Fossilized nut?

[Marinegrunt]

My daughter and I took our Husky down to the river (more like a creek in the summer) to play earlier today. The river is so low right now you're basically walking on a rock bed. I found what looks to be a small petrified walnut. I tried searching the net but couldn't find anything similar. The closest I found someone said it could be a type of sponge? The lines on it kind of curve around to the back to where it looks like it could have hung on a branch. 

 

I know nothing about fossils but we have found a few from just being out hiking. We found what we think is a petrified deer tooth a few years back. I was able to id it online. This little nut thing is definitely wierd and I can't seem to id it. I guess it could just be a rock that's grooved up from wear. If I had to guess it's some kind of fossil though.

 

Any ideas?

 

Thank you for the help.

[RJB]

I have no idea as to what it is, but I would put money on it not being a fossilized walnut.   Someone else may know what it is?  Interesting though.

 

RB

[Ludwigia]

Looks like it might be an ironstone or phosphate concretion. Not a fossilized walnut at any rate. Here is what one looks like. They are extremely rare.

[abyssunder]

It could be a fossil or not. If it's a fossil, it could be a sponge or coral (like the meandering ones maybe), ore something else, but there aren't enough details to make more than a guess in the ID. Can you post higher resolution images to see clearly the surface texture of the specimen?

[Marinegrunt]

Thanks everyone. After looking at the walnut fossil posted above it's definitely not that. It's really more the size of a hickory nut but I'm sure it's not a hickory. I have no idea what it could actually be. 

 

I tried some stronger resolution pictures. If these aren't good enough I'll get the good camera charged up. I took a couple while wet too hoping that would help.

 

 

 

Edited August 19, 2017 by Marinegrunt
Removed photobucket error

[Marinegrunt]

[ynot]

Where is it from? A river in Illinois is a little vague.

There are geodized fossils in the Illinois - Kentucky area that look much like Your rock.

 

EDIT: the picture You added while I was typing makes it look like a concretion.

[Marinegrunt]

It was found in an area of the Mackinaw River just outside Mackinaw in Central IL. It's about halfway between Peoria and Bloomington. 

 

It probably doesn't matter but it was found in an area that is normally under water except in July and August. If it helps, a few weeks back I found what looks to be a piece of old dead coral in the same area.

 

I searched online for concretions and there are some that look pretty similar to what I have.

 

Thanks!

 

 

[Virgilian]

Possibly a modern seed of some sort. If it's around 8mm in diameter (slightly less than a third of an inch)--perhaps a Hackberry seed?

[Marinegrunt]

I know you can't tell from the pictures but the diameter is closer to 3/4" to 1". I should have mentioned that in the first post.

 

Since I know nothing about fossils I'm not sure if modern is meant to mean not fossilized or petrified or, meant to mean less than maybe a million years old, but it's definitely made of stone, rock, etc. We have plenty of Hackberry trees around here though.

 

Thanks!

 

[Virgilian]

15 hours ago, Virgilian said:

Possibly a modern seed of some sort. If it's around 8mm in diameter (slightly less than a third of an inch)--perhaps a Hackberry seed?

 

2 hours ago, Marinegrunt said:

I know you can't tell from the pictures but the diameter is closer to 3/4" to 1". I should have mentioned that in the first post.

 

Since I know nothing about fossils I'm not sure if modern is meant to mean not fossilized or petrified or, meant to mean less than maybe a million years old, but it's definitely made of stone, rock, etc. We have plenty of Hackberry trees around here though.

 

Thanks!

 

 

In this context, I meant "modern" to include anything living right now. I was thinking that it could have been a seed dropped by a living plant.

 

In a paleontological context, a fossil is the remains of any organism--or part of an organism--older than 11,700 years. To be considered a fossil, an organic remain has to be of Pleistocene, or older, geologic age. And by common convention, the Pleistocene ended 11,700 years ago.

[abyssunder]

Maybe the traces visible on the surface are remnants of sponge borings, considering their shape and arrangement on the surface and the fact that the rock was tumbled in the river (evidently if the rock was initially in a marine environment).

 

comparative picture from here

[Marinegrunt]

That looks very possible too Abyssunder. You all are good. Everyone is giving examples of things and they all look like it could be either of them. I appreciate all of the help!