Unknown from Port Mulgrave

[James Pattison]

Hi,

 

We found this at Port Mulgrave today and are not sure what this is? Can anyone help? Sorry if this is obvious but we are new to fossils and do not have a lot of experience. 

[Fossildude19]

Welcome to the Forum.

 

Flipped, cropped and brightened. 

 

Looks like Port Mulgrave has Jurassic fossils available. 
Maybe someone more local will chime in.

 

[MeargleSchmeargl]

Maybe a few more pictures with more angles, lighting as well as close-ups could help. Honestly can't tell right now.

 

Wild stab: Cephalopod...?

[Tidgy's Dad]

Maybe Belemnotheutis sometimes incorrectly called Belemnoteuthis, a coleoid cephalopod which can be found in Port Mulgrave. 

[Ludwigia]

Looks like a severely eroded belemnite phragmocone to me.

[Welsh Wizard]

Hi

 

yes, the imprint of a belemnite phragmacone

[James Pattison]

Thanks for the quick replies. I had a look and yes, I can see it has the same conical shape as a cephalopod. I've added a couple of other photos, hopefully they help.  Sorry the photos are not perfect but I have no editing software to enhance them. We found ammonites by the bucket load but this looked unusual. 

[Auspex]

1 hour ago, Ludwigia said:

Looks like a severely eroded belemnite phragmocone to me.

 

50 minutes ago, Welsh Wizard said:

Hi

 

yes, the imprint of a belemnite phragmacone

Mightn't it be overlarge for that?
Or were there some big honking belemnites there/then?

[JohnBrewer]

13 minutes ago, Auspex said:

 

Mightn't it be overlarge for that?
Or were there some big honking belemnites there/then?

Not a guard but here a tip I have. Dunno how big it would have been. Also a trade with @TqB who no doubt will add to the conversation.  

 

[TqB]

It is indeed a weathered belemnite phragmocone, also showing the front, alveolar, part of the rostrum.

Although generally rarely preserved, phragmocones are quite common in the Grey Shales (Lower Toarcian) along the coast around there, Port Mulgrave having fine exposures. 

(They also occur more rarely in lower and higher beds).

 

From the Grey Shales and at that size, it will be Passaloteuthis bisulcata - here are a couple complete with rostrum. The first has the phragmocone inside a nodule (and needs more prepping!), the second is not quite so well preserved as a sub-nodule.

 

 

 

 

[Ludwigia]

10 hours ago, Auspex said:

 

Mightn't it be overlarge for that?
Or were there some big honking belemnites there/then?

Yes, you certainly can find some honkers there, as Tarquin has already pointed out. This first one is an Acrocoelites (17cm.) with pyritized phragmocone and even part of the soft tissue above it found at Kettleness just down the road from Port Mulgrave. The second is a concretion with phragmocone (7cm.) from Port Mulgrave.

 

 

[James Pattison]

Thanks for the input, although not quite as impressive as some of the photos you guys have put on! At least now I know what I'm looking at next time I'm down at Port Mulgrave. The place was teeming with Jurassic fossils although it was a very hard route down to the shore due to a landslip, very steep path and very muddy - especially with a 6 year and a 9 year old! I'll have a look at Kettleness as well next time I'm down that way.