Megaselachus13 Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 Hi again, Recently I found this specimen. It was in marine sediments of the early Pliocene from spanish SE, which appear gastropods, bivalves and other mollusks fossilized shells in gypsum. I'm not sure if it is something but It remminds me of a some kind of conifer pinneapple, is fossilized in gypsum. What do you think about it?. It was covered with mud and appeared red spots (tips) and this was after a dip in CLH. Maybe it's a whim of nature?. Thanks in advance for your views, and sorry my bad english. Greetings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roz Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 I am not positive but am afraid the red maybe just iron or a mineral. I do not see anything that indicates a fossil, but I could be wrong, so check back. Nothing at all wrong with your English! You are doing fine! Welcome to the forum! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 Very strange structure. My best guess, if indeed fossil, is that it looks like a particularly nasty coprolite. "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bmorefossil Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 I am not positive but am afraid the red maybe just ironor a mineral. I do not see anything that indicates a fossil, but I could be wrong, so check back. Nothing at all wrong with your English! You are doing fine! yea i was thinking corpolite but i not know if you can find that where you are Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 I think it's Selenite, the crystalline form of Gypsum, with included sand/clay. KOF, Bill. Welcome to the forum, all new members www.ukfossils check it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MB Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 I think it's Selenite, the crystalline form of Gypsum, with included sand/clay. Try to scracht it with your nail, if yes, gypsum. http://www.mbfossilcrabs.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest N.AL.hunter Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 1. It is neat looking. 2. It seems to have some form of structure to it, but could be inorganic. 3. If that is a coprolite, then I feel real sorry for the poor creature that had to "pass" that thing, OUCH!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megaselachus13 Posted June 27, 2008 Author Share Posted June 27, 2008 Hi again and thanks for your views. I think the fossil corresponds to the red exposed areas, the gypsum forms a crystalline layer that covers most of the specimen. The gypsum walls cut sediments, in these walls are concentrated the remains, of course I have mentioned shellfish, but also several species of corals appear in gypsum too. What little that does not leave fossilized in this material are some echinoderms, valves of amussyum and sharkteeth very occasionally. I show a Schizaster that I found the same trip. The urchin is fossilized in limonite kind oxides and the matrix that surrounds is gypsum. Thanks again and sorry my bad english. Megaselachus13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Nicholas Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 Iron oxide perhaps? Maybe there is a test to confirm it. For the first item that is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 I think it's Selenite, the crystalline form of Gypsum, with included sand/clay. I have to agree with Bill. It looks very similar to Selenite layers I've seen in Texas. They range in color depending on the minerals that leach into the fissures where the crystals form. As beautiful as they can be, they are usually very brittle...I always have trouble getting them home. The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true. - JJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOROPUS Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 It resembles a lot to somekind of conus (Piña in spanish), from some Conifer trees, as Glyptostrobus or Pinus (both quite common on tertiary sea layers in Spain).Nevertheless, as it is a little compressed and perhaps distorted, I wouldn`t do any attempt on Id it. By the way; are you sure of the age of the site? I`ve never seen that tipe of conservation in Pliocene fossils in the peninsula .Hasta pronto! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megaselachus13 Posted July 5, 2008 Author Share Posted July 5, 2008 Hello Moropus, The truth is that my first impression is that this was a pineapple. As you say is compressed and given the profile is more whistle-blowers (delatora) in my view of it's nature. The downside is that I appreciated it after take pictures. It's like some neogene pineapples I've seen from the area of Alicante and Almeria. What I see of curious is that has fossilized in gypsum. At the site appear Amussyum cristatum and Glossus humanus and other bivalves and gasteropods species in gypsum, the formation is dated as a lower pliocene (Zancliense). I lived too at the North of Spain, but now I'm living at South... I was so bored with the bad time, hehehe. Very interesting cretaceous on there. Years ago I visited fossil and mineral shows in the area, Bilbao, Urretxu, Amurrio, Pamplona, Vitoria, etc... Perhaps we have crossed at some of them. Nice cranidium on your avatar, is from Láncara formation?. Greetings. Megaselachus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOROPUS Posted July 6, 2008 Share Posted July 6, 2008 Hello Moropus,The truth is that my first impression is that this was a pineapple. As you say is compressed and given the profile is more whistle-blowers (delatora) in my view of it's nature. The downside is that I appreciated it after take pictures. It's like some neogene pineapples I've seen from the area of Alicante and Almeria. What I see of curious is that has fossilized in gypsum. At the site appear Amussyum cristatum and Glossus humanus and other bivalves and gasteropods species in gypsum, the formation is dated as a lower pliocene (Zancliense). I lived too at the North of Spain, but now I'm living at South... I was so bored with the bad time, hehehe. Very interesting cretaceous on there. Years ago I visited fossil and mineral shows in the area, Bilbao, Urretxu, Amurrio, Pamplona, Vitoria, etc... Perhaps we have crossed at some of them. Nice cranidium on your avatar, is from Láncara formation?. Greetings. Megaselachus Hi! We have sure met, since I`ve been assisnting to the Bilbao expo since I was 5.Who knows if we have even talk each other! I post some pictures of the 2007 one in the forum.Look for them.I manage to become the friend of the retired organizer and writer of some dinosaur books. Two years ago, I started going to the one in Urretxu (pictures are available aswell in the forum).Now I am a helper and donor of the Estepona`s Paleontology Pliocene (mostly Zanclensian) Municipal Museum. So I`ve got some knowledge of the fossils you are talking about.I think there are some cones in the museum, but they are normally carbonous materials.I just can`t recognise the strange matrix on that fossils.Are they from Almeria? I know many Pliocene places around, but I don`t know that one. Gypsum comes from the dessecation of old seas or lakes...And yes, it comes from Lancara;good view! Hasta pronto! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boesse Posted July 6, 2008 Share Posted July 6, 2008 I have found several complete pinecones in marine sediments myself, and they often do look kinda 'crusty' like your specimen - I really would not be too surprised if that was in fact a pinecone. Thats what it looks like to me, anyway. Bobby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOROPUS Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 The urchin looks like Schizaster Eurynotus, or a distorted S. Lovisatoi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-EJ Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 I know you said marine but my first thought was 'pine cone'. It has that kind of symetry the way I see it. Interesting puzzle. Ed Hi again,Recently I found this specimen. It was in marine sediments of the early Pliocene from spanish SE, which appear gastropods, bivalves and other mollusks fossilized shells in gypsum. I'm not sure if it is something but It remminds me of a some kind of conifer pinneapple, is fossilized in gypsum. What do you think about it?. It was covered with mud and appeared red spots (tips) and this was after a dip in CLH. Maybe it's a whim of nature?. Thanks in advance for your views, and sorry my bad english. Greetings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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