Possible Fossilized Fungus from Walton on the Naze

[SHARKY]

Hi Forum Members,

                                   I would like to have some help with some identification, I believe to have found a fossilized bracket fungus, found at Walton on the naze around 1 week ago washed up in amongst fossilized tree material. At first i thought it was a crab, but when i took it home to my amazement it was to me to be a piece fossilized wood with fungus in a matrix. Also I would like to have advise on how to preserve fossilized wood ,seeds and shark teeth from London clay. As I have been told, the way to preserve my fossils from the naze. Will be the process of  have them in  boiling water , then let them dry and then put nail polish on them.

 

Here are 2 photos.

SHARKY

[GeschWhat]

Hmmm...I'm seeing what looks like fish bones and a shell fragment. 

[Innocentx]

So you're saying that the majority of fossils from this site are plant?

 

I know bracket fungus can be just as hard as tree substrate they grow on, so not out of line to find one fossilized among other wood fossils.

I did find one example at researchgate from Aukland, New Zealand.

 

 

[Auspex]

I think the inclusion might well be wood, but am skeptical about the fungus interpretation.
Why do you think it is that, and not a normal sedimentary matrix?

[GeschWhat]

London clay has a lot of marine sediments as well as terrestrial fossils. I have oodles of fish coprolites from the London Clay in Sheppey.

[Innocentx]

In the upper left part of second photo, there are lines that could be interpreted as shell fragment or as @SHARKY is wondering, mushroom gills. I think a trip to a local university, paleontologist, would be worthwhile. The photos just aren't enough to interpret what this might be.

[FunkyMonkey]

Hi Sharky,

I’m not sure on the process of preserving fossilised wood as it depends on how they have been preserved. Some of the wood from that site can crumble very quickly and may need specialised processes while others are very stable.  My rule of thumb for collecting wood at Walton is if it appears more like carbonised material it is likely to crumble and I leave it alone. The harder, denser material seems fairly stable and that is what I collect. There are some lovely pieces from there, arent there that have knots, bark etc.

 

As far as the teeth are concerned I usually wash them, dry them and then leave them. I’ve never had recourse to cover them in nail polish and in no cases have they ever deteriorated. I have hundreds of sharks teeth from Walton on the Naze and they seem very stable as they are.

 

 

[SHARKY]

Hi everyone,

                     thanks for all of the help there has been some interesting answers and questions brought up that I will cover.

 

On ‎16‎/‎06‎/‎2018 at 6:58 PM, Innocentx said:

So you're saying that the majority of fossils from this site are plant?

 

I know bracket fungus can be just as hard as tree substrate they grow on, so not out of line to find one fossilized among other wood fossils.

I did find one example at researchgate from Aukland, New Zealand.

 

 

HI there it is Sharky to answer you question Innocentx about what is found at the naze it tends to be :

60% Plant material (WOOD, NUTS AND SEEDS ) 15% Shark teeth 10% SHELLS 5%WHALE 5%BIRDS 5%OTHER

 

 

[SHARKY]

Thankyou for all the reply's everyone, the information was taken in and I decide to send it to a museum and now I'm waiting for the verdict to see what it is, as this may take a few weeks too the extreme of 2 months.

To answer Auspex question. I believe it is a fossilised fungus because it has the shape of those that grow on birch but maybe of a different variety. Although the strange marks / squiggles seen on the specimen do remind me, of other modern bracket funguses so it is still in my sceptical subject? Still be interesting to know what it is? As we move on to the next question.

"Why do you think it is that, and not a normal sedimentary matrix? "

It is hard to interpret what you mean but the matrix specimens found at the Naze tend to be of two kinds. One brown material that Is shown above and the other matrix found usually containing pyrite.

[SHARKY]

Hello forum ,

                      After a while of waiting the information from the museum has come back with the fossil and sadly it turns out to be the remains of a mollusc...….

ohh well may be next time ill find one thank you for all messages Sharky.