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Gros morne newfoundland fossil?


BillyG

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Curious if this is a fossil or not and if so, what would it be? It’s quite interesting for sure. 

 

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Mostly Cambrian, Ordovician, and Devonian rocks in that area according to Wikipedia, so it would have to be from some sort of fish. If it was, I would expect inclusions of plates from arthropods or placoderms. I think it’s more likely an iron concretion, but I hope I’m wrong:)

Also, I don’t know any Canadian law but you might want to check whether it is legal to take fossils or even rocks from there.

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Happy hunting,

Mason

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19 minutes ago, WhodamanHD said:

 

Also, I don’t know any Canadian law but you might want to check whether it is legal to take fossils or even rocks from there.

Well Gros Morne is a UNESCO heritage site so it's definitely a problem

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I probably should have mentioned in the op, that i’m from and living in Newfoundland myself, so i know the law/rules. I was there on holidays to the west coast, and we found this on the beach at the world famous green point. I picked it up for a picture and placed it back where it was found. 

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I do not know if it is a fossil but it looks like tarnished crystallized pyrite. @GeschWhat are pyritized coprolites common?

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7 hours ago, DPS Ammonite said:

I do not know if it is a fossil but it looks like tarnished crystallized pyrite. @GeschWhat are pyritized coprolites common?

It is hard to say. I have coprolites that are partially covered in pyrite. The problem is it is really hard to prove something is a coprolite without inclusions. Most examples of pyritized specimens that could be coprolites have been completely replaced by the mineral. :headscratch:

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A google search shows most of the fossils there are soft body prints in the rock, not the type of replacement shown in this piece. Also they are from the ediacaran and therefore a coprolite is very unlikely.

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The only sedimentary rocks at Gros Morne are Cambrian and Lower Ordovician; the area was once proposed as the stratotype for the Cambrian/Ordovician boundary.  Older metamorphic and igneous rocks make up most of the park.  The potentially fossil-bearing rocks are too old for fish or large coprolites.  The specimen in question seems to be a mass of oxidized semi-crystallized pyrite or similar mineral as DPS Ammonite suggested.  Areas of the park, such as the Tablelands, are so rich in mangenese and heavy metals, and so low in calcium, that few plants can grow there.

 

Don

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Thanks everyone, that is what I was thinking, most or our rock only contain early sea life. Though some dinosaur fossils have been found during oil exploration on the grand banks in the north east atlantic. Here are two more we found for a pic in the same area. 

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was Newfoundland glaciated? If so this could've been transported. Almost looks like bony structure in the bottom section.

  I have very few coprolites with inclusions. Am surprised that condition is so common? Or perhaps it's not; it just is a good positive identifying characteristic.

  The "pyrite" crystals look too irregular to be such to me but am no mineral expert. I'd show the pic to a Devonian fish person.

   All of my comments are pure speculation of course.

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