Not a coprolite?

[MrBones]

Hello, 

I found this fossil (at least I think that's what it is) in Ruwais, Abu Dhabi, UAE (United Arab Emirates). It is Miocene in age. I showed it to Dr. Mark Beech, the head of archaeology of the region, and he wasn't quite sure, but he told me he doesn't think it's coprolite.

Hope you can make sense of this for me!

[Rockwood]

I agree with not a coprolite. Weathered steinkern (internal mold) is what comes to mind, but I'm not sure of the ID, or of what.

[abyssunder]

Maybe it's a chert nodule with an "epigenetic overgrowth caused by silica mobilization under arid conditions"? - Seilacher, 2001

[Rockwood]

1 hour ago, abyssunder said:

silica mobilization under arid conditions

The silica being in a form that behaves as an extremely slow fluid, the organizing force being those between molecules (weak intermolecular forces) ?

[val horn]

There is that crack in the middle,  what does the central portion look like?

[MrBones]

1 hour ago, val horn said:

There is that crack in the middle,  what does the central portion look like?

Unfortunately I glued it already, but its all the same uniform white color.

[Lone Hunter]

Not so much the color but was the middle solid and grooves on outside or were there individual tubes all the way through?

[abyssunder]

10 hours ago, Rockwood said:

The silica being in a form that behaves as an extremely slow fluid, the organizing force being those between molecules (weak intermolecular forces) ?

possibly

 

Maybe something similar to a and b from the picture below.

Edited November 24, 2021 by abyssunder

[MrBones]

4 hours ago, Lone Hunter said:

Not so much the color but was the middle solid and grooves on outside or were there individual tubes all the way through?

It was just on the outside 

[val horn]

If the central portion was essentially smooth then your fossil is an internal mold or not a fossil.  Multiple geological explanations have been offered.  Maybe you can show it to one of the geologists at a local university 

[MrBones]

7 hours ago, val horn said:

If the central portion was essentially smooth then your fossil is an internal mold or not a fossil.  Multiple geological explanations have been offered.  Maybe you can show it to one of the geologists at a local university 

 

Might very well be geological (or a mold of some sort) then. We do find a lot of chert in the area, although it looks a lot different that this piece, which reminds me more of hard chalk, I'm able to scratch the edges with my fingernail. I will be handing it in to the museum soon. I bet they'll be able to figure out what it could be.

[abyssunder]

31 minutes ago, MrBones said:

 

Might very well be geological (or a mold of some sort) then. We do find a lot of chert in the area, although it looks a lot different that this piece, which reminds me more of hard chalk, I'm able to scratch the edges with my fingernail. I will be handing it in to the museum soon. I bet they'll be able to figure out what it could be.

Great! We are intrigued to hear their opinion.