Round Geologic Quirk or Boring Round fossil? (Central KY)

[Alisha Peterson]

Hi everyone!  I've been going through a few piles of all my pretty things I drag home from the wilderness and came across a few of these peculiar looking blobs I found last summer in Kentucky.  They're pretty boring, and I figure if they are even fossils at all, they're still not quite as fun as a shark or even a pretty shell or coral, but still figured I'd see some opinions before I go too happy with my diamond bits to see what's inside.

 

I've thought these were just quirky little round geologic blobs but then found that the smaller one does appear to have some sort of influence on the material throughout as I was grinding around it. I got this in the same area of central Kentucky (Hart County region) where I grew up and periodically re-visit family.  I picked them up with the typical little shell and algae type patterns I always find there.  I've gotten a few like this, various sizes though they range between the two examples I'm showing in the photos below.  Like the ones in the photos, they appear to have been broken off of a shelf type rock.  They are surrounded by a smooth type of rock, that is not quite all sandy/grainy, and rather solid compared to the more light type of material that is so common there.  They're usually pretty solid and while I thought originally the rock was the very dusty type of sandstone that would chip away easy, I found when I tried to grind it down that it actually becomes much smoother below the crud layer on top.  The photos show the look of the rock that is around the actual knobs--I have not yet messed with the blobs themselves because I wanted to see how they may differ from the surrounding rock if at all.

 

I hope that I have shown the area on the side of the rock.  The side cut is natural, these are exactly as I picked off the ground, so the sharp cuts are as found, though I'm obviously grinding away in thin layers.  It may be a coincidental artifact of normal geological design, but the round "circle" on that sharp straight side appears to be what you'd expect if the round blob were indeed a separate material that was stuck in matrix?  I get so frustrated with the inability to just snap photos of exactly what I think I see with my own vision sometimes. 

 

I know the photos are not great--I need a new camera and these are taken with my cell phone and quick crops with Picasa.  I didn't take them with intent on posting here originally but had thought to use them for my own reference.  Since I'm an ignorant ijit about the geological technical details, I usually have no idea what I'm doing when I'm playing around with my tools.  I would love to one day have the skills to bring out natural interesting things, whether fossil or geologic, so for now I practice on seeing what I can do with regular boring "leaverights".  They actually often give very pretty results if they're in the right materials, and so the value is there for me to play with and see the results, and that's all that matters, right? I will post a couple more photos of the better snaps I have next post.  

 

Thanks in advance for any help & comments! I am so impressed with this board and have always received such patient and informative responses.  If there is any way I can ever help any of you, I hope that I am in a position to do so, though my own areas of expertise consist mostly of a good imagination in terms of useful fossil info... lol

[Alisha Peterson]

First photo here is the bottom of the larger blob, where you can see the imprint of a shell.  The second is the bottom of the smaller round blob.

[Raggedy Man]

Top one looks like a concretion. I can't make out any details on the other one that suggest a fossil. Keep looking!

 

Best regards,

Paul

[Alisha Peterson]

Thanks, Paul!  I figured as much.  As usual, I get just as much fun and self-education in breaking things apart and hopefully honing the skills one day I'll be able to use on things that are pretty AND real...  

[FossilDudeCO]

I say if you have a few, give one a good whack with the hammer and check out what the innards look like!

[ynot]

I agree that they look like concretions.

 

Tony

[minnbuckeye]

Could contain crystals inside so "whack" gently!!!

[Alisha Peterson]

I will try to do a whack on one this weekend.  I don't anticipate any potential over wracking,  because I stink at simple chisel splitting work.  I am quite atrocious,  to the degree that I am considering there may be some sort of chisel gene that just will not allow successful chisel splitting,  even when all is set up perfectly.  Like how some people can't roll their tongue tho it seems like all physiology is the same for those who can. 

 

I also can't whistle.  I have tried all my life,  and simply can not whistle.  Maybe it is all related,  but no one else has had both desire to chisel split rocks AND whistle AND found they can't do either, so no one ever made the connection lol

 

I can,  however,  roll my tongue.  Doesnt make up for whistling. *sad* I really wish I could whistle and do it with skill. Lol