Fossil eye!

[NEYXOUS]

Odd looking....

Probably not an eye, but any ideas as to what it is?

Found in yellow cat flats utah 

[NEYXOUS]

Other side

[ynot]

Welcome to TFF!

Looks like a crinoid calyx to Me.

Wait for others to reply.

 

Tony

 

PS Nice find!

[NEYXOUS]

Thanks for the reply! Now that you mention it... it kinda does.

Though considering the location... seems unusual. 

Hmmmm

[Innocentx]

In size and shape it reminds me of upper carboniferous sponge that's found in these parts(eastern Flint Hills, KS). I wonder if one side was an attachment zone for whatever this was.

29 minutes ago, NEYXOUS said:

Though considering the location... seems unusual. 

Why would this location be unusual for crinoid?

[NEYXOUS]

I was under the impressionn wood and vertebrate dinos is what was found here.

Not crinoid or other ocean fossils..

[Walt]

I believe this is a concretion.

from wiki:  "A concretion is a hard, compact mass of matter formed by the precipitation of mineral cement within the spaces between particles, and is found in sedimentary rock or soil. Concretions are often ovoid or spherical in shape, although irregular shapes also occur."

I've run across them before.  They can be formed out of a variety of minerals such as iron and can take unusual shapes. I have attached a few pics from the internet.

 

[abyssunder]

It reminds me of echinoderms, but can't comment on this without a more precise geological age.

My first thought was Lobolith , but I could be wrong.

 

comparative picture from here

 

 

[Walt]

7 minutes ago, abyssunder said:

It reminds me of echinoderms, but can't comment on this without a more precise geological age.

My first thought was Lobolith , but I could be wrong.

 

comparative picture from here

 

 

it certainly does look like it, doesn't it.

[Innocentx]

If this is concretion I'm curious as to how we account for these radiating striations.

[Rockwood]

Shrinkage 

Think septarian 

[Walt]

2 hours ago, Innocentx said:

If this is concretion I'm curious as to how we account for these radiating striations.

This article could explain the radiating cracks....about halfway into the article, under calcareous concretions.

https://www.priweb.org/index.php/education/education-projects-programs/earth-101/concretions

It is very informative regardless what the specimen turns out to be.  But I withdraw my suggestion that it is a concretion. The odds that both ends would show features of a lobolith are small.  

I am very pleased. Before this post I didn't know loboliths existed 

[Innocentx]

The collapsing dome occurrence must be what you're referring to @Walt, though this looks a little different to me.

May yet be a concretion.

[Walt]

I didn't find a satisfactory explanation of how this end (with the striations) functioned on the animal.  The other end would have been the attachment point for the tether....but not sure what function this end preformed. I'm off to search the forum for answers

[Rockwood]

1 hour ago, Walt said:

I'm off to search the forum for answers

Contracting muscles to retract a loosely sutured lid would compress the gas inside and allow them to duck for cover if surface threats were detected.

[NEYXOUS]

Wow, i really appreciate the reponses. (:

I'm learning so much!

I wonder if cutting it in half would be worth it...

[fifbrindacier]

If you want to see the internal structure yes. You'll also see if that's a concretion or from a crinoid or a sponge. If you choose to do that, please, let us see it.

[Arizona Rex]

Welcome to the Forum!!  Great looking piece!  I agree with Abyssunder and Walt, looks like lobolith to me as well.  A bit more worn maybe than the comparative but again, an excellent and exciting find!!  For another comparative, here is a pic from my collection....also a bit worn.