pjullien Posted July 1, 2019 Share Posted July 1, 2019 These beauts are an extinct fossilized button coral, Gymnophyllum wardi. The article mentioned that they are from the Pennsylvanian part of the Carboniferous period. I found these along the shoreline of Okmulgee lake in Okmulgee, Oklahoma. Apparently G. wardi is the only species found in the genus Gymnophyllum and may only be exclusively found at Okmulgee Lake or neighboring Dripping Springs lake although I'm not positive on that. The ones below are about 10 to 15 mm. One thing that I found interesting is that the waves from the lake constantly expose more of these fossils over time perhaps bring more in from the lake bottom. They are very lightweight. I recall not finding these along a section of shoreline where another person had been collecting them only to come back the next day and finding several in the same area! That is pretty exciting! Comments welcome as always. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peat Burns Posted July 1, 2019 Share Posted July 1, 2019 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted July 1, 2019 Share Posted July 1, 2019 A friend of mine collected some from the lake back in the 1980s and showed them to me. I went in the early 1990s but failed to find any. I think the lake level was too high when I visited. Never made it back. Luckily my friend gave me a couple of his. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kmiecik Posted July 1, 2019 Share Posted July 1, 2019 That's another new one to me. Thanks for the photos. Nice find. Mark. Fossil hunting is easy -- they don't run away when you shoot at them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caldigger Posted July 2, 2019 Share Posted July 2, 2019 Those are cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sjfriend Posted July 2, 2019 Share Posted July 2, 2019 Wow! I like those. So different looking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted37 Posted July 2, 2019 Share Posted July 2, 2019 I believe you may have got the identification wrong. To me they are certainly steampunk gears to an ancient aliens spacecraft. For some reason I think of an enthusiastic scientist with wild uncombed hair. That guy on TV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilNerd Posted July 2, 2019 Share Posted July 2, 2019 Those are very cool! Thanks for sharing the pics and the information about them. The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it. -Neil deGrasse Tyson Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don't. -Bill Nye (The Science Guy) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjullien Posted July 2, 2019 Author Share Posted July 2, 2019 You mean that is why they start to spin every time I drive past the Jet Propulsion research facility? Thanks everyone for the comments! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalmayshun Posted July 3, 2019 Share Posted July 3, 2019 So cool. I am assuming the smooth part would be the top and that it grows from the edge rather than the center. That would make its little center button where it was fastened to some substrate. Is that correct?. Really very cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjullien Posted July 5, 2019 Author Share Posted July 5, 2019 That makes sense to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted July 5, 2019 Share Posted July 5, 2019 Neat finds. 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...
Ludwigia Posted July 5, 2019 Share Posted July 5, 2019 Never seen them before. They are really cute Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monica Posted July 9, 2019 Share Posted July 9, 2019 Those are adorable little corals! I've found button corals at Hungry Hollow here in Ontario before, but I must say that yours are cuter 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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