Found In Latham Shale, Near Amboy Ca

[Cosmic]

While hunting for and finding trilobites I found a number of things like these in the picture posted. I thought they might also be fossils. The shape is like that of a thick stem of some kind, with an oval to circular cross section, and an orange peel like texture. The trilobite in the photo came from the same talus pile and the cap is about the size of a US nickel.

These were pulled from the Latham Shale Formation, Marble Mountain Fossil Beds near Chambliss, California.

Just wondering if these are fossils or some kind of pseudofossil. Thanks for any and all comments!

[Terry Dactyll]

Cosmic... I dont really know anything about trilobites but I wonder if these could be bioturbation trace fossils made from feeding trilobites that have disturbed and altered the consistency of the sediments due to their directional movements... or possibly a trace fossil of burrows... The association piece is interesting.... thanks for sharing them...

[Cosmic]

Hi Terry,

Thanks for your post. It seems unlikely that these formations are due to trilobite activity. The surface of the tube like formations have an even pattern of texture, not quite like small scales, but similar and about that of an orange peel. One suggestion was that theses are from a critter along the lines of some kind of annelid or a burrow made by one.

[piranha]

Hi Cosmic and Welcome to TFF from the Paleozoic-Cenozoic Oregon Trail !!

If it is a fossil a burrow would be a good guess as Steve suggested.

The trilobite propping up the rock is cool, can we see more please?