Upstate New York Ordovician unknowns

[Easwiecki]

Hello All,

 

Super Newbie here, trying to immerse myself in fossil ID and learn more about my surrounding area.  I found some interesting patterns on some rocks near me and was hoping someone could shed more light on what they could be. What I've read of the area so far tells me that the Oswego sandstone I've been hunting in can have wave patterns and trace fossils, though I've found crinoids and shell imprints before. Here are my unknowns for this area.

1. Interesting Ringed Rock!

 

 

2. Would this be considered a hash plate? - Sorry for the blurry quality, some of these pictures didn't transition well from my phone to my PC.

 

3.  I don't think this is a fossil. Any ideas?  - just a hardened mineral lump in the sediment? Is that what concretions are?

 

4. Interesting orange crinoid imprints - is it common for fossils to be rust colored or is this the iron/pyrite I've been reading about in this area?

 

5. I'm just above the nautiloid-containing formation (whetstone gulf, I believe), is this a trace fossil of a nautiloid?

 

 

6. Bryozoan trace? Or nothing? Sorry about the lack of scale on this one, it was about 8cm long end-to-end.

 

7.  Crystals and Fossils living together?? - Mass hysteria! Any information on this strange occurrence would be very interesting to me.  This rock was way too heavy to carry back and too hard to split with just my trusty rock hammer.

 

8. A chance meeting - Whoops!  Sorry fella!  I'll just replace your roof and be on my way. My salamander ID is just as novice but I'm thinking Northern two-lined salamander? Not a great pic but I didn't want to stress the little one out too much trying for a glamor shot.

 

Thanks for taking the time to read through this!  Let me know if there are any formatting issues or other things I should keep in mind for future posts.  Any information is greatly appreciated!

 

 

[Mark Kmiecik]

"Glamor shot" of a salamander. That's a good one! 

 

I'm not familiar with your area, but you've found some nice fossils. The crystal one is especially interesting. I'm curious what the folks who know your area can tell us about it.

[Top Trilo]

First one looks like a partial nautiloid. 

I can't get any more exact than you have on the others. I really like the orange crinoid stems and nautilod. Nice finds! I like the salamander too, they're not too common here in Colorado.

[Tidgy's Dad]

1. A slightly squished orthoconic nautiloid.

2. Yes, some sort of hash including brachiopod internal molds? 

3. Looks a bit irony and even a bit tilobitey, but dunno. 

4. Yes, I think pyritized crinoid bits. 

5. Seems to be a nautiloid, but not a trace fossil.

6. Bryozoan. 

7. Crinoids and maybe other bits including something that has been calcite infilled.

8. 

[Ludwigia]

I'll go along with Tidgy's Dad and add that it's not at all uncommon to find crystals and fossils "living" together. A lot of fossils have cavities in which crystals can develop. They even supply the mineral substance for them sometimes. Typical crystals to be found commonly in or on fossils can be calcite, quartz, pyrite and marcasite, but these are not the only ones.

[Fossildude19]

# 8 looks like a Northern Two-Lined Salamander