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My family calls this a petrified egg, but a researcher called it fossilized (well, it is all speculative on what the heck it is).  What would be the difference, or is that the same thing, fossilized and petrified?  I googled it and it said there wasn't a distinction.  Also looking for any info on what you think this egg might be, and wanted to share it with the community too. 

 

When I was growing up, once a year my mom would get out this petrified egg, and my brothers and I were allowed to hold it.

It was always a very special treat! We would wrap a magazine around it, hold it up to the light, and we could see through it a little bit.

My grandfather found it while digging a well on his ranch in Colorado. I had my mom and Uncle Keith write a note about the egg a few years ago.

Uncle Keith use to carry it around with him when he was a kid. He even took his nail and dug a small hole in the crust. It's about 3" long, (bigger than a chicken egg), and has a hard rough crust. I have included an email from the Denver Museum, and from the University of Riverside, California about the egg. 

 

 I feel very blessed to be its keeper. 

 

Thank you in advance, Kathy

 

262894230_Egg4_46mg.jpg

 

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egg history.jpg

 

 

1882870932_egghistorynormakeith.jpg

 

 

 

Denver Museum re egg.png

 

UCR re egg.png

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Petrified is a subset of fossilized.  Excellent fossil.  Most eggs from this area are slightly (or more ) crushed.  This one looks perfect.  

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Welcome to TFF from Austria!

 

Wow, what a fist post! We see many, many "eggs" here, that are not eggs. But about once in a year, a real egg turns up - like yours. What a great fossils with a great story attached to it. A real treasure. Congrats and thanks for sharing!
Franz Bernhard

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    Tim    -  VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

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Hello, Kathy, and a very warm welcome to TFF from Morocco.:)

Fabulous post and what an intriguing fossil. 

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Life's Good!

Tortoise Friend.

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That is a beautiful specimen! I did not know such eggs existed here in the U.S. - it also makes me wonder what creature laid this. Congratulations! 

 

Regards, 

Asher

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The more I learn, the more I find that I know nothing. 

 

Regards, 

Asher 

 

 

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This is an extraordinary fossil! In my opinion, it is a bird egg. It compares well in size and shape to those of a mid-sized vulture, like Phasmagyps patritus, which is known from that formation (which is early Oligocene, ~33 million years before present). Congratulations on your family treasure!

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"There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant

“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley

>Paleontology is an evolving science.

>May your wonders never cease!

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9 hours ago, Ludwigia said:

So has anybody found out yet exactly which creature laid that egg?

I don't think so.  My mom took it to USC in the 60's, and they did an x-ray.  I can't find the x-rays, they must be gone.  So 5 years ago our chiropractor x-ray'd it, and there is a little matter inside the egg, but wasn't developed enough to show any skeleton.

 

I scanned the x-ray from a few years ago.  My chiropractor tried to x-ray it from 4 different sides.  You can see there is something in there : )

IMG.jpg

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A real egg AND a real x ray.  There has only been one study done (as far as I know) on the eggs from the White River Formation, which I think it is safe to assume this egg is from.   That study said the eggs they looked at were from something akin to the modern limpkin.  (Google that one).  Is this a proto-limpkin egg or not?  I don't know; there are several kinds of eggs found in the White River Fm.   These need more study.   

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Welcome from France, your egg is perfect ! I understand why you feel very blessed !

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photo-thumb-12286.jpg.878620deab804c0e4e53f3eab4625b4c.jpg

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Cropped, brightened, and rotated:

 

IMG.thumb.jpg.a8cbe7a0a8d07f7e39725ce479ae13bd.jpg

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    Tim    -  VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

   MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png      PaleoPartner.png.30c01982e09b0cc0b7d9d6a7a21f56c6.png.a600039856933851eeea617ca3f2d15f.png     Postmaster1.jpg.900efa599049929531fa81981f028e24.jpg    VFOTM.png.f1b09c78bf88298b009b0da14ef44cf0.png  VFOTM  --- APRIL - 2015  

__________________________________________________
"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."

John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~   ><))))( *>  About Me      

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22 hours ago, jpc said:

A real egg AND a real x ray.  There has only been one study done (as far as I know) on the eggs from the White River Formation, which I think it is safe to assume this egg is from.   That study said the eggs they looked at were from something akin to the modern limpkin.  (Google that one).  Is this a proto-limpkin egg or not?  I don't know; there are several kinds of eggs found in the White River Fm.   These need more study.   

At 3", this egg is a third larger than the Limpkin's (of which I have three). The shape is more elongate and conical also; very like those of ledge-nesting vultures (shaped to roll in a circle to resist rolling off the edge). Not hard evidence by any means, but maybe clues through comparative ecology.

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"There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant

“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley

>Paleontology is an evolving science.

>May your wonders never cease!

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Do we know anybody who might be interested in seeing this egg? If it is egg-ceptional (sorry, I had to) someone might be interested in studying it. It would be a great conclusion to an intriguing story to learn more about this egg.

 

I too am pleasantly surprised by this bona fide egg after seeing the steady stream of "backyard T-rex eggs" that invariably turn out to be concretions. :Smiling:

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

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59 minutes ago, digit said:

Do we know anybody who might be interested in seeing this egg? If it is egg-ceptional

How about our eggspert, Eric @CBchiefski who created this guide. Birds are related to dinosaurs.

 

 

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A very warm welcome to TFF from France! And what an introduction you made! Spectacular to see an egg in this condition, especially if it turns out to indeed be a bird egg, which I would also put my money on seeing the shape and texture of the egg versus how they compare to the dinosaur eggs I've seen. I'm also inclined to rule out soft-shelled egg, like those of many reptiles, seeing as those wouldn't have the texture this specimen has - which is, indeed, also what you see with the Eocene eggs found at Bouxwiller in France, with which I'm somewhat familiar. It's from this site that I've seen some tiny bits of bird egg shell, and this piece is reminiscent of that. But to find an entire egg, undamaged like this, of a bird - considering their extremely thin shells - is exceptionally rare! I'd definitely say this specimen merits further academic study! Well done to your family for finding it and keeping it safe, and thanks for sharing :default_clap2:

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'There's nothing like millions of years of really frustrating trial and error to give a species moral fibre and, in some cases, backbone' -- Terry Pratchett

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16 hours ago, DPS Ammonite said:

How about our eggspert, Eric @CBchiefski who created this guide. Birds are related to dinosaurs.

 

 

I hope to find out more when our local bird museum opens back up.  We moved from another county last year and this place has been closed.  I have never been there, so I am excited to even see their specimens.  I have been looking for my egg to measure it and post some pictures of its size.  It's around here somewhere!  I can't remember where I stashed it since we moved here.  Thank you everyone for your great comments and helpful leads.  I really appreciate everyone's input : )  Kathy

 

Home - Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology (wfvz.org)

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13 minutes ago, lubster said:

  It's around here somewhere!  I can't remember where I stashed it since we moved here. 

 

Oh my!  Its rarity should not be understated.  Post photos when you find it.  :fingerscrossed:

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The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true.  -  JJ

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I see you are in California.  If you are at all interested in donating this excellent specimen to science, the museum at the U of Colorado in Boulder has a collection fossils from the area where this one was found.  They might be interested.  If they turn you down, we at the Tate Geological Musum in Casper (Wyoming, the other big square state) would be happy to get such a donation.   : )

 

Of course, if you want to hold on to it, I totally understand.  

 

 

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