Possible small mammal foot print?

[DaveN]

This is my first post on these forums and for transparency I want you guys to know that I know almost nothing about fossils. It's just been an interest of mine and my son shares the same interest so we decided to go digging. This was found in Ilion NY (central NY) near a creek bed with exposed shale stone. Pretty sure it's a footprint of a small mammal but I can't say for sure.  Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance, your help is very much appreciated. 

[Thomas.Dodson]

The shales of Herkimer county appear to all be early to mid Paleozoic and thus predate the evolution of mammals by over 100 million years. My guess would be not a fossil at all but some kind of mineral staining or inclusions that have mimicked the shape of a footprint.

[DaveN]

I thought that was a possibility but it looked so much like a footprint I had to ask. I appreciate your time very much. Thank you.

[Rockwood]

The shape is roughly similar to some of the earliest known trackways. I believe some are Devonian aged, just prior to known body fossils of the makers. There is some who question about them however.

Unfortunately in this case that shape is meaningless. I think I can make it out as part of a brachiopod in dorsal view. The notch in the top of the shape to the left would define the center. The beak facing to the top. 

[val horn]

Geology is a bummer.  No mammals no mammal prints, but it is a great fake.

[Fossildude19]

+1 for weird mineral staining. 

Photo is blurry, but I am not seeing imprint outlines at all. 

[Rockwood]

I guess it is something that I can see or not see. Here is where it would be.

[Fossildude19]

I meant I was not seeing the actual imprint outlines in the rock itself, 

 

The stain looks vaguely footprint-ish like, but again, I cannot make out the imprint lines of the rock itself. 

Photo is much too blurry. 

[doushantuo]

E.g.:

 

all of which should not be construed as consensus regarding the poster's interpretation of the structure as a possible/putative manus or pes imprint of a mammalian trackmaker

 

edit:

repent at leisure: obviously i missed the remarks on local stratigraphy

Edited June 28, 2021 by doushantuo

[doushantuo]

e.g.:

[Rockwood]

Tim has a fair representation of the Romer's gap creature's prints there I think. 

Just saying. 

[doushantuo]

don't provoke me:

Citation: Anderson JS, Smithson T, Mansky CF,
Meyer T, Clack J (2015) A Diverse Tetrapod Fauna at
the Base of 'Romer's Gap'. PLoS ONE 10(4):
e0125446. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0125446

 

 

pone.0125446.pdf

Edited June 28, 2021 by doushantuo

[Rockwood]

21 minutes ago, doushantuo said:

don't provoke me:

It seems to have been effective. 

[Fossildude19]

All of this is a bit irrelevant, as the area where the item was found is Ordovician\Silurian in age.   

[doushantuo]

like"Harnagian"?

edit:

I'll let this one stand.

 

Edited June 28, 2021 by doushantuo

[Rockwood]

1 hour ago, Fossildude19 said:

All of this is a bit irrelevant, as the area where the item was found is Ordovician\Silurian in age.   

No problem. On to lichens and liverworts !               No ? 

[Fossildude19]

[Auspex]

22 hours ago, DaveN said:

I thought that was a possibility but it looked so much like a footprint I had to ask. I appreciate your time very much. Thank you.

Thank YOU, for bringing a topic that will help to educate countless others! Our archives have lots of readers, brought by Google hits to key words in their searches for information.