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geological or fossil?


Rowboater

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I often find small rocks(?) like this (sorry forgot the scale penny, but about 1 cm X 1 cm X 0.5 cm), which look like a jumble of distinct rod-like structures stuck together in a matrix.  Since they are common was curious what they might be, whether precipitated mineral or something once alive?  Thanks in advance.IMG-20180609-WA0001.jpg.c2b5f56d4d0ca20d5ee74a0bd505e099.jpg

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The bars may have the features of Ophiomorpha pellets, including the organization level of them.

 

IMG-20180609-WA0001.jpg.c2b5f56d4d0ca20d5ee74a0bd505e099.jpg.318c31bff619515fbcae317e35558fbe.jpg1-s2.0-S0031018216309154-gr4.jpg.59f141d88dd40d01b7aff81b941775c3.jpg

 

comparative picture from  here

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Thanks for the suggestions everyone!  Appreciate your thoughts.

Unfortunately I need to invest in a better camera and cannot see that well.  I'll take to a dissecting scope and look. Difficult to see if some rods are short or if I am looking at projecting ends. Maybe can get some photos of the rod ends.  Many but not all the rods seem glossy like tooth enamel.

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Could you, please, take some some shots of the other specimens you've seen, considering they are common, or, at least, the opposite side of the specimen in question? It might be crucial. :headscratch:

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On 6/9/2018 at 12:12 PM, GeschWhat said:

Could we see a closeup of the end of one of the rods?

 

@Carl

I believe Carl is a recognized expert on the very feature. :)

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Funny, my first impression was also staurolite crystals in a matrix of mica...

How hard are the rods in comparison with the matrix? Try both scratching with knife.

What is the color of the rods? Are they somewhat translucent?

Franz Bernhard

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I would definitely consider those to be callianassid coprolites. The longitudinal canals would cinch it but the squared-off ends, parallel-sided pellets, and dark, phosphatic look all point towards callianassids. I'm still having a bit of trouble believing that the oblong pellets with rounded ends are callianassids.

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On 6/9/2018 at 7:27 AM, Rowboater said:

like a jumble of distinct rod-like structures stuck together in a matrix.

Can you please post better close up pictures from with the other sides?

Darwin said: " Man sprang from monkeys."

Will Rogers said: " Some of them didn't spring far enough."

 

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If you are looking at the ends through the microscope, here is the kind of thing you are looking for. I can't remember where this image came from, but there are similar in this LINK.

 

pellets.jpg.7df64b2867a9d477d2348f6f1ba9b1ba.jpg

 

 

 

Ha - @Carl, I just did a google search of callianassid coprolite images and your photo came up. You're big league now. :D

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12 hours ago, GeschWhat said:

If you are looking at the ends through the microscope, here is the kind of thing you are looking for. I can't remember where this image came from, but there are similar in this LINK.

 

pellets.jpg.7df64b2867a9d477d2348f6f1ba9b1ba.jpg

 

 

 

Ha - @Carl, I just did a google search of callianassid coprolite images and your photo came up. You're big league now. :D

Nice!

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Really struggling to make any determination looking through the dissecting scope.  The rods look less uniform at high magnification, opaque and black with a few seemingly split down the long axis of the rod, missing shards (the sand grains are spectacular!)  Of the few ends I can tell, most look softly rounded but that could be wear?   I'll have to root through what I have but these three are recent, not sure they are all the same thing.  The original one shown  has a clump or two or rods and shorter or differently oriented on the other side.  I'll try to find a better scope /cameraIMG-20180614-WA0000.thumb.jpg.d1e37124a376ed625054a6ffb4754d7b.jpgIMG-20180614-WA0001.thumb.jpg.177d4415d00a5715198d43b0ea48856d.jpg.

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If you have a lot of these, you could take one and scrape the end of one of the pellets with an X-acto blade. Try looking at it then under the scope. If there are too many lines left by the blade, try wetting the end. It looks like you have three different types there. 

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I'm busy but will try to go recent stuff (gave my old finds to a school teacher friend in Singapore), and see what else I can find.   

 

While I'm curious about what they are (particularly if they are multiple things and there's some shorthand ID), I don't really have time or equipment to devote to the issue. Among the commenters are there any of you who would take on the challenge of figuring out what they are?  Will happily send the samples.

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None as crowded as the first, but I found a few more from June, although they may be different things (I cannot see that well).  I'll try to look through earlier stuff hopefully this weekend.IMG-20180615-WA0001.jpg.499c654753ddb6dcb57ae81c71123ef4.jpg 

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What formation did you find these in? What type of rocks are nearby. If these are coprolites/ burrows then marine rocks must be nearby. If these are metamorphic rocks, (I do not think so) then other metamorphic rocks must be nearby. In other words, sometimes we can identify rocks or fossils by "guilt by association."

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8 minutes ago, DPS Ammonite said:

What formation did you find these in? What type of rocks are nearby. If these are coprolites/ burrows then marine rocks must be nearby. If these are metamorphic rocks, (I do not think so) then other metamorphic rocks must be nearby. In other words, sometimes we can identify rocks or fossils by "guilt by association."

Nice point.:thumbsu:

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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Have sent samples to ynot, hopefully he can figure out what they are.  Picked up a few more from a nearby Rapp beach.  More weathered, but look the same to me. Will post  soon.

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2 hours ago, GeschWhat said:

If you come across these often, I wouldn't mind having a peak at a few under the microscope as well. :)

Let me see what I have, most went to Singapore.

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Think these are the same things, although maybe more of a spectrum than I realized.  These came from a beach on the Rappahannock rather than the creek I usually hunt.IMG-20180616-WA0000.thumb.jpg.eeebab18f2e523ec4c50024e43e49828.jpgIMG-20180616-WA0001.thumb.jpg.585ddf53656210dcd6bced11c28f6e42.jpg

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2 hours ago, GeschWhat said:

If you come across these often, I wouldn't mind having a peak at a few under the microscope as well. :)

Perhaps Tony can share.

 

 

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