ckmerlin Posted September 12, 2011 Share Posted September 12, 2011 Ive had this for a while not sure what it is maybe sponge spicules upper carboniferous shale to late for graptolites "A man who stares at a rock must have a lot on his mind... or nothing at all' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted September 12, 2011 Share Posted September 12, 2011 Some of them appear to be gently curved; is that consistent with sponge spicules? I've always thought of them as stiff and brittle. <probably showing my ignorance, but either way I'll learn something> "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acryzona Posted September 12, 2011 Share Posted September 12, 2011 I thought that sponge spicules were microscopic. Collecting Microfossils - a hobby concerning much about many of the little paraphrased from Dr. Robert Kesling's book Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indy Posted September 12, 2011 Share Posted September 12, 2011 They are not sponge spicules My link I think I've seen these shapes somewhere before but can't remember where...These shapes possibly are mineral or trace? Flash from the Past (Show Us Your Fossils)MAPS Fossil Show Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maniraptoran Posted September 12, 2011 Share Posted September 12, 2011 i say graptolites or plant fragments Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indy Posted September 12, 2011 Share Posted September 12, 2011 i say graptolites or plant fragments Can't be graptolites ... the original post states the time period is Upper Carboniferous which is too late for graptolites Flash from the Past (Show Us Your Fossils)MAPS Fossil Show Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckmerlin Posted September 12, 2011 Author Share Posted September 12, 2011 (edited) Im at a loss too but i think maybe trace or mineral also as stated by Indy . After looking at it with magnifying glass shapes do not seem to be right for spicules and probably too large anyway. this is from a dis-used quarry the rock has a cleavage like mica or slate , im wondering if we are seeing imprint of opposite side of split piece the lines seem to follow little bumps and furrows in the surface which I also saw with magnifying glass hope this makes sense probably way off the mark tho Edited September 12, 2011 by ckmerlin "A man who stares at a rock must have a lot on his mind... or nothing at all' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piranha Posted September 12, 2011 Share Posted September 12, 2011 Perhaps the remnants of something similar to the marsh plant, Ceratophyllum? LINK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indy Posted September 12, 2011 Share Posted September 12, 2011 ckmerlin ... Did you find any obvious plant fossils in the quarry? Flash from the Past (Show Us Your Fossils)MAPS Fossil Show Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indy Posted September 12, 2011 Share Posted September 12, 2011 Now I remember where I saw these (or similar shapes) before it was when I was splitting shale at a Pennsylvanian exposure which was loaded with plant material Your specimen might not be plant fragments but the general shapes remind me the matrix I discarded when focused on specific plant fossils Flash from the Past (Show Us Your Fossils)MAPS Fossil Show Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckmerlin Posted September 12, 2011 Author Share Posted September 12, 2011 (edited) not as yet Indy , only the odd bivalve Posidonia and a couple of Brachs Pustula, Stenoscisma Think its more of an off shore marine deposit maybe a lagoon something fairly still because of the fine grained nature of the deposit, could be deep marine also for same reason. Edited September 12, 2011 by ckmerlin "A man who stares at a rock must have a lot on his mind... or nothing at all' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckmerlin Posted September 12, 2011 Author Share Posted September 12, 2011 sounds good Indy, I know plant material gets into deposits formed at deltas or beaches , Ill do some more research on the deposit itself . "A man who stares at a rock must have a lot on his mind... or nothing at all' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckmerlin Posted September 12, 2011 Author Share Posted September 12, 2011 (edited) Ok ive done some research on the geology of this quarry it has three lithologies within it:- on the base of the quarry there is a small bed of fossiliferous limestone early carboniferous , next there is a bed of delta head sandstone with the shales lying on top of these , the shale is the youngest , the limestone the oldest . The quarry represents first a shallow to deep sea, followed by a marine regression , the deltaic sandstone was formed during this time as prograding deltas formed on the increasing land mass, later there was a marine transgression the sea levels rose and the shale was formed as an off shore shallow to deep marine shelf deposit. Also ive discovered that some plant material has been found in the shale and deltaic sandstone Edited September 12, 2011 by ckmerlin "A man who stares at a rock must have a lot on his mind... or nothing at all' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indy Posted September 12, 2011 Share Posted September 12, 2011 piranha's post indicating plant triggered my memory of spitting matrix and seeing these (or similar) shapes. So based on all info so far and my distant memories I'm going to go with plant debris. Hopefully others can either confirm or exclude plant based on their research, experiences, or possibly images in their archives Barry Flash from the Past (Show Us Your Fossils)MAPS Fossil Show Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astron Posted September 12, 2011 Share Posted September 12, 2011 Hi, my friend! Not any clue about the species but after Barry I agree with Scott on plant material. Here is a just preped 43 x 37 cm plantation plate that seems to me bearing some similarities. It's of a Cretan (Greece) late miocene plant fossils area. Best wishes Astrinos Astrinos P. Damianakis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astron Posted September 12, 2011 Share Posted September 12, 2011 (edited) And another smaller plate. Edited September 12, 2011 by astron Astrinos P. Damianakis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astron Posted September 12, 2011 Share Posted September 12, 2011 Forgive me but in my try to help I'll add another one plate. Astrinos P. Damianakis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckmerlin Posted September 13, 2011 Author Share Posted September 13, 2011 Thank you all for clearing this up for me , thanks for taking a look and posting thoughts,links and pictures . Please excuse the late reply I had to go into work 12hr night shift . Im very pleased with the result Astron nice plate examples thanks "A man who stares at a rock must have a lot on his mind... or nothing at all' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckmerlin Posted September 13, 2011 Author Share Posted September 13, 2011 Perhaps the remnants of something similar to the marsh plant, Ceratophyllum? LINK sorry for late reply but this looks very good thanks "A man who stares at a rock must have a lot on his mind... or nothing at all' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckmerlin Posted September 13, 2011 Author Share Posted September 13, 2011 piranha's post indicating plant triggered my memory of spitting matrix and seeing these (or similar) shapes. So based on all info so far and my distant memories I'm going to go with plant debris. Hopefully others can either confirm or exclude plant based on their research, experiences, or possibly images in their archives Barry Barry thank you for your help much appreciated im going with this too "A man who stares at a rock must have a lot on his mind... or nothing at all' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckmerlin Posted September 13, 2011 Author Share Posted September 13, 2011 i say graptolites or plant fragments thanks for taking a look and your thoughts "A man who stares at a rock must have a lot on his mind... or nothing at all' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckmerlin Posted September 13, 2011 Author Share Posted September 13, 2011 Some of them appear to be gently curved; is that consistent with sponge spicules? I've always thought of them as stiff and brittle. <probably showing my ignorance, but either way I'll learn something> Thanks auspex going with plant material thanks for taking a look appreciated "A man who stares at a rock must have a lot on his mind... or nothing at all' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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