warbeard_Actual Posted November 2, 2020 Share Posted November 2, 2020 Hello! First of all, I am not a geologist. This isn't my field of work. I am hoping somebody here can help me with this! Today I drove a few miles southeast of St George UT and into AZ. This place is amazing. Fossils everywhere. Just incredible stuff. Was out looking for crystals and whatnot... And unearthed these... Looking to what it is, a guess maybe on how old, and HOPEFULLY an explanation of what the small "hair looking" matter is. It looks like a root, and hair, I actually have no idea but this thing was entirely underground and inside this chunk of material that came apart. So whatever it was, it's been there for a while. So cool! Added a quick snapshot of the Gaia app. Coordinates for the area 36.948968,-113.471321 Any help would be much appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted November 2, 2020 Share Posted November 2, 2020 22 minutes ago, warbeard_Actual said: HOPEFULLY an explanation of what the small "hair looking" matter is. Lichen is my first guess. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted November 2, 2020 Share Posted November 2, 2020 I would surmise that the "hair" is plant material. The mineral appears to be botryoidal calcite. The rock itself looks almost like a tuffite or similar formation. Is it lightweight? 3 Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pemphix Posted November 2, 2020 Share Posted November 2, 2020 4 minutes ago, Ludwigia said: I would surmise that the "hair" is plant material. The mineral appears to be botryoidal calcite. No fossil. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warbeard_Actual Posted November 2, 2020 Author Share Posted November 2, 2020 5 minutes ago, Ludwigia said: I would surmise that the "hair" is plant material. The mineral appears to be botryoidal calcite. The rock itself looks almost like a tuffite or similar formation. Is it lightweight? Intermixed with much heavier crystals, no. But yes the almost "bubbly" looking parts are pretty lightweight and extremely fragile! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted November 2, 2020 Share Posted November 2, 2020 For comparison. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warbeard_Actual Posted November 2, 2020 Author Share Posted November 2, 2020 1 minute ago, Rockwood said: For comparison. So it may be this type of plant is what you're saying. This is really fascinating stuff to me. In another life I'd have been a geologist. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted November 2, 2020 Share Posted November 2, 2020 1 minute ago, warbeard_Actual said: So it may be this type of plant is what you're saying. So long as you don't read fossil into it. I think it is likely only "preserved" in the sense that they are quite tolerant of extreme environments. Plant roots can have a similar appearance. A closer (microscopic) study may be needed to be certain. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mahnmut Posted November 2, 2020 Share Posted November 2, 2020 Hello, Are there any hot springs close to where you found this? Calcite (or aragonite?) may form around anything including plant matter relatively quickly in hot springs. the dark streaks visible where the specimen below is fractured are plant matter for sure (at least they are still combustible, I tried) The fiber or root in your picture looks as if it grew after the formation of the crystals though, as it is not enclosed in them. Best regards, J 2 Try to learn something about everything and everything about something Thomas Henry Huxley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warbeard_Actual Posted November 2, 2020 Author Share Posted November 2, 2020 3 hours ago, Mahnmut said: Hello, Are there any hot springs close to where you found this? Calcite (or aragonite?) may form around anything including plant matter relatively quickly in hot springs. the dark streaks visible where the specimen below is fractured are plant matter for sure (at least they are still combustible, I tried) The fiber or root in your picture looks as if it grew after the formation of the crystals though, as it is not enclosed in them. Best regards, J There aren't hot springs nearby. The other side of the piece has a lot of crystal. Both are pretty abundant on the piece, you just can't see that. This particular piece I did excavate. And that piece of black "plant looking" material was between more crystal and calcite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted November 2, 2020 Share Posted November 2, 2020 9 minutes ago, warbeard_Actual said: There aren't hot springs nearby. The other side of the piece has a lot of crystal. Both are pretty abundant on the piece, you just can't see that. This particular piece I did excavate. And that piece of black "plant looking" material was between more crystal and calcite. Sounds like you have essentially a fragment of an aquifer. They filter out things like plant parts. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LabRatKing Posted November 2, 2020 Share Posted November 2, 2020 I see a truly magnificent calcite/gypsum/etc. type specimen. As for the hairy bit, that's just a bit of extant root. A lot of desert plants will go deep and the geologic conditions are good for geologically short-termpreservation, but I see no fossil. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warbeard_Actual Posted November 2, 2020 Author Share Posted November 2, 2020 1 hour ago, LabRatKing said: I see a truly magnificent calcite/gypsum/etc. type specimen. As for the hairy bit, that's just a bit of extant root. A lot of desert plants will go deep and the geologic conditions are good for geologically short-termpreservation, but I see no fossil. I thought so too! Our earth is truly amazing. What can you guys tell me about these ones? Found at a rim/shelf just outside of the grand canyon NP. They look like shells of some sort, much more robust material, and very old it seems. The next time we go we're going to return them and look for others to borrow for a bit 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plax Posted November 2, 2020 Share Posted November 2, 2020 carboniferous brachiopod? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LabRatKing Posted November 2, 2020 Share Posted November 2, 2020 57 minutes ago, warbeard_Actual said: I thought so too! Our earth is truly amazing. What can you guys tell me about these ones? Found at a rim/shelf just outside of the grand canyon NP. They look like shells of some sort, much more robust material, and very old it seems. The next time we go we're going to return them and look for others to borrow for a bit I see some excellent brachiopods. I have some similar from other spots around the US. Admittedly, I am awful at brach IDs. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted November 2, 2020 Share Posted November 2, 2020 @Tidgy's Dad Might know. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidgy's Dad Posted November 2, 2020 Share Posted November 2, 2020 It's a spiny productid from the Carboniferous or Permian, by the look of it. I wouldn't like to chance guessing which genus. Jolly nice, though! 2 Life's Good! Tortoise Friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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