araucaria1959 Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 Hello, this is a Scyphocrinites plate (Scyphocrinites elegans) from around the silurian-devonian boundary (lochkovian?) of Morocco. There is a crown fragment near the margin of the plate (pic 5) and a couple of crinoid stems. My question is: Is the circular structure in the middle of the plate a flattened (compressed) lobolite? For comparison, I show an unquestionable lobolite of Scyphocrinites (Erfoud area) in pics 6 - 8. The circular structure on the plate has about the same size (width: 9 cm). If the structure is normal matrix, I wonder why the crinoid stems lie outside around the structure and do not cross it. Furthermore, there is an elongate depression which crosses the surface of the circular structure (unfortunately with a scratch) as if a neighbouring crinoid stem had left a depression on something with a soft, resilient consistency. If the circular structure is normal matrix, I would expect an exact cast of an overlying crinoid stem and not a depression. Maybe someone knows something about this? Thanks, araucaria1959 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
araucaria1959 Posted March 25, 2013 Author Share Posted March 25, 2013 Here is a link to a drawing which shows how lobolites worked: http://www.mineraltown.com/Reports/crinoid_fossils/scypho.gif araucaria1959 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
araucaria1959 Posted March 28, 2013 Author Share Posted March 28, 2013 Meanwhile I'm convinced that it is a lobolite, after I found this in the net: http://www.paleofox.com/Public/data/fiore/200692222448_email%20lobolite%20e%20calici%20+%20cozze.JPG araucaria1959 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 I was shy to comment on something I know so little about, but the texture certainly looked promising; looks like you found a good example to solve it! Very nice fossil! "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...
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