The Jersey Devil Posted January 26, 2020 Share Posted January 26, 2020 Hello everyone, I got a question about the ID of this coral. I brought it to Ralph Johnson and he said that it is either a coral or belemnite, but when I was consolidating it, I realized that it is porous, which is very much like a coral and unlike a belemnite. The specimen consists of two pieces and is about 5/8” long. Has anyone seen a coral like this? @non-remanié @Plax @Al Dente @MarcoSr @siteseer @frankh8147 Thanks, Joseph “You must take your opponent into a deep dark forest where 2+2=5, and the path leading out is only wide enough for one.” ― Mikhail Tal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted January 26, 2020 Share Posted January 26, 2020 Looks more like a bryozoan, to me. 1 Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 __________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted January 26, 2020 Share Posted January 26, 2020 13 minutes ago, The Jersey Devil said: Has anyone seen a coral like this? Coral, no, bryozoan, maybe. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Jersey Devil Posted January 26, 2020 Author Share Posted January 26, 2020 30 minutes ago, Fossildude19 said: Looks more like a bryozoan, to me. 30 minutes ago, Rockwood said: Coral, no, bryozoan, maybe. Hmm. Haven’t considered bryozoan for this one. Still don’t know how to distinguish the two. “You must take your opponent into a deep dark forest where 2+2=5, and the path leading out is only wide enough for one.” ― Mikhail Tal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thecosmilia Trichitoma Posted January 26, 2020 Share Posted January 26, 2020 It could be a Belemnite that was encrusted with bryozoans when it died. It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt -Mark Twain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted January 26, 2020 Share Posted January 26, 2020 10 minutes ago, Thecosmilia Trichitoma said: It could be a Belemnite that was encrusted with bryozoans when it died. That would reconcile the shape with the external appearance, but you would need to define the boundary between the two in cross section. And that I don't see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Jersey Devil Posted January 26, 2020 Author Share Posted January 26, 2020 Yeah, the whole thing is composed of bryozoan, no encrustment “You must take your opponent into a deep dark forest where 2+2=5, and the path leading out is only wide enough for one.” ― Mikhail Tal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted January 26, 2020 Share Posted January 26, 2020 I see quartz grains around it, are there grains inside too? If so, I would say it is some type of concretion and not a fossil. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Jersey Devil Posted January 26, 2020 Author Share Posted January 26, 2020 26 minutes ago, Al Dente said: I see quartz grains around it, are there grains inside too? If so, I would say it is some type of concretion and not a fossil. There are no grains inside. It seems like the specimen is inside of a concretion. “You must take your opponent into a deep dark forest where 2+2=5, and the path leading out is only wide enough for one.” ― Mikhail Tal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siteseer Posted January 26, 2020 Share Posted January 26, 2020 I don't know what that is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plax Posted January 27, 2020 Share Posted January 27, 2020 I am in the belemnite camp. It could be my imagination but it looks like there's radial symmetry in cross section. I've seen rotten belemnites like this in the orange sand layer at or near the top of some sections at Big Brook. Sometimes they are just holes in the rock and other times a bit of the structure is represented. At a spot in Gloucester County the missing belemnite is replaced with vivianite. If it's sand through and through none of the above applies. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted January 27, 2020 Share Posted January 27, 2020 Rotten belemnites sounds like a viable missing link to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Jersey Devil Posted January 27, 2020 Author Share Posted January 27, 2020 Yeah it has radial symmetry I should’ve mentioned that. But don’t bryozoans have that symmetry as well? 3 hours ago, Plax said: If it's sand through and through none of the above applies. What do you mean by that? “You must take your opponent into a deep dark forest where 2+2=5, and the path leading out is only wide enough for one.” ― Mikhail Tal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted January 27, 2020 Share Posted January 27, 2020 22 hours ago, The Jersey Devil said: It seems like the specimen is inside of a concretion. I'm thinking the concretion may be in the specimen. Sometimes the key is to find something like it but not as far gone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plax Posted January 27, 2020 Share Posted January 27, 2020 39 minutes ago, The Jersey Devil said: Yeah it has radial symmetry I should’ve mentioned that. But don’t bryozoans have that symmetry as well? What do you mean by that? If it has radial symmetry it isn't just sand filled which is what I meant by "through and through". If you look at the broken end of a belemnite you'll see radial symmetry. Imagine that sorta fibrous crystalline structure partially dissolved away and then leached and weathered within rust colored sand. The sand would still cling to the belemnite and indeed sand in the Mount Laurel/Navesink makes a mold for a belemnite when it is completely leached away. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peto Lithos Posted January 27, 2020 Share Posted January 27, 2020 Could it be some form of bog iron? It looks almost as though it is made of iron oxide rather than a calcite belemnite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Jersey Devil Posted January 27, 2020 Author Share Posted January 27, 2020 44 minutes ago, Plax said: If it has radial symmetry it isn't just sand filled which is what I meant by "through and through". If you look at the broken end of a belemnite you'll see radial symmetry. Imagine that sorta fibrous crystalline structure partially dissolved away and then leached and weathered within rust colored sand. The sand would still cling to the belemnite and indeed sand in the Mount Laurel/Navesink makes a mold for a belemnite when it is completely leached away. Interesting. So you’re saying it’s kind of a belemnite “steinkern”? “You must take your opponent into a deep dark forest where 2+2=5, and the path leading out is only wide enough for one.” ― Mikhail Tal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted January 27, 2020 Share Posted January 27, 2020 I think hybrid body/mold fossil would describe it better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HansTheLoser Posted February 3, 2020 Share Posted February 3, 2020 Larger view would help greatly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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