ID Indiana Fossil

[epj]

Hello All,

 

I found this as a boy in southern Indiana in the 50's.  It was a loose piece, possibly found on the banks of the Ohio River about 10 miles north of Louisville, KY.

 

The darker stone appears to be a flint like material.

 

Being a young boy, I naturally hit it with a hammer revealing the cross sections shown.  The second photo is the upper piece from the first photo and the third photo is the lower piece.

 

It is just so symmetric that I don't think it is a naturally occuring piece.

 

I have been curious about what this is for decades.  Any ideas?

 

Thanks,

 

Ed

 

 

[GeschWhat]

It does look like a fossil, but beyond that, I can't help. It kind of looks like a cross between ET and a gremlin. 

[Plax]

Neat piece. You might try brachiopod in cross section showing the lophophore. I was initially drawn to the rows of pores thinking it could be some kind of echinoderm. these are research suggestions.

[Kane]

Interesting piece. If I had to make a wild guess just on the basis of shape, it might be something like a cross section of a paraspirifer in chert. 

 

EDIT: Plax just beat me to it by barely a second!

 

A picture to show what I mean:

[Plax]

yes but you know and I only suggested!

 

[Kane]

Just now, Plax said:

yes but you know and I only suggested!

 

Ha! "Know" is a pretty strong word.  I still hold to "wild guess" on this one!

[Fossildude19]

+1 for cross section through a brachiopod. 

Excellent find.  Seeing the interior structures is pretty cool, if you ask me.  

Regards,

[FossilDAWG]

Count me in the brachiopod cross section camp as well.

 

Don C

[Arizona Chris]

The wavey outlines around the periphery seem to be ribs on a mollusk or brach, then the inside very much reminds of of lophophores as well.  Looks like a nice piece to polish up on a wheel.

[Peat Burns]

+1 for section through brachiopod showing brachidium.  Nice find!

[Herb]

brachiopod x-section

[Max-fossils]

On 9/13/2017 at 9:53 PM, GeschWhat said:

It does look like a fossil, but beyond that, I can't help. It kind of looks like a cross between ET and a gremlin. 

Or like one of those Venetian carnival masks 

[Carl]

OUTSTANDING!!