Jump to content

Help for and 8 year old - Are These crinoid and trilobites?


Granny and Aust

Recommended Posts

My grandson sent me photos of his little haul from today on his beach He is nearly 8 and loves checking his local beach. He has compared what he found with photos in his kid’s books of fossils. He’s wondered if these are trilobites and crinoids all- the last 2 photos are the same find. 
He has been asked to show some of his fossils in a special exhibition in the Laing Art gallery in Newcastle upon Tyne called “These are Our Treasures “ which will coincide with the display of the Lindisfarne Gospels. He feels quite excited by this!

5E7606D3-C9A2-4487-9230-76D95EBC74A4.jpeg

1C946A73-435E-4845-869E-FC4039C5DE54.jpeg

07BE8952-55DD-42BC-A32A-7221280D249A.jpeg

B2814034-2BED-4DDD-97DD-6A590CA389AE.jpeg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The first, third and fourth are crinoids. The second is a colonial rugose coral, Siphonodendron junceum, showing some good internal structure. All are from the lower Carboniferous period.

No trilobites I'm afraid, though they do turn up sometimes in some Northumberland beds further north so a glacial or drifted erratic is a theoretical possibility at Whitley Bay. :)

Edited by TqB
  • I found this Informative 5
  • I Agree 1

Tarquin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tarquin is right about the IDs.

 

The last pictures shows a cirrus scar on the crinoid pluricolumnal.

crinoid-columnal-discription.jpg.5490cfb2e0aac45fffe1c718f51d97b9.jpg

  • I found this Informative 2
  • Thank You 2

" We are not separate and independent entities, but like links in a chain, and we could not by any means be what we are without those who went before us and showed us the way. "

Thomas Mann

My Library

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow, that is absolutely brilliant thank you so much. It’s really good to learn these things. I will print this and pop it in one of his books 

Edited by Granny and Aust
Extra
  • Enjoyed 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

@TqB Here is a similar photo of a Siphonodendron junceum taken by you.

My question is what produces the siphuncle like look to these corals? I was convinced these were some sort of cephalopod!!!

Images: IMG_1739.jpg.51281a658bbbd5a2767ef046fc6974b8.jpg
  • I found this Informative 1
  • Enjoyed 1
  • I Agree 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, minnbuckeye said:

@TqB Here is a similar photo of a Siphonodendron junceum taken by you.

My question is what produces the siphuncle like look to these corals? I was convinced these were some sort of cephalopod!!!

Images: 

It's a columella which many rugose corals possess. Just part of the skeleton which is continuous with one or more septa, at least in the earlier stages. It forms a peak to the calice floor.

  • I found this Informative 4
  • Enjoyed 1
  • I Agree 1

Tarquin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Got it!!! This is from Digital Atlas of Ancient Life, explaining it well. Do Ordovician and Devonian rugosas have this structure, as I have never seen it in my area.

 

 Important features of rugose corals, including a fossula, septa, the columella, and costae.

  • I found this Informative 1
  • I Agree 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

All this is fantastic thank you so much people. I’m up there this coming weekend so will be showing my grandson this feedback and no doubt will be scavenging on the beach again with him 

  • Enjoyed 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...