RyanNREMTP Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 Last Friday (July 25th) I was out at the Lake Waco Research Area scouring the area and I found this. At first I thought it was an urchin spine but it is way much bigger than the ones I normally find. Plus it has a slight curve to it. I finally had a chance to examine it further and it is definitely plant material that is now fossilized. While looking at my books it does resemble a Calamite fossil but it does not have the width wise striations like the ones in the books. Also according to the books this is the wrong area. I do not think this one is a contamination like the shark tooth I found last month. The area is one that normally isn't hunted and a little off the beaten path. Plus it was stuck in the dirt a bit. It has the length wise striations and also has limb scars on it. Specifics: Cretaceous Period Del Rio Member of the Grayson Formation Lake Waco Research Area, Waco, Texas. Length 1.467 inches long (3.72cm) Smallest width: 0.244 inches (0.619cm) Widest width: 0.313 inches (0.795cm) Pictures: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xiphactinus Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 Infiiled burrow? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanNREMTP Posted July 30, 2014 Author Share Posted July 30, 2014 I thought that too but the striations are too regular and there are clear signs of where limbs had grown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanNREMTP Posted July 30, 2014 Author Share Posted July 30, 2014 (edited) Here is a better picture showing the striations. Edited July 30, 2014 by RyanNREMTP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 Under a loupe, does it seem to be mineralized, or a cast (matrix fill)? The latter would not contraindicate its being a stick originally, but the former would pretty much seal it. "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...
Auspex Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 I bumped the brightness & contrast a tad: "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...
RyanNREMTP Posted July 30, 2014 Author Share Posted July 30, 2014 Close examination under the loupe makes me believe it is a cast. You can make out what looks like individual grains of sand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plax Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 gorgonian? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanNREMTP Posted July 31, 2014 Author Share Posted July 31, 2014 Now that is a possibility. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobWill Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Scaphopod? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanNREMTP Posted July 31, 2014 Author Share Posted July 31, 2014 Bob, from the pictures and details I am finding on the internet for Scaphopod, the ones in Texas have smooth outer shells. Some do have the striations like the one I found. But none of them have the limb scars. If I make it to the DPS trip Saturday I will bring it with me along with that bag of rudists I spoke to you about a while ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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