Kirk from Texas

[Kirk Ensign]

Hello everyone. I would like to first say thank you all for having me and please feel free to give me any advice on how I can make my posts better so that all can enjoy. Several years back I started finding literally tons of fossils in my back yard which was the catalyst to my newfound interest. Having said that, the only ones I have been able to identify myself were the dozens and dozens of ammonites, most of which I used in my 9ft, mostly fossil, backyard fireplace which came out amazingly. I would like to start by trying to have this little guy identified if at all possible. I first thought it to be petrified wood but the more I research the more I doubt that idea. I live in North Texas directly on the wise county & denton county boundary.  Again, thank you all for accepting me in this circle and I hope to learn as much as I can as I am deeply interested in this subject but horribly uninformed. 

[Mark Kmiecik]

Looks more like bone than wood to me, but I'll let the bone experts make the decision. I'm a plant guy and it don't look like plant to me.

[Kirk Ensign]

Thank you very much Mark!!

[DPS Ammonite]

Welcome to the Forum Kirk.

 

It has the slight look of a piece of fossil wood. Can you see any areas of obvious growth rings or rays? We may need to see better up close photos. 

 

Also, show us a picture of your fireplace with fossils. What formation are they from?

[Kirk Ensign]

Thank you DPS, will get you some better pics shortly. In the meantime here are a few pics of the old fireplace. It was one of my first projects several years ago so I would do things differently today. Having said that, I’m happy how it came out and enjoy it almost nightly...

[Kirk Ensign]

[Kirk Ensign]

[Kirk Ensign]

And I’m far from an expert, I’m barely an amateur, but I think it’s a mix of shale and limestone. I’m sure you can tell me far better 

[DPS Ammonite]

The ammonite fossils look like those from the Cretaceous Duck Creek Formation: Mortoniceras and Eopachydiscus. Do you think that someone brought them to your yard or did they come from the limestone in your yard? See this map to let us know what formation your yard is in: https://txpub.usgs.gov/txgeology/

[Kirk Ensign]

Here are a fewer close up shots. Again, can’t say enough how thankful I am to have found this forum. I appreciate you guys taking interest and helping out. It means a lot to me

[Kirk Ensign]

[Kirk Ensign]

[Kirk Ensign]

Not sure if this helps at all, still trying to figure it out, my apologies in advance 

[Kirk Ensign]

Wow, thank you so much for that nap, it’s amazing! Clicked right on my house and it shows as the following. “limestone and duck creek formation undivided”. Cretaceous. Comanchean and Washita group. And it’s definitely native. It’s impossible to walk anywhere in this area without tripping over ammonite specifically. 

[Kirk Ensign]

Was repairing a fence this weekend and found 3 more. It blows my mind how much rock is here and everything I pull up looks intriguing to me. I usually take about 5 times as long as I should to complete a task because I keep pulling stuff up, cleaning it up and looking at it. But it makes my day 

[Kirk Ensign]

I also pulled up a GIANT piece of petrified wood dripping in druzy quarts recently. Had no clue about the druzy quarts until I started looking into it as it looked so much differently than any petrified wood I have found before. Once it was cleaned it’s absolutely gorgeous