Unknown Bone (Possibly Pet Wood)

[Ramo]

I found this "thing" today while fishing at a farm pond. It was in a crumbling concretion full of clams, which are common in the area. It looks like a large piece of bone, or drift wood that became fossilized. The close-ups show the texture of the surface. Fossilized wood is not un-heard of in this area, but I'm very unfamiliar with the structure of some wood types. The internal structure looks bone like to me, but I think the surface texture looks plant like.

Ramo

[Dave in Alaska]

I don't think it is bone. My initial reaction is plant, but the internal structure makes me pause a bit.

[ashcraft]

calamites?

Brent Ashcraft

[Auspex]

Kinda' wood-like to me:

[Ramo]

It probably is wood, It's just that I've only found wood one other time in this limestone, and it was always crushed, and looked more "wood-like". I've sent some pictures to Mike Everhart, and I'll let you know what he says.

Ramo

I edited to add another picture, sure looks plant like from this view.

Edited March 1, 2012 by bowkill

[flyguy784]

I vote for wood,not Calamites. Certainly gives that impression but I think the "breaks" give one the sense of nodes. Ridges seem to line up through those "breaks". I don't believe that would be the case if it was Calamites. Well, at least the way they're spaced.

[Ramo]

I just got a reply from Mike Everhart, and he says that it is a piece of wood. I guess he's seen a lot of it from the Greenhorn.

You guys were correct.

Thanks,

Ramo

[araucaria1959]

The first picture shows Inoceramus sp., which suggests - together with the lithology - upper cretaceous. That excludes Calamitaceae. I think it's a piece of wood, and the tubes inside remind me of some monocotyledonous wood, e.g. palm wood.

araucaria1959