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Weird fossil from the Ozarks. What is it?


The fossil man

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During a trip in the Ozarks mountains, I found some fossils. There were lots of crinoid fossils, as well as some brachiopods. However, a few fossils seemed odd to me. Does anyone know what these are? Are they fossils or just crystal formations? 

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They all look like coral to me...

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“...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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Picture 2 looks like a Bryozoan - the others all look like Rugose Corals, to me. (Also known as "Horn" Corals.

Neat finds. 
Regards,

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    Tim    -  VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

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13 minutes ago, Fossildude19 said:

Picture 2 looks like a Bryozoan - the others all look like Rugose Corals, to me. (Also known as "Horn" Corals.

Neat finds. 
Regards,

 

Hi Tim et al.!

 

Is it possible that Picture 2 is a coral such as Thamnopora sp.?  I'm just wondering because it kind of looks like a fossil coral (which I thought was a bryozoan, but people here on TFF determined was a coral) that I received as a gift a few months ago:

 

 

Monica

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4 hours ago, Fossildude19 said:

Picture 2 looks like a Bryozoan - the others all look like Rugose Corals, to me. (Also known as "Horn" Corals.

Neat finds. 
Regards,

Thanks for helping me identify these fossils!

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12 hours ago, Monica said:

 

Hi Tim et al.!

 

Is it possible that Picture 2 is a coral such as Thamnopora sp.?  I'm just wondering because it kind of looks like a fossil coral (which I thought was a bryozoan, but people here on TFF determined was a coral) that I received as a gift a few months ago:

 

 

Monica

 

 

Monica,

 

It's definitely possible. My coral knowledge is sadly lacking.

Maybe @TqB will have a look. :)

Regards,

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    Tim    -  VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

   MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png      PaleoPartner.png.30c01982e09b0cc0b7d9d6a7a21f56c6.png.a600039856933851eeea617ca3f2d15f.png     Postmaster1.jpg.900efa599049929531fa81981f028e24.jpg    VFOTM.png.f1b09c78bf88298b009b0da14ef44cf0.png  VFOTM  --- APRIL - 2015  

__________________________________________________
"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."

John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~   ><))))( *>  About Me      

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12 hours ago, Monica said:

 

Hi Tim et al.!

 

Is it possible that Picture 2 is a coral such as Thamnopora sp.?  I'm just wondering because it kind of looks like a fossil coral (which I thought was a bryozoan, but people here on TFF determined was a coral) that I received as a gift a few months ago:

 

 

Monica

 

You may well be right. As  @Rockwood says we need to know the diameter of the pores (represented by the infills here, the walls having dissolved). Over 1mm or so and it should be something like Thamnopora.  All the similarly shaped trepostome bryozoans I've looked at are below 0.5mm though I've never been able to find a definitive statement on the size ranges. 

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Tarquin

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Lecompte's depiction of a Thamnopora species("Favosites cervicornis" de Blainville)

TqB,I take it you are referring to the May*(1997) piece ?

*The scientist,NOT the month

 

 

lecomhc.jpg

ltecomhc.jpg

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42 minutes ago, doushantuo said:

thmstat

Hope it works,BTW(12MB)

 

 

Yes, that works, thank you! And a quick glance shows Thamnopora  corallite peripheral diameters have a wide range of about  0.4 - 3mm. So the lower end just overlaps with large bryozoan openings.

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Tarquin

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5 minutes ago, TqB said:

 

Yes, that works, thank you! And a quick glance shows Thamnopora  corallite peripheral diameters have a wide range of about  0.4 - 3mm. So the lower end just overlaps with large bryozoan openings.

Almost qualifies as a fly in the ointment ? :)

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On 8/4/2017 at 3:56 PM, Fossildude19 said:

Picture 2 looks like a Bryozoan

 

I agree.  "Branch" Bryozoan.

 

Russ

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