Is this a fossil?

[TheFew]

Hi there,

 

This is my first forum post, I'm UK based in the South West. 

 

About 6 months to a year ago I visited Charmouth in Dorset and ended up coming home with this particular rock.

 

I've always wondered if the structures breaking the surface were fossils or instead natural geological features.

 

Any ideas?

 

Thanks

[Fossildude19]

This is a likely candidate to be a fossil.

However, without more being exposed, it is too difficult for me to identify.

 

Rocks wear and weather, and when they reach a fossil the weathering can expose the fossil. unfortunately, it will weather the fossil just as much as the surrounding matrix.

Maybe someone more local/closer to you will have some ideas on what this could be.

 

@TqB

[TqB]

The black Y could be fossil wood, but hard to tell from the photos.

[TheFew]

Thanks for the replies.  Would it be worth me trying to take some better photos under better light? Would that help at all?

[Kane]

On account of the angle, which might be providing distortion, is there any chance this might be an ichthy vert, @TqB? The circular pattern seems suggestive to me of a vert ridge. Of course, I don't know my UK verts all that well.  

[TqB]

39 minutes ago, Kane said:

On account of the angle, which might be providing distortion, is there any chance this might be an ichthy vert, @TqB? The circular pattern seems suggestive to me of a vert ridge. Of course, I don't know my UK verts all that well.  

That's a good suggestion.  New photos might help - and if it is one, it should prep nicely.

[TqB]

51 minutes ago, TheFew said:

Thanks for the replies.  Would it be worth me trying to take some better photos under better light? Would that help at all?

Definitely worth a try. 

[TheFew]

Thanks for the replies so far. Here are some further photos (hopefully better ones), including a snap of the other side of the rock.

[TqB]

@TheFewThanks for the new photos!

The calcite veins running through the main black piece are much more characteristic of wood (filling desiccation cracks) than bone in material from around there. Also, in the photos at least the black itself looks more woody. It might be a good idea to show it to someone and maybe have it part prepped if necessary to confirm an ID. 

The zigzag in photo 3 looks like a section across a plicated shell of some sort could be ammonite, brachiopod (rhynchonellid) or bivalve.

The other white bits look like more calcite, probably bits of shell but I can't tell what.

 

 

[TheFew]

Thanks for the info. I will have to do some research on how to do some prep work on the rock. Even if it is just mostly fossilised wood, it is still immensely interesting to me.

[TqB]

2 hours ago, TheFew said:

Thanks for the info. I will have to do some research on how to do some prep work on the rock. Even if it is just mostly fossilised wood, it is still immensely interesting to me.

Let us know if you reveal any more.  If it is wood, it's an unusual piece. Quite a variety of plant material has been found there.