Earendil Posted June 9, 2021 Share Posted June 9, 2021 Hello everybody! I have another U.F.O here (Unidentified Florissant Object) and to be honest, this one has really stumped me! It isn't a carbon stain, it isn't one of those pumice chunks 'fireballs' that are common at Florissant, and it has a strange texture and shape. Weirdly preserved petrified wood? That is my best guess as of now... @piranha @Top Trilo @Tetradium The fossil is 1/2 an inch long. The first 2 pictures are the fossil by itself and the third I circled it. The rest are microscope pics of the texture. Pics 5,6, and 9 show the edges. 7 shows the top. "Its webs of living gauze no more unfurl; Wrecked is the ship of pearl! And every chambered cell, Where its dim dreaming life was wont to dwell" -From The Chambered Nautilus by Oliver Wendell Holmes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earendil Posted June 10, 2021 Author Share Posted June 10, 2021 Just a wild guess, but could it be some sort of freshwater sponge??? "Its webs of living gauze no more unfurl; Wrecked is the ship of pearl! And every chambered cell, Where its dim dreaming life was wont to dwell" -From The Chambered Nautilus by Oliver Wendell Holmes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Top Trilo Posted June 10, 2021 Share Posted June 10, 2021 I have no idea what it might be, the color is not consistent with Florissant fossils, so it may be an impression of something which is why its the same color as the shale. I don't know. 1 “If fossils are not "boggling" your mind then you are simply not doing it right” -Ken (digit) "No fossil is garbage, it´s just not completely preserved” -Franz (FranzBernhard) "With hammer in hand, the open horizon of time, and dear friends by my side, what can we not accomplish together?" -Kane (Kane) "We are in a way conquering time, reuniting members of a long lost family" -Quincy (Opabinia Blues) "I loved reading the trip reports, I loved the sharing, I loved the educational aspect, I loved the humor. It felt like home. It still does" -Mike (Pagurus) “The best deal I ever got was getting accepted as a member on The Fossil Forum. Not only got an invaluable pool of knowledge, but gained a loving family as well.” -Doren (caldigger) "it really is nice, to visit the oasis that is TFF" -Tim (fossildude19) "Life's Good! -Adam (Tidgy's Dad) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earendil Posted June 10, 2021 Author Share Posted June 10, 2021 2 minutes ago, Top Trilo said: I have no idea what it might be, the color is not consistent with Florissant fossils, so it may be an impression of something which is why its the same color as the shale. I don't know. Yeah, I'll probably have to contact a Florissant expert. I think this is the weirdest fossil I have seen in the shale. "Its webs of living gauze no more unfurl; Wrecked is the ship of pearl! And every chambered cell, Where its dim dreaming life was wont to dwell" -From The Chambered Nautilus by Oliver Wendell Holmes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tetradium Posted June 10, 2021 Share Posted June 10, 2021 1 minute ago, Top Trilo said: I have no idea what it might be, the color is not consistent with Florissant fossils, so it may be an impression of something which is why its the same color as the shale. I don't know. I don't know either. That's what makes it so strange. Fruits? Nope. Wood? No tree ferns or other porous woods. Bark? Maybe if its smooth with prominent lenticels but it seem kind of high density for lenticels. Some roots may have lots of fine hairs coming from a raised structure but to get into roots is beyond my ability to understand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earendil Posted June 10, 2021 Author Share Posted June 10, 2021 21 minutes ago, Tetradium said: I don't know either. That's what makes it so strange. Fruits? Nope. Wood? No tree ferns or other porous woods. Bark? Maybe if its smooth with prominent lenticels but it seem kind of high density for lenticels. Some roots may have lots of fine hairs coming from a raised structure but to get into roots is beyond my ability to understand. Yeah, but the 'hairs' just seem too fine, and all in the same direction. Also, the shape itself is more rounded than you would expect for a piece of root. That's just my two cents, though. "Its webs of living gauze no more unfurl; Wrecked is the ship of pearl! And every chambered cell, Where its dim dreaming life was wont to dwell" -From The Chambered Nautilus by Oliver Wendell Holmes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Top Trilo Posted June 10, 2021 Share Posted June 10, 2021 2 minutes ago, yardrockpaleo said: Yeah, but the 'hairs' just seem too fine, and all in the same direction. Also, the shape itself is more rounded than you would expect for a piece of root. That's just my two cents, though. Are you positive that's the whole specimen and there aren't other parts underneath the surrounding shale? “If fossils are not "boggling" your mind then you are simply not doing it right” -Ken (digit) "No fossil is garbage, it´s just not completely preserved” -Franz (FranzBernhard) "With hammer in hand, the open horizon of time, and dear friends by my side, what can we not accomplish together?" -Kane (Kane) "We are in a way conquering time, reuniting members of a long lost family" -Quincy (Opabinia Blues) "I loved reading the trip reports, I loved the sharing, I loved the educational aspect, I loved the humor. It felt like home. It still does" -Mike (Pagurus) “The best deal I ever got was getting accepted as a member on The Fossil Forum. Not only got an invaluable pool of knowledge, but gained a loving family as well.” -Doren (caldigger) "it really is nice, to visit the oasis that is TFF" -Tim (fossildude19) "Life's Good! -Adam (Tidgy's Dad) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earendil Posted June 10, 2021 Author Share Posted June 10, 2021 13 minutes ago, Top Trilo said: Are you positive that's the whole specimen and there aren't other parts underneath the surrounding shale? Yes, the edges are uncovered. Some more pics might help make an assessment. "Its webs of living gauze no more unfurl; Wrecked is the ship of pearl! And every chambered cell, Where its dim dreaming life was wont to dwell" -From The Chambered Nautilus by Oliver Wendell Holmes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tetradium Posted June 10, 2021 Share Posted June 10, 2021 22 minutes ago, yardrockpaleo said: Yes, the edges are uncovered. Some more pics might help make an assessment. Roots can be divided in progressive smaller sections. In different families the structures can be very different from each other. Root hairs are distinctly separated from roots as they are not woody and often rots away. But now I'm wondering if those are little pieces of pumice/tuff sitting on top of a thin piece of wood. Its like if you strips the bark away from roots - some are very lumpy while others are very smooth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted June 10, 2021 Share Posted June 10, 2021 3 minutes ago, Tetradium said: Roots can be divided in progressive smaller sections. In different families the structures can be very different from each other. Root hairs are distinctly separated from roots as they are not woody and often rots away. But now I'm wondering if those are little pieces of pumice/tuff sitting on top of a thin piece of wood. Its like if you strips the bark away from roots - some are very lumpy while others are very smooth. You suppose the bumps could actually be on an internal surface of the dermal layer (bark) of a root ? Making them casts of root traces on an internal mold of the bark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted June 10, 2021 Share Posted June 10, 2021 What about an imprint of a fish scale/bone? 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...
Earendil Posted June 10, 2021 Author Share Posted June 10, 2021 Just now, Fossildude19 said: What about an imprint of a fish scale/bone? That is something I hadn't considered... I'm not familiar enough with fish material to make a determination, but that would be very cool! I'm curious about what others think. "Its webs of living gauze no more unfurl; Wrecked is the ship of pearl! And every chambered cell, Where its dim dreaming life was wont to dwell" -From The Chambered Nautilus by Oliver Wendell Holmes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted June 10, 2021 Share Posted June 10, 2021 Cropped, enlarged, and contrasted: 1 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...
Tetradium Posted June 10, 2021 Share Posted June 10, 2021 19 minutes ago, Rockwood said: You suppose the bumps could actually be on an internal surface of the dermal layer (bark) of a root ? Making them casts of root traces on an internal mold of the bark. Maybe. 13 minutes ago, yardrockpaleo said: That is something I hadn't considered... I'm not familiar enough with fish material to make a determination, but that would be very cool! I'm curious about what others think. I don't have experiences with fish fossils. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted June 10, 2021 Share Posted June 10, 2021 The fish scale idea may gain some purchase from the fact that Amiformes are reportedly found there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted June 10, 2021 Share Posted June 10, 2021 I am fully in the FIsh Scale Camp. Impression, of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earendil Posted June 10, 2021 Author Share Posted June 10, 2021 28 minutes ago, jpc said: I am fully in the FIsh Scale Camp. Impression, of course. Assuming it is a fish scale impression, is there any way to narrow it down further to a certain type of fish? "Its webs of living gauze no more unfurl; Wrecked is the ship of pearl! And every chambered cell, Where its dim dreaming life was wont to dwell" -From The Chambered Nautilus by Oliver Wendell Holmes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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