Hueston State Park, Ohio Fossil

[HB2]

Can someone please help me out here? I'm new to all of this and my friend is asking me about this fossil he stumbled upon today in Ohio.  I've been researching other posts but I'm not 100% on what I'm looking at here.  Thank you!

[Kane]

If I had to venture a guess, I would say solitary rugose coral with some interesting epibionts. Neat piece!

[FossilDAWG]

Partially silicified horn (solitary rugose) coral with beekite rings, I think.

 

Don

[ynot]

Agreed, but I also see some crinoid bits on there.

[Rockwood]

I

1 minute ago, FossilDAWG said:

Partially silicified horn (solitary rugose) coral with beekite rings, I think.

 

Don

Agreed. 

Just took me too long to check the spelling of it.

[HB2]

All words I'm slowly becoming familiar with.  You all are awesome!

[Herb]

beekite on horn coral  (Grewinkia sp). Nice specimen

[KimTexan]

It looks like a conglomerate of several things. I see the rugosa coral, some crinoid bits, something that looks like Bryozoa and possibly some brachiopod shell rings under the mud on the left under that orange bit. Also in the 2nd pic on the bottom right next to the tip of the coral is something that almost looks like it could be part of a crinoid cup. Can’t be sure with all the mud on it.

 

What is most intriguing is the part with the orange on it. There is a circularish or pentagonal shape then I see what looks like 5 arms radiating outward from it. The edges look a bit echinoidish to me. So it probably a larger part of a crinoid, which would be pretty cool. I think that’s a lot more interesting than the horn coral. Although the beekite is a cool bonus to make it more special. That all of it is together is cool. You get a microcosm of the environment. 

[caldigger]

Hey Rockwood, next time you need to spell it just get this image in your head. 

[HB2]

26 minutes ago, KimTexan said:

It looks like a conglomerate of several things. I see the rugosa coral, some crinoid bits, something that looks like Bryozoa and possibly some brachiopod shell rings under the mud on the left under that orange bit. Also in the 2nd pic on the bottom right next to the tip of the coral is something that almost looks like it could be part of a crinoid cup. Can’t be sure with all the mud on it.

 

What is most intriguing is the part with the orange on it. There is a circularish or pentagonal shape then I see what looks like 5 arms radiating outward from it. The edges look a bit echinoidish to me. So it probably a larger part of a crinoid, which would be pretty cool. I think that’s a lot more interesting than the horn coral. Although the beekite is a cool bonus to make it more special. That all of it is together is cool. You get a microcosm of the environment. 

That's very informative,  thanks!

[HB2]

23 hours ago, HB2 said:

That's very informative,  thanks!

Here are a couple of pictures with it cleaned up a bit. @KimTexan

[HB2]

2 hours ago, HB2 said:

Here are a couple of pictures with it cleaned up a bit. @KimTexan

Sorry, just realized the second one isn't here

[Herb]

nice pictures

[Rockwood]

That thing with the fried egg look is still pretty hard to get a firm handle on though. 

[HB2]

5 hours ago, Herb said:

nice pictures

Thanks!

[KimTexan]

2 hours ago, Rockwood said:

That thing with the fried egg look is still pretty hard to get a firm handle on though. 

I could be wrong about my crinoid anatomy, but I believe that is a crinoid cup with arms attached and the orange part may be the mouth. Crinoids are 5 sided and have 5 arms. 

This is a very cool find. It isn’t whole, but it is far more than I have ever found and it is fairly large. I’d consider it an epic find if I ever found that much of one in Texas or Arkansas. Odds are I’d never find one in those states.

[Herb]

I looks like a bryozoa colony with the top worn off. If you look at the circled areas it looks like there are 2 walls.

[KimTexan]

@Herb I haven’t seen bryozoa that are 5 sided with arms radiating outward around my areas I’ve hunted. Do you have an example? I know bryozoa are amazingly diverse and can form some very cool shapes like stars so they look like starfish. So it could be possible.

 

@HB2 May we have more pics? Some closer up on the shape in question.

Also, the other larger shape to the right of it in this pic. Cool crystals on the one corner of the shape. This is just a cool piece.

Also there is a v shaped something behind the smaller horn coral.

What does the bottom of the rock look like?

 

I have little exposure or nearby access to the Carboniferous where crinoids and bryozoa abound. Maybe some of the people who hunt those areas that have crinoids and bryozoa may have some insight. I know those are around where Herb lives. So Herb could be correct.

I love these types of things, because I usually learn a lot from others who weigh in.

@Kane, @crinus, I can’t remember if @abyssunder is into crinoids, but he has a broad range of knowledge. We don’t see many crinoids or bryozoa show up on TFF. So I forget who is good with those things.

[Rockwood]

@KimTexan Can you explain the loss, or lack, of segmentation in the arms ?

[KimTexan]

3 hours ago, Rockwood said:

@KimTexan Can you explain the loss, or lack, of segmentation in the arms ?

My last statement should explain sufficiently. Not sure why you’re asking unless it is to get me to think more critically next time.

In short ignorance, lack of experience and exposure to fossils with similar general shapes. Don’t know other 5 sided fossils with 5 radiating attachments.

 

In my last post I admit to having little personal exposure to Carboniferous fossils and that Herb could be right about it being a bryozoa.

As to loss of segmentation of the arms, I’d say it’s mostly my lack of exposure to seeing anything more than segments and calyx or cups personally when hunting. When I first thought it was a crinoid they were still mostly covered up and kind of still are. Also I wasn’t looking or thinking about the arms so much as what appeared to be a 5 sided shape with what looked like arms radiating out. The Bryozoa I have encountered are usually pretty flat. I’ve seen a couple pics of ones that aren’t flat, but those are tube like and one quite small starfish shaped one the size of a quarter. The others are modern and not fossils.

[daves64]

Looking at one of the different angle pics, I can see a possibility of 5 arms on that "fried egg" looking thing. Might be my vivid, overactive imagination, but I'm throwing it out there anyway.

[HB2]

8 hours ago, KimTexan said:

@Herb I haven’t seen bryozoa that are 5 sided with arms radiating outward around my areas I’ve hunted. Do you have an example? I know bryozoa are amazingly diverse and can form some very cool shapes like stars so they look like starfish. So it could be possible.

 

@HB2 May we have more pics? Some closer up on the shape in question.

Also, the other larger shape to the right of it in this pic. Cool crystals on the one corner of the shape. This is just a cool piece.

 

Also there is a v shaped something behind the smaller horn coral.

What does the bottom of the rock look like?

 

I have little exposure or nearby access to the Carboniferous where crinoids and bryozoa abound. Maybe some of the people who hunt those areas that have crinoids and bryozoa may have some insight. I know those are around where Herb lives. So Herb could be correct.

I love these types of things, because I usually learn a lot from others who weigh in.

@Kane, @crinus, I can’t remember if @abyssunder is into crinoids, but he has a broad range of knowledge. We don’t see many crinoids or bryozoa show up on TFF. So I forget who is good with those things.

@KimTexanThis is a friend of mine's piece.  We are both novices when it comes to fossils.  I appreciate all of the knowledge everyone is sharing.  I will ask him to provide more pictures.  He's very excited about this find!  Thanks again!

[ynot]

What if it is a holdfast?

[crinus]

Definitely not a crinoid. Lack of segmentation.

[Rockwood]

4 hours ago, KimTexan said:

 Not sure why you’re asking unless it is to get me to think more critically next time.

My only intent was to include your thoughts and opinions in the scientific process. You may have been able to teach me something.

I tend to avoid trying to make assumptions about what anyone knows. It just isn't something that is on my radar screen.