What is this?

[jnicholes]

Hello,

 

I am new to this forum, I just joined today. I am beginning to get an interest in fossils ever since I found one that was in a rock in my backyard.

 

I need some help figuring out what this is. Here are the details. Two years ago, I found a small piece of sedimentary rock by my house, and this rock had petrified wood in it. A friend of mine who was a fossil enthusiast, (and unfortunately passed away last year,) told me that the rock likely was brought in from Bruneau, Idaho, which is near where I live. There are similar rocks there.

 

About a week ago, I was working on getting the petrified wood I saw out of it. I was VERY careful, keep that in mind. The rock split on accident, none of the petrified wood was damaged, but inside where it split was what looked like a shell fossil. I was able to get it out intact, a picture is attached.

 

It is about 2 cm in diameter.

 

My Penpal wants me to figure out what kind of shell fossil it is. Can someone help me identify this? 

 

If you need more information, I will get it.

 

Jared

 

 

[Shellseeker]

1st, Welcome to TFF.  It is a great place for fossil enthusiasts..

 

On photos, a couple of recommendations

1) Take photos outside in bright sunlight or under a bright lightbulb inside, and

2) The fossil should take up 80% of the photo...

 

Having said that your fossil shell is a gastropod.

Here is a TFF thread where I was trying to get a (much larger) gastropod identified.

I never was successful, Hopefully you will be.  You might do  a google search of "fossil gastropod Idaho"  to see some options of what this might be.. 

 

[jnicholes]

Hi,

 

First, Thanks for the recommendation. I will do that next time I post a picture.

 

Second, Thanks for helping me identify it. I really appreciate it!

 

Jared

[Fossildude19]

I agree, gastropod shell.

 

Cropped and brightened:

 

[jnicholes]

Hi,

 

I take it thats what the picture should look like, right? Ill make my future pictures like that from now on.

 

In the same rock that I found this shell, I found some petrified wood, another Gastropod shell, and what look like tiny fossilized segments of a spinal chord. That rock had some interesting stuff in it!

 

Jared

[jnicholes]

This was found in the same rock. I am pretty sure its a segment of a spinal chord. I just wanted to show it. Its the same piece in each photo, by the way, its just rotated.

 

Jared

[Randyw]

It’s a vertebrae but I’m not sure from what. I’m sure the experts will be on soon with info!

[jnicholes]

 I actually just took a look at a fish fossil I had. I was going through my collection. I compared the spine on the fish fossil to the vertebrae bone that I found. It looks very similar, so this could be part of the spine of a fish. It is possible, because my friend who was a fossil enthusiast said that there were fish bones inside the Rock. He told me that about a year before he passed away.

 

I'm not 100% sure though.

 

Jared