seeds or nuts?

[Wrangellian]

I think I posted these years ago but I don't know what happened to that.

I acquired these from the same old (late) rockhound couple from whom I got a number of other 'orphaned' items that caused me to join the Forum looking for more info.

The people I got them from could not remember where they came from.

They are obviously some sort of nut or seed. They are rather lightweight, but they still sink in water and are almost rocklike, which you can tell by tapping them on your teeth. If they aren't fossil, I'd say they've been buried for some time.

 

For all I know they could be from around here. Most of the old couple's stuff was from around here on the Island (Upper Cretaceous Nanaimo Group, mostly), though they did have some stuff from elsewhere in North America too.

Also, every now and then I come across something in my hunts that are reminiscent, such as the thing in the next post below, though this one is squashed - perhaps the 4 above came out of one of the coal-producing formations in Nanaimo area. But if on the other hand someone recognizes them from a different location, or what their ID may be, I'd appreciate knowing about it.

[Wrangellian]

The white stuff on this specimen is cement from the housebuilding going on up the hill where I found this!

Would like everyone's thoughts on this too. (Santonian age Haslam Fm.)

 

[Al Dente]

39 minutes ago, Wrangellian said:

They are obviously some sort of nut or seed. They are rather lightweight, but they still sink in water and are almost rocklike

They look similar to hickory nuts. Whether they float or sink won't tell you much about the age. I used to gather shagbark hickory nuts to eat and one way to tell a good one from a bad one is bad ones will float.

[DPS Ammonite]

I too have a similar nut (I do not know where it is at the moment) that looks old but is not fully petrified/silicified. I was told that it was a fossil from Washington or Oregon. I note that Eocene nuts have been found in the Clarno Nut Beds in the area where forests were buried by volcano classics.

[Wrangellian]

Thanks guys.

DPS, if you find your specimen, can you show it? I'll look into the Clarno next...

[Wrangellian]

I see mention of the Clarno nuts being agatized. I don't think mine are agatized.

They do look a lot like hickory nuts, judging by Google Images...

[hndmarshall]

I too found a few nuts of some kind agatized and in a matrix ...need to find the thing for more pics but do have some of close ups...

some of the pics are of the inside of the nut that was exposed ....Tue Oct 09 19-27-21.jpg / Tue Oct 09 19-32-30.jpg / Tue Oct 09 19-44-36.jpg

one is of what appears to be a possible worm? ....Tue Oct 09 19-42-54.jpg

I really need to find it again its a jumbled mass type matrix of fossilized goodies....its in one of my boxes here someplace.

[Wrangellian]

21 hours ago, hndmarshall said:

I too found a few nuts of some kind agatized and in a matrix ...need to find the thing for more pics but do have some of close ups...

some of the pics are of the inside of the nut that was exposed ....Tue Oct 09 19-27-21.jpg / Tue Oct 09 19-32-30.jpg / Tue Oct 09 19-44-36.jpg

one is of what appears to be a possible worm? ....Tue Oct 09 19-42-54.jpg

I really need to find it again its a jumbled mass type matrix of fossilized goodies....its in one of my boxes here someplace.

 

Hard to tell what I'm seeing in your pics.. I think you need to take the pics from the right distance from the subject to keep it from blurring. A lot of cameras can't focus if it's too close.