NSR Texas Tabulate Coral or Rudist Help???

[shel67]

I found this in the NSR yesterday, and it is very similar to a Tabulate coral I found in the NSR a while back. Here’s the discussion on the forum about that specimen: http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/78070-mosaic-of-crystal-north-sulphur-river/

This one is worn a bit more, so I’m confused as to whether it is also a Tabulate coral or Rudist, but they have very similar characteristics. The sections don’t seem to be as square as Rudist. Any help is appreciated!

[FranzBernhard]

Is it silicified? Can you scratch it with a knife blade?

Franz Bernhard

[shel67]

31 minutes ago, FranzBernhard said:

Is it silicified? Can you scratch it with a knife blade?

Franz Bernhard

No, it does not scratch. I tried it on several places. 

[TqB]

It looks like a solitary rugose coral - there appear to be septa, and dissepiments around the outside, as well as central tabulae.

[shel67]

4 minutes ago, TqB said:

It looks like a solitary rugose coral - there appear to be septa, and dissepiments around the outside.

I just saw a diagram of a rugose after your comment and yes it does appear to be that. Horn coral correct? So, these are not known to be within the Cretaceous period, so there’s a question of how it got into the North Sulphur River as with the Tabulate? 

[FranzBernhard]

13 minutes ago, shel67 said:

so there’s a question of how it got into the North Sulphur River as with the Tabulate?

Both your palaeozoic corals are silicified, maybe this is a hint? Are there any non-silicified palaeozoic corals known from NSR?
Franz Bernhard

[DPS Ammonite]

1 hour ago, FranzBernhard said:

Both your palaeozoic corals are silicified, maybe this is a hint? Are there any non-silicified palaeozoic corals known from NSR?
Franz Bernhard

No non-silicified Paleozoic corals are known from the NSR. No Paleozoic rocks crop out in the NSR watershed.

 

There is a fair amount of quartz rich gravel and cobbles in the NSR that probably is coming from the Pleistocene gravels. Petrified wood that looks more recent than the Cretaceous is common. Paleozoic rocks occur further north in Oklahoma and further west in Texas. It is not a stretch that some of the resistant Paleozoic fossils could have been reworked and deposited in the NSR.

 

@BobWill Anything to add?

[shel67]

33 minutes ago, DPS Ammonite said:

No non-silicified Paleozoic corals are known from the NSR. No Paleozoic rocks crop out in the NSR watershed.

 

There is a fair amount of quartz rich gravel and cobbles in the NSR that probably is coming from the Pleistocene gravels. Petrified wood that looks more recent than the Cretaceous is common. Paleozoic rocks occur further north in Oklahoma and further west in Texas. It is not a stretch that some of the resistant Paleozoic fossils could have been reworked and deposited in the NSR.

 

@BobWill Anything to add?

Thank you for your explanation as, honestly, I did not have one for that particular question. Lol!!

[BobWill]

There is a coral found in the Ozan Formation that can have a shape similar to the horn corals. It is Trochocyathus sp. and there are other species of the genus that are more disc-shaped. Google the name and click on images for a comparison.

[shel67]

35 minutes ago, BobWill said:

There is a coral found in the Ozan Formation that can have a shape similar to the horn corals. It is Trochocyathus sp. and there are other species of the genus that are more disc-shaped. Google the name and click on images for a comparison.

@BobWill Thank you so much! Your help is always appreciated! 

[JarrodB]

Coral is the best I can do. Cool find.