Cretaceous Critter Posted July 4, 2015 Share Posted July 4, 2015 This is likely to be the first in a series of dumb questions. While in the aNorth Sulphur River fossil beds I picked up this hunk of clay. It is much harder than other clay rocks. It appears to have what might be iron deposits or some other material inside of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cretaceous Critter Posted July 4, 2015 Author Share Posted July 4, 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted July 4, 2015 Share Posted July 4, 2015 There is some apparent local lithification going on, maybe due to the presence of organics, maybe due to pyrite. I know of only one way to find out... 2 "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...
Cretaceous Critter Posted July 4, 2015 Author Share Posted July 4, 2015 (edited) Thank you Any suggestions on how I get into it? Edited July 4, 2015 by Cretaceous Critter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billheim Posted July 4, 2015 Share Posted July 4, 2015 It resembles a nodule of shale and has things in it that would be obviously fossils if the locality and formation were appropriate.Where did you find it and do you know the age and formation? If not, then where you found it is a clue to help us answer the other questions. To respond to the question of how to get into it, chances are the fossil in this shale are made of similar minerals, so dissolution in acid probably would destroy it all. I recommend not hurting it in any way. The nodule itself is just as valuable to understanding it as the fossil in it. You could brake it open with a hammer if you use something like cloth to keep from damaging the surface of the nodule. If necessary, you could glue it back together. Braking nodules in half is widely accepted among us amateur paleontologists and so is applying glue to put fossil pieces together.Have fun getting the answers you need. Respond with locality data and we may be able to say more.Bill 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cretaceous Critter Posted July 5, 2015 Author Share Posted July 5, 2015 I do not know the geologic formation. The place where I found it is popular for it's Mosasaur and shark teeth fossils. I am terribly uninformed, I apologize. I considered a few taps with a hammer to see if I could get it apart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mediospirifer Posted July 5, 2015 Share Posted July 5, 2015 One minimally destructive technique for open nodules is the freeze-thaw method. Immerse it in a small dish of water to soak for about 5 days, then put the dish into the freezer for a few days until the water surrounding the nodule is frozen completely solid. Then take it out and melt the ice (I like to use hot water in a larger dish) and see if it opens. It will likely shed small pieces first. If it doesn't open, put it back in the freezer as before, and repeat the freezing and thawing until it either opens up or falls apart. Hopefully the former! Good luck. It's an interesting piece. Oh, and if you decide to try the hammer, just tap it on the side. Don't use a chisel, as that will force a split that may not be along the fossil. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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