Waldron Weirdie #1

[Tidgy's Dad]

Hello, friends! 

If anyone can help to id this little spiny spine from the Waldron Shale of Indiana, I would be very grateful indeed. 

Sorry about the first pic, it's just to give a scale. The object in question is less than a mm wide at the 'base' and about 2 mm in length. 

It seems to be a spine with tubercles and is solid, not hollow. 

The picture below shows it better. Tubercles, which seem to be hollow as some are broken off. You can see quite a bit if you magnify the image :

 

Is it a bryozoan? Where the tubercles are snapped off actually being zooecia? 

Or a trilobit? 

Any alternative suggestions also would be welcome. 

Thank you.

Life's Good!

Adam. 

[Plantguy]

Hey Adam, 

Interesting find. Are the structures in your 1st photo 5-6 sided? I'm wondering if your structure might be a cirri or one of the other features on the base of crinoid calyx? I am just wondering if that is just matrix and or recrystallized critter frag and offered a clue or was that a photo editor and/or my brain trying to have fun with me again....so many questions at this late hour... I defer to the invert and other experts....

Have a great weekend.

Regards, Chris 

[Tidgy's Dad]

3 hours ago, Plantguy said:

Hey Adam, 

Interesting find. Are the structures in your 1st photo 5-6 sided? I'm wondering if your structure might be a cirri or one of the other features on the base of crinoid calyx? I am just wondering if that is just matrix and or recrystallized critter frag and offered a clue or was that a photo editor and/or my brain trying to have fun with me again....so many questions at this late hour... I defer to the invert and other experts....

 

Have a great weekend.

Regards, Chris 

Thank you so much for the reply, Chris! 

This post has had over a hundred views, but this is the first response. I think that many people are as flummoxed as I am, but thanks very much for looking everyone. 

I'm sorry, I should have said that the blurred object near the spine is the bryozoan Eridotrypa echinata which has polygonal walls on it's zooarium around each zooecium. 

Crinoid spine could be a possibility though I can't recall crinoid spines having their own tubercles, but I expect some do. 

Thanks again for the great idea.

Edited April 16, 2022 by Tidgy's Dad

[Tidgy's Dad]

Hmmm.

Well then, if there's a chap out there who can at least say if it's a trilobit or not, it must surely be @piranha Scott, please? 

And as for someone who is very familiar with the Waldron Shale, how about @Ken K? Any ideas, sir? 

 

Thanks again to all who've taken a look.