Philip Tovell Posted June 7, 2021 Share Posted June 7, 2021 Hello, I'm very new to this, so I hope I get things right here. Can anyone help me identify this? I found it in an old bottle-dump near Selkirk in the Scottish Borders that dates back to the 1960s. It's on the broken edge of a stone slab but from what I can see it measures about 5.7 cm across. Is it some kind of shell? If anyone needs more info I'd be happy to give it. Thanks in advance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted June 7, 2021 Share Posted June 7, 2021 I think so. A sectional view. Brachiopod would be my first guess. Bivalve second. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted June 7, 2021 Share Posted June 7, 2021 I think this is mineral rather than fossil. That is my 1 1/2 cents. 2 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted June 7, 2021 Share Posted June 7, 2021 53 minutes ago, jpc said: I think this is mineral rather than fossil. That is my 1 1/2 cents. I could be biased by the walk I took along the south shore of Long Pond Stream the other day. Glacial drift has spread a dense layer of brachiopods along it, and they are often exposed in lateral view as molds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FranzBernhard Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 Welcome to TFF from Austria! Intriguing thing! What is the rock itself? Is it a limestone? Would you like to try if it fizzes with vinegar - please test all dark parts and all bright parts individually. As this rock is slabbed, it seems it has/had some commercial use. Have you seen similar rocks around somewhere in buildings, pavements etc? It can not be excluded that this is a well-known rock in your area. @TqB, @Tidgy's Dad - Thanks! Franz Bernhard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas.Dodson Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 I agree with Jpc. The contours of the supposed sectional view are just too irregular to my eyes; even for a sectional view of a worn internal mold. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Tovell Posted June 12, 2021 Author Share Posted June 12, 2021 On 6/8/2021 at 6:06 AM, FranzBernhard said: Welcome to TFF from Austria! Intriguing thing! What is the rock itself? Is it a limestone? Would you like to try if it fizzes with vinegar - please test all dark parts and all bright parts individually. As this rock is slabbed, it seems it has/had some commercial use. Have you seen similar rocks around somewhere in buildings, pavements etc? It can not be excluded that this is a well-known rock in your area. @TqB, @Tidgy's Dad - Thanks! Franz Bernhard I have no idea what kind of rock it is, I'm afraid. I've been trying to figure it out but I don't know much about geology. I did try the vinegar test - no fizzing anywhere. I can't say that I've noticed this type of rock being used commercially locally as I haven't been paying attention, but I think it might be common. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FranzBernhard Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 13 minutes ago, Philip Tovell said: no fizzing anywhere. So it is not a limestone, strongly reducing the possibility that the structure in question is a fossil. And thanks for the test and extra infos! Franz Bernhard 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Tovell Posted June 12, 2021 Author Share Posted June 12, 2021 On 6/7/2021 at 11:33 PM, jpc said: I think this is mineral rather than fossil. I'm very new to geology and fossil id. Could you please explain why you think it's a mineral? What things should I look out for to spot the difference in the future? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 2 minutes ago, Philip Tovell said: What things should I look out for to spot the difference in the future? The shape typically has a more crisp outline. There may be ridges or curves, but the waviness and ghostlike shape is off. The shell is most often composed of a form of calcium carbonate which normally would react with an acid. The look seen here is closest to that type of preservation, the lack of a reaction would tend to narrow the odds of this being a preserved shell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Tovell Posted June 12, 2021 Author Share Posted June 12, 2021 9 minutes ago, Rockwood said: The shape typically has a more crisp outline. There may be ridges or curves, but the waviness and ghostlike shape is off. The shell is most often composed of a form of calcium carbonate which normally would react with an acid. The look seen here is closest to that type of preservation, the lack of a reaction would tend to narrow the odds of this being a preserved shell. Thanks for all the helpful and interesting info. It's very much appreciated. I thought this might have been the first fossil I've found so I'm a little bummed that it's not, but even so, the things I've learned because of that has made it worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bone Daddy Posted June 13, 2021 Share Posted June 13, 2021 It's not a septarian nodule, but the banding reminds me of those seen in septarians. Could be something formed with similar processes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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