Toot-Toot McBumbersnazzle Posted February 8, 2017 Share Posted February 8, 2017 Hello all, this was sold to me as a chunk of precambrian algae from a reputable dealer. However, I'm having trouble finding photos of anything similar. Is that what it really is, and if so, is there any way to know roughly what kind it is and how old it is? The precambrian era is a pretty big block of time... The largest face of the fossil has bands of hollowed-out "combs" spaced about an inch or so apart. From the other sides, top, and bottom, it's clear that these bands go all the way through the fossil in three dimensions. There are some combs between the banding, but the large number of them in the bands is distinctive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted February 8, 2017 Share Posted February 8, 2017 I smell a "thought to be" here. A reputable dealer should have provided some information on the science behind it. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMP Posted February 8, 2017 Share Posted February 8, 2017 I've found similar things in Wisconsin, but they were Ordovician corals/sponge type things and not algae. It's possible he just got confused with the labels. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashcraft Posted February 8, 2017 Share Posted February 8, 2017 Is it ironstone? Could be a BIF (banded Iron Formation). They are striking when cut and polished. Brent Ashcraft ashcraft, brent allen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMP Posted February 8, 2017 Share Posted February 8, 2017 It looks like a fossil, so I'll stick with coral/stromatoporid/sponge on it. It's just too regular to be simple geology. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcusFossils Posted February 8, 2017 Share Posted February 8, 2017 Precambrian fossils are infamously difficult to ID without more info. Could be anything really. 1 Website: https://www.instagram.com/paleo_archives/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- “It is by no means an irrational fancy that, in a future existence, we shall look upon what we think our present existence, as a dream.” ― Edgar Allan Poe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrangellian Posted February 9, 2017 Share Posted February 9, 2017 I'm not seeing clearly what you're describing as 'bands'.. If you can provide better (clear-focused and not shrunk) pics of these it might help to ID it. I would certainly want to see banding in a stromatolite... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toot-Toot McBumbersnazzle Posted February 9, 2017 Author Share Posted February 9, 2017 56 minutes ago, Wrangellian said: I'm not seeing clearly what you're describing as 'bands'.. If you can provide better (clear-focused and not shrunk) pics of these it might help to ID it. I would certainly want to see banding in a stromatolite... These are the best I could get. It's very distinct in person, and the other sides clearly show these are layered all the way through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted February 9, 2017 Share Posted February 9, 2017 Bands this large would seem unlikely. Cyanobacteria are microscopic. In my opinion this looks more like a mechanical process. Think cone in cone or frost patterning, that sort of thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMP Posted February 9, 2017 Share Posted February 9, 2017 For sure a fossil. I'm sticking with he probably messed up the labels. I guess it could be a very weathered/odd stromatolite type thing, which he could have confused as algae but it's unlikely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted February 9, 2017 Share Posted February 9, 2017 I don't really see a fossil in here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrangellian Posted February 10, 2017 Share Posted February 10, 2017 I still need to see better pics to be able to tell what I'm looking at. The pics need to be taken in sunlight, and the camera shouldn't be pushed too close if it can't focus that close. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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