Paul ward Posted June 17, 2022 Share Posted June 17, 2022 Was hoping someone could tell me what this is. I found it near a landslide at my local river Manchester UK, it really looks like some kind of petrified wasp nest to me, it's rock hard and maybe it could be some kind of shell? Any help appreciated thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted June 17, 2022 Share Posted June 17, 2022 I am at a loss on this one. I have not the first clue. It could be a fossil, but it could also just be geologic in nature. Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM - APRIL - 2015 __________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul ward Posted June 18, 2022 Author Share Posted June 18, 2022 Thanks anyway I'm stumped as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doushantuo Posted June 18, 2022 Share Posted June 18, 2022 I'd not like to call this an "ÏD",but I'm reminded of tufa,somehow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul ward Posted June 18, 2022 Author Share Posted June 18, 2022 Thanks I'll check it out but to me it seems to be built up of very thin layers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted June 18, 2022 Share Posted June 18, 2022 Sounds a bit far-fetched, but maybe it's part of a very weathered oyster shell. Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HuckMucus Posted June 18, 2022 Share Posted June 18, 2022 I'm getting a burl vibe. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul ward Posted June 18, 2022 Author Share Posted June 18, 2022 Possibly some kind of shell is what I have thought as well but it seems the wrong shape for oyster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul ward Posted June 18, 2022 Author Share Posted June 18, 2022 31 minutes ago, HuckMucus said: I'm getting a burl vibe. Maybe, but the small hole really reminds me of the entrance to a wasp nest. But I don't see any way a wasp nest could be preserved. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HuckMucus Posted June 18, 2022 Share Posted June 18, 2022 21 minutes ago, Paul ward said: Maybe, but the small hole really reminds me of the entrance to a wasp nest. But I don't see any way a wasp nest could be preserved. I see old burls around my place that have holes like that. I'm no tree expert, but I've always assumed those where just the places where branches used to want to, or actually did form. They just broke off or rotted out. I just google-imaged "burl" and found several that remind me of what you have. I'm in no way saying that is what you have. It just looks a lot like what I've found, only I've never found one petrified. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul ward Posted June 18, 2022 Author Share Posted June 18, 2022 Possible I'll do a bit of research and check it out, thanks mate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thames Adventurer Posted June 19, 2022 Share Posted June 19, 2022 It looks like a small and eroded Stromatolite fossil to me, like this: https://fineart.ha.com/itm/fossils/pre-cambrian/stromatolite-fossilconophytum-spprecambrianmontana-usa/a/8029-72051.s Stromatolites are basically colonies of photosynthezing cyanobacteria which build up in layers of rocky concretions over time as they fuse together minerals together to form a base in their colonies. They're some of the oldest organisms on the planet and can leave some pretty weird looking fossils, especially depending on what angle you view then at and how they erode. They tend to build up in lots of layers that can create bumpy organic shapes like this and come in all sorts of sizs (so that's my theory). Also, there's quite a lot of Stromatolite fossil sites across the UK, such as the Purbeck Formation in Dorest: https://wessexcoastgeology.soton.ac.uk/Fossil-Forest.htm 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul ward Posted June 19, 2022 Author Share Posted June 19, 2022 Thanks a lot that looks a lot like it. WOW that's amazing thanks a lot for your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thames Adventurer Posted June 19, 2022 Share Posted June 19, 2022 No problem, happy to help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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