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aek

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Found in a quarry near Rockford, Illinois, Ordovician, Galena group. It looks like a sponge, but I can't seem to find a match. Any help appreciated. spongejpg.thumb.jpg.5b08d5996f688187268d91829515cc2a.jpgspongespicules.thumb.jpg.7dde8e4f28c276f009a51031d7bc400d.jpg

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Strange preservation. Doesn't look Ordovician but I am not familiar with the area. Could you show a picture of the other sides?

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1 hour ago, Al Dente said:

I think it is a mineral deposit and not a fossil. 

Yes, some "coralloidal" specimen

Ciao

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I think the ramose structure with holes in the branches points to a sponge spicule network, perhaps lithistid. It's a beautiful specimen.

 

596c954162f90_ScreenShot2017-07-17at11_43_15.png.5fd5737c7e5cb71f355bf76e1708fa2b.png

Tarquin

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This reminds me of tufa. A calcium carbonate deposit. It can precipitate around plant structures as plants can change the chemical environment leading to calcium carbonate precipitation.

 

 

In this case it could have precipitated around plant roots. If it is Tufa, it could be modern. It would also react to acids e.g. Vinegar.

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Wow, whatever it turns out to be it looks exactly like a modern sponge.

“...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

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Thanks for the replies everyone. It was found loose on quarry floor, I rinsed it with water and let it air dry when I got home. Here are some more pics. Thanks for any additional info!

2017-07-16_18_40_31.jpg

2017-07-16 18.40.49.jpg

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That's amazing!

I think you need a sponge specialist here but browsing through the Porifera Treatise I came across this, Amplaspongia, an Ordovician lithistid from Australia that seems similar, with evenly spaced spikes (to give them their technical term :)). (x1 in the original figure which is only a couple of inches high so about the right scale.)

 

596cce8c3e4f8_ScreenShot2017-07-17at15_45_05.png.96a73807015a862499bbb90b138246e5.png   596cceabf1e98_ScreenShot2017-07-17at15_36_55.png.88b463db380cdf3b02b659dad91de21d.png

 

Tarquin

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