ID help on Eagle Sandstone fossil

[Rico]

Here in south-central Montana we have remnants of the seabed from the Western Interior Seaway. Many impressions of what I can only describe as an S-shaped, fossilized sandworm exist. Recently a spalled piece of sandstone revealed this fossil (see photo) and I am curious to know exactly what creatures existed in the Cretaceous era that could be correctly identified as the one that made these impressions. Thanks for any help!

I retrieved the loose half, the concave portion (seen lying on the ground below the fossil), for interpretive, educational use and wonder if I should or need to apply any type of hardening agent to this very crumbly rock.

Edited December 3, 2021 by Rico
added tags

[fifbrindacier]

Hi, i tried to help you and found out there was an article on researchgate.com but i can't have access to that site.

[fifbrindacier]

This said, you might try those ones :

https://www.montana.edu/earthsciences/programs/paleo.html

https://mtdinotrail.org/montana-paleontology-top-ten/

http://paleoportal.org/index.php?globalnav=time_space&sectionnav=state&name=Montana

 

[abyssunder]

Is it big, is it small? No scale for the specimen. 

[digit]

4 hours ago, fifbrindacier said:

Hi, i tried to help you and found out there was an article on researchgate.com but i can't have access to that site.

Drop me (or post here) the title of that publication. I have access to papers posted on ResearchGate.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[fifbrindacier]

23 minutes ago, digit said:

Drop me (or post here) the title of that publication. I have access to papers posted on ResearchGate.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

I hope i didn't misled myself : https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Ichnofossils-from-Eagle-Hawk-Sandstone-NTGS4719-A-general-view-of-part-of-large-slab_fig20_236858359

[digit]

Here's the publication. Hope it helps.

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

 

 

Kruse_AAP_Mem30.pdf

[Ludwigia]

10 hours ago, fifbrindacier said:

I hope i didn't misled myself : https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Ichnofossils-from-Eagle-Hawk-Sandstone-NTGS4719-A-general-view-of-part-of-large-slab_fig20_236858359

 

10 hours ago, digit said:

Here's the publication. Hope it helps.

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

 

 

Kruse_AAP_Mem30.pdf 20.98 MB · 8 downloads

 

I hate to say this, but I think that you guys are a little off track. We're talking Cretaceous Eagle Sandstone Formation from Montana, not Cambrian Eagle Hawk Sandstone from Australia.

I think we're looking at an ichnofossil (burrow) here, dunno what though.

[fifbrindacier]

3 hours ago, Ludwigia said:

 

 

I hate to say this, but I think that you guys are a little off track. We're talking Cretaceous Eagle Sandstone Formation from Montana, not Cambrian Eagle Hawk Sandstone from Australia.

I think we're looking at an ichnofossil (burrow) here, dunno what though.

You're right, that's what i was unsure.

[digit]

Close, but no cigar!

 

If you find something applicable on ResearchGate, let me know and I'll see if I can get it for you.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[Rico]

Here's half of the fossil showing a 3 x 10 centimeter measuring tool placed on the piece....

[Rico]

....And here's another image of a similar burrow impression on the ceiling of a nearby alcove. I can't get up to measure it but it is only slightly smaller in scale to the image/fossil I've previously posted.

[abyssunder]

Maybe they are somehow close to Planolites isp., so ichnofossils.

Planolites Nicholson, 1873

DESCRIPTION: Simple, unlined, unbranched cylindrical or subcylindrical infilled burrows, straight to gently curved, horizontal to oblique to bedding planes. Burrows may cross-over. Lithology of fill differs from that of host rock.

pictures and description from here

 

picture from here

 

Edited December 4, 2021 by abyssunder