Are these crystallised skulls of a dog like animal

[Ferndaleone]

Hi, my partner and I came across these, ??, don't know what they are, they weigh around 10kg, we originally bought them off a stack of quartz Crystal rocks, we bought 3, my girl is into crystals and their healing properties. They are quite bizarre, never seen anything like them and was hoping some one here knows, 1.what they are, 2.are they real or just rocks that look like animals, one looks so much like a dog. I'll let you all decide. 

 

  

Edited December 16, 2018 by Ferndaleone
Needed more information

[minnbuckeye]

I agree they resemble a skull from a distance, but when I zoom in, bone structure is lacking. So a rock, but one that is a great discussion piece. Have fun with it.

 

 Mike

[digit]

Nope. In my opinion these both look to be of geologic origin (and not biologic). Though they are not fossils, they are really cool looking rocks and will make nice conversation pieces. Humans a really good at something called pareidolia (we're genetically coded for it). Our brain circuitry is wired to recognize faces from the slightest resemblance which helped us to quickly recognize each other and tell foe from friend when we lived in small groups.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareidolia

 

I'd say you all bought the coolest looking chunks of quartz from that stack. Welcome to The Fossil Forum. If you have an interest in fossils there is plenty of information here (and knowledgeable members) to help educate you on real fossils (and some astounding look-alikes).

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[Tidgy's Dad]

Very interesting pieces, but I agree with the above. 

Hello, and a very warm welcome to TFF from Morocco! 

[LordTrilobite]

+1 for geology.

 

Don't see a fossil here.

[Innocentx]

Very lovely crystals! 

[Ferndaleone]

ok thank you all you have been most helpful, I for the life of me couldn't believe they were but i thought i had better check to make sure, some of the crystals are in unbelievable places, such as the eye socket, at their base there are indents were the spine would be, the one at the front has both eye sockets, appear to be sorry, and a grey quartz coming out of it, it looks eerily like a dead eye ball. I do have to share this comical tale of what i did with them, i cleaned them down in a bucket and as i walked past i looked in, and there was several other rocks of a similar nature in there, it looked like a bucket of dog, not a pretty sight but nonetheless i took a photo and posted it on my 12 yo daughters instagram with the caption "Our beloved Fido" well that caused a stir in our country town like you wouldn't believe. All her friends were trying to console her thinking her dad had chopped up the family pet. Oh she is just starting to talk to me again saying i embarrassed her to the core. What are Dads for i replied. So i had a laugh, hope you did too. i have a short video if anyone would like to see them, it is a complete circuit of the "skulls".

 

Thank you for the warm welcome

 

David

 

[ynot]

1 hour ago, Innocentx said:

Very lovely crystals! 

I see no crystals in these pieces.

A crystal has a distinct geometric shape which is lacking.

[abyssunder]

Definitely it's not a crystallized skull.

Not clearly visible, but there might be crystals in the vug.

 

 

[Innocentx]

5 hours ago, ynot said:

I see no crystals in these pieces.

A crystal has a distinct geometric shape which is lacking.

Would 'crystalline' be the proper word to describe it?

[abyssunder]

If the specimen is something like marble, then it could be called recrystallized carbonate mineral, in my thinking.

Acid test may reveal if there is calcite present, or it is metamorphosed.

[ynot]

37 minutes ago, Innocentx said:

Would 'crystalline' be the proper word to describe it?

Only if the rock consists of crystals that had no room to form (like granite or marble), or has the characteristics of a crypto crystalline mineral (like agate and chert).

In this case the pictures are blurry and that makes it hard to get a good idea of exactly what it is.  

[abyssunder]

I agree with Tony.

We need better pictures and physical / chemical tests to rule out the  possibility of " dog tooth" calcite crystals.

[Ferndaleone]

ok i am organising as we speak more photos and video, there is definetely crystal in there the one at the back has a "smile" of them along its "mouth", i will put in the other photo i have while i am getting the video done of them

 

[Ferndaleone]

im not good with too much technology, new oppo phone sorry for the delay

[ynot]

I am seeing a quartz vein with a crystal "vug" in the center.

The pictures are out of focus so it is hard to be sure.

[abyssunder]

Your pictures are a bit blurry, but is clear that there are crystals in the vugs. I don't see exactly their shape, and you haven't make an acid test to see if they fizz or not, so they could be calcite, quartz, or other crystals.

[ynot]

2 minutes ago, abyssunder said:

so they could be calcite, quartz, or other crystals.

My bet is on quartz, since it was bought off a "pile of quartz".

 

On 12/16/2018 at 3:34 AM, Ferndaleone said:

we originally bought them off a stack of quartz Crystal rocks, we bought 3,

And that is what they are.

[abyssunder]

I hoped that the crystals may be calcite crystals, to say " No, there's not a crystallized dog skull, but the "teeth" are "dog teeth".

[Innocentx]

Color me vindicated.

[Ferndaleone]

This is an excellent site, with excellent people. Thank you all so much for the help.

[digit]

6 hours ago, Ferndaleone said:

This is an excellent site, with excellent people.

We tend to think so.

 

Glad we could sort that out for you. If you have interest in fossils you can find information here on fossils found in your area. Since you are in WA, you should make a pilgrimage to the Hamelin Pools and pay homage to the ancient life form that made this planet habitable by the species on this forum (and a few million other species).

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamelin_Pool_Marine_Nature_Reserve

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken