Is this a fossil?

[GorillamoRex]

Many years ago, a friend from Arizona gave me this item. He didn't know what it is but thought it interesting. Memory fails as to exactly where he found it but he lives in northwest Arizona. I came across it in a box recently and would like to know if it is a fossil or not. Forgive the quality of the photos but it's the best I can do with what I have at the moment. I can take better photos later if anyone needs to see better. (I've labelled the three attached photos arbitrarily as top, bottom, and front.)

Can anyone identify this item for me?

 

Thanks,

Bill

[Kane]

It is pretty weathered, but perhaps this might be a bivalve steinkern along the lines of a "deer heart" clam. 

 

[abyssunder]

Welcome to the Forum!
You have a bivalve steinkern with some nice borings.

[ynot]

Welcome to TFF!

I agree with a bivalve steinkern.

[Andy B]

Wow, I now want too find a bivalve steinkern myself!

[GorillamoRex]

Thank you, everyone, for your speedy responses!

 

After reading the above, I image-Googled "bivalve steinkern" and (LOL) saw one of the photos I had JUST posted on this forum! 

 

I also found this entry elsewhere on this forum: "What you have there is a Protocardia Texana. They are a type of bivalve steinkern from the Jurassic and are sometimes called a bull's heart. These were disocvered by Robert Plot at Headington, who referred to them as 'Bucardites'. They are now known by the scientific name Protocardia . Their resemblance to a heart becomes apparent when the fossils are viewed from the side, with the mould of the left valve on one side and that of the right valve on the other."

 

Fascinating world in so many ways!

 

Thanks again,

Bill

[GorillamoRex]

Is steinkern pronounced stine-kern or steen-kern?

[Kane]

13 minutes ago, GorillamoRex said:

Is steinkern pronounced stine-kern or steen-kern?

Depends on where you are in Germany!  I would pronounce it "shtyne-kurn" but whenever I speak German I go with the old Prussian standard of pronouncing "ich/mich" with the hard consonant of ickh/mickh rather than the fancy Berliner eesh/meesh.  

 

It makes German love poetry sound like you are going to annex them.  

[abyssunder]

in German

[Tidgy's Dad]

Hello, and a very warm welcome to TFF to you and your steinkern from Morocco! 

[Fossildude19]

Welcome to the Forum.   

 

There are also the ones from the east coast, usually attributed to Cucullaea sp.

They are sometimes colloquially called Deer Hearts, Turtle Heads, Bull Hearts.   

[DPS Ammonite]

The steinkern does not look like any type ( shape or dark color - phosphatic?) that occurs in Arizona. In northwestern Arizona most marine bivalves come from the Martin, Redwall, Suprise Canyon, and Kaibab Formations, none of which have similar fossils.

 

In a slightly unrelated matter, maybe TFF should allow members to make a post as a sound clip so that we may hear how they pronounce/mispronounce "steinkern" and other paleontological terms. Plus, would not @Tidgy's Dad sound so much more authoritative and distinguished while giving an opinion in his native accent.

[GorillamoRex]

You wouldn't want to hear me slaughter these words!

[Peat Burns]

1 hour ago, GorillamoRex said:

You wouldn't want to hear me slaughter these words!

I pronounce it "shtine-cairn".  As Kane indicated, in German "st" is pronounced as "sht".  And the "e" in "kern" is pronounced like "ay".  It translates simply to "stone core" or "stone kernal" (the lithified mud from within the shell).

 

 In German, the words sound complicated to us.  But in translation many seem more simple than our terms.  We say dictionary.  They say worterbuch (which translates to "words book)  (apologies to my German friends, I don't have an umlaut on my phone)