Plant?

[Malone]

Found this while wandering. Debris pile from rock canyon anticline. Just took a picture too heavy to pack on my back. Entire picture is approximately 2'x3'.

[Herb]

looks like a burrow to me

[Kane]

I agree with @Herb: some sort of burrow. 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Thirded. 

[Malone]

2 minutes ago, Herb said:

looks like a burrow to me

I guess I am assuming this is the horizontal surface due to the entirety of the matrix. Would there be creatures that burrow sideways in the bottom of the ocean that would make approximately two inch wide burrows?

[Kane]

I've actually seen fairly thick worm burrows (not saying a worm did this one - could be crustaceans and other types of critters), but some of those are actually created by more than one worm, or with repeated entry by a single worm, thus expanding the burrow wall - an example of nature's conservation of energy, or just plain laziness.  

 

In terms of direction, burrows can go in just about any direction (think of a cross-section of an ant colony). Some traces can form fairly entangled and intricate burrow-mazes, such as Thalassinoides: 

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

And plenty of crustaceans make all sorts of weird burrows. 

[caldigger]

6 minutes ago, Malone said:

I guess I am assuming this is the horizontal surface due to the entirety of the matrix. Would there be creatures that burrow sideways in the bottom of the ocean that would make approximately two inch wide burrows?

Might this have been laid down? There has been a lot of tectonic crud going in in the Rockies.

[Malone]

8 minutes ago, caldigger said:

Might this have been laid down? There has been a lot of tectonic crud going in in the Rockies.

Yeah that's possible! The matrix is about one and 1/2 feel thick, three and 1/2 feet wide, four feet long if the burrows showing are the top. The reason I assumed this was the top is because how limestone/ shale usually fractures 

[Malone]

You all have amazed me Once again ! Thank you!

[Malone]

I was just researching about groundhog burrows earlier today. This is a picture of one burrow pathway I saw earlier.

[Rockwood]

To address the plant suggestion. 

The branching pattern and the relative diameter at each point is inconsistent with normal plant growth. 

[Malone]

2 minutes ago, Rockwood said:

To address the plant suggestion. 

The branching pattern and the relative diameter at each point is inconsistent with normal plant growth. 

I have no doubt it's exactly what they said. I am very new to fossil hunting. I don't even know what exist today let alone what crazy stuff existed before. I am fascinated daily by this existence!

[Malone]

After learning from Kane I looked it up on the internet and saw this picture. I was amazed at the size.

[Rockwood]

10 minutes ago, Malone said:

I have no doubt it's exactly what they said. I am very new to fossil hunting. I don't even know what exist today let alone what crazy stuff existed before. I am fascinated daily by this existence!

Just notating one way that they can tell so that more can follow along. 

[abyssunder]

Thalassinoides will be my guess, also. They can be huge, sometimes.

 

 

[Rockwood]

That one probably would have looked like a groundhog burrow at the surface.

[Malone]

12 minutes ago, abyssunder said:

Thalassinoides will be my guess, also. They can be huge, sometimes.

 

 

I think that would be an entire colony. Makes you wonder what's underfoot.

[MeargleSchmeargl]

Burrow!