minnbuckeye Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 My hopes that this specimen is easy for someone to identify. It was given to me as a gift by a friend. Apparently it has been in the family for awhile and the family used to reside in Maryland. Is that where it came from? Who knows. It is the only piece of info that I can add to the post other than it is 9 inches long and 4 inches wide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minnbuckeye Posted November 21, 2014 Author Share Posted November 21, 2014 end view Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minnbuckeye Posted November 21, 2014 Author Share Posted November 21, 2014 The other end Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caldigger Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 It looks like a piece of oyster shell to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 I'd agree with that. Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmaier Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Yep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 It seems likely that it is from the Miocene formations on the coast of Maryland. Apparently it isn't complete enough for anyone to feel safe with the statement though. Oysters are found in many formations of various ages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minnbuckeye Posted November 21, 2014 Author Share Posted November 21, 2014 Thanks for all of the responses. OYSTER it is! Though oysters do not seem a big ticket item, I love the intricacies contained in it and am glad it came into my possession. Having no experience with fossil oysters, could someone enlighten me on the anatomy of my specimen. After researching oyster images, I still have difficulty understanding the lumps and bumps present. Is this an oyster on the half shell? Or a piece of one. If so how big would this one have been? What is the longitudinal groove evident in the first photo? On the third picture, at the upper aspect of the end there is a smooth round object in the depression about an inch in diameter. It doesn't show as well as I would like. Any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 (edited) Looks like a broken edge of an oyster similar to this picture. Maybe something like the top half of the center image? Regards, Edited November 21, 2014 by Fossildude19 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...
minnbuckeye Posted November 21, 2014 Author Share Posted November 21, 2014 Tim, completely understand what I have now. Thanks a lot for taking the time to educate me. How big did these oysters get? Would it be possible that this 9inch piece belonged to a 2 foot oyster? Is that a common size for Miocene oysters of Maryland? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 Tim, completely understand what I have now. Thanks a lot for taking the time to educate me. How big did these oysters get? Would it be possible that this 9inch piece belonged to a 2 foot oyster? Is that a common size for Miocene oysters of Maryland? Not sure if your item is in the same family or not, but I know the inoceramids did get quite big. Sorry, oysters aren't my strong point. 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...
Rockwood Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 Crassostrea is more what I was thinking originally. They do get in the 2 foot range, but I can't find any evidence that they are common in Maryland. Imagine one of them roasted on the half shell. Yumm..e Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 Tim, sorry to have to correct you, but although Inoceramus belongs to the same subclass (Pteriomorphia) as the Ostreoida, it is not a true oyster. Rockwood is on the right track. Crassostrea is presently the largest in the world, at least according to the Guiness Book of Records. http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/02/18/279250013/worlds-largest-oyster-is-size-of-a-mans-shoe Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 Thanks for the correction, Roger - No offense taken. Like I said,... oysters ain't my thing. 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...
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