Scalariform (?) Gastropod (?) - Cretaceous Gosau-Group of Kainach, Styria, Austria

[FranzBernhard]

Hello,

what do you thing about this fragmentary specimen? Its from the Upper Cretaceous Afling-Formation of the Gosau-Group of Kainach, Eastern Alps. It was found in an about 1 m thick conglomerate bed with Trochactaeon and hippuritid rudists. It consists of about 1 1/4 whorls, the whorls do not touch, hence "scalariform"(?). The upper "end" of the "tube" has an outer diameter of about 9.5 mm, the lower "end" an outer diameter of about 12 mm. The outer surface appears the be smooth, the shell is about 1 mm thick. Sorry, these are the best pics possible.

 

Here is a link to a pic showing a part of the outcrop in October 2021:

Outcrop Reinprechtskogel-63

 

Many thanks!
Franz Bernhard

Edited June 4 by FranzBernhard

[rocket]

Are you sure it will be a gastropode? Could be a Serpulid

[abyssunder]

It looks close to a vermetid gastropod.

[FranzBernhard]

Thanks for your suggestions!

 

9 hours ago, rocket said:

Are you sure it will be a gastropode? Could be a Serpulid

The specimen is a very regular spiral, regularly widening from top to bottom. In my opinion, its too regular for a serpulid.

 

7 hours ago, abyssunder said:

It looks close to a vermetid gastropod.

Thanks!

Ok, I see! Some vermetids are close to such a regular spiral. Any chance for any other type of gastropod? Anything else?

 

Thank you!

Franz Bernhard

[abyssunder]

16 hours ago, FranzBernhard said:

 

Thanks!

Ok, I see! Some vermetids are close to such a regular spiral. Any chance for any other type of gastropod? Anything else?

 

Thank you!

Franz Bernhard

nothing in my mind

[FranzBernhard]

11 hours ago, abyssunder said:

nothing in my mind

Thanks! My local fossil friend thinks about gastropod or less probably serpulid, too.

Will ask the Gosau specialist in Vienna!

Franz Bernhard

[abyssunder]

11 hours ago, FranzBernhard said:

Thanks! My local fossil friend thinks about gastropod or less probably serpulid, too.

Will ask the Gosau specialist in Vienna!

Franz Bernhard

I will be interested about his/her opinion. Thank you! 

[rocket]

I am exited, interesting specimen!

[FranzBernhard]

@abyssunder, @rocket

Already got an answer from the Gosau expert:
"Could indeed be part of a gastropod."

That´s all.

Franz Bernhard

[caterpillar]

I'm not an expert but I don't think it's a gastropod.

If it was a gastropod, given the shape, it would be an internal mold. So there would be no visible wall on the break.

It's clearly a worm tube

[FranzBernhard]

1 hour ago, caterpillar said:

It's clearly a worm tube

Any chance to narrow down a little bit which kind of worm ?

Thanks!
Franz Bernhard

[caterpillar]

Hard to say. You have to research to find out what genus has already been found in this level and then compare to your specimen

[rocket]

best chance to find the right genus is to prepare the surface. Some worms have special surface-structures, some are boooooring :-).

could you clean it? i can give the pics to a friend of mine who is a serpulide-specialist when I cannot identify (if it is a worm :-))

 

[FranzBernhard]

8 hours ago, rocket said:

some are boooooring :-).

This one looks boooooring .

Its somewhat clean, but I can give it to my local fossil friend who can try to clean it better with a water gun. And he may also try to remove some more matrix.

Will come back later, will take some time, thanks for your kind offer!
Franz Bernhard

 

 

 

[rocket]

have you heard something new from your friend about the worm?

 

[FranzBernhard]

4 hours ago, rocket said:

have you heard something new from your friend about the worm?

Yes, but its still work in progress. At least he suggested nothing new at the moment: Worm or gastropod...

Franz Bernhard

 

Edited June 20 by FranzBernhard

[FranzBernhard]

On 6/20/2022 at 11:21 AM, rocket said:

have you heard something new from your friend about the worm?

I got this thing back today from my fossil friend. He still has no definitive answer - Worm or gastropod. It will soon go with other specimens to the museum in Graz, with questions marks. Mystery will be resolved in hundred years or so, or never .

Franz Bernhard

[rocket]

you´re too far away from me, we did research on worms and love to see it live...

when you go to munich-show we can meet there

 

e.g. the shell structure is different, sometimes you can see it with my beloved blue-light

Do you have a chance to do a close-up under uv, to see the fine-structure of the shell?

and, do you go to prepare it?

Edited Tuesday at 05:45 PM by rocket

[FranzBernhard]

Thanks for your kind offer examining the specimen, I can sent the specimen over to you, no problem, this does not cost a fortune.

The specimen has been prepped by my friend, no more matrix left, but not much more to see than before.

14 hours ago, rocket said:

Do you have a chance to do a close-up under uv, to see the fine-structure of the shell?

I have a UV light (L and S), and will check it out. Pics under UV are quite out of reach, though.

Franz Bernhard

 

 

[rocket]

sounds good, perhaps we can find out what kind of fossil it is

My opinion is: 99% Serpulide, but...