hexagonal prism ID

[Coryander]

Please ID this white hexagonal prism, about 5,5 milimeters wide.

Found it in Algarve, Portugal (miocene, I guess).

I would also ask you to please advise me how to preserve it. Shall I varnish it?

Thank you.

 

 

[Monica]

Echinoid spine?

[Peat Burns]

Scaphopod?

[Max-fossils]

I think Peat Burns is right on spot. Definitely looks like a small piece of scaphopod! Neat!

[Coryander]

Well, I found these Scaphopoda on same beach, altough not hexagonal:

 

 

[Plax]

worm tube for the original one?

[Max-fossils]

On 8/27/2018 at 9:03 PM, Coryander said:

Well, I found these Scaphopoda on same beach, altough not hexagonal:

 

 

 

There are many different scaphopod species.

Some have a "hexagonal" structure, some are perfectly round, others have lots of ribs, etc. There are lots of different structures within the scaphopods, but the general shape is pretty much the same for all of them: like an elephant's tusk. 

 

By the way, Scaphopoda is a whole class (just like Bivalvia, Gastropoda, Cephalopoda, etc), so the name doesn't go in italics  

Only species do!

 

[Max-fossils]

On 8/27/2018 at 9:08 PM, Plax said:

worm tube for the original one?

I find scaphopod to match the structure much better. Worm tubes are usually much more irregular. 

[Coryander]

59 minutes ago, Max-fossils said:

Some have a "hexagonal" structure

 

 

Can you please name one or two species?

[Max-fossils]

37 minutes ago, Coryander said:

 

Can you please name one or two species?

Here is a fossil one I found myself!

 

Antalis vulgaris

Zandmotor, Netherlands

Eem Formation, Eemian, Pleistocene (120'000 y)

 

 

Other species are for example Dentalium sexangulum, Fissidentalium bladense, Entalis laevis, etc.

There are lots and lots of different species!

Just in the Dentalium genus, there are hundreds of accepted species.

If you want to learn more about scaphopods, Wikipedia is always a good place to start: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tusk_shell

From there on you can look at lots of other websites on Google to find more info about this fascinating and original class of mollusks. 

 

 

Yours is too incomplete to be identified down to species level unfortunately...

[Plax]

3 hours ago, Max-fossils said:

I find scaphopod to match the structure much better. Worm tubes are usually much more irregular. 

I'll defer to your expertise. The tube within the tube threw me as I have seen that in worm tubes.

like this:

http://myfossilfind.com/2013/08/07/texas-marine-fossils/

  Am not disagreeing with you here just providing the logic for my misconception.

[Max-fossils]

20 hours ago, Plax said:

I'll defer to your expertise. The tube within the tube threw me as I have seen that in worm tubes.

like this:

http://myfossilfind.com/2013/08/07/texas-marine-fossils/

  Am not disagreeing with you here just providing the logic for my misconception.

Ah, I see your point, and understand where your thought came from. 

 

But (just so that I can add to your knowledge) here is the difference:

You'll notice that the "opening" of the worm tubes are not perfectly round. Also, the sculpture of the worm tubes is very pronounced (the ridges are big) and also not evenly spaced out (you can see it well in the middle one here). 

 

Meanwhile, scaphopods really have that near-perfect regularity and symmetry, which the worm tubes lack. 

 

Hopefully this clears it up a little more for you  

[FranzBernhard]

2 hours ago, Max-fossils said:

But (just so that I can add to your knowledge) here is the difference:

You'll notice that the "opening" of the worm tubes are not perfectly round. Also, the sculpture of the worm tubes is very pronounced (the ridges are big) and also not evenly spaced out (you can see it well in the middle one here). 

Max, do you know what species these worm tubes are?

Thanks!
Franz Bernhard

[Max-fossils]

Just now, FranzBernhard said:

Max, do you know what species these worm tubes are?

Thanks!
Franz Bernhard

 

I took this picture from the link that @Plax sent right above! 

Take a look here:

23 hours ago, Plax said:

The tube within the tube threw me as I have seen that in worm tubes.

like this:

http://myfossilfind.com/2013/08/07/texas-marine-fossils/

 

According to the link they are "Hamulus" worm tubes? Worm tubes are far from being my specialty, so don't ask me on my opinion as to species.  

[FranzBernhard]

Thanks for the info, Max!
Franz Bernhard

[Coryander]

On 8/30/2018 at 5:59 PM, Max-fossils said:

Yours is too incomplete to be identified down to species level unfortunately...

 

Thank you.