Any one know what this is?

[oyo]

1 hour ago, grg1109 said:

No mess...I assumed it was a Bryozoan as well.   Also, I added this topic to 2 other forums.   Although I got many answers...the concensous was Bryozoan.  The first photo below shows a closer veiw of what you circled(hope it helps as I do not know).  The other two are of the slab...just look at the amount and diverse species of Bryozoa.  The last photo is approx. 1" to 1 1/2" in dia.

Thank You for your help...it is appreciated.

Greg

 

Perhaps they already told you in one of those other forums, but to provide another way of seeing this: septa with pores of some Favositidae.

 

Edited May 16, 2021 by oyo

[grg1109]

1 hour ago, oyo said:

septa with pores of some Favositidae.

No, hasn't been discussed except for Rockwood here.  I thought they were mostly all Bryozoans.  These do look like what Rockwood is talking about as well as other within the plate.  

Thank You

Greg

[grg1109]

Perhaps someone can explain in simple terms...what the description of "Moss Like Animal" means.  I know it's a common descriptor of Bryozoan...but, those words together doesn't make sense sense to me, I can't wrap my brain around that term.

Greg

Edited May 16, 2021 by grg1109

[Rockwood]

Moss are bryophytes. The size and arrangement is similar.

[grg1109]

I want to Thank You Rockwood and everyone else for your help, time and patience, I really appreciate it.

Greg

Edited May 17, 2021 by grg1109

[grg1109]

On 5/16/2021 at 3:06 AM, TqB said:

Great photos - it's definitely not a coral anyway. I agree with @grg1109 that the tubes look too long and straight to be bryozoan and I can't see it being any part of a crinoid.

 

I think sponge is looking good, maybe a hexactinellid root mass (often called Hyalostelia though that is actually just one well defined genus that has this sort of structure).

Not sure if @Spongy Joe is around on here at the moment?

Do you happen to have some kind of diagram/photo of this?

Thanks

Greg

[grg1109]

I finally found some photos and diagrams...some from this site.  First photo from this site...second from a paper online...photos A and B.

Thanks

Greg

 

[Spongy Joe]

On 5/16/2021 at 8:06 AM, TqB said:

I think sponge is looking good, maybe a hexactinellid root mass (often called Hyalostelia though that is actually just one well defined genus that has this sort of structure).

Not sure if @Spongy Joe is around on here at the moment?

Sadly I'm not around... but just stumbled on this at random! From what I can see, the fibrous thing is indeed most likely a sponge root tuft. Depending on the preservation, you could get a positive result by putting a drop of acid on it: if it's sponge, they should be siliceous, and therefore not react. If it does fizz, though, it's still unclear - it may have been secondarily calcified.

[grg1109]

45 minutes ago, Spongy Joe said:

you could get a positive result by putting a drop of acid on it: if it's sponge, they should be siliceous, and therefore not react

It did not react...however other fossils near it did.

Thanks

Greg

Edited May 23, 2021 by grg1109

[Spongy Joe]

On 5/23/2021 at 2:40 PM, grg1109 said:

It did not react...however other fossils near it did.

Thanks

Greg

Ain't it nice when an experiment actually gives a sensible answer? Glad my paper helped as well - that plate is from one of the first sponge papers I did, back as a young post-doc... scary.

[grg1109]

Yes, it does...Thank You!!  I still get grief on it's id...I understand because it sort of does look like a bryazon.  Now this "root mass" would be attached to the substrate?  Like a plant has a "root ball"?  Would you happen to have access to an illustration of what the whole sponge would look like?

Greg
 

Edited May 26, 2021 by grg1109

[Spongy Joe]

9 hours ago, grg1109 said:

Yes, it does...Thank You!!  I still get grief on it's id...I understand because it sort of does look like a bryazon.  Now this "root mass" would be attached to the substrate?  Like a plant has a "root ball"?  Would you happen to have access to an illustration of what the whole sponge would look like?

Greg
 

Here's an example: https://inaturalist.ca/taxa/459686-Hyalonema

Many of these root tufts are embedded entirely in the sea floor, but in some deep-water taxa like Hyalonema it acts as a stalk, raising the sponge above the sediment to reach areas of higher water flow speed (and hence more food). As a by-product, the stalk supports all sorts of life that needs a firm surface to attach to, or make use of it to also reach into the higher flow speeds (like the brittle star). Entire ecosystems revolve around these sponge populations.