Ramanessin Brook Ammonite Question

[Allodon]

Hi everyone, I was wondering if you could help me out with something here. I found this piece of ammonite at Ramanessin Brook (whole piece is about 6cm across). I initially thought it was some sort of internal cast of a gastropod but when I noticed the suture patterns I realized it had to be the inner whorl of an ammonite. However, I'm perplexed by the texture of this piece. Parts of it displays an almost "scaly" pattern which I've never seen before. Any ideas what could have caused this?

 

Thanks!

 

 

Some closer images of the texture:

[Fossildude19]

Looks more like a bryozoan colony than an ammonite, to me. 

 

@frankh8147  @Trevor  @Jeffrey P  @Carl

[The Jersey Devil]

Neat specimen. You have a nice bryozoan attached to an ammonite steinkern. The cone-like thing which you thought was a gastropod is the plug of sediment that infilled the hole in the center of the ammonite.

[Ludwigia]

I agree with the bryozoan diagnosis, but I would rather call that an external cast of the inner whorls than a steinkern, which is just the reverse.

[Carl]

I agree with bryozoan as well. A very nice example! But I'm seeing a gastropod here. Can you show the sutures you are seeing?

[FossilDAWG]

4 hours ago, Carl said:

I agree with bryozoan as well. A very nice example! But I'm seeing a gastropod here. Can you show the sutures you are seeing?

I was confused as well.  However if you look at the top right in the first photo, you will see what looks like ammonite suture patterns and the surface of a septum.  The photo isn't as direct or as clear as it could be, though.

 

Don

[Allodon]

Thanks for the really helpful replies everyone! That's pretty cool, as I'd honestly never seen a byrozoan fossil from the brooks before!

 

Sorry about the pictures, the little bit of suture pattern wasn't showing up too well in the first batch I took. I just took a couple more, hopefully it's a bit easier to see in these. 

 

 

[Carl]

On 7/16/2021 at 5:59 PM, Allodon said:

Thanks for the really helpful replies everyone! That's pretty cool, as I'd honestly never seen a byrozoan fossil from the brooks before!

 

Sorry about the pictures, the little bit of suture pattern wasn't showing up too well in the first batch I took. I just took a couple more, hopefully it's a bit easier to see in these. 

 

 

Thanks. Now I see an ammonite! But now it's even WEIRDER. The central, coiled part looks raised beyond the peripheral part with the suture.  Never seen such an arrangement in an ammonite. Is it at all possible that it's an ammonite resting against a gastropod.

Edited July 19, 2021 by Carl

[Ludwigia]

I think that the problem lies in the fact in my opinion that we have a combination of an external cast of the inner whorls and an internal cast of part of the phragmocone.