Fossil egg?

[Fluffy1]

Hi, this is heavy, solid, crazed nearly all over and about the size of a modern chicken's egg. I wondered if this was an actual fossil egg or would it be that clay - common in Essex, UK, has in-filled an egg through a small hole and solidified. Is there any way to tell, and how do I tell the age please? Thanks, Fluffy 1

[Ludwigia]

If you could tell us exactly where and how this was found, then we can judge the stratigraphical range better and therefore also its age. Interesting looking piece. How hard and heavy is it?

[digit]

I'm thinking that this is likely a septarian concretion but it looks a lot more egg-like than the dozens of purported eggs that we see here on a regular basis.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concretion#Septarian_concretions

 

One of our members is a professional paleontologist who specializes in fossilized eggs. He's written a few guides which should be helpful. From what I know it is the texture in the "shell" material that is the most reliable feature in separating fossilized eggs from their mimics.

 

http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/92370-think-you-found-an-egg-read-this-first-dinosaur-egg-guide-basic/

 

http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/92371-advanced-dinosaur-egg-guide/

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

 

P.S.: Welcome to TFF! Lots of great information archived here on the forum and helpful members as well.

[abyssunder]

My first thought was septarian propagation cracks on your specimen.

A quick search gave me this:

 

 

AnalysisofDesiccationCrackPatternsofExpansiveSoilTreatedwithLignosulphonateandLime.pdf

 

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Close, but no banana, I feel. 

[RJB]

Certainly looks like an egg, but if I was a betting man, I would bet everything its not an egg. 

 

RB

[jpc]

18 minutes ago, RJB said:

Certainly looks like an egg, but if I was a betting man, I would bet everything its not an egg. 

 

RB

I would bet all of RJB's money that this is an egg, but there is no way I would bet any of my own.  Septarian concretion.