married2rick Posted June 4, 2017 Share Posted June 4, 2017 Found today by a friend in PA. Someone suggested it might be a sponge but I can't find any images that resemble it. Thanks, and as always, much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miocene_Mason Posted June 4, 2017 Share Posted June 4, 2017 Strange piece indeed. I have a guess but it is nowhere near 100%, could it be multiple crinoids, you can see columnals at the bottom of the holes, the holes being the hollow spaces left by the crinoids stem. I have seen a few like this, let me see if I can find a picture for you... “...whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been and are being evolved.” ~ Charles Darwin Happy hunting, Mason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
married2rick Posted June 4, 2017 Author Share Posted June 4, 2017 Thank you WhodamanHD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miocene_Mason Posted June 4, 2017 Share Posted June 4, 2017 Your welcome, any time. Now I couldn't find the exact example I was thinking of, but if I do I will let you know. For the time being, I believe something like this is happening, either yours is a different, smoother species or, more likely, it has eroded smooth. It is also more 3D and has more crinoids than yours. Hope it helps. 2 “...whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been and are being evolved.” ~ Charles Darwin Happy hunting, Mason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrangellian Posted June 4, 2017 Share Posted June 4, 2017 Do you have any insight on the nature of that granular appearance on the contorted surfaces? Is that part of the suspected sponge, or an epifaun, or something else? If it weren't for those, my best guess would have been ichnofossil (eg. burrows). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TqB Posted June 4, 2017 Share Posted June 4, 2017 It seems to have pores when you blow it up so sponge is a good possibility. Could also be a bryozoan - closeups would be good. 1 Tarquin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted June 4, 2017 Share Posted June 4, 2017 I see what appears to be brachiopod steinkerns in it though. Even in your example above there appear to be faint ridges. Could they be empty molds that were in a granular carbonate matrix ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TqB Posted June 4, 2017 Share Posted June 4, 2017 3 hours ago, Rockwood said: I see what appears to be brachiopod steinkerns in it though. Even in your example above there appear to be faint ridges. Could they be empty molds that were in a granular carbonate matrix ? You're definitely right about the steinkerns. Also, where the rock's broken there doesn't seem to be any internal structure. I think the whole thing has been decalcified and we're looking at an external mould, the negative of a ramifying organism with protrusions. It might have been encrusting the brachiopods or they may just be part of a hash. More pics would be useful. 1 Tarquin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miocene_Mason Posted June 4, 2017 Share Posted June 4, 2017 Can you also get close up pictures of the surface as well as the bottom of the holes? “...whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been and are being evolved.” ~ Charles Darwin Happy hunting, Mason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KCMOfossil Posted June 5, 2017 Share Posted June 5, 2017 On 6/4/2017 at 1:01 AM, Wrangellian said: that granular appearance on the contorted surfaces It looks to me a lot like the Fistulipora bryozoans I find in the Pennsylvanian of the Kansas City area. Russ 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TqB Posted June 5, 2017 Share Posted June 5, 2017 1 hour ago, KCMOfossil said: It looks to me a lot like the Fistulipora bryozoans I find in the Pennsylvanian of the Kansas City area. Russ Good call I think, that would fit nicely. Tarquin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now