RiverHunter312 Posted February 8, 2018 Share Posted February 8, 2018 Hello everyone! I hope the new year is treating everyone well. Here outside of Chicago, we are about to get hit with a huge snow storm. While this time of year is usually slow for getting outside and doing some searching for interesting finds, a warm day last week allowed for a few new items to be found. In the DuPage river just west of Chicago in Illinois I have been finding a great group of teeth some fossils and a few possible Native American cutting stones. The item I found last week though is quite strange. I have no idea what this could be after searching for over an hour online for similar type stones/fossils. The ridges are very odd to me as they are pretty much evenly spaced. Here are the photos. As always I greatly appreciate any feedback you all have and look forward to discusses this and maybe identifying it. Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidgy's Dad Posted February 8, 2018 Share Posted February 8, 2018 Outer whorl segment of an ammonite, I think. 2 Life's Good! Tortoise Friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M Harvey Posted February 8, 2018 Share Posted February 8, 2018 it sure looks like a pottery shard to me. I have seen many forms of similar dimples along the rim of pots. Woodland period would be my guess. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiverHunter312 Posted February 8, 2018 Author Share Posted February 8, 2018 11 minutes ago, M Harvey said: it sure looks like a pottery shard to me. I have seen many forms of similar dimples along the rim of pots. Woodland period would be my guess. My first guess was pottery when I picked it up. I have found modern pieces of pottery in the area and then some that appear to be older. This seemed much older than the others. I kept it as it is so odd. Thank you for your feedback. I will dig into that some more! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiverHunter312 Posted February 8, 2018 Author Share Posted February 8, 2018 19 minutes ago, Tidgy's Dad said: Outer whorl segment of an ammonite, I think. I will look into that angle. Thank you! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixgill pete Posted February 8, 2018 Share Posted February 8, 2018 30 minutes ago, RiverHunter312 said: In the DuPage river just west of Chicago in Illinois I have been finding a great group of teeth some fossils and a few possible Native American cutting stones. \ I, like @Tidgy's Dad think it looks like a piece of the outer whorl of an ammonite. Could you be more specific about what kind of teeth and fossils you are finding. That could be extremely helpful in determining an I.D. on this as it could help us determine an accurate geologic age of the exposure you are collecting from. 1 Bulldozers and dirt Bulldozers and dirt behind the trailer, my desert Them red clay piles are heaven on earth I get my rocks off, bulldozers and dirt Patterson Hood; Drive-By Truckers May 2016 May 2012 Aug 2013, May 2016, Apr 2020 Oct 2022 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiverHunter312 Posted February 8, 2018 Author Share Posted February 8, 2018 7 minutes ago, sixgill pete said: I, like @Tidgy's Dad think it looks like a piece of the outer whorl of an ammonite. Could you be more specific about what kind of teeth and fossils you are finding. That could be extremely helpful in determining an I.D. on this as it could help us determine an accurate geologic age of the exposure you are collecting from. Thank you for your feedback! I just noticed the links didn't post in my original message. They all were found on the edge of the river. The area is not far from where a mill was operating 100+ years ago. The info on the teeth is in the following posts: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiverHunter312 Posted February 8, 2018 Author Share Posted February 8, 2018 12 minutes ago, sixgill pete said: I, like @Tidgy's Dad think it looks like a piece of the outer whorl of an ammonite. Could you be more specific about what kind of teeth and fossils you are finding. That could be extremely helpful in determining an I.D. on this as it could help us determine an accurate geologic age of the exposure you are collecting from. This is another odd object: And this probably a crinoid fossil as well: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixgill pete Posted February 8, 2018 Share Posted February 8, 2018 After seeing your links, and then remembering your posts on the teeth, I am know rethinking and wonder if it is a pottery shard. Lets see what Ralph @Nimravis thinks. Bulldozers and dirt Bulldozers and dirt behind the trailer, my desert Them red clay piles are heaven on earth I get my rocks off, bulldozers and dirt Patterson Hood; Drive-By Truckers May 2016 May 2012 Aug 2013, May 2016, Apr 2020 Oct 2022 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiverHunter312 Posted February 8, 2018 Author Share Posted February 8, 2018 9 minutes ago, sixgill pete said: After seeing your links, and then remembering your posts on the teeth, I am know rethinking and wonder if it is a pottery shard. Lets see what Ralph @Nimravis thinks. Ok thank you. I posted here as I had seen some fossils that had ridges sort of like this but my initial feeling in the field was that it was pottery. It is very light. I have found a ton of strange small items in this area so who knows? Just a small section of the river has given a crazy amount of fun and education about the geology and history of the area. There is a nice small museum in a college nearby that I am going to be bringing all the pieces to in order to get some more information on them. Trying to arrange that soon. Thank you again for your time and feedback. I appreciate it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidgy's Dad Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 Yes, especially if it's so light, it may well be pottery. I wonder what it's from? 1 Life's Good! Tortoise Friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nimravis Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 1 hour ago, sixgill pete said: After seeing your links, and then remembering your posts on the teeth, I am know rethinking and wonder if it is a pottery shard. Lets see what Ralph @Nimravis thinks. I am also leaning towards @Tidgy's Dad ID. I have never collected in the DuPage river or anywhere in the Chicagoland area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herb Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 there are some major Silurian quarries in the Chicago area, I think you have part of a straight shelled cephalopod.. 4 "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence"_ Carl Sagen No trees were killed in this posting......however, many innocent electrons were diverted from where they originally intended to go. " I think, therefore I collect fossils." _ Me "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."__S. Holmes "can't we all just get along?" Jack Nicholson from Mars Attacks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herb Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 2 "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence"_ Carl Sagen No trees were killed in this posting......however, many innocent electrons were diverted from where they originally intended to go. " I think, therefore I collect fossils." _ Me "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."__S. Holmes "can't we all just get along?" Jack Nicholson from Mars Attacks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piranha Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 Illinois is almost entirely Paleozoic. 100% orthoconic cephalopod. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiverHunter312 Posted February 9, 2018 Author Share Posted February 9, 2018 41 minutes ago, piranha said: Illinois is almost entirely Paleozoic. 100% orthoconic cephalopod. Thank you for the feedback! I am looking at the photos that Herb shared and the first one does look like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiverHunter312 Posted February 9, 2018 Author Share Posted February 9, 2018 Thank you for the input! I appreciate it! The first picture does look like it. The second picture and others I have seen online look totally different. Very cool though. Now I will zoom in on this lead. 51 minutes ago, Herb said: there are some major Silurian quarries in the Chicago area, I think you have part of a straight shelled cephalopod.. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herb Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 16 hours ago, piranha said: Illinois is almost entirely Paleozoic. 100% orthoconic cephalopod. "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence"_ Carl Sagen No trees were killed in this posting......however, many innocent electrons were diverted from where they originally intended to go. " I think, therefore I collect fossils." _ Me "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."__S. Holmes "can't we all just get along?" Jack Nicholson from Mars Attacks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monica Posted February 11, 2018 Share Posted February 11, 2018 Hi @RiverHunter312! Can you see a small circular-shaped part when looking at your specimen's cross-section (either end)? If so, then I'd also agree with you having found an orthoconic nautiloid, and that circular-shaped part is the siphuncle (I love it when you can see the siphuncle!!!). You said that your specimen is "light", though - that sounds very un-fossil-like, but you'd be the best to judge since you have the specimen in-hand Happy hunting (if you can, that is - we're completely snow-covered here so there's NO chance that I can get out for the time being ) Monica Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiverHunter312 Posted March 3, 2018 Author Share Posted March 3, 2018 On 2/11/2018 at 6:35 AM, Monica said: Hi @RiverHunter312! Can you see a small circular-shaped part when looking at your specimen's cross-section (either end)? If so, then I'd also agree with you having found an orthoconic nautiloid, and that circular-shaped part is the siphuncle (I love it when you can see the siphuncle!!!). You said that your specimen is "light", though - that sounds very un-fossil-like, but you'd be the best to judge since you have the specimen in-hand Happy hunting (if you can, that is - we're completely snow-covered here so there's NO chance that I can get out for the time being ) Monica I am so sorry for not responding to your comment sooner! I have no idea how I missed it! My apologies. I will take a deeper look at the object in reference to the points you mentioned. Thank you for your input and I will update with some new pictures and some answers. Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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