Are these bite marks?

[Yess]

Hi, I came across this rock on the beach in Eastern Canada. I was wondering if anyone else finds it interesting. The marks on it resemble bite marks and I cannot let it go until someone helps me figure out what it is. Thanks!  It's approximately 12 cm long. 

[Strepsodus]

Unfortunately I think this is just a rock.

[digit]

Likely, what you are seeing is a worn cobble where a crack was once filled in with a different mineral. Whatever that mineral was, it appears to have been softer than the surrounding material and it has eroded away leaving this empty seam. Over time, the rock would likely have broken in two along this plane and both halves would have continued to be worn down and smoothed.

 

It's an interesting rock and I can see what led you to pick it up. There seems to be nothing biological going on here--only geological processes. But, if you squint just right, you can imagine two whitish eyes above a jagged smile worthy of a good Jack-o-Lantern. Though it is not a fossil, if you like interesting rocks this may be one for your collection.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[Plax]

I'd give it a light wack to see what's inside. either mineral (most likely) or fossil.

[fossilnut]

@digitYou have a goolish sense of humor or I've just been cooped-up for tooooo long! Looks to me that it is shedding a tear over being taken away from its friends? But it is a fun rock. Yess I would have picked it up.

[daves64]

Looks like something out of A Nightmare Before Christmas. 

[GeschWhat]

3 hours ago, daves64 said:

Looks like something out of A Nightmare Before Christmas. 

Exactly!!!

[pjullien]

 "But, if you squint just right, you can imagine two whitish eyes above a jagged smile worthy of a good Jack-o-Lantern."   I see it digit!!

[Mark Kmiecik]

On 6/30/2020 at 8:43 AM, Plax said:

I'd give it a light wack to see what's inside. either mineral (most likely) or fossil.

I concur. I would definitely want to see what is in there.

[Yess]

On 6/30/2020 at 10:20 AM, Strepsodus said:

Unfortunately I think this is just a rock.

Yes, it is unfortunate. Thanks!

[Yess]

On 6/30/2020 at 10:41 AM, digit said:

Likely, what you are seeing is a worn cobble where a crack was once filled in with a different mineral. Whatever that mineral was, it appears to have been softer than the surrounding material and it has eroded away leaving this empty seam. Over time, the rock would likely have broken in two along this plane and both halves would have continued to be worn down and smoothed.

 

It's an interesting rock and I can see what led you to pick it up. There seems to be nothing biological going on here--only geological processes. But, if you squint just right, you can imagine two whitish eyes above a jagged smile worthy of a good Jack-o-Lantern. Though it is not a fossil, if you like interesting rocks this may be one for your collection.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

Wow, thanks for the detailed reply! This makes sense, I can now let this go. Yeah I had noticed Jack Skellington's face there, probably why I used this picture hehe. Oh well I guess I'll just keep it to inspire the imagination. Thanks again!

[Yess]

On 6/30/2020 at 10:43 AM, Plax said:

I'd give it a light wack to see what's inside. either mineral (most likely) or fossil.

It's actually broken on the other side, this is how it looks on the bottom.

[digit]

10 hours ago, Yess said:

Oh well I guess I'll just keep it to inspire the imagination.

Nothing wrong with that. I think all fossil hunters have not-fossils in their collections--interesting rocks that they've found while hunting.

 

10 hours ago, Yess said:

It's actually broken on the other side, this is how it looks on the bottom.

Looks very cherty (high silica content--glassy texture). These silica based minerals tend to be very hard and resistant to where or dissolution (though not breakage as you can plainly see). It is possible that this harder material had a vein that was less resistant to erosion and that's what formed Jack's crooked smile.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken