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Honeycomb pattern patches - New Photos


Paleome

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Here are images of the 6 honeycomb pattern patches found in my Wheeler Formation collection.

 

First image: 1 mm long

Second image: 1mm long

Third image: 1.5 mm long

One image missing - couldn't get to focus.

Fourth and  Fifth images: 2.5 mm long.  These are facing images of each other - original fossilized and impression -  same specimen.

 

I tried my very best, but images are still a little fuzzy, despite higher magnification.

15984967782522016748624.jpg  1598497350145-90337668.jpg

159849756533085668888.jpg  159849756533085668888.jpg

15984982190951715254742.jpg  15984983571041677595668.jpg

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I shall try lower magnification, and you can zoom in. Maybe not a whole lot better.  Definitely need a better camera.  All specimens can be focused to crystal clarity when looked at under the stereoscope without tablet camera.

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Try shooting a picture using a hand lens in front of the tablet camera lens; it works with my iPhone. You can also try this technique without the microscope.
 

Did you send a photo to a bryozoan expert that I recommended?

My goal is to leave no stone or fossil unturned.   

See my Arizona Paleontology Guide    link  The best single resource for Arizona paleontology anywhere.       

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I just got my last shipment of lenses delivered this evening.  Tomorrow will be devoted to contacting Dr. Paul Taylor and trying to get better photos directly through my tablet, without going through the Fossil Forum.  If I can't do any better, I shall send Dr. Taylor to look at this new post on TFF.  Then, we can decide what to do next.  Don't worry, I shall provide you with the details, PM.

 

These specimens are so small, but I shall try your suggestion anyway.  I do have some hand lenses and a couple of hand microscopes.  If I can get the tablet adapter to attach to these, then GREAT!  Otherwise, I 

shall have to try to hold everything with both hands, and I suffer from tremors in both. 

Edited by Paleome
Clarity
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Perhaps they are inarticulate brachiopod fragments?

 

Dictyonina pannula mail?url=http%3A%2F%2Fmail.yimg.com%2Fok%2Fu%2Fassets%2Fimg%2Femoticons%2Femo71.gif&t=1598506810&ymreqid=23281213-8dc1-3cff-1c1d-2f0003010800&sig=_wO7_zNDhvRLCJMOyu.BUg--~D

 

"The genus is a typical paterinid in its external form and is characterized by having a delicate microornament of honeycomblike depressions bounded by narrow raised ridges."

 

image.thumb.png.2b791a384e6c58cbece5aba3f05d0833.png

 

figures & text from:

 

"The surface ornamentation of this species is as highly ornamental as that of any Cambrian brachiopod. It appears to be formed of a very fine network of oblique raised lines which divide it up into minute diamond-shaped pore-like pits, a surface which resembles, under a strong lens, the texture of finely woven cloth."

 

Walcott, C.D. 1912

Cambrian Brachiopoda. Monograph of the United States Geological Survey, 51(1):1-872 [text]    51(2):1-363 [plates]

 

 

another ornate paterinid brachiopod: Micromitra burgessensis (1.5 mm length)

image.thumb.png.4077978c800f55e4a6506f5ffd7d6514.png

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image.png.a84de26dad44fb03836a743755df237c.png

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chart from:

 

Robison, R.A., Babcock, L.E., Gunther, V.G. 2015
Exceptional Cambrian Fossils from Utah: A Window Into the Age of Trilobites.

Utah Geological Survey Miscellaneous Publication, 15-1:1-97

 

image.thumb.png.ba2162773377d978ac213e19d6187a8f.png

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image.png.a84de26dad44fb03836a743755df237c.png

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All fascinating possibilities.  Thank you all for your inputs.  I considered paleodictyon, but the examples I read about were pretty large, not microscopic.  Anyway, I shall look into these suggestions.

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The problem I'm having with the brachiopod is that it seems to have a clear and regular pattern that enlarges toward the outer edge of the shell. The fossils in question are more irregular and it doesn't look like the cells change size from one side to the other (maybe from the center out in pic7?)

Are there any bryozoans known from the Wheeler?

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No, they are all known to start in the Ordovician.  I have just contacted a bryozoan expert in the United Kingdom for his opinion.  Could be something new and unstudied

before!  Waiting for his reply and a possible game plan!

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Ok, I just received a reply from Dr. Paul Taylor of the Natural History Museum in London, England.  He feels it is unlikely that my fossils represent bryozoa.  As we already know, there is nothing to compare it to, as bryozoa are unknown from the Cambrian.  '...the size

of individual modules (within each patch) is smaller than what would be expected for a bryozoan, 0.2 -0.8 mm in diameter.  '...patterning (of my specimens) is more regular than is usual for a bryozoan.'

 

He really likes Piranha's suggestion (thank you, Piranha) that it might be the 'ornament on brachiopod shells, or (some) arthropod cuticle ornament.'

 

With all this wonderful input from you all, I feel we are much closer to the solution, and I am strongly leaning toward Micromita burgessensis as a brachiopod, or part of another arthropod.  Does anyone have any additional ideas, such as an arthropod from that time possessing a honeycomb pattern on its shell?

Edited by Paleome
Misspelling, paraphrase of a quote.
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I would label it cf. Dictyonina as that is the ornate paterinid brachiopod genus reported from the Wheeler Shale.

 

Micromitra burgessensis is from the Burgess Shale (shown only for comparison as a similar ornate brachiopod).

image.png.a84de26dad44fb03836a743755df237c.png

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Another story started in the Ordivician ( Receptaculitidea), but I think it's not the case with your specimen.

 

 

" We are not separate and independent entities, but like links in a chain, and we could not by any means be what we are without those who went before us and showed us the way. "

Thomas Mann

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Yes, I agree Receptaculites or Fisherites resemble these, but again, from the Ordovician. 

 

Yes, Piranha, it would need to be Dictyonina.

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On 8/28/2020 at 1:40 PM, piranha said:

I would label it cf. Dictyonina as that is the ornate paterinid brachiopod genus reported from the Wheeler Shale.

 

Micromitra burgessensis is from the Burgess Shale (shown only for comparison as a similar ornate brachiopod).

Yes, it would need to be Dictyonina.  Thank you again.

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I'm not saying it's the answer, but Micromitra modesta is found in the Wheeler Fm. 

Life's Good!

Tortoise Friend.

MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png.a47e14d65deb3f8b242019b3a81d8160-1.png.60b8b8c07f6fa194511f8b7cfb7cc190.png

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Oh, interesting to know.  I need to look at that. I am not doubting you, but I cannot find any references to that effect.  Can you show me where to look?  

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10 minutes ago, Tidgy's Dad said:

I'm not saying it's the answer, but Micromitra modesta is found in the Wheeler Fm. 

 

 

Did you seriously think I failed to consider that possibility? mail?url=http%3A%2F%2Fmail.yimg.com%2Fok%2Fu%2Fassets%2Fimg%2Femoticons%2Femo12.gif&t=1598735442&ymreqid=23281213-8dc1-3cff-1cd0-9c000301de00&sig=rgJEQtXd5eYP3nTNHKXLNg--~D Micromitra modesta does not have the honeycomb ornamentation.

 

image.thumb.png.7201ffaa8d588f2532e327f5ce5c19e5.png

figures from:

 

Robison, R.A., Babcock, L.E., Gunther, V.G. 2015
Exceptional Cambrian Fossils from Utah: A Window Into the Age of Trilobites.

Utah Geological Survey Miscellaneous Publication, 15-1:1-97

  • I found this Informative 1

image.png.a84de26dad44fb03836a743755df237c.png

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1 minute ago, Paleome said:

Thanks, Piranha.  But Micromitra modesta bears no resemblance to my fossils.

 

 

I know ... didn't I just say that? :zzzzscratchchin:

image.png.a84de26dad44fb03836a743755df237c.png

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1 hour ago, piranha said:

 

 

Did you seriously think I failed to consider that possibility? mail?url=http%3A%2F%2Fmail.yimg.com%2Fok%2Fu%2Fassets%2Fimg%2Femoticons%2Femo12.gif&t=1598735442&ymreqid=23281213-8dc1-3cff-1cd0-9c000301de00&sig=rgJEQtXd5eYP3nTNHKXLNg--~D Micromitra modesta does not have the honeycomb ornamentation.

Did you seriously think that I thought that you had failed to consider the possibility?  mail?url=http%3A%2F%2Fmail.yimg.com%2Fok%2Fu%2Fassets%2Fimg%2Femoticons%2Femo12.gif&t=1598735442&ymreqid=23281213-8dc1-3cff-1cd0-9c000301de00&sig=rgJEQtXd5eYP3nTNHKXLNg--~D

No, just pointing out that a species can be found there. 

And tis very nice.

I did point out I wasn't saying it was the answer. 

Life's Good!

Tortoise Friend.

MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png.a47e14d65deb3f8b242019b3a81d8160-1.png.60b8b8c07f6fa194511f8b7cfb7cc190.png

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3 minutes ago, piranha said:

 

 

I know ... didn't I just say that? :zzzzscratchchin:

Yes, but you said that just as I was composing my message to that effect.  Just  a matter of timing...

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  • 10 months later...

Time to bring this thread back to life after nearly a year as thanks to my good friend Debra, I now have possession of one of the mystery items above; the one that has both postive and negative halves. 

So here are a few extra piccies, but I just can't get a decent photo of one of the halves 

Dictyonina.thumb.jpg.62f94ea7e54f00fa269e911894e91e85.jpg

The actual 'shell' fragments are 1.7 mm long at the maximum.

Here's the other half that shows a bit more detail, but i can't do better than these photos, I'm afraid ;

Dictyonina1.thumb.jpg.ccf027a4276c18759676cab8f4c12526.jpg

It does seem to show sort of concentric curves of pits, but also lumps or tubercles. 

Dictyonina4.jpg.0c7ad638da7e43e5f760b2e52fb396de.jpg

So I gave it a once over with wifey's toothbrush and photographed it at a slight angle :

 Dictyonina5.thumb.jpg.7aef2784ae7e8b2090157f691ea24e11.jpg

After a little scrub with Tidgy's beakbrush :

Dictyonina6.thumb.jpg.a8a1d1a8f456680dd1685e4720ffd6b6.jpg

It looks almost like it would be hexagonal if complete, or that could just be a coincidence of where breakage has occurred, but there does seem to be a raised 'hub' in the centre of the piece with slight lumps or raised lines radiating outwards.

 

Life's Good!

Tortoise Friend.

MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png.a47e14d65deb3f8b242019b3a81d8160-1.png.60b8b8c07f6fa194511f8b7cfb7cc190.png

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Hello All!

 

I finally got a digital microscope and a laptop for it, so now I have quality photos I can share with all of you from the Wheeler Formation.  Since we are already on the subject here, I shall show you my improved photos of the hexagonal structure patches.  Unfortunately, I sent the positive and negative of the same specimen to Adam before I had my new photographic setup, so I don't have any improved photos of those particular specimens.  

 

Here are the rest.  I still contend the microstructures within are closer to looking hexagonal , rather than squarish as would be seen in the typical crosshatching pattern seen in Dictyonina pannula.  As you may notice, there are duplicates of each specimen.

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