I might have one this time!

[kerrimarie805]

Fingers crossed, I think there's a real fossil in this mess! I accidentally chipped the part I think is a fossil, bone or shell maybe, with my tile nippers trying to chip away the bigger rocks in the conglomerate-- the nippers are for sherd crafts ONLY from now on! However, the pattern of lines in the part in question is as it was when I found it in the lower canal along the Delaware river near Pt. Pleasant,  PA. My husband, King of Pareidolia, thinks it's a turtle. I'm not going to see things I can't hypothesize on, I'm here instead.

 

[Heteromorph]

It looks like a small chunk of concrete to me. That is not to say that there couldn’t be a fossil included in it, but nothing in the picture stands out to me as being one. Can we see a few more pictures of it from different angles in good lighting to confirm an ID? 

[Ludwigia]

Concrete or conglomerate, but let's see what better photos bring.

[kerrimarie805]

Heartbreakers all!

[kerrimarie805]

First, tell me this is a turtle shell so I can muster the strength to keep trying...

[ynot]

I think it is a conglomerate. And it could be a fossil.

I would like to see a close up of the edge.

[kerrimarie805]

Can't you see his tiny head just above his shell? Joking, hope these are better!

 

 

[kerrimarie805]

Back 

[ynot]

Sorry, but I do not see it being a fossil here. It looks like a chalk or clay cobble that has cracked up in the conglomerate. 

It does have a superficial appearance of a turtle shell, but has none of the internal characteristics.

[jpc]

I agree with ynot.  

[kerrimarie805]

Me, too, actually. It feels like chalk, has no darkening of organic matter like bone would, and looks nothing like my turtle shell. I still get to tell my husband he is wrong and I was less wrong, tho, so thanks for working it out for me!

[ynot]

3 minutes ago, KraZshardLady said:

has no darkening of organic matter like bone would,

Color of a fossil can vary quite a lot. I have seen bone and shell fossils the same color as the "turtle shell" in Your piece.

 

[kerrimarie805]

Most of the time, tho, bone darkens as it fossilizes, yes? Or areas of the bone, even if a small area, will look darker than bone as we think of it and still show cell structure under a microscope and smell funky under the hot needle test -- generally...?

[kerrimarie805]

[ynot]

7 minutes ago, KraZshardLady said:

Most of the time, tho, bone darkens as it fossilizes, yes? Or areas of the bone, even if a small area, will look darker than bone as we think of it and still show cell structure under a microscope and smell funky under the hot needle test -- generally...?

Depends on the mineral that is available for the mineralization of the bone.

Other minerals will stain a bone long before it starts to fossilize. This can make a recent bone look like a fossil.

The bad smell from heating bone indicates that it is recent and not a fossil. It is the calogin of the bone that makes the smell, and it is the first thing to break down when a bone is fossilized.

[kerrimarie805]

Spur of the moment shot so apologies if the pic is not good enough to say for sure, but this shows the dark streak showing what I am talking about.  The second pic shows two pieces on the right with areas that are not as dark but darkened,  I think these are all bone.

2 minutes ago, ynot said:

Depends on the mineral that is available for the mineralization of the bone.

Other minerals will stain a bone long before it starts to fossilize. This can make a recent bone look like a fossil.

The bad smell from heating bone indicates that it is recent and not a fossil. It is the calogin of the bone that makes the smell, and it is the first thing to break down when a bone is fossilized.

That clarifies info from prior informants, thank you. 

[ynot]

2 minutes ago, KraZshardLady said:

Spur of the moment shot so apologies if the pic is not good enough to say for sure, but this shows the dark streak showing what I am talking about.  The second pic shows two pieces on the right with areas that are not as dark but darkened,  I think these are all bone.

I do not see bone in the last pieces posted, they look like minerals.

Better pictures may change that opinion.

[kerrimarie805]

What about the first pic?

[ynot]

3 minutes ago, KraZshardLady said:

What about the first pic?

Yeah, the one with four pieces in it.

It would help if You make sure the pictures are in focus. Take the pictures straight on - not at an angle.

It also helps to have more angles of the piece, front, back and side.

[kerrimarie805]

It's too dark in my apartment and my phone camera sucks. You're a trooper, tho, so I'll get better shots tomorrow!

[kerrimarie805]

As good as it gets on a cloudy day with my phone, same pieces both sides

[JohnBrewer]

On 04/12/2017 at 7:31 PM, KraZshardLady said:

First, tell me this is a turtle shell so I can muster the strength to keep trying...

Well if I found that I’d have been convinced it was turtle!

[kerrimarie805]

1 hour ago, JohnBrewer said:

Well if I found that I’d have been convinced it was turtle!

The one I needed IDd was just chalk, tho, sad face! That's a turtle shell, no doubt, and I have two!

[kerrimarie805]

I'll add a photo of the inside of the shell cuz it's very cool and kinda gross! Who knew that turtles have a bony shell attached by a spine similar looking to ours all covered in a green skin? Harry and vnot probably did, but I always thought turtle shells were green turtle shell tissue, rather than skin covered bone.

[kerrimarie805]

Inside of the turtle shell