Solo Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Does anyone know what this is? The picture is taken in Northern Oman mountains (UAE). A whole layer >50 cm thick is loaded with this organisms, with sizes of individuals from a few cm to >15 cm. The outcroping formation is Simsima, the age of the formation is Upper Cretaceous. The coin is ~1.7 cm in diameter. Link to post Share on other sites
Kosmoceras Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 I have seen fossil sponges look a bit like that, but I am not sure. Link to post Share on other sites
Solo Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 I went to the local Natural History Museum hoping to find something similar but couldn't. Link to post Share on other sites
Roz Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 They remind me of feeding probes but they don't look as inflated as the ones around here.. This one is older being Pennsylvanian.. I think they look quite a bit alike.. See what you think.. Please ignore the ring, I didn't want to take a new image.. Link to post Share on other sites
Solo Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 (edited) Looks similar, but they are more irregular. Agree about the feeding probes. But the ones i posted are more regular and the small individual organisms are almost the exact copies of the big ones. And if you look closer there is texture between the "fingers". Perhaps it's worth mentioning that Rudists are abundant in the outcrop (not in that particular bed though). Edited April 4, 2012 by Solo Link to post Share on other sites
Rockwood Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 I agree that the texture between the "fingers" suggests a body fossil. They remind me a bit of crinoid plates. Is there any evidence of ossicles in the formation ? Link to post Share on other sites
Solo Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 Not sure about the ossicles, there is a possibility that there are some but misidentified by us as rudist "parts". Link to post Share on other sites
Indy Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 I suggest we are looking at branching invertebrate burrows preserved as natural casts. These burrows are what most ichnologists would call Thalassinoides, trace fossils that are normally associated with crustacean tracemakers. Link to post Share on other sites
Solo Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 What about the texture between the "fingers"? Link to post Share on other sites
squalicorax Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 The texture looks like mud cracks or something similar which would make sense for a trace. Link to post Share on other sites
xonenine Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 there seems to be alot of structure between the "fingers" Link to post Share on other sites
Auspex Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 This is a difficult specimen to interpret, with the gross forms being so suggestive; let's look at details. There appears to be a well-defined boundary between the interlocking dark and light "fingers", and it appears to be of different material than either, almost shelly. What is this material? To which part does it belong (dark or light)? What would explain these volutes, if it is shell? The answers may be under our noses, but my brain is getting little traction. Link to post Share on other sites
Jesse Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Ancient aliens! Link to post Share on other sites
Solo Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 (edited) This is a difficult specimen to interpret, with the gross forms being so suggestive; let's look at details. There appears to be a well-defined boundary between the interlocking dark and light "fingers", and it appears to be of different material than either, almost shelly. What is this material? To which part does it belong (dark or light)? What would explain these volutes, if it is shell? The answers may be under our noses, but my brain is getting little traction. There is indeed a very well defined boundary between the white (I think it is calcite, the formation is mainly carbonates) and dark outer parts (silicified?), and there is also a boundary (not very sharp though) between the rock of the bed and the fossil area. It can be a cast but I think for burrows they are very isolated from each other and very regular (the ones we have seen had 4 to 6 "fingers" only). I'm planning to go there again and get more pics. Edited April 4, 2012 by Solo Link to post Share on other sites
piranha Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 I agree with Thomas that it might be a sponge preserved as a 'slice' or longitudinal cross-section. This morphology is consistent with any number of forms with radially arranged blade-like expansions emanating from a funnel edge (central cone). Link to post Share on other sites
Auspex Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Since there are many of these in that exposure, try to photograph as many different aspects as you can. Link to post Share on other sites
Crinoid Queen Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Spong ontop of some type of blastoid or cystoid? Link to post Share on other sites
Herb Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Those are "handsome" fossils. :eat popcorn: Link to post Share on other sites
Bullsnake Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Kokopelli head! Sorry, couldn't resist. Link to post Share on other sites
ashcraft Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 If you find one with the middle "finger" extended, you might want to back away, as it could be a sign. Brent Ashcraft Link to post Share on other sites
Rocks Anne Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 (edited) I discovered a "hand-like" image today (though it looks more like a 6-toed animal footprint!). It's on an ammonite from Texas: Edited May 14, 2012 by Rocks Anne Link to post Share on other sites
Coco Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 Hi, Rocks Anne, this drawing looking like a hand is in reality a part of the ammonite sutures. On better preserved specimens, we can be lucky to distinguish better these sutures. Coco Link to post Share on other sites
Ameenah Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 Ancient aliens! LOL @ Jesse, I was sooooo going to post the same thing but you beat me to it Link to post Share on other sites
Auspex Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 Here's a LINK to a bunch of pictures that will illustrate the ID. Link to post Share on other sites
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