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Nevermind. It's definitely not a fossil!

icycatelf

By icycatelf
in Fossil ID

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icycatelf Regular Member

icycatelf

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Today's most unusual find. It looks like some of the smaller Calamites pieces I've found, but the lines look like they're twisted around the specimen instead of straight up and down. Slightly bowed. It measures 3cm long. Found by the creek.



HiG8AnE.jpglDUm97G.jpg



(Sorry about the flash. It was dark by time I got inside and the weather is supposed to be bad tomorrow.)


Edited by icycatelf

Casual surface-collector and Pokémon fan. QPn3FY1.gif

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DPS Ammonite Regular Member

DPS Ammonite

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Help us out TFF members with a good memory. I thought I saw an extensive post in the last 3 years about a similar twisted object. Some thought it was a coprolite. Can anyone find the post?

My goal is to leave no stone or fossil unturned.   

See my Arizona Paleontology Guide    link  The best single resource for Arizona paleontology anywhere.       

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DPS Ammonite Regular Member

DPS Ammonite

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Google images to the rescue. I searched for "spiral coprolite" and "fossil forum" and found this Feb 15,2015 post: http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/52595-south-dakota/

My goal is to leave no stone or fossil unturned.   

See my Arizona Paleontology Guide    link  The best single resource for Arizona paleontology anywhere.       

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DPS Ammonite Regular Member

DPS Ammonite

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icycatelf, give us better details as to where you found it and the formation and age of the rocks nearby. Also, take photos of both ends. I wonder if it looks like the photos on the post link given in my post #5 above?

Edited by DPS Ammonite

My goal is to leave no stone or fossil unturned.   

See my Arizona Paleontology Guide    link  The best single resource for Arizona paleontology anywhere.       

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Coelacanth Member

Coelacanth

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This reminds me a little bit of some shark coprolites that I've seen.

Examples:

post-16436-0-36279000-1456022035_thumb.jpg

post-16436-0-41680900-1456022043_thumb.jpg

post-16436-0-98034300-1456022081_thumb.jpg

Edited by Coelacanth
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BobWill Regular Member

BobWill

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Every coprolite I've seen has only one groove that spirals around the fossil while this has several. The one from the post last year had six grooves (or ridges) while this one has even more. Even if it doesn't respond to a magnet it could be brass or bronze. Could you cut into it to make sure it's not metallic.

Edited by BobWill
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icycatelf Regular Member

icycatelf

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Every coprolite I've seen has only one groove the spirals around the fossil while this has several. The one from the post last year had six grooves (or ridges) while this one has even more. Even if it doesn't respond to a magnet it could be brass or bronze. Could you cut into it to make sure it's not metallic.

A magnet test didn't even occur to me. I just tried and it stuck.

icycatelf, give us better details as to where you found it and the formation and age of the rocks nearby. Also, take photos of both ends. I wonder if it looks like the photos on the post link given in my post #5 above?

I included that info in the tags. As for the ends, if it being metal doesn't rule out a fossil (which I think it does), I'll take pics of those when I've got a little more light to work with (although I can say that the wider end doesn't look like that photo).

Edited by icycatelf

Casual surface-collector and Pokémon fan. QPn3FY1.gif

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DPS Ammonite Regular Member

DPS Ammonite

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In all seriousness, if this is metal, or altered metal, than it could be the top of a wrought iron fence post or a finial (or similar item.)

See this picture:

http://www.antiquedraperyrod.com/catalog/displayitem.asp?Product=57&catalog=1&category=13

Edited by DPS Ammonite

My goal is to leave no stone or fossil unturned.   

See my Arizona Paleontology Guide    link  The best single resource for Arizona paleontology anywhere.       

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DPS Ammonite Regular Member

DPS Ammonite

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Quote from icycatelf: "As for the ends, if it being metal doesn't rule out a fossil (which I think it does)"

Has anyone ever heard of a fossil that was replaced by a reasonably magnetic mineral? I have not. I do not consider hematite, pyrite or limonite to be magnetic.

Edited by DPS Ammonite

My goal is to leave no stone or fossil unturned.   

See my Arizona Paleontology Guide    link  The best single resource for Arizona paleontology anywhere.       

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BobWill Regular Member

BobWill

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I think icycatelf was just saying we probably don't need photos of the ends now that we know it's metallic. That would be interesting to know though if it ever happens, I never heard of it either...metal but not magnetic metal fossils. :zzzzscratchchin:

Edited by BobWill
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DPS Ammonite Regular Member

DPS Ammonite

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Let me rephrase my question for BobWill and others. Has anyone ever heard of a magnetic fossil that is composed of these elements and compounds: native iron; iron nickel; magnetite; pyrrhotite or maghemite? Being magnetic and a fossil might not be mutually exclusive.

I think that the item is probably not a fossil but instead is a piece of decorative iron that is a little rusty. AKA, a humanite.

Edited by DPS Ammonite

My goal is to leave no stone or fossil unturned.   

See my Arizona Paleontology Guide    link  The best single resource for Arizona paleontology anywhere.       

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Auspex Regular Member

Auspex

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Nevermind, folks. It's just a piece of steel cable.

That revelation caused it to all come together.in an "Of Course!" moment.

Well done :)

"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!

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