Working on my own id's. Is this a Hyolith, Gastropod, Rugose Coral or something else?

[turtlefoot]

Once again, I am studying and working on my own identifications.  I am just needing someone to either confirm or correct me on this one.  My first guess when I saw it was it was a gastropod of some sort, but after researching and looking at images online, my guess is that it is an internal cast of a hyolith.  It was found in northwest Howell County, Missouri, USA.  The fossil in question measures approximately 16mm and the host rock measures 80mm across.  The widest point across of the cavity where the fossil in question lies is 8mm.  Once again, I am truly appreciative of any help that you are willing to give me.

 

Doug

[doushantuo]

Morphologically speaking ,this could be a hyolith protoconch.

Doug,this is not an ID,BTW

Might also possibly be a helen( a hyolith part),come to think of it

Or a tentaculitid(dacryoconarid)

[turtlefoot]

57 minutes ago, doushantuo said:

Morphologically speaking ,this could be a hyolith protoconch.

Doug,this is not an ID,BTW

Might also possibly be a helen( a hyolith part),come to think of it

Or a tentaculitid(dacryoconarid)

You gave me a new one to look up.  I was not familiar with dacryoconarid.  I really appreciate your information.  I have so much to learn on even the most common fossils.

[Rockwood]

I have some of these in my collection. I call them V in U fossils. The time I posted examples got no definitive answer, but I suspect they are rugose corals with a very robust theca. I have seen potential septa in poorly preserved examples, but never anything conclusive.

[turtlefoot]

1 hour ago, Rockwood said:

I have some of these in my collection. I call them V in U fossils. The time I posted examples got no definitive answer, but I suspect they are rugose corals with a very robust theca. I have seen potential septa in poorly preserved examples, but never anything conclusive.

I can see it being rugose coral.  That is my second most common find where I am hunting, behind snail looking gastropods.  I find many cross sections in the hash style rocks. 

[Rockwood]

The coarse nature of the matrix would fit the relatively high energy environment of a coral that lives in a fort like house. 

[Shamalama]

I'm going to suggest a small Cephalopod with the cone shape being the living chamber. 

[turtlefoot]

8 hours ago, Rockwood said:

The coarse nature of the matrix would fit the relatively high energy environment of a coral that lives in a fort like house. 

I have said before, I am new to this.  Is there any good resources online or that I can pick up at my library that would give a good description of the environment that these animals lived in?  I spend over a decade identifying herps in my area that had not been identified in my county.  I learned the habitats that different animals lived in.  For instance, I would not go to a moist/wet area to look for a Collared Lizard, but I would search out dry glades.  I would love to get a better understanding of the environment that the invertebrates lived in that I am finding the fossils of (other than shallow inland sea).

 

 

4 hours ago, Shamalama said:

I'm going to suggest a small Cephalopod with the cone shape being the living chamber. 

Cephalopod would be my favorite id.  I have a LOT of partials, but no complete or nearly complete examples.  I truly hope that this will end up being the id concensus.

[grandpa]

1 hour ago, turtlefoot said:

Is there any good resources online or that I can pick up at my library that would give a good description of the environment that these animals lived in?

Why yes, yes there is.  The Echology of Fossils ed. by W.S. McKerrow.

 

[Rockwood]

1 hour ago, turtlefoot said:

I would love to get a better understanding of the environment that the invertebrates lived in that I am finding the fossils of (other than shallow inland sea).

As important, or perhaps more when studying fossils, is how they got to where you find them. It's known as taphonomy.

I can make it through the conceptual part, but when they get to the mathematics and formulas I drift off into distraction I'm afraid. 

[westcoast]

2 hours ago, grandpa said:

Why yes, yes there is.  The Echology of Fossils ed. by W.S. McKerrow.

 

He was a character.