Bronzviking Posted December 10, 2018 Share Posted December 10, 2018 Hi all, This is an unusual looking find. Measures about 1 3/4 x 1 1/2 x 1 inch and found on the beach in Tampa Bay, Florida. It is hard as rock or shell, has striations running down and a twig sticking out of the middle. The bottom has tube worms, shell material and a barnacle. My educated guess is a fossilized plant root, like a mangrove (pneumatophores). Or a twig through a seashell like how the native Indians made tools that way by putting a hole in the shell and putting it through a branch and letting it grow in it tight. I have photographed several angles. What do you think it is? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raggedy Man Posted December 10, 2018 Share Posted December 10, 2018 Looks like part of a limestone with corals eroding out of it. ...I'm back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted December 10, 2018 Share Posted December 10, 2018 It might be a gorgonian holdfast. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Echinoid Posted December 10, 2018 Share Posted December 10, 2018 +1 for holdfast Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronzviking Posted December 10, 2018 Author Share Posted December 10, 2018 16 hours ago, Al Dente said: It might be a gorgonian holdfast. Oh thanks so much. After googling and seeing the pictures I remember finding red whip-like plants on the beach. Some with a clump or root attached which probably was the holdfast. So is this considered a fossil or modern? @Al Dente Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronzviking Posted December 10, 2018 Author Share Posted December 10, 2018 Here is diagram and explanation. A holdfast is a root-like structure that anchors aquatic sessile organisms, such as seaweed, other sessile algae, stalked crinoids, benthic cnidarians, and sponges, to the substrate. From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holdfast Gorgonians are sessile colonial cnidarians found throughout the oceans of the world, especially in the tropics and subtropics. The name "Gorgonacea" is no longer considered valid and Alcyonacea is now the accepted name for the order.[1][2] Gorgonians are also known as sea fans and sea whips and are similar to the sea pen, a soft coral. From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorgonian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abyssunder Posted December 10, 2018 Share Posted December 10, 2018 (edited) I think, Eric is referring to a gorgonian coral holdfast, and I agree with that being a good possibility. Edited December 10, 2018 by abyssunder 1 " We are not separate and independent entities, but like links in a chain, and we could not by any means be what we are without those who went before us and showed us the way. " Thomas Mann My Library Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronzviking Posted December 13, 2018 Author Share Posted December 13, 2018 So is my holdfast a fossil or modern? @Echinoid @Al Dente@abyssunder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Echinoid Posted December 14, 2018 Share Posted December 14, 2018 It looks modern to me but I have never seen a fossilized example, so I don't know how they compare. @Bronzviking, what is the texture of the brown part? Is it at all pliable? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronzviking Posted December 14, 2018 Author Share Posted December 14, 2018 6 minutes ago, Echinoid said: It looks modern to me but I have never seen a fossilized example, so I don't know how they compare. @Bronzviking, what is the texture of the brown part? Is it at all pliable? When I soaked it the stem was pliable but now it hardened once it dried out. I found this example of a fossil gorgonian holdfast. Looks very similar to mine with the striations, so I'm thinking fossil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted December 14, 2018 Share Posted December 14, 2018 2 minutes ago, Bronzviking said: the stem was pliable Not a trait of fossils. Fossils are rigid and brittle at best. Darwin said: " Man sprang from monkeys." Will Rogers said: " Some of them didn't spring far enough." My Fossil collection - My Mineral collection My favorite thread on TFF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Echinoid Posted December 14, 2018 Share Posted December 14, 2018 38 minutes ago, Bronzviking said: When I soaked it the stem was pliable but now it hardened once it dried out. Modern, definitely Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronzviking Posted December 14, 2018 Author Share Posted December 14, 2018 The base of the holdfast is hard as a rock. Isn't this part fossilized? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted December 14, 2018 Share Posted December 14, 2018 9 minutes ago, Bronzviking said: The base of the holdfast is hard as a rock. Isn't this part fossilized? I think your holdfast is modern. The attachment part is made of calcite and the rest is organic material. I find these holdfasts frequently in Eocene deposits where all the organic material has decayed and only the calcite base is preserved. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plantguy Posted December 14, 2018 Share Posted December 14, 2018 That is a neat find. I've never seen a fossil one in person but I suppose they are out there in our area and probably blend in with all the other fossil debris and you really have to be paying attention to find one. Makes sense that yours is non-fossil as you still have that pliable organic core. There was a similar discussion of this kind of critter part in another thread. Lori found a link in there with some photos too...I like it! Good eyes. Regards, Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronzviking Posted December 14, 2018 Author Share Posted December 14, 2018 1 hour ago, Al Dente said: I think your holdfast is modern. The attachment part is made of calcite and the rest is organic material. I find these holdfasts frequently in Eocene deposits where all the organic material has decayed and only the calcite base is preserved. OK Thanks. What about the marine critters attached to the calcite bottom. The tube worm shells, barnacles and I detect bryozoan or something else. Are they fossilized? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abyssunder Posted December 14, 2018 Share Posted December 14, 2018 Those might be older considering they may be part of the substrate for the gorgonian holdfast, but it's just a hypothesis. They could be recent considering that it was found on a beach, and the substrate was a long time in the sea. " We are not separate and independent entities, but like links in a chain, and we could not by any means be what we are without those who went before us and showed us the way. " Thomas Mann My Library Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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