Possible Rugose Coral?

[Gmillerjr]

Hello everyone.  This is my first post.  I've had this fossil ever since my father gave it to me as a kid.  I know a friend of his gave it to him to give to me so i don't have any information about it other than that.  I've always suspected a coral of some sort.  This is really the first time i've tried to identify it more clearly.  The closest i found on line in pictures were horn coral like caninia torquoia.  I tried to get the best pictures i could to post of it with any markings.

[Gmillerjr]

More pics

[ynot]

Welcome to  !

It is a horn coral.

Others will come along and give a better id than that.

 

Tony

[FossilDAWG]

It's a solitary rugosan coral.  These are often called "horn corals" but that term is also applied to some solitary scleractinian corals (which are not nearly as old). 

 

Unfortunately there are only two ways to get a more precise ID.  The first is if you know the exact rock formation the specimen came from we could look up the solitary rugosans known to occur there.  I assume if you had that info you would have posted it.  That leaves alternative 2, which involves making thin sections (both cross sections and a longitudinal section) to reveal internal structures that could be used to precisely ID the specimen.  This is a highly skilled process (you have to make microscope slides by cutting pieces from the specimen and grinding them thin enough so that light can go through) and of course you'd need to find someone with the expertise to make the ID.  Also your fossil would have to be cut into pieces,which I suspect you might not care for.

 

Don

[Gmillerjr]

thanks the great information guys.  You're right, unfortunately i don't have any information on the formation area.  It's just a piece i've had sitting on my dresser and desk for years.  I think for now i may leave it at knowing just that much information.  I like the way it looks and would feel very nervous about cutting pieces of it off.

[Herb]

could also be something like Lithostrontium sp/

[doushantuo]

Is think that's not right,Herb.

It's Lithostrotion.

[TqB]

It's too wide for the colonial  Siphonodendron (used to be Lithostrotion which is now exclusively cerioid (honeycomb colony)).

It could well be a Caninia but, as Don said, you'd need sections for a reliable ID.

There seems to be an encrusting bryozoan, possibly Fistulipora, visible on the right hand end in the last photo.