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Petrified fig?


abm

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Hi, I've just joined The Fossil Forum to try and find out something about my fig. It's a family heirloom, I have no idea where it was found / bought, all I know is that my grandfather (long dead) gave it to my mother on condition it became mine when she died. I have dug around online and found very little about petrified figs and stumbled across this forum. So, here it is...

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post-20257-0-39593900-1450023767_thumb.jpg

post-20257-0-47293200-1450023768_thumb.jpg

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I wonder whether it mightn't be a flint echinoid? LINK

"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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Welcome.

It's a strange piece. Without the proper information it's a bit difficult to suggest anything in certainty. But to me it looks like a very worn type of echinoid.

Edit: ahh, beat by the Aus man.

Edited by fossilized6s

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Hi,

I think that this fossil has more luck to be a sponge that a sea urchin. I not distinguish any ambulacral or interambulacral area, and what would be the mouth is too prominent.

Coco

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I agree that it looks like a fig. Maybe it is something appropriate to Spinifructus antiquus (Ficus ceratops) from the Cretaceous Hell Creek formation.

" We are not separate and independent entities, but like links in a chain, and we could not by any means be what we are without those who went before us and showed us the way. "

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That is pretty neat. My second thought after fig would be a sponge.

It seems less likely that it would be a purchased fossil since your grandfather insisted

It be passed on to you. Did he travel or was he mainly local to his town?

The type of fossilization may be a clue. Sponges aren't commonly fossilized.

Thanks for posting. How about some cheese with the fig?

It's hard to remember why you drained the swamp when your surrounded by alligators.

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That is pretty neat. My second thought after fig would be a sponge.

It seems less likely that it would be a purchased fossil since your grandfather insisted

It be passed on to you. Did he travel or was he mainly local to his town?

The type of fossilization may be a clue. Sponges aren't commonly fossilized.

Thanks for posting. How about some cheese with the fig?

Depends on the formation - Chalk flint sponges are very common around this part of Europe and people frequently pick them up from the beaches wondering what they are. It is very neat! (and I'd love for it to be a fig...)

Edited by TqB

Tarquin

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I think it's a flint sponge. Very fig like though!

Hi,

I think that this fossil has more luck to be a sponge that a sea urchin. I not distinguish any ambulacral or interambulacral area, and what would be the mouth is too prominent.

Coco

Quite probably so. :)

"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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I'm wondering if anyone has seen the hardly visible poligonal structered "plates" (what I supposed to be) in the lower part of pic 3 in a closer view, or just my mind taking tricks? If..., could be Echinoderm. :)

" We are not separate and independent entities, but like links in a chain, and we could not by any means be what we are without those who went before us and showed us the way. "

Thomas Mann

My Library

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...I not distinguish any ambulacral or interambulacral area...

There is only this suggestive shape:

post-423-0-96722500-1450048442_thumb.jpg

"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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I'm referring to this : post-17588-0-31761500-1450049305_thumb.jpg May be some kind of Cystoid? :zzzzscratchchin:

" We are not separate and independent entities, but like links in a chain, and we could not by any means be what we are without those who went before us and showed us the way. "

Thomas Mann

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I'm referring to this : attachicon.gif2.jpg ...

Yes, my friend :)

I was thinking further about a possible ambulacral.

This one does not place easily!

"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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Looking again, I'm not sure it's flint.

I'll still argue for sponge for now and throw in a worn Astylospongia (Ordovician/Silurian) as a possibility.

It may help that it's found as an erratic in the Netherlands and Germany.

Edited by TqB

Tarquin

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I agree that looks older than Cretaceous, probably around Ordovician. A cross section through the specimen may be a good guide to exclude a lot of variants.

" We are not separate and independent entities, but like links in a chain, and we could not by any means be what we are without those who went before us and showed us the way. "

Thomas Mann

My Library

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looks like a fig to me.

post-2520-0-77124300-1450110099.jpg

fossil figs

post-2520-0-63874100-1450110247.jpg

post-2520-0-79869700-1450129849_thumb.jpg

post-2520-0-61343500-1450129867_thumb.jpg

Edited by Herb

"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

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looks like a fig to me.

Yes, it does, and therein lies the problem. It looks like a fresh, succulent fig; not at all like one that underwent petrifaction.

If it is stone (which has not actually been stated), it pretty much has to be something else that wound up looking like a fig, or it has to have been made as a decorative sculptural object.

"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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Yes, it does, and therein lies the problem. It looks like a fresh, succulent fig; not at all like one that underwent petrifaction.

If it is stone (which has not actually been stated), it pretty much has to be something else that wound up looking like a fig, or it has to have been made as a decorative sculptural object.

Respectfully,I don't see why it has to be something else other than a fig. A possibly it is something else. But from the evidence, or lack thereof, there is no clear evidence it is not a fossil fig. The top area is the same, the bottom is the same. It has the slight indentations on the sides and the structure. The "ambulacral area" could have been a split in the skin. I dont see it looking 'fresh and succulent' it looks like a well preserved fossil. If you compare the fresh figs in f.1 above to the fossil f.2 the markings are identical. f.3 and f.4 are also fossil figs. There has been no proof it is something else, and until I see new evidence, I for one will still consider it a fig.

"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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Not sure about this specimen, but the images you show of "fossil figs" (originally published under the name Ficus ceratops Knowlton 1911) have been reinterpreted as palm fruits and transferred to Spinifructus antiquus (Dawson) McIver 2002. I don't know any other records of fossil figs, so if this would be one, it would be a considerably rare occurrence. Regardless, I have trouble interpreting the fossil as a fig, given the deep depression on the underside. This feature would seem odd to me, given the "flawless preservation" of the rest of the "fruit".

  • I found this Informative 2

Searching for green in the dark grey.

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:popcorn:

"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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I cannot dismiss the idea that it could be a carved decorative facsimile: LINK

An antique, but not a fossil.

  • I found this Informative 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!

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I cannot dismiss the idea that it could be a carved decorative facsimile: LINK

An antique, but not a fossil.

Ha, that may be spot on... Why on earth do people make those?

Searching for green in the dark grey.

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