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Help identifying odd fossil (Toronto)


Emthegem

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Hello!

 

I have been fossil hunting on and off for the last 10 years, although I would consider myself rather inexperienced in terms of fossil names and general knowledge. Anyways my dad and I found a very odd looking fossil on the river banks of Humber river in Toronto, Ontario, CA.

 

We had no clue what it was and decide to bring it to the ROM (Royal Ontario Museum) to see if one of the fossil guides could identify it - they surprisingly had no clue what it was either. 

 

Anyways, I was wondering if someone could help me identify what it might be? I attached a couple pictures below showing scale and some of the details of the specimen:

 

20190721_190032_(1).thumb.jpg.41ba0870b561fe150b2c2f549a131039.jpg5d34f3086b4be_20190721_190040(1).thumb.jpg.91c8a93ac936a527cfd14661c2cd7e24.jpg5d34f313e8b86_20190721_190056(1).thumb.jpg.154c5778758c083831c9db9eddc46fa9.jpg

(last picture is underside)

*measurements are in centimeters*

 

Thanks in advance for the help!

 

-Em

Edited by Emthegem

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The thinner part with the ridges resemble a cephalopod.The other portion is throwing me off.

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Dipleurawhisperer5.jpg

I like Trilo-butts and I cannot lie.

 

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Hi there and welcome to the fossil forum!

 

I think you have an orthoconic (straight-shelled) nautiloid that may have been encrusted by something like a bryozoan - I'll consult my book of fossils in south-central Ontario to see if I can get an ID for you...

 

Monica

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2 minutes ago, Monica said:

Hi there and welcome to the fossil forum!

 

I think you have an orthoconic (straight-shelled) nautiloid that may have been encrusted by something like a bryozoan - I'll consult my book of fossils in south-central Ontario to see if I can get an ID for you...

 

Monica

Awesome thanks! I figured it might have been an orthoconic nautiloid as we have a TON near the rivers and creaks in Toronto, but that second flat part was what was throwing me off for a while. Anyways I will stay posted!!

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I agree with the others. I think you must have asked the wrong person at the ROM. I can't believe that an experienced paleontologist there wouldn't recognize this at first glance.

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Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger

http://www.steinkern.de/

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Hello again!

 

I've been looking over William Hessin's book (South-Central Ontario Fossils) and an orthoconic nautiloid possessing strong transverse annulations (ridges) that is pictured/described and looks similar to your specimen is Cycloceras.  My brief Google search for this genus, however, made me pause because this genus might be limited to the Carboniferous - this is problematic because we have Ordovician rock here in the GTA.

 

I was also thinking - could the main part of your specimen be the exposed siphuncle of Endoceras and the enlarged portion (which I suggested earlier as possibly being an encrusting bryozoan) be the phragmocone surrounding the siphuncle?

 

As you can see, I'm far from certain - hopefully someone more experienced and knowledgeable will come along to help us out. :fingerscrossed:

 

Monica

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20 hours ago, Darktooth said:

The thinner part with the ridges resemble a cephalopod.The other portion is throwing me off.

Same here. Plus the 'texture' of the underside has thrown me for a loop as well. Almost has a 'coral' look to it.

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Mark.

 

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

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