Mediospirifer Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 My husband and I collected this piece of Tully limestone (Devonian) last summer for the brachiopods (on the other side). Last month, he was sitting near the shelf where we have the day's collection, and decided to take a closer look at a few things while he was waiting around. He looked at the depression in this rock: and noticed an interesting texture that wasn't visible in the field: I've looked at it under magnification, and it reminds me of a modern ground pine. Considering that the other fossils in the rock are marine brachiopods, it seems more likely to me that this is either an algae or part of a crinoid head. Here are a few micrographs. Notice that the "arms" branch in the first image: The depression is 1 1/2 inches long (4 cm). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xiphactinus Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 Weird.....Could it be a conularia? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mediospirifer Posted November 5, 2014 Author Share Posted November 5, 2014 Weird.....Could it be a conularia? I don't think so--the texture looks like short needlelike appendages on a central rib (or three). The depression is also uniformly rounded, with no corners. The pictures I've seen of conularia appear to be roughly square in cross-section. Conularia would certainly be a cool fossil to find. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crinoid1 Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 Wow. What a stumper.... I am almost positive it isn't crinoid material, but beyond that, I have no clue. My first guess would Conularia, but as you said, it isn't the right shape or texture. Could this be some sort of cephalopod material? Goniatites are most certainly known from the Devonian, and the pattern seems kinda cephalopod-ish. Odd find, whatever it is. Thanks for sharing! Gabe I like crinoids...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erose Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 Those are impressions from a bryozoan that was probably encrusting an orthoconic nautiloid. The name eludes me at this early hour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 Erich is correct - it is the bryozoan Reptaria stolonifera. Neat find. Regards, Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 __________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamalama Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 Tim got it! Nice find and a little unusual too. -Dave __________________________________________________ Geologists on the whole are inconsistent drivers. When a roadcut presents itself, they tend to lurch and weave. To them, the roadcut is a portal, a fragment of a regional story, a proscenium arch that leads their imaginations into the earth and through the surrounding terrain. - John McPheeIf I'm going to drive safely, I can't do geology. - John McPheeCheck out my Blog for more fossils I've found: http://viewsofthemahantango.blogspot.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmaier Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 I agree, not conularia. The wavy line give you that first impression, but the overall geometry is wrong. http://www.paleoportal.org/index.php?globalnav=fossil_gallery§ionnav=detail&submission_id=1720&taxon_id=55&state_id=&period_id=&assemblage_id=&last_section=search I haven't seen this one before, but bryozoa seems like the right alley. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 Well done, folks! I had NO idea on that one and I'm glad to have learned a new shape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crinoid1 Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 Wow, That is a neat bryozoan! Looks kinda like feathers. Here is a really neat specimen from google that's just like yours: http://www.lsa.umich.edu/UMICH/paleontology/Home/Collections/Invertebrate%20Collection/Reptaria%20stolnifera.jpg Gabe I like crinoids...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mediospirifer Posted November 5, 2014 Author Share Posted November 5, 2014 Thank you, everyone! I would not have figured that out on my own. My husband (after a lot of web-searching) thought it might be Lycopodites, (which it certainly resembles!) but then the question was "How likely is that in a marine environment?" I'm glad to know the correct ID! The other possibility that occurred to us was Plumalina, but this specimen is much smaller than any of those known, as well as having a more flexible-armed appearance. Thank you all! Now I have to label it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plantguy Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 Thank you, everyone! I would not have figured that out on my own. My husband (after a lot of web-searching) thought it might be Lycopodites, (which it certainly resembles!) but then the question was "How likely is that in a marine environment?" I'm glad to know the correct ID! The other possibility that occurred to us was Plumalina, but this specimen is much smaller than any of those known, as well as having a more flexible-armed appearance. Thank you all! Now I have to label it... Hey gang, question for you....the Reptaria ID seems solid to me but the Plumalina possibility that Diane mentioned intrigued me also. Is there a quick and dirty way to distinguish the various features between that invert and the bryozoan Reptaria. I'm just curious.... Regards, Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 Hey gang, question for you....the Reptaria ID seems solid to me but the Plumalina possibility that Diane mentioned intrigued me also. Is there a quick and dirty way to distinguish the various features between that invert and the bryozoan Reptaria. I'm just curious.... Regards, Chris Chris, Good question. I think that if you compare images of the Reptaria to the Plumalina side by side, you will find the Plumalina usually exhibits a strongly defined central axis, and longer, feathery looking "pinnules". (for lack of a better term.) The Reptaria seems to show shorter, more 3-d looking chevron type "appendages/pinnules". Plumalina on the left, Reptaria on the right. Just two quick differences that I noted. Hope that helps. Regards, Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 __________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashcraft Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 I would have guessed tread from my old converse canvas basketball shoes, circa 1982. Brent Ashcraft ashcraft, brent allen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mediospirifer Posted November 7, 2014 Author Share Posted November 7, 2014 One difference that I noticed between this piece and the Plumalina that I've seen (both real and photos) is that I've never seen Plumalina with a tight curl. If you look at Tim's re-posting of my photo closely, you can see a branch-point in the Reptaria about 1/4 of the way up from the bottom, where the side branch starts growing at close to a 90o angle from the main branch, then curls towards the top of the photo almost within its own diameter. I've never seen anything like that in a Plumalina. Even the branched Plumalina that I've seen photos of don't curl back like that. I'd compare the appearance to modern ring-necked pheasant tail feathers: long and thin, and slightly flexible. Also, the Plumalina that I've found (P. brevis) have been the width of the whole depression. Much bigger! I would have guessed tread from my old converse canvas basketball shoes, circa 1982. Brent Ashcraft Did your basketball shoes have interesting stitching patterns on the soles? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erose Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 I would have guessed tread from my old converse canvas basketball shoes, circa 1982. Brent Ashcraft I love my Chucks! But the tread, or lack there of, is lousy on that NY Devonian rock. My old friends in the NYPS saw me take a slide or two on the talus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howard_l Posted November 8, 2014 Share Posted November 8, 2014 Try getting some clay and making a positive of the fossil it might bring out additional detail. Howard_L http://triloman.wix.com/kentucky-fossils Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plantguy Posted November 8, 2014 Share Posted November 8, 2014 Chris, Good question. I think that if you compare images of the Reptaria to the Plumalina side by side, you will find the Plumalina usually exhibits a strongly defined central axis, and longer, feathery looking "pinnules". (for lack of a better term.) The Reptaria seems to show shorter, more 3-d looking chevron type "appendages/pinnules". Plumalina on the left, Reptaria on the right. Plumalina_plumaria_Hall,_1858_(6.3_cm_tall)_in_quartzose_siltstone,_weathered_from_the_South_Wales_Member_of_the_lower_Perrysburg_Formation_(Canadaway_Group,_Upper_Devonian)_of_western_New_York_State,_USA-horz.jpg Just two quick differences that I noted. Hope that helps. Regards, Thanks you all. Just trying to wrap my brain around how that shape comes to be...Saw this old set of line drawings when I was doing some digging that has helped my gray matter. TheHederelloidea, a Suborder of Paleozoic Cyclostomatous Bryozoa Proceedings of The United States National Museum 87: 25-91 (1939) http://biostor.org/reference/99448 Regards, Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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