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ID help needed


troig99

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Hello,

I picked this up on my recent trip through northern Arizona on route to Grand Canyon North Rim.  It appears to be a plant fossil but I have no knowledge on this.  I picked it up for my friend's 9 yr old boy who is very interested in geology and fossils.  It would make him so happy if we could ID the rock & if this is a fossilized plant. The format would not allow me to upload more than 1 picture due to size.  Any help would make a budding 9 yr old geologist very happy. TY

 

Fossil 3.jpg

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2 hours ago, caldigger said:

Thinking mud cracks. :mellow:

 

1 hour ago, ynot said:

Look like mud cracks to Me also.

Hey guys I think it is similar to mud cracks but I'm gonna go in a different direction and was thinking it looked more like a weathered carbonate......edges look kind of sharp/angular to me and there is some irregular pitting in places. We used to call it elephant skin weathering when we'd see it in death valley rocks...

 

How about we do an acid test and put a couple of drops of some vinegar on the back of it to test to see if it fizzes...dont put it on the good surface as it might will discolor it...will help to determine what kind of rock it is...maybe a limestone or dolomite....

 

I dont have any examples handy so...for comparison here's a blog photo...

 

6a0105371bb32c970b019101a41f5a970c-pi

https://epod.usra.edu/blog/2013/05/elephant-skin-weathering.html

 

Regards, Chris 

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weathered carbonate crust. The rock is limestone, possibly gypsum. The surface partially dissolves, dessicates, cracks develop, then it solidifies again.  Not much different that mud cracks; a distinction w/o a difference.

 

If it fizzes in reaction to vinegar, it's carbonate/limestone.  If it does not, but is soft enough to scratch, it's gypsum.

'Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.'

George Santayana

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I magnified it and it appears to have more than just cracks. I think I see what could be described as biological material.

  • I found this Informative 1

 

 

Mark.

 

Fossil hunting is easy -- they don't run away when you shoot at them!

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6 hours ago, Mark Kmiecik said:

I magnified it and it appears to have more than just cracks. I think I see what could be described as biological material.

Hey Mark I agree, didnt notice anything initially but I think you are right.....I circled several things that I would want to start by putting a magnifying glass on or look at under a scope...some raised and some circular areas...probably more....need to scan the whole surface for bits and pieces.....wondering now what the other sides may show....

5cf5d9ed31711_Possibleweatheringwithpossiblefragments.jpg.f24a6e0c93e2e505fe006829f0edabc8.jpg

Regards, Chris 

 

 

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