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Fossil picture from a REAL newbie


BillC

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All--

 

I am a total newbie to fossil identification. I know a fossil when I see one. Sometimes. Maybe. In any case, here is one I found on some property we own in the southern Missouri Ozarks, south of Springfield, MO and just north of the Arkansas line. Will you please tell me what it might be? I found it approximately 300 feet above a river and 10 feet below grade in the side of an excavation for a house we are building. I SHOULD have measured the diameter. However, the diameter is about 2". (All suggestions for future ease of identification purposes are appreciated.)

 

Thanks!

 

--Bill

06-03-18 Fossil.jpg

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Welcome to the Forum. :)

 

Looks like the imprint of a gastropod, to me. 

Regards,

    Tim    VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

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Hints for future ID are in the posts pinned at the top of the ID section. Clearer pictures from multiple angles would help. 

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48 minutes ago, Fossildude19 said:

Welcome to the Forum. :)

 

Looks like the imprint of a gastropod, to me. 

Regards,

Imprint ? No. :)

Combination internal/external mold of gastropod. Yes.

Be nice to think the operculum was the smaller round.

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Welcome to TFF!

I think it is a cone in cone structure. The rings are not spireld and continue into the non eroded area.

Could also be a weathered agate/chert.

But I do not see a fossil in this piece.

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.

 

 

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12 hours ago, ynot said:

Welcome to TFF!

I think it is a cone in cone structure. The rings are not spireld and continue into the non eroded area.

Could also be a weathered agate/chert.

But I do not see a fossil in this piece.

I would not discount the possibility. Photos from a slightly different perspective might be helpful.

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I don't think it is cone-in-cone.  :unsure: 

 

Compare:

 

musecone2-vert.jpg

 

I do see a definite spiral. I think Dale's idea of combination internal/external mold of gastropod has merit. 

 

 

5b1806gastroswirl.jpg

    Tim    VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

   MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png      PaleoPartner.png.30c01982e09b0cc0b7d9d6a7a21f56c6.png.a600039856933851eeea617ca3f2d15f.png     Postmaster1.jpg.900efa599049929531fa81981f028e24.jpg    VFOTM.png.f1b09c78bf88298b009b0da14ef44cf0.png  VFOTM APRIL - 2015  

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"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."
John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~   ><))))( *>  About Me      

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1 hour ago, Fossildude19 said:

I do see a definite spiral. I

I see a series of concentric circles.

5b18068d11ae6_06-03-18Fossil.thumb.jpg.085ce512f2d4dd5511d408ca10c2950a.thumb.jpg.38558bc9873dae12c37a4dc9ef74c912.jpg

Also the smaller feature (circled in yellow) does not show a spiral.

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.

 

 

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27 minutes ago, ynot said:

I see a series of concentric circles.

 

Also the smaller feature (circled in yellow) does not show a spiral.

 

Maybe we both need glasses. :P  :D 

 

I think pictures of surrounding rocks would tell if it was cone-in-cone. 

Maybe the OP will be able to take some more photos of the item and the surrounding area. 

 

    Tim    VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

   MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png      PaleoPartner.png.30c01982e09b0cc0b7d9d6a7a21f56c6.png.a600039856933851eeea617ca3f2d15f.png     Postmaster1.jpg.900efa599049929531fa81981f028e24.jpg    VFOTM.png.f1b09c78bf88298b009b0da14ef44cf0.png  VFOTM APRIL - 2015  

__________________________________________________
"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."
John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~   ><))))( *>  About Me      

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10 minutes ago, Fossildude19 said:

Maybe we both need glasses. :P  :D 

No maybe about it on My end!:P

 

I agree that more pictures would help (prove Me right).:D:rofl:

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.

 

 

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Here is what I am seeing. I am no expert, but I'm not really seeing cone in cone. It seems like there is a difference in the composition between the layers. If not a strom, what about some sort of cave formation that was later filled in.

Concentric.jpg

 

EDIT: I highlighted the lighter colored bands. You will notice, the dark part at the center of both does seem to spiral. 

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1 minute ago, GeschWhat said:

Here is what I am seeing.

Your hand is much more steady than mine! Nice highlighting Lori!

Stomats do not have such a steep structure. They tend to be more domed than coned.

If not a cone in cone, the only other thing I can think of is a banded agate or chert, that has eroded/weathered.

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.

 

 

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All--

 

Thank you so much for all the replies! I have learned a lot, even though there was no complete consensus. 

 

The piece is contained within a rock weighing about 40 pounds. I knocked it loose with a backhoe while building a retaining wall from the side of the excavation for the house we built. The next time I go to the area, I will take more pictures if the rock seems to merit them for your consideration.

 

The area is full of (what I think are) fossils. Coral abounds. Worm trails (?). I believe there are also many Prasopora Bryozoan fossils. I'll find a picture and ask you.

 

Thank you again for the education.

 

--Bill

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1 hour ago, ynot said:

No maybe about it on My end!:P

 

I agree that more pictures would help (prove Me right).:D:rofl:

:P  :D 

    Tim    VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

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"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."
John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~   ><))))( *>  About Me      

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Blue - Last whorl and aperture.

Red - I dotted spots that appear to be dissolution of thickenings (tubercles, ornament) in the shell which is represented by a thin void exposed only at these spots. Notice the pattern. 

Yellow - Consistent with the growth of an operculum. The aperture would likely preserve an alometric copy even if the actual body is absent.

5b18068d11ae6_06-03-18Fossil.thumb.jpg.085ce512f2d4dd5511d408ca10c2950a_LI.jpg

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47 minutes ago, Rockwood said:

Blue - Last whorl and aperture.

Red - I dotted spots that appear to be dissolution of thickenings (tubercles, ornament) in the shell which is represented by a thin void exposed only at these spots. Notice the pattern. 

Yellow - Consistent with the growth of an operculum. The aperture would likely preserve an alometric copy even if the actual body is absent.

If this is accurate, why are the inner whorls all the same thin width and the last whorle so wide?

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.

 

 

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4 minutes ago, ynot said:

If this is accurate, why are the inner whorls all the same thin width and the last whorle so wide?

The  "last whorle" as seen is largely a transected (some kind of 'sected at least) internal mold. Some weathering has exposed the outer side of the shell cavity.

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3 hours ago, Rockwood said:

The  "last whorle" as seen is largely a transected (some kind of 'sected at least) internal mold. Some weathering has exposed the outer side of the shell cavity.

Looking at the version You marked I noticed that the "tube" structure (marked in orange) continues past what You labeled as an operculum (marked in yellow).

5b18068d11ae6_06-03-18Fossil.thumb.jpg.085ce512f2d4dd5511d408ca10c2950a_LI.thumb.jpg.4c5fbeb94ce0853c00142d2700e657de.jpg.dc3ec05a5de10dc24c1d5835c5dee106.jpg

 

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.

 

 

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4 hours ago, ynot said:

Looking at the version You marked I noticed that the "tube" structure (marked in orange) continues past what You labeled as an operculum (marked in yellow).

I agree that it is a bit like a lost person seeing the 'trail' ahead, or is it over there ? 

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On 7/6/2018 at 2:48 PM, GeschWhat said:

I think they are concentric - the larger just spiraling in the very center. What about a stromatolite?

 

Can’t tell if biological or not (concretions?) in origin, but my first thought was of eroded sphaerical and layered structures (two different ones).

 

ciao

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For me they look like concretions in onion skin weathering.

 

Ch2sCZKWUAAUx1U.jpg.2a7fa2106f525cda84d5cc02d74456b6.jpg

picture from here

 

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