Bonehunter Posted February 23, 2021 Share Posted February 23, 2021 I put this on the microfossil forum as well, but wanted to give a look-see to this intriguing fossil! In my search for conodonts in Pennsylvanian stark shale (between Winterset and Bethany falls limestone) I routinely find concretions/nodules-most are powdery but sometimes i find teeth and other microfossils. Well much to my surprise, upon splitting my thousanth shale, I found a 1cm nodule, and within it, this apparent micro sea urchin-one of two in the nodule. From spine to spine (7:00-1:00) it measures just under 2mm in diameter I am refining my photog techniques with a newly purchased leica M420, phototubes, and a sony A660 camera, which produced this first photo of one of the conodonts. I am intrigued by these tiny urchins (if that is truly what they are! ). Thoughts, comments and any hope of specific i.d. on this or the conodont appreciated!!!!! (and how this wound up in the anoxic shall layer)-wasn't a surface find contaminant, but found upon splitting shale.....so ~300million years? thanks again all!...... Bone 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TqB Posted February 23, 2021 Share Posted February 23, 2021 Possibly a sponge spicule? These are all Carboniferous from the UK. They're various sizes but the rough scale is right - for example, the large one halfway down on the right is x20 on the plate and many are x10, so the diameters are of the order of 2mm. 2 1 Tarquin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonehunter Posted February 23, 2021 Author Share Posted February 23, 2021 YES!!!!!!! I think you are right-on!!- had I seen micro-sponge spicules before maybe I would have i.d., it. Still very cool!- would you say it is most likely dead sponge material floated/sank to the anoxic layer, then fossilized in the shale- there was enough organic debris/difference in composition to fossilize as the "nodule" in the shale? There are a couple of micro-gastropod shells that are as small if not smaller in this nodule as well.. Thanks so much!!.....Still working on getting better pics as well!! Bone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TqB Posted February 23, 2021 Share Posted February 23, 2021 I'm glad you think it fits! It looks like there may be more spicular material in there, broken up and/or disarticulated. I look forward to more photos, it's interesting material. Some sponges can survive in anoxic conditions as long as there's food about - usually filter feeding - so it's hard to say if it's washed in or not. Are you sure they're micro-gastropods? At that size, they might also be forams. 1 Tarquin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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