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Michigan Trilobite?


John H

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I found this fossil last weekend on a Michigan beach on lower Lake Huron. I'm pretty sure it's a trilobite. It's about 3 inches long. Can anyone tell me more about it? Thanks!post-15620-0-73436000-1409674651_thumb.jpg

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Can you take a few more pictures from different angles, and looking end on?

I think it looks more like a rugose coral or cephalopod, honestly.

Regards,

    Tim    -  VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

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"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."

John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~   ><))))( *>  About Me      

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That's definitely a cross section of a Rugose.

~Charlie~

"There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why.....i dream of things that never were, and ask why not?" ~RFK
->Get your Mosasaur print
->How to spot a fake Trilobite
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With the new pictures, I am confident that this is a water worn cross section of a rugose, or "horn" coral.

Regards,

    Tim    -  VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

   MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png      PaleoPartner.png.30c01982e09b0cc0b7d9d6a7a21f56c6.png.a600039856933851eeea617ca3f2d15f.png     Postmaster1.jpg.900efa599049929531fa81981f028e24.jpg    VFOTM.png.f1b09c78bf88298b009b0da14ef44cf0.png  VFOTM  --- APRIL - 2015  

__________________________________________________
"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."

John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~   ><))))( *>  About Me      

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Really cool looking coral. I love the smooth tumbled beach fossils from Lake Ontario, very similar to the kinds you've got there. Most of what I find that can be identified are crinoids and cephalopods. I'd love to find a trilobite preserved like that, but not sure if it could be?

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Hello John,

It looks different because it has been erroded by water and sand, so that the coral is exposed in cross section.

The coral in your last pic has been fully erroded from the rock, and water worn.

Kind of like polishing in a rock tumbler.

Here is a picture of your specimen, showing in red what's missing.

post-2806-0-26471600-1409692518_thumb.jp

So what you are seeing is the polished inside of the coral, while your last pic shows the polished outside of the coral. :)

Hope that makes sense now.

Regards,

    Tim    -  VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

   MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png      PaleoPartner.png.30c01982e09b0cc0b7d9d6a7a21f56c6.png.a600039856933851eeea617ca3f2d15f.png     Postmaster1.jpg.900efa599049929531fa81981f028e24.jpg    VFOTM.png.f1b09c78bf88298b009b0da14ef44cf0.png  VFOTM  --- APRIL - 2015  

__________________________________________________
"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."

John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~   ><))))( *>  About Me      

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Hello John,

It looks different because it has been erroded by water and sand, so that the coral is exposed in cross section.

The coral in your last pic has been fully erroded from the rock, and water worn.

Kind of like polishing in a rock tumbler.

Here is a picture of your specimen, showing in red what's missing.

attachicon.gifpost-15620-0-09208900-1409683623.jpg

So what you are seeing is the polished inside of the coral, while your last pic shows the polished outside of the coral. :)

Hope that makes sense now.

Regards,

That's a real good representation, Tim, and a fine example of "thinking like a CAT scan".

"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!

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John H, thats a great specimen. I do have to agree with the previous comments that it is not a Trilobite but a nice coral fossil. I have been fossil hunting for 20+ years with many Trilobites in my collection. Keep hunting theres a Trilobite out there with your name on it. You may want to expand your search area. Arcona, Canada has been a very good spot for me in the past.

PM me if you want more details, I am aslo located in Michigan.

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Just to comfirm what the forum has already said I sent the pictures of this rock to a Geologist friend of mine named Randy who also confirmed that its a nice coral fossil.

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  • 2 months later...

nice coral! Most trilobite specimens would not survive being tossed around by wave action. At least the ones I've seen would not have. It would be interesting to see one that has if anyone has one.

"Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence"_ Carl Sagen

No trees were killed in this posting......however, many innocent electrons were diverted from where they originally intended to go.

" I think, therefore I collect fossils." _ Me

"When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."__S. Holmes

"can't we all just get along?" Jack Nicholson from Mars Attacks

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  • 4 weeks later...

Mine is not as pretty as yours and a bit smaller but it's a similar in how it was formed. I just found it yesterday on the shores of Lake Michigan.

post-10078-0-37628400-1418713488_thumb.jpg

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  • 5 months later...

Here's another recent (small) find of mine that I think like yours may be a worn rugose. I was trying to figure out what it was then I remembered your post and double checked. I have to say your find is still one of the most beautiful fossils I've seen here on the forum. Please post more of your local finds :-).

Be Well

post-10078-0-39625100-1434090318_thumb.jpg

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  • 1 year later...

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