Ja_lieb Posted November 29, 2020 Share Posted November 29, 2020 Hello all: Attached is a picture of what I believe is a fossilized skull that I found sitting in the grass on top of the soil in Fort Greene Park, located in Brooklyn, New York City (in the area known of Brooklyn known as Fort Greene). The fossil is approximately 1 and 1/2 inches long. I struggled to decide which photos to add. What you cannot see in the attached photos is the other side of the fossil, which preserved quite distinctly nasal cavities. I'm a lawyer, and I do not have any background in paleontology, though I did take geology 101 in college, and I've since never stopped searching for cool rocks. This, I think, ranks as one of the coolest. It looks more reptilian to me from the front, but from the other side, which you cant see in the picture, and is essentially the inside of the skull, it sort of resembles a bird. I do understand birds evolved from reptiles/ dinosaurs. This fossil strikes me as belonging to something in between. Please help me ID this fossil. Your time and expertise are greatly appreciated. Thank you! Regards, Jordan Lieber. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted November 29, 2020 Share Posted November 29, 2020 Welcome to the Forum. You can add more photos via the reply button below. Unfortunately, this is not a skull, of any type. It looks like a piece of chert, to me. Definitely geologic rather than biologic in nature. Keep looking, though. 3 Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 __________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ja_lieb Posted November 30, 2020 Author Share Posted November 30, 2020 Fossildude, perhaps you are correct, I appreciate your time and expertise. But, when i examine this specimen closely, I cannot but help believe you are incorrect. Attached is a picture of the other side of the specimen. It looks to have navel cavities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ja_lieb Posted November 30, 2020 Author Share Posted November 30, 2020 Here is another view. I feel like I can see where neck connects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thelivingdead531 Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 Welcome to the forum! I’m sorry to say that I believe fossildude19 is correct. It looks like chert to me as well. There is no bone texture or symmetry that would be apparent on a skull. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrehistoricWonders Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 Yeah, sorry, but it looks to be geologic in origin. It would be more symmetrical if it were a skull. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffrey P Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 Sorry that isn't a skull. The geology of Fort Greene- for that matter all of Brooklyn is wrong for fossil material though I have heard of fossil material very occasionally washing up onto the beach at Coney Island. There are however a few good fossil collecting sites nearby in New Jersey that are worth exploring. PM if you would like more information about those. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 I agree 100% with the others. What you have there is a rock whose outward appearance give the impression that it might be a deformed skull. It's a cool looking rock, but that's all it is. We do have a background in paleontology and geology here, so we know what we're talking about. 1 Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 40 minutes ago, Ja_lieb said: It looks to have navel cavities Since when does a skull have navel cavities? 2 Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randyw Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 I’m sorry but it is just a stone. There’s no bone material here at all. Here is an example of a skull I’m currently working on. Notice the bone structure? The symmetry of the piece? The difference between the bone and the matrix it is buried in? These are some of what you need to be looking for. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 No bone texture, no trace of bilateral symmetry, and no actual skull morphology, lead me to the fact that this isn't a skull, unfortunately. Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 __________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ja_lieb Posted November 30, 2020 Author Share Posted November 30, 2020 ok. I accept the weight of authority. You all seem to be unanimous. I appreciate your time and expertise. It is great that you were at least willing to entertain me. Thank you! Regards, Jordan 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FranzBernhard Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 I am even not sure this is a rock. The various impressions seem unnatural to me. Maybe some kind of hardened putty etc? Franz Bernhard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ja_lieb Posted November 30, 2020 Author Share Posted November 30, 2020 Advanced member, It does almost seem to have come from a impression or mold but if you were holding this specimen in your hands you could tell that it was neither. There seem to me to be clear impressions. Both the eye shape and the circular impression, along with the shape of the neck, and the shape of the back of what looks like a head. The whole shape of the specimen just screams 'im a head'. But I could just be seeing what I want to see. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidgy's Dad Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 Much better photos. That's a chert nodule or I'm a budgie's cousin. 3 Life's Good! Tortoise Friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FranzBernhard Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 Good pics now, indeed. Now I am also in the chert nodule camp! 41 minutes ago, Ja_lieb said: But I could just be seeing what I want to see. There are some similar specimens posted recently, for example: Please especially note the comment of @digit. Franz Bernhard 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LabRatKing Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 Nothing here but a very nice chert nodule. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ja_lieb Posted November 30, 2020 Author Share Posted November 30, 2020 Franz, Lab, all others: I appreciate your thoughtful replies. This would hardly be the first time and certainly will not be the last time I see something that isn't there. This rock is so smooth with such straight lines and/or neat curves! Of course, I accept your conclusion. A very nice chert nodule indeed! Thank you all very much. It's awesome when experts are willing to share their time and knowledge. My field, law, is quite different sadly. Hope to be back someday. Cheers, Jordan 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FranzBernhard Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 2 hours ago, Ja_lieb said: It's awesome when experts are willing to share their time and knowledge. Thank you! That´s the way of TFF! Franz Bernhard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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