minnbuckeye Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 As you can see, Minnesota is locked into winter: Fossil hunting is obviously out of the question. But other activities can be just as enjoyable such as bird watching: Or fishing: Or working on cleaning up one's finds from last summer. Such has been the case this February. I had collected a colonial coral completely embedded in matrix last summer. Only the circular tips of the coral showed themselves. I have looked at that ball of rock many times wondering if I could expose its deeper treasures. So early this month, I began to remove the matrix around the coral. It became VERY frustrating because any exposed coral was EXTREMELY brittle. In fact at one point, I tossed it into my pitch pile out of frustration. But being a stubborn person, I looked at it in the trash can and said, one more time. This go around, I slowed down. How many times have I heard this when it comes to fossil prep! I got out my paraloid or b- something and smeared it on the exposed pieces to stabilize them. I super glued all of the broken bits back on. Then on a daily basis, I would expose a little more then stabilize it. Then after a few weeks, I could not reach any deeper and quit. Here is the specimen that I would like a conformation ID on: My guess is: Syringoporids are tabulate corals, a group that is always colonial. The corallites (tubes that contained the individual polyps) are vertical and were connected by small horizontal tubes, through which they shared common tissue. Some colonies had hundreds of corallites and built mounds up to a meter in diameter. Syringopora is the longest-ranging genus in the family, having started in the Ordovician Period and going extinct in the Permian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 I think you may have it. Here is one of mine that I had identified here some while back for comparison: ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidgy's Dad Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 Hmmmm. Looks a bit different, but it is a beautiful thing! Thank goodness you kept with it, Mike, i love it! Great prep job! Life's Good! Tortoise Friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herb Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 without a close up showing the pores, it looks like a bryozoan colony to me "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...
Miocene_Mason Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 Now that's dedication (or just stubbornness). Either way it turned out great! “...whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been and are being evolved.” ~ Charles Darwin Happy hunting, Mason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidgy's Dad Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 25 minutes ago, Herb said: without a close up showing the pores, it looks like a bryozoan colony to me Yes, I think i'm with you Herb, it doesn't have the 'straight lines' for Syringopora. But which bryozoans looked like that? Life's Good! Tortoise Friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilDAWG Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 That growth form is typical of a lot of Paleozoic "twiggy" bryozoans. They can't be IDed without making thin sections unfortunately. That is a very special specimen, one rarely sees the intact colony like that. Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piranha Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 I also have a similar 'mystery twiggy' bryozoan from the Upper Ordovician of Minnesota. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minnbuckeye Posted February 14, 2018 Author Share Posted February 14, 2018 Thanks to all that responded @Herb, @piranha, @Tidgy's Dad, @FossilDAWG, @Kane, @WhodamanHDThe reason I feel Syringoporid seems to fit is the multiple horizontal tubes that exist. They do not show up well but are definitely present. They do not seem like "branches". I thought they were strange as I prepped it but it wasn't until I read about Syringoporids that it made sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DPS Ammonite Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 It is not a Syringopora (very branching and no cross pieces); it is a bryozoan. See lower right part of photo on the left side shows the pores of a bryozoan. I wish everyone could provide a photo with such detail. The answer is often in the details of a photo. My goal is to leave no stone or fossil unturned. See my Arizona Paleontology Guide link The best single resource for Arizona paleontology anywhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herb Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 Hallopora sp "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...
ynot Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 Nice. Should be in the fossil of the month contest.(if You have before pictures) Darwin said: " Man sprang from monkeys." Will Rogers said: " Some of them didn't spring far enough." My Fossil collection - My Mineral collection My favorite thread on TFF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herb Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 1 hour ago, ynot said: Nice. Should be in the fossil of the month contest.(if You have before pictures) Sadly not mine. I don't have the patience to reassemble one "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...
ynot Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 24 minutes ago, Herb said: Sadly not mine. I don't have the patience to reassemble one I meant @minnbuckeye's piece. Sorry for any confusion @Herb. (not to say the one You showed is not nice.) Darwin said: " Man sprang from monkeys." Will Rogers said: " Some of them didn't spring far enough." My Fossil collection - My Mineral collection My favorite thread on TFF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minnbuckeye Posted February 14, 2018 Author Share Posted February 14, 2018 @Herb, and @DPS Ammonite, You have convinced me!!!! As I said earlier, I am stubborn. So your examples let me overcome my "personality disorder". Shocked that pores could be seen through the 1/4 inch coating of consolidant. I have thought about soaking it in acetone to remove it, but have been scared to see it possibly fall apart. 13 hours ago, ynot said: Nice. Should be in the fossil of the month contest.(if You have before pictures) @ynot Unfortunately, if you would have seen this piece at the start of prep, there would be NO reason to suspect it would be worthy of entering this contest, hence no pic!! Hope you get into the smoky quartz for digit!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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