Waldron Tentaculites?

[Tidgy's Dad]

 

I love this specimen. 

I though it might be Tentaculites at first, but I can find little reference to them in the Waldron Shale other than really old mentions of T. inornatus and T. niagarensis from the Rochester Shale of New York which is of about the same age and has many species that also occur in the Waldron. However, it may actually be a really weird bit of echinoderm stalk. It's very tiny and I'm not sure if it tapers or not as the matrix covers part of it and is stubbornly refusing to come off. 

It seems to be solid rather than hollow. Or maybe not. The shell may have come off a part of this to reveal calcite infilling of the interior? 

Any ideas, anyone? 

• 
  
   

[Rockwood]

I think you have all but eliminated the Tentaculites ID now. Solid, no obvious taper. I'd rest the case there.

[Tidgy's Dad]

I dug a bit more out. 

Maybe tapering? 

 

 

[Rockwood]

[abyssunder]

Maybe it's a crinoid column (stem) fragment. 

[Tidgy's Dad]

1 hour ago, abyssunder said:

Maybe it's a crinoid column (stem) fragment. 

I think this is probably the most likely id, but it's so terribly tiny, thin and each columnal would be thinner than any I have ever encountered. 

But, thank you, you are almost certainly correct.