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Side by side bryozoa comparison


Ramona

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I am on a mission to determine if I have different types of fossils in the bottom of our creek bed than I do in the rocks in our yard.  This is the first rock I have photographed and I saw a bryozoan fossil I didn't recognize! At least I think it is bryozoan... I have learned not to make assumptions... I recognize the fossils on the right of the photo as fenestellate bryozoans. The portion on the left is what I am not sure about - the honeycomb like part. It has some of the characteristics that I am used to finding in the fenestellate bryozoan fossil rocks, but it also reminds me of the trepostome bryozoan, since it has the appearance of being encrusted.  I also read about Monticulipora bryozoa and lamellar cyclostome but I don't have the depth of knowledge to know the difference.  And then there is coral?  Honeycomb coral?  Seems like this is too small?  The small rock on top was part of the rock at first but it fell off when I was cleaning it. with a toothbrush and water.  

 

Also, as a bonus question - I get those, right?!! - what might the two types of lines on the side of the rock be?  There is one type that is a single dashed line but the other one  is a pair of dashed gray lines that separate and then come back together.  There are quite a few of each of these on the rock - I can provide better photos if needed for identification. 

 

For those who have not been bored by my bryozoan posts yet, LOL, this rock was found in Huntsville, AL.  

 

Thanks!!
Ramona

 

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Looks bryozoanal to me. In fact, these might be two different species of bryozoan overlaying each other. As for the odd segmented lines, I want to say crinoid, although the segments don't seem to line up perfectly.

...How to Philosophize with a Hammer

 

 

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I agree that the left specimen looks like an encrusting bryozoan. To me the lines appear to be cross sections of bryozoans. Do they seem to follow any clear lines of bedding?

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1 hour ago, Thomas.Dodson said:

Do they seem to follow any clear lines of bedding?

I suspect this is more of a bryozoan debris deposit than successive colonizations. They do look like bryozoan sections of both type.

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