for Ironwood-type petrifications, which otherwise come closest... Regarding observations and ID characteristics: Can you observe a tracheid microstructure on the end face?

[Shamalama]

@TXFossilGirl  Are you using a cell phone to take these pictures or a digital camera? What is the closest, clearest shot you can get of the side exterior of the specimen where the lines are seen? Upload as large a picture as you can (up to 3mb) so we can zoom into it and maybe see more detail.

 

Just throwing out some brainstorming ideas:

 

- It's cone shaped, has linear striations on the side, and possible suture pattern on the wide end. It kinda makes me think cephalopod of some sort, though I've not see something that big before.

 

- Some Calamites root casts from the Carboniferous look like that but they would have more segments shown along the length of the specimen.

 

- What about a partial tooth, not a tusk, from a Pachyderm? But then there doesn't appear to be enamel present.

[TXFossilGirl]

3 hours ago, Shamalama said:

@TXFossilGirl  Are you using a cell phone to take these pictures or a digital camera? What is the closest, clearest shot you can get of the side exterior of the specimen where the lines are seen? Upload as large a picture as you can (up to 3mb) so we can zoom into it and maybe see more detail.

 

Just throwing out some brainstorming ideas:

 

- It's cone shaped, has linear striations on the side, and possible suture pattern on the wide end. It kinda makes me think cephalopod of some sort, though I've not see something that big before.

 

- Some Calamites root casts from the Carboniferous look like that but they would have more segments shown along the length of the specimen.

 

- What about a partial tooth, not a tusk, from a Pachyderm? But then there doesn't appear to be enamel present.

Hi! Yes I’m using a cell phone. It’s hard with the size limit but hopefully this is clearer! I really appreciate everyone’s time and insight on this mystery. 

[TXFossilGirl]

4 hours ago, paleoflor said:

While I don't know what else it could be, since others seem to have ruled out horn or tusk, this specimen does not scream wood to me. Or, al least, it definitely is not like any petrified wood from Utah that I'm familiar with. The outer surface is way too smooth (no knots or gnarls) for Ironwood-type petrifications, which otherwise come closest... Regarding observations and ID characteristics: Can you observe a tracheid microstructure on the end face?

Thanks for taking a look! Is this something I could see with the naked eye? Pardon the amateur! ☺️

[westcoast]

In the very first picture on the left, on the bottom left at the base there is a small piece that looks like lepidodendron, can you get a closer image of that?

[Rockwood]

This might be a good time to visit a museum or fossil club. The mystery seems quite solvable in the right hands.

[TXFossilGirl]

13 minutes ago, Rockwood said:

This might be a good time to visit a museum or fossil club. The mystery seems quite solvable in the right hands.

I will do that! Thank you so much for the help! 

[Shamalama]

On 11/25/2019 at 11:39 AM, TXFossilGirl said:

Hi! Yes I’m using a cell phone. It’s hard with the size limit but hopefully this is clearer! I really appreciate everyone’s time and insight on this mystery. 

 

Thanks for posting that image. I'm still stumped though....  Definitely take it to a museum and see what they think.

[paleoflor]

On 25-11-2019 at 5:41 PM, TXFossilGirl said:

Thanks for taking a look! Is this something I could see with the naked eye? Pardon the amateur! ☺️

Sorry for the jargon. With tracheid microstructure I meant the wood cell structure. Tracheids are the axially elongated cells making up the bulk of most woods. In the cross section they should be round to polygonal in shape. You might be able to observe them with a hand lens.

 

See for example: http://www.treedictionary.com/DICT2003/HTMLFILES/gymnosperms-2.html

[Plantguy]

Yep, that's an interesting piece! Does externally have both some tusk/plant characteristics as the others have already said. That irregularly/worn and sculpted end needs to be closely looked at as Tim asked...seems the cross section holds the key. Unfortunately the current photos just dont capture that internal structure. 

Intriguing!

 

Regards, Chris