Fossil help

[Ju.Dee]

Hello! Can anyone help me identify if this is a fossil? Thank you!

[ynot]

Looks like an oyster fossil shell to Me.

Where was it found? (this information will help to get a more precise ID.

[Al Dente]

Exogyra 

[Plax]

and a nice one

[Ju.Dee]

Laredo, Texas. In our backyard.

[Ju.Dee]

So it is a fossil then? Thank you all for your help!

[Uncle Siphuncle]

You may be north of Laredo in the Escondido formation, uppermost Cretaceous.  Watch for Sphenodiscus ammonites and fragmental turtle remains.

[Ju.Dee]

2 minutes ago, Uncle Siphuncle said:

You may be north of Laredo in the Escondido formation, uppermost Cretaceous.  Watch for Sphenodiscus ammonites and fragmental turtle remains.

Yes I am! I live in the Mines Road area! Wow that’s so helpful! Thank you!

[Plax]

probably Exogyra costata then. Google that name and see what you think.

[Ju.Dee]

I think that’s it! Can’t believe it was in our own back yard! Thank you all once again!

[Ludwigia]

Some people have all the luck! That's really a nice oyster. It's certainly not an everyday occurrence that you find something like this in your back yard.

[Innocentx]

Welcome to the Fossil Forum. Nice exogyra!

[Ju.Dee]

My son found it!  We spend the afternoons looking for things at the park. Little did we know it was closer than we had expected! 

[Auspex]

It's a beauty. Really!

[Fruitbat]

That really IS a particularly nice Exogyra!

 

-Joe

[erose]

4 hours ago, Uncle Siphuncle said:

You may be north of Laredo in the Escondido formation, uppermost Cretaceous.  Watch for Sphenodiscus ammonites and fragmental turtle remains.

 

Dan was able to SWAG that one because these oysters, the Exogyras, are index fossils. There are numerous species and they change over time. Exogyra costata is one of the last of the line and occurs in our upper most (youngest) Cretaceous strata.  Index fossils are very useful and good to know about.