Sponges from the Wheeler Formation

[Paleome]

Hello, everyone!

 

Just got a new, greatly improved setup for photography, and wanted to share some of what I suspect are sponges from the Wheeler Formation.  I thought a few might be Gogia (an eocrinoid), but I don't think so.  I have many such specimens, but these appear to be the most evident. The first couple are the positive and negative of the same specimen.  For scale, they are 8mm to 1cmm in size.  All of the other pictures of other specimens are the same size.

 

Enjoy!  Though trilobites are spectacular, there is much more to the Wheeler Formation than trilobites, as I shall show you in the next few weeks, maybe months...  Debra

 

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[Tidgy's Dad]

That first one in particular is stunning. 

[Paleome]

Here are some microshots (about 250x of the first two, positive and negative), of the same specimen (originally at around 40 to 50X).

 

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Pretty neet, huh?

[Rockwood]

The first one looks very much like one of that age which I had identified as a very probable (paraphrased) sponge.

[Paleome]

I look forward to to all replies and input.

[Paleome]

My new digital microscope was EXTREMELY INEXPENSIVE, and very effective (I think).  It goes from 40x to 250x.  I shall get another as a backup.  If any of you are interested in this model, please PM me.  

[Paleome]

1 hour ago, Rockwood said:

The first one looks very much like one of that age which I had identified as a very probable (paraphrased) sponge.

Oh, now I see what you are talking about - the mystery items from the "hexagonal structure patches" resurrected old post.  I put new photos onto that one.  

 

Adam (Tidgy's Dad) also thinks maybe for some sort of sponge, but I still have found nothing of those same  dimensions and characteristics which come from the

Wheeler Formation Middle Cambrian of Utah.  

We shall see what responses come in.  Many pairs of educated eyes are much better than just a couple, exponentially.  I am not ruling anything out yet, except for those items which come from a different era.

[Tidgy's Dad]

I have no idea what it is. 

I don't think it's a brachiopod or a sponge. 

Maybe an echinoderm or arthropod. 

[Paleome]

Oh, sorry for the misunderstanding, Adam.  I more closely agree with you, but we shall see...

 

My problem is that I do not have access to photos (whether online or in books) at sufficient detail to recognize ornamentation on Gogia or some arthropod from that time.  I have spent hours looking at every image of other fauna from that location and time.  Maybe some of you out there are aware of other representations of these.  

But anyway, let's get back to this post on sponges only.  Others may reply about the hexagonal structure patches on that other post, now with all new, improved photos.

[connorp]

First one could also be a chancelloriid. Not sure. Also it might help to number/organize your photos in the future. Photo dumps can be confusing to follow.

[Paleome]

You are correct.  Each photo is numbered as it is taken, but that info doesn't show up in the post.  One used to be able to edit these posts, adding and changing content.  I would be willing to number these through an edit to the post, but I no longer see a way to do that.  So, just refer to each photo based on what order they appear in the list.  All of the later micro shots are from one specimen only, comprising the first two photos at the beginning of the post.  These are the positive and negative of one specimen.  

Oh, I just noticed where the edit control went.  I shall do what I can to number the photos.  Thanks for the suggestion.

[Paleome]

At this time, I don't think I can interject numbers between pictures without up the post.  However, point well taken, and for the future, I shall try to number them as I attach them to the post.  

To repeat:  ...interject numbers between pictures without MESSING up the post.

[Wrangellian]

My first thought on that first item was chancelloriid also, otherwise maybe something like a small Eiffelia, though maybe not enough angles to the spicules for that, so I'm going to say Chancelloriid.

I can't tell what I'm looking at in the rest. Maybe they're just not preserved well enough, but I do have trouble interpreting a lot of digital microscope photos that we see on TFF. Maybe better lighting would help, ie. sunlight, and at different angles, if that's possible?

[JohnJ]

1 hour ago, Paleome said:

At this time, I don't think I can interject numbers between pictures without up the post.  However, point well taken, and for the future, I shall try to number them as I attach them to the post.  

To repeat:  ...interject numbers between pictures without MESSING up the post.

 

Debra, hopefully I labeled them for you in a satisfactory manner.  

[Paleome]

Thank you, John, for your assistance.  And thank you to the others for your input.  Obviously, the first two photos of the first specimen are the most telling.  Preservation goes quickly downhill after that, though I think the others MAY still be sponges.    

[Paleome]

Come to think of it, maybe I need to remove the yellow/orange iron oxide matter (a result of feeding on by other organisms) to reveal the structure/spicules of the other, possible sponges.  Perhaps these are actually better preserved because of the iron oxide hash on top of them.  Will work on that in the next few days and let you know what I find.

 

Thanks for all of your input.  Debra

[Paleome]

I just bisected one of my possible sponges, and the structure of the highly deteriorated iron oxide hash convinces me that's exactly what it was.  This covering has softer and harder components which suggest a truly 3-dimensional, porous and net-like structure existed at one time.    

[DPS Ammonite]

Sign up for a free account with the Journal of Paleontology. You get to read and can screen copy up to 100 articles a month. A short search revealed 2 articles on Wheeler Fm. sponges.

 

Rigby, J., Church, S., & Anderson, N. (2010). Middle Cambrian Sponges from the Drum Mountains and House Range in Western Utah. Journal of Paleontology, 84(1), 66-78. Retrieved July 13, 2021, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/20627693

 

Rigby, J. (1978). Porifera of the Middle Cambrian Wheeler Shale, from the Wheeler Amphitheater, House Range, in Western Utah. Journal of Paleontology, 52(6), 1325-1345. Retrieved July 13, 2021, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/1303938

Edited July 13, 2021 by DPS Ammonite

[Paleome]

Thank you very much.  Yes, I am already familiar with these articles, and I downloaded them awhile back.  I have already had an account with JSTOR at least a few years now.  I am so grateful for it.

 

Happy fossilin' to you!