reddesilets Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 While looking for some of our crystaline finds from a trip to Rose Creek Mine (Franklin, NC) my 12 yr old, Duncan, found he had what I believe is fossilized coral. I've searched the web and it seems to be a correct guess - any corrections greatly appreciated! Struggling with a migraine but the best I can seem to find is that Rose Creek Mine is in the Blue Ridge Belt. NC Geological Survey Map has it labeled as Biotite Gneiss with pegmatites interspersed. The pegmatities are shown to be from the Devonian to Silurian periods 390-435 mya.The biotite gneiss are shown to be within the Ashe Metamorphic Suite and the Tallulah Falls Formation. This is a decent map of the area around the GA/SC/NC/TN mountains showing the geologic formations. So what I've learning while searching for information on this fossil is that the area was once part of the sea between Laurentia and Gondwana (info). When Laurentia and Gondwana began to collide to form Pangea, that is when the Appalachian Mountains were born. Learned tons looking up this one fossil! Love it! About to school the kids on it now. Again, if I've made any errors in my research, please let me know. Thanks! "Direct observation of the testimony of the earth ... is a matter of the laboratory, of the field naturalist, of indefatigable digging among the ancient archives of the earth's history." — Henry Fairfield Osborn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reddesilets Posted June 14, 2015 Author Share Posted June 14, 2015 Is this specifically Pleurodictyum? "Direct observation of the testimony of the earth ... is a matter of the laboratory, of the field naturalist, of indefatigable digging among the ancient archives of the earth's history." — Henry Fairfield Osborn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 I've been to one of the gemstone panning places in western NC with some friends. The buckets of material that you sift have minerals that have been planted there by the owners and includes rocks and minerals from all over. Sometimes they throw fossils in. My friend found shark teeth from Morocco in a bucket. Your coral originated from somewhere else. The geology of that area is too old for that type of coral. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reddesilets Posted June 14, 2015 Author Share Posted June 14, 2015 The boys didn't get prefilled buckets, they got their own. I have no idea if the dirt they dug from was "seeded" or not. We didn't have the impression that it was. What kind of coral is it and what era/epoch could it be from if not from this area? "Direct observation of the testimony of the earth ... is a matter of the laboratory, of the field naturalist, of indefatigable digging among the ancient archives of the earth's history." — Henry Fairfield Osborn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reddesilets Posted June 14, 2015 Author Share Posted June 14, 2015 These can be found in Appalachia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabulata#/media/File:Rafinesquina_ponderosa_%28Hall%29_ventral.JPG and now that I'm looking at it, it looks more like that than the first one I thought it might be... Says they are from the Ordovician. "Direct observation of the testimony of the earth ... is a matter of the laboratory, of the field naturalist, of indefatigable digging among the ancient archives of the earth's history." — Henry Fairfield Osborn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 (edited) Solenastrea is a possibility. http://www.ncfossilclub.org/~fossil/slideshow_gallery/49 It is the fourth of the photos on the link. Edited June 15, 2015 by Al Dente 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reddesilets Posted June 15, 2015 Author Share Posted June 15, 2015 That does look exactly like it. Thanks for helping pin down the taxonomy! "Direct observation of the testimony of the earth ... is a matter of the laboratory, of the field naturalist, of indefatigable digging among the ancient archives of the earth's history." — Henry Fairfield Osborn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamalama Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 Yes, it's a fossil coral but likely was seeded or tossed in the pile by someone. It looks like a coral from the Neozoic era, likely Miocene or Pliocene in age. You see them coming from rocks down closer to the coast of North Carolina. Sometimes people will dump their "leftovers" or material they don't want at sites and that can confuse those who find it. I once found a Pennsylvanian age fern in a Silurian quarry because someone had dumped a bunk of rock they didn't want any more. 1 -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...
sixgill pete Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 Almost all of the "Gem Mines" in the NC mountains seed their piles and buckets. I once found a tigers eye in one of these mines near Hiddenite NC and tigers eyes are found in Africa. Still fun and entertaining to do though. As far as the coral, you will not find coral in the NC mountains. Unlike the mountains to the north and south they are basically unfossiliferous. but, they are beautiful and the tallest east of the Rockies. 1 Bulldozers and dirt Bulldozers and dirt behind the trailer, my desert Them red clay piles are heaven on earth I get my rocks off, bulldozers and dirt Patterson Hood; Drive-By Truckers May 2016 May 2012 Aug 2013, May 2016, Apr 2020 Oct 2022 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reddesilets Posted June 15, 2015 Author Share Posted June 15, 2015 Oh we definitely went for the fun of it. We've been to a couple of mines with piles and buckets already prepared (and they usually advertise that the prefilled buckets are seeded; I guess I was either misled or misunderstood about the piles at Rose Creek - no biggie though, I'd still love to go back). If we wanted to be "serious" about it, we'd have to go digging and panning on location, which we don't really want to do. Our rare weekend trips to the mountains are short on precious time so having dirt already dug up and having seeded buckets is a-okay with us. I appreciate the info from everyone. I love researching but I guess I missed a big one when trying to dig up info on this fossil. He's still thrilled with it as it would still be a really old fossil showing how the current coastal plains were ocean. And if I come across as short, I apologize. I've been battle some of the worst migraines I've had my entire life over the past two weeks. Just after they started, I was in the emergency room because the left side of my body had gone numb for part of the night. Thankfully, no strokes or anything. Symptoms resolved themselves but we have no idea what happened or what is happening. I've been under a lot of pressure the past couple of years (I'll spare the details) so maybe all that stress (that I tend to compartmentalize) is finally releasing. *shrugs* Thanks again! Much appreciated. I'm anxious for the day when I can better ID fossils and help others. "Direct observation of the testimony of the earth ... is a matter of the laboratory, of the field naturalist, of indefatigable digging among the ancient archives of the earth's history." — Henry Fairfield Osborn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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