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Just read @Bonehunter's post and discussion with @Missourian about an unknown Pennsylvanian plant and it got me wondering the same about this specimen. It looks like wood to me, but I can't find any Upper Pennsylvanian wood that looks similar. I'd love your thoughts on what it might be? I found it near where I found a large tabulate coral specimen. It's from the Bethany falls limestone group. Would that make it drift-wood? What do you think the weird textured pattern on the outside surface is?

 

@digit guess my creek is producing more stuff I can't identify :P

5e990fd852785_Wood1.thumb.jpg.a348320c7f5b9bf3ca9a21390d5b74ac.jpg5e990fddab56f_Wood2.jpg.72ba2952b1b0997750068ea453361d91.jpg5e990feedeafb_Wood3.thumb.jpg.344cb75929fdb5573b5af8b7520d586b.jpg5e990ff206869_Wood4.jpg.5810d55d6c45689fe3ff24c973eb3d0f.jpg

 

Thanks,

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24 minutes ago, Titan said:

 

@digit guess my creek is producing more stuff I can't identify :P

Isn't that great! Nothing better than a good mystery. ;) A mystery solved is something you'll never forget.

 

The laminated appearance makes me think of something similar to a stromatolite. Hopefully, some members will recognize it.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

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4 hours ago, digit said:

something similar to a stromatolite.

Like stromatoporoid ?

It seems to have too many features for stromatolite, but not quite enough for stromatoporoid. The indications would seem more likely to be lost than gained though.

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5 hours ago, Rockwood said:

Like stromatoporoid ?

It seems to have too many features for stromatolite, but not quite enough for stromatoporoid. The indications would seem more likely to be lost than gained though.

I’m thinking it looks more Stromatoporoid as well.


The second picture showing the laminae seems to show possible Stromatoporoid structures like pillars and galleries. However, I don’t see much evidence of mamelons on the surface picture. Although, in some species they are not as prominent as others. 
 

@Titan

Can we get a close up of the side view picture? The second one you posted that shows the layers. A closer inspection may confirm, or deny, the above mentioned structures.

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The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it.  -Neil deGrasse Tyson

 

Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don't. -Bill Nye (The Science Guy)

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@digit agreed, and thanks for your thoughts.

 

@Rockwood I think your right, more likely to have lost a few indicators.

 

@FossilNerd I agree that it does look like it has some pillars and galleries, but is lacking the mamelons. I found another possible indicator of Stromatoporoid to be what appear to be holes in the second picture, which may be water-canals. I will post a picture of the side as soon as I can. Unfortunately (for this case) I am in Texas with my family in quarantine instead of back at home in Missouri. I miss my fossils, but have been adding to my collection while down here :)

 

Here's a zoomed in one of the second picture.

Stomatoporoid.thumb.jpg.d4ca11ff0a8009ff28d2c9b4b2465950.jpg

 

Thanks for your thoughts, I'm feeling good with the identification you all have provided.

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I've found it hard to get experts to commit on these., but I would call it a stromatoporoid if it were mine.

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@Rockwood Yeah, it's understandable. I'm just very grateful for all the input I've already received on this forum. It really is amazing. A few months ago I knew next to nothing about fossils, and slowly I'm getting deeper and learning more just from reading others posts about what they'd like identified. I can't wait till I can actually contribute to identifying stuff, but I'm not there yet for most things.

 

My problem is that I'm adding new fossils that I have no idea what they are at a rate that exceeds my ability to find the answers to what they are as the fossil record is just enormous and my knowledge of it so limited. I've got a few really cool ones but I don't want to post a bunch of identification posts without giving it my best effort on my own. This is honestly what keeps me coming back - gaining knowledge is so very addictive :D

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1 hour ago, Titan said:

This is honestly what keeps me coming back - gaining knowledge is so very addictive

:default_clap2:

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2 hours ago, Rockwood said:

but I would call it a stromatoporoid if it were mine.

 

2 hours ago, Titan said:

Here's a zoomed in one of the second picture.


Thanks for the zoomed in photo! Hopefully your “stuck in Texas” situation will be over soon. Not that there is anything wrong with Texas, but being home is always better. I agree with you and @Rockwood. Looks more Stromatoporoid to me. 

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The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it.  -Neil deGrasse Tyson

 

Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don't. -Bill Nye (The Science Guy)

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@Missourian that's an interesting idea, I'll do some more research in that direction and see if anything presents itself. Thanks for your thought!

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It sure looks like the flowstone I find in Indiana. Its the thick layers with no texture that looks more like flowstone.   Packy

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@Packy Thanks for weighing in Packy! I've been trying to find examples of flowstone that look similar online but haven't found too many. My Dad is from Bloomington. I've only been a few time's but Indiana is a beautiful state.

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Don't know if these photos will help but I hope they do.  I purchased this stromatolite (ID by seller) about 15 years ago and it does look similar to your specimen.

20200419_090425 (2).jpg

20200419_090433 (2).jpg

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A chaetetid sponge also comes to mind, but in Missouri, they are found exclusively in the mid-Pennsylvanian Marmaton Group.

 

I have found stromatolites at the top of the Sniabar Limestone, which is just below the Bethany Falls:

 

post-6808-0-18380200-1327048640.jpg.1cd962c31499be862d4e3d3bc03b0984.jpg

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Context is critical.

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@Ruger9a Interesting, those do help. Thank you for sharing!

 

@Missourian That's really useful information. In my mind there's very little chance the specimen I have found is from the Marmaton group. It's possible I have misidentified the layer I am at and it is from closer to the Sniabar limestone. Thank you for the picture! Your specimen has more of the characteristics/identifying markers of a stromatolite. My specimen seems to lack the mamelons entirely, and if it weren't for the water-canal like holes I'd say it were flowstone - though even with them I am leaning more toward it being flowstone than not. Once I make it home I'll look at it though a microscope and see if I can't identify clearer pilars and lamina.

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  • 1 month later...

After looking at it through the microscope I have little doubt it's weathered flowstone. No evidence of mamleons or pillars and the "canal holes" don't look at all like other specimens as they're not uniform in size in the least.

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