Pippa Posted September 22, 2019 Share Posted September 22, 2019 Found this rock in Highwood, IL, north of Chicago. I used to give this rock not much thought, just assumed I had thin wavy crinoid stem molds. Looking at it closer, I'm not so sure any longer. The stems seem to me to be too neatly lined up, as if the individual stalks had been cemented together when buried. Also, the individual "stems" don't seem to each have their own outer skeleton, unless the white vertical lines contain both of the adjoining crinoid skeletons but just appear as one. What's the likelyhood of that? What do you all think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TqB Posted September 22, 2019 Share Posted September 22, 2019 Probably a worn tabulate coral - Favosites is the sort of thing though there are many that look similar. Unless it's on its side and it's a bit of rugose horn coral! 1 Tarquin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippa Posted September 22, 2019 Author Share Posted September 22, 2019 16 minutes ago, TqB said: Probably a worn tabulate coral - Favosites is the sort of thing though there are many that look similar. Unless it's on its side and it's a bit of rugose horn coral! Oh, it's worn alright!. Just about everything I find at lake Michigan beaches is worn. So tabulates and Favosites grow into a shape similar to what I just had for dinner yesterday: chanterelle mushrooms, yum! That would explain the curvy shapes... and their closeness. Now that I look at drawings of the anatomy of horn corals, yes, that looks absolutely possible as well. Each "horn" is divided by vertical "costae" and as the horn corals curve outward, that could explain the wavy shapes as well. The thing is so worn, I doubt anyone could tell with certainty what type of coral it might be. I'm just glad to see, that I was correct in thinking that these are not crinoids (which tends to be my first assumption when I see similar fossil shapes). Thanks so much! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kmiecik Posted September 22, 2019 Share Posted September 22, 2019 It could be crinoid. The amount of wear makes it at least difficult to ID. 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...
Rockwood Posted September 22, 2019 Share Posted September 22, 2019 I think it looks more like chain coral, Halysites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippa Posted September 22, 2019 Author Share Posted September 22, 2019 1 hour ago, Mark Kmiecik said: It could be crinoid. The amount of wear makes it at least difficult to ID. Mark, oh no! I was so happy to think that they were not crinoids. Now, that's up in the air again too... Of course if this darn pebble had crinoids like this ^^^, I wouldn't mind at all! Tabulate, horn coral, Halysite... those at least narrowed it down to coral... I KNEW, I shoulda just left that thing lying in the sand. But it had caught my eye and lured me to pick it up with its sparkly quartz in the molds... goes to show: not everything that glitters is gold. Shoulda known better! Just glad I have much, much nicer halysites tabulates and even horn coral than THAT! :-) (By the way, I capitalize for emphasis, not shouting!) Thanks guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted September 22, 2019 Share Posted September 22, 2019 Better find a spot somewhere on the periphery for things like this. It's likely not the last one that will need a little more study. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippa Posted September 22, 2019 Author Share Posted September 22, 2019 1 hour ago, Rockwood said: Better find a spot somewhere on the periphery for things like this. It's likely not the last one that will need a little more study. There is always the backyard. There's a thought, hubs could take on yet another project and create a miniature rock garden... Problem solved! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted September 23, 2019 Share Posted September 23, 2019 9 hours ago, Pippa said: There is always the backyard. There's a thought, hubs could take on yet another project and create a miniature rock garden... Problem solved! Push the less lawn to mow angle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kmiecik Posted September 23, 2019 Share Posted September 23, 2019 You can try to saw it open. It may be stunning inside. Or maybe not. 1 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...
Pippa Posted September 23, 2019 Author Share Posted September 23, 2019 1 hour ago, Mark Kmiecik said: You can try to saw it open. It may be stunning inside. Or maybe not. Now you're giving me ideas. I have plenty of worn larger rocks that could be hiding spectacular fossils within. I wonder, if my cheapy wet saw would be able to tackle a stone? With a good blade, it cut porcelain floor tiles without any problems. A rock on the other hand, would need to be fastened into place somehow, so I won't end up with deadly projectiles... What do you all use to cut small stones and large rocks? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted September 23, 2019 Share Posted September 23, 2019 The most direct approach is a big hammer and a pair of safety glasses. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kmiecik Posted September 23, 2019 Share Posted September 23, 2019 The wet saw used for cutting tile is usually equipped with a diamond blade which will zip through rock almost as easily as tile. The problem is how to hold the rock, especially if it is small, so that it can be pushed through the blade. I suppose you could partially embed it in clay and bake the clay, or some similar method. 1 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...
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