Fossil Bird? Hatchling perhaps

[WayneH]

A friend of mine own 30 acres along the ridge of North Mountain near Martinsburg. He uses an excavator to find stones for stone masonry. Walking the site the other day I noticed this laying in a cut.

 

Thought it was fossil plant, closer look seemed to show feathers and long neck head with beak? Most of fossils I've seen there have been marine life. Could this be a bird?

[FossilDudeCO]

Some more pictures and pictures with a scale would be helpful!

It may be bone, but not bird.

Birds have very light and delicate bones, not to mention that they are hollow.

Do you know the age of these rocks?

[Kane]

I think it is likely a bryozoan. Some of them take on this "feathery" appearance as they spread. It may also possibly be coral, but a few more pictures might help in making that determination.

[ynot]

Welcome to TFF!

I agree that it is not a bird, and I do not see any bone textures either.

I think a bryozoan is a good guess, but more pictures are needed to make a id on this.

 

Tony

[Sagebrush Steve]

West Virginia is pretty much all Paleozoic, which would rule out bird:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geology_of_West_Virginia#/media/File%3AGeologic_Map_of_West_Virginia.jpg

[WayneH]

27 minutes ago, WayneH said:

A friend of mine own 30 acres along the ridge of North Mountain near Martinsburg. He uses an excavator to find stones for stone masonry. Walking the site the other day I noticed this laying in a cut.

 

Thought it was fossil plant, closer look seemed to show feathers and long neck head with beak? Most of fossils I've seen there have been marine life. Could this be a bird?

 

[WayneH]

Yes, thanks for the info!! I'll post interesting future finds as well!

 

[ynot]

This piece may be too far gone to get a definitive id. My best guess is a bryozoan, but it could be a horn coral.

[WayneH]

Thanks!