What is this? Found at Big Brook, NJ (Late Cretaceous)

[Blakey 0]

I recently found this at Big Brook in NJ, USA. I am not sure what this is. The outer layer appears to have a spiral formation towards one end. It's just about 1 inch long (maybe a little less). Thanks for any help!

[Top Trilo 593]

To me it resembles a gastropod shell but as far as an ID on specie or genus I don't know,

[daves64 751]

Coprolite? @GeschWhat might know.

[Fossildude19 14,868]

Looks like a coprolite to me. 

@Carl  @frankh8147

[Top Trilo 593]

After taking a second look, it does look like coprolite, it doesn't have the texture or the sharpness of a shell. My bad

[FossilDAWG 5,860]

More specifically, it might be a shark coprolite as those have a characteristic spiral structure.

 

Don

[Blakey 0]

Thanks for all of the information. The two things that I find odd about this fossil are

1) it has a smooth "scoop" shape on one end (best documented in the first photo).

2) the surface pattern/texture almost resembles wood.  

[Top Trilo 593]

Coprolites come in all shapes and sizes, many things could have happened to it when it was still fresh, maybe a rock fell on the one end creating the flattened scoop.

[frankh8147 700]

Agree with shark coprolite. Some of these specimens are completely crushed.

[abyssunder 5,574]

It looks like a coprolite to me also.

[Trevor 353]

1 hour ago, Blakey said:

Thanks for all of the information. The two things that I find odd about this fossil are

1) it has a smooth "scoop" shape on one end (best documented in the first photo).

2) the surface pattern/texture almost resembles wood.  

 

What you have is a coprolite.

[Blakey 0]

Thanks everyone!

[GeschWhat 2,678]

Sorry I'm late. As the others said, you have a really nice spiral coprolite. The texture you see is a result of the folds within the spiral valve. Those aren't always preserved. I mainly see detail like that in spirals from Morocco. 

 

 

[Carl 1,484]

Arriving late as well. That is simple a superb spiral coprolite! Nice find. And although shark is the most likely producer for the setting it was found in, it could also be from a ray, coelacanth, sawfish, bowfin, sturgeon, lungfish, gar, or chimaeroid - all of these fish have spiral intestines and have been recovered in the Cretaceous of NJ.