Unknown Fossils Near Middlesex County, NJ

[DinoDave92]

Hello everyone!

 

This is my very first post here and I really hope to get some help with identification. Over the course of the last couple of weeks, I have been finding these cylindrical fossils in a coastal area of NJ that was once covered in ocean. I don't have much information on the area but was told by one paleontologist that fossils from here typically come from 10 mya and marine mammal fossil finds are relatively common. He took a look at some of these photos and could not offer any possible identification or ideas. I have been able to find bits and pieces and glue them together but continue to become baffled at what this could possibly be. There are prominent growths (or "horns") on these fossils, and inside it looks like it's a spongey or marrow-like material. I initially thought it could possibly be coral, but I cannot observe any similarities to your typical coral fossils. Any and ALL help would be greatly appreciated! Thank you! 

Edited October 24, 2022 by DinoDave92

[Lone Hunter]

Some kind of burrows with shell bits maybe?

[JohnJ]

@MarcoSr

@Carl

@Gizmo

[Rockwood]

Bog iron sometimes does this.

[Fossildude19]

Fulgurite? 

[DinoDave92]

4 hours ago, Rockwood said:

Bog iron sometimes does this.

Thanks! I looked it up and it doesn't quite look like bog iron, though there are some similarities. There are multiple defined, cylindrical structures in the area with identical, re-occurring features.

[DinoDave92]

2 hours ago, Fossildude19 said:

Fulgurite? 

Looked this up! Thank you! After researching it a bit, the structures do look similar to fulgurite but I don't think that's quite it, though it looks remarkably similar. I don't see the same internal structure in my specimen as I do in the photos of fulgurite I found online (the spongey or marrow-like material). Have any idea of what that could be?

[MarcoSr]

17 hours ago, JohnJ said:

@MarcoSr

@Carl

@Gizmo

 

16 hours ago, Rockwood said:

Bog iron sometimes does this.

 

17 hours ago, Lone Hunter said:

Some kind of burrows with shell bits maybe?

 

The internal structure and texture makes me agree with bog iron.  The cylindrical shape makes me agree with an infilled burrow or possibly a limb cast.  Although the vast majority of bog iron that I see in Virginia tends to be flat and layered, I have seen and collected cylindrical pieces of bog iron that were both infilled crab burrows or limb casts (I also collected a 50 lb.+ tree stump cast).  I can't post any pictures, because I donated all the specimens that I've found because they are fairly uncommon/rare in Virginia.

 

Marco Sr.

Edited October 25, 2022 by MarcoSr
added tree stump cast

[Plax]

I'd get up with Ralph Johnson at MAPS. Someone on here can help you connect with him. There were bog iron root casts along rt 34? back in the day that looked similar but weren't flattened like this. Also Middlesex county has a wide range of cretaceous formations from the Raritan and Magothy up to the Navesink? Sayreville is famous for its Cretaceous fossils. A good look at the State Geology map and perhaps look at Horace G. Richards Cretaceous Fossils of New Jersey on line.

[Carl]

17 hours ago, Rockwood said:

Bog iron sometimes does this.

I'm with bog iron on these things, too. They don't resemble fossils that I know of, except possibly burrows. They are definitely not bones. And I can't think of anywhere in NJ where I would say "marine mammal fossil finds are relatively common."