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UK flint microfossil


IsaacTheFossilMan

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This is a sponge(?) microfossil in a fragment of a flint nodule. The flint has been quarried from the south of the British coast, which is mainly Cretaceous strata. It looks slightly like it's an imprint, but, upon further inspection, it is a broken off membrane. Currently (and slightly embarrassingly) I have only whittled it down to Echinodermata... I know, I know, spare me your applause, while my PhD's waiting! More sincerely, if anyone could shed some brighter light upon this, I'd be very grateful! 

P1310580-1.JPG

~ Isaac; www.isaactfm.com 

 

"Don't move! He can't see us if we don't move!" - Alan Grant

 

Come to the spring that is The Fossil Forum, where the stream of warmth and knowledge never runs dry.

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@TqB 

 

Maybe the imprint of a sponge?

I know sponges are commonly found encased in flint. 

Cropped and enlarged:

 

P1310580-1.thumb.JPG.cf0f54ef6d57657388858491d6fdb36d.jpeg

    Tim    VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

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@TqB As I said in the original post, it seems like an imprint, but it's just a fragment of the outer membrane of the Echinoderm.

~ Isaac; www.isaactfm.com 

 

"Don't move! He can't see us if we don't move!" - Alan Grant

 

Come to the spring that is The Fossil Forum, where the stream of warmth and knowledge never runs dry.

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11 hours ago, Tidgy's Dad said:

Echinoderm, I agree. 

Starfish? 

Interesting, I will look into Asteroidea, although, I am very sceptical about this, Starfish have a lot of soft tissue to be preserved like this, and the circles being smaller on the outside suggests a more spherical shape.

Edited by JimTheFossilMan
...

~ Isaac; www.isaactfm.com 

 

"Don't move! He can't see us if we don't move!" - Alan Grant

 

Come to the spring that is The Fossil Forum, where the stream of warmth and knowledge never runs dry.

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I think it's an external mould of part of an echinoid interambulacral plate, showing secondary tubercles.

Phalacrocidaris is a possible candidate if the scale matches up, especially as its upper interambulacral plates lack a primary tubercle.

Photo from:https://www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/data/echinoid-directory/taxa/taxon.jsp?id=1110

 

601a7fda8de3b_Screenshot2021-02-03at10_39_21.thumb.png.154cd4940908bb153ba7ad15b0d51456.png

 

Look especially at the tubercles upper left, and translate this to one of the plates without a primary tubercle

601a814651eab_Screenshot2021-02-03at10_55_46.thumb.png.bb15156985284c0c0b1c72262140788a.png

 

 

 

Edited by TqB
  • I found this Informative 7

Tarquin

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1 hour ago, TqB said:

I think it's an external mould of part of an echinoid interambulacral plate, showing secondary tubercles.

Phalacrocidaris is a possible candidate if the scale matches up, especially as its upper interambulacral plates lack a primary tubercle.

Photo from:https://www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/data/echinoid-directory/taxa/taxon.jsp?id=1110

 

Look especially at the tubercles upper left, and translate this to one of the plates without a primary tubercle

601a814651eab_Screenshot2021-02-03at10_55_46.thumb.png.bb15156985284c0c0b1c72262140788a.png

 

 

 

Interesting... So you think we're seeing the bottom of the tubercles? Also, I think the scale fits, thanks for your input!

~ Isaac; www.isaactfm.com 

 

"Don't move! He can't see us if we don't move!" - Alan Grant

 

Come to the spring that is The Fossil Forum, where the stream of warmth and knowledge never runs dry.

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17 minutes ago, JimTheFossilMan said:

Interesting... So you think we're seeing the bottom of the tubercles? Also, I think the scale fits, thanks for your input!

Yes, you're seeing the impressions they've made in the flint after the actual shell has dissolved. The mould preservation and geometry is more obvious with large primary tubercles as in this cidarid (Temnocidaris?), a fairly common find.

 

601a97e948c4a_Screenshot2021-02-03at12_30_25.thumb.png.34174f2ee2c51e4b37fe5d4030ba7671.png

Edited by TqB
Changed Tylocidaris? to Temnocidaris?
  • I found this Informative 2

Tarquin

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Just now, TqB said:

Yes, you're seeing the impressions they've made in the flint after the actual shell has dissolved. The mould preservation is more obvious with large primary tubercles as in this cidarid (Tylocidaris?), a fairly common find.

 

601a97e948c4a_Screenshot2021-02-03at12_30_25.thumb.png.34174f2ee2c51e4b37fe5d4030ba7671.png

Thank you, this has been very informative!

~ Isaac; www.isaactfm.com 

 

"Don't move! He can't see us if we don't move!" - Alan Grant

 

Come to the spring that is The Fossil Forum, where the stream of warmth and knowledge never runs dry.

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