Eastern TN thalassinoides (fossil burrows)?

[esmiller]

Attached are photos of a fossil rock my son found in the eastern TN mountains in May 2017. We had stopped near the top of amountain in the Clinch Mountain range and this was sitting in small wash pile on the side of the road (it had recently rained; I had been told by a UTK Paleobiology professor that the mountains around Bean Station and road cuts along highway 25E in that area might yield Ordovician fossils, as many would weather out and could be found lying on the ground). I believe that these are mostly trace fossils - fossil burrows or thalassinoides, along with some corals and brachiopods, but I can’t seem to find much information about marine trace fossils in that area, other than this is the Benholt Formation, and the spot has a lot of echinoderms and brachiopods. I believe that this would date from late Devonian or early Mississippian periods, but this is merely a guess, based on the few small fossil shell impressions in the rock. Any thoughts or insights are appreciated, thanks!
Betsy

[Kane]

I'm seeing what appear to be zooecia in the bottom left of the second image. Could these be bryozoan rather than Thalassinoides?

[Fossildude19]

These look more like branching bryozoans, to me.  

[piranha]

They are branching bryozoans ... the tiny zooecia are the key feature for ID.

[piranha]

The Three Amigos! 

[Kane]

We were all just seconds apart on this unanimous ID!  

[Fossildude19]

  

[FossilDAWG]

Late to the bryozoan party .

 

Don

[abyssunder]

Maybe you have an agglomerated bioturbation sediment there. Take a look how it could be: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Trace-fossils-from-the-lower-Seis-Siusi-Member-a-Lower-bedding-plane-surface-showing_fig2_232260812

[esmiller]

Thank you to everyone for your expertise - It seems clear that these are branching bryozoans given the zooecia, and knowing that fossils from this particular area are primarily Ordovician!

Appreciate your help!

 

Betsy