What left this impression? Or is it a trace?

[kerrimarie805]

I'm not sure if this is an impression or trace fossil, so educate me on the difference please, but it's definitely something. I enhanced the color only slightly so y'all can see it better.

[bone2stone]

Impression and trace is one and the same description.

Many inclusions in your specimen but to what degree of ID is beyond me.

Not much to go on so you may want to try a freeze/thaw cracking to see more of what lies inside.

 

Jess B

[Rockwood]

23 minutes ago, bone2stone said:

Impression and trace is one and the same description.

Are you kidding ?

No way does this look like a trace. Traces are the result of an activity. Impressions are more accurately referred to as molds if left by a fossil which has been dissolved away. 

I think this a poorly preserved body fossil of a crinoid columnal with other small molds around it.

[kerrimarie805]

So, traces are rather like "footprints" and molds are exactly like a mold I'd make in art class? I will look up crinoid columnal and do see the smaller molds around it. 

Just to be clear, these are molds then, yes?

[Rockwood]

Yes. These are mold fossils.

The larger shape in the original post may be as well if it is completely concave around a pedestal like center.

The term trace includes tracks, but things like burrows, feeding traces, and even coprolites (fossil poop) are also trace fossils.

[kerrimarie805]

2 minutes ago, Rockwood said:

Yes. These are mold fossils.

The larger shape in the original post may be as well if it is completely concave around a pedestal like center.

The term trace includes tracks, but things like burrows, feeding traces, and even coprolites (fossil poop) are also trace fossils.

Got it!