Echinoid pieces from the Eocene of Virginia?

[Al Dente]

2 hours ago, MarcoSr said:

 

Eric

 

There are a good number of fossilized seeds/nuts at the site.  However, none of them that I've seen look like these two specimens.  Do you think that is a possibility?

 

Marco Sr.

I don’t know, I can’t think of any seed that resembles these fossils.

[MarcoSr]

15 hours ago, sixgill pete said:

@MarcoSr I have been looking at this over and over trying to figure out what it might be. I was thinking crab, but now I do not think that is what it is. Since seeing Trevors echinoid that @SailingAlongToo posted photo's of I am starting to get back in the echinoderm camp. I think Trevor's echinoid may be an Arbacioida; possibly Coeloplurus. If your pieces are echinoid, to me they look more like the Order Echinoida, something like Psammechinus but I am not familiar with any Psammechinus species in the Eocene. Just some more fuel for this mystery fire.

 

Don

 

The reason an echinoid was one of my original possible ids was I could envision a spine in each of those honeycomb cells.  However, I've only kept complete echinoids over the years so I don't know what their internal structure looks like.  I don't want to break open any complete ones that I have to see that internal structure. Seeing Trevor's pieces would really help.

 

Marco Sr.

[MarcoSr]

13 hours ago, Al Dente said:

I don’t know, I can’t think of any seed that resembles these fossils.

 

Eric

 

I can't either.  However, the edges and outside surface texture of these specimens under high magnification reminded me of the texture that I see on the fossilized seeds/nuts from the site.  Their edges when the seed/nut is broken open are not sharp and are somewhat grainy like in these specimens.  Whatever these two specimens are, they are not common from the site as these specimens are the only specimens like this that I found in matrix after 140 trips to the site over many years.

 

Marco Sr.