Million Pound Mushroom?

[Million Pound Mushroom]

2 hours ago, JohnJ said:

Even without cutting, if this was a mushroom at some point because it has the current appearance of one, then there would be other mushroom features preserved with equal uniqueness.  I don't think there is evidence of those features, but you can make up close observations.  Your item reminds me of some kind of worn, botryoidal silicate rock.

Thank you for everyone's input, you have all helped me learn so much so quickly and for that I am eternally grateful. Now Boytryoidal rock, I think we have a winner, as the images on google definitely do resemble my Giant Unwithered Waterless Million Pound Blind Belief Mushroom! The idea that it could be tested without damaging is a good one, as people have said it's a cool looking item and it would be a shame to damage it, especially as Ken is currently trying to source funding for the million pound asking price  sorry Ken, nothing personal I was just having a bit of fun with you whilst learning a lot, no hard feelings I hope? Thank you and all.

[Mark Kmiecik]

14 minutes ago, Million Pound Mushroom said:

Thank you for everyone's input, you have all helped me learn so much so quickly and for that I am eternally grateful. Now Boytryoidal rock, I think we have a winner, as the images on google definitely do resemble my Giant Unwithered Waterless Million Pound Blind Belief Mushroom! The idea that it could be tested without damaging is a good one, as people have said it's a cool looking item and it would be a shame to damage it, especially as Ken is currently trying to source funding for the million pound asking price  sorry Ken, nothing personal I was just having a bit of fun with you whilst learning a lot, no hard feelings I hope? Thank you and all.

By the way, nice pike.

[fifbrindacier]

I also think this is a concretion. And a nice pareidolia.

[Million Pound Mushroom]

Guess who's back, back again. Testable hypothesise are exactly what we need to establish facts. Proving the item to be a concretion seems the wrong way around to me, when already that theory may now have been superseded by that of the Botryoidal rock which bears a much greater resemblance to what we are discussing. I'm intrigued as I'm sure many can see:

Slow drying is plausible prior to fossilisation given conditions in which and location mushrooms are known to grow, after all it's one of the oldest methods of food preservation as it appears. Hunter gatherer man (I like this Character in our journey) would have observed this is nature which had likely been going on for millions and millions of years enabling him to replicate it and giving us the freezed dried magic mushrooms some people benefit from today!

Mushroom's dont always have stripes and anulus and I've found this out which is very interesting, so please humour me and have a read if you like. How grateful we should be for the world of the internet to share and have access to such an exceptional wealth of information- if nothing else its thought provoking to any open minded scientist and im sure one day a fossilised mushroom will be found.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geastrales

 

As you may see below its not a massive step to see the resemblance to the MPM shown below is it?

[Rockwood]

Not a massive step to resemblance. Several massive steps to the launch pad for the journey to proof that it is though.

[Million Pound Mushroom]

9 hours ago, Mark Kmiecik said:

By the way, nice pike.

Thank you, Windermere about the weight of the MPM off 20lb. Im looking for those elusive 40lb plus fish in there (high probability, albeit rare!) If you fancy a trip of a lifetime I've just started running guided boat trips through TripAdvisor Experiences take a look.

[Million Pound Mushroom]

Hello All, I've been researching further, see attached, does this help any?

 

 

[Kane]

Passing resemblance, but until you can have the piece inspected in hand at a museum or university it is mostly guesswork at this point. 

[Fossildude19]

3 hours ago, Million Pound Mushroom said:

Hello All, I've been researching further, see attached, does this help any?

Trying to convince us that this is a mushroom is not really productive at this point.   

We have stated why we think it is a nodule or concretion. 

Mother nature is a great deceiver, when it comes to look alike rock formations. 

So are our own brains, for that matter. 

 

This really needs to be seen by a paleobotanist,or better yet, a paleomycologist, to examine in hand.   

 

Posting pictures of "similar" looking items, (non fossilized) is just conjecture, and theory at this point, at best. 

There is very little in the way of scientific proof of this item being a mushroom.

It is commendable that you are so invested in figuring out what this is, but, a serious inquiry would require in hand study of the item by a knowledgeable professional paleontologist.

 

Identifying fossils and even non-fossils via photograph is tricky in the best of instances. Trying to positively identify this as a fossil mushroom via photos is near impossible.

 

The odds or circumstances required to produce a fossil mushroom coming about are astronomically small. That is the reasoning many of us with years of experience collecting fossils, studying types of fossilization, and being interested in paleontology, are going with the more likely theory that this is a nodule or concretion. 

 

It takes people with very strong convictions to turn science on it's head, but, ... it also requires proof above and beyond "looking similar to a mushroom".

I do hope you get some definitive answers on your interesting item from a qualified professional that has studied it in person.  

Kind regards and best of luck, 

 

 

 

Locking this topic, as nothing further can be gained by continued discussion.