TqB Posted January 16, 2020 Share Posted January 16, 2020 Does anyone recognise this? I noticed it when scanning photos of a recently cut and polished piece of Frosterley "Marble" from Weardale, Co. Durham, UK. (upper Mississippian, Pendleian). It shows in section as a rod about 5mm long, with perforations, central ridge and a fine reticulate pattern. My first thought was a Fenestella fragment but it doesn't look regular enough and I can find no mention of the reticulate structure. Also, I've never seen bryozoans in this part of the limestone though they occur at other levels. Now I'm wondering about a dasycladacean alga - some look vaguely similar but all the Carboniferous ones I can find references to look simpler and fuzzier. Scale bar is 1cm, divisions are 1mm Contrast enhanced In context, showing ghostly appearance amongst the corals Tarquin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted January 16, 2020 Share Posted January 16, 2020 1 hour ago, TqB said: My first thought was a Fenestella fragment Mine as well. I don't think the holes would be in the corners as this appears to show though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamalama Posted January 16, 2020 Share Posted January 16, 2020 Kind of looks like the pustulose growth of a Cystiphylloides type coral, but the small cross section is troublesome. I would still vote Coral though. -Dave __________________________________________________ Geologists on the whole are inconsistent drivers. When a roadcut presents itself, they tend to lurch and weave. To them, the roadcut is a portal, a fragment of a regional story, a proscenium arch that leads their imaginations into the earth and through the surrounding terrain. - John McPheeIf I'm going to drive safely, I can't do geology. - John McPheeCheck out my Blog for more fossils I've found: http://viewsofthemahantango.blogspot.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidgy's Dad Posted January 16, 2020 Share Posted January 16, 2020 Coral fragment for me too. Nice piece of 'marble' by the way. very pretty. Life's Good! Tortoise Friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted January 16, 2020 Share Posted January 16, 2020 This area does kind of show the right texture and preservation about where the edge of septa would be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TqB Posted January 16, 2020 Author Share Posted January 16, 2020 5 hours ago, Shamalama said: Kind of looks like the pustulose growth of a Cystiphylloides type coral, but the small cross section is troublesome. I would still vote Coral though. 2 hours ago, Tidgy's Dad said: Coral fragment for me too. Nice piece of 'marble' by the way. very pretty. 1 hour ago, Rockwood said: This area does kind of show the right texture and preservation about where the edge of septa would be. Many thanks for looking, and for your suggestions. I've tried really hard to see it as a coral fragment but it doesn't fit any structures I'm familiar with - I've looked at a lot of material from this bed and this really stands out to me as a different, discrete element. I think the reticulations are an original structure but, even if they aren't, there are still the odd semi-regular holes. Here's a comparison with the area Rockwood pointed out and there is a similarity though it seems less organised: What I had in mind with dasycladacean alga was something like this (actually Triassic specimens). The scale is right though I'm certainly not convinced by this either. I'l try to find more specimens - there's a lot of this stuff I can do more slices of. 2 Tarquin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidgy's Dad Posted January 16, 2020 Share Posted January 16, 2020 Good luck and keep us informed of any progress. Certainly a very interesting piece. 1 Life's Good! Tortoise Friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daves64 Posted January 16, 2020 Share Posted January 16, 2020 I wouldn't mind getting my hands on a slice of that marble "cake"... Accomplishing the impossible means only that the boss will add it to your regular duties. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TqB Posted January 16, 2020 Author Share Posted January 16, 2020 1 hour ago, Tidgy's Dad said: Good luck and keep us informed of any progress. Certainly a very interesting piece. Thanks Adam, I'll get grinding! The corals in the block this was from are somewhat atypical too - 6 species, with the usual Dibunophyllum almost absent - see photo below. 1 hour ago, daves64 said: I wouldn't mind getting my hands on a slice of that marble "cake"... It's tasty stuff! Look up "Frosterley Marble" for more. Here's the whole piece, and another from the same block, photographed submerged with a thin covering of water. (The large ones are Koninckophyllum, not the more common Dibunophyllum.) I'll put it in my Carboniferous corals thread soon. 2 Tarquin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polyfenestella Posted March 27, 2020 Share Posted March 27, 2020 Hi Tarquin, just thought I’d better start looking at this forum ! The specimen in question is the cystoporate bryozoan Fistulipora incrustans as per the top left hand of this photo. The larger round autooecial apertures are separated by box like vesicles. The colonies can take the form of thin overlapping sheets encrusting corals, crinoids etc.. to large foliaceous colonies. speak soon, Adrian. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted March 27, 2020 Share Posted March 27, 2020 Anyone else get the feeling this newbie isn't really such a newb at all ? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polyfenestella Posted March 27, 2020 Share Posted March 27, 2020 Hi, yes you are right. Registered here circa three years ago and then went for a walkabout. Will dip in and out to offer any scraps of knowledge I have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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