Fossil antler pieces?

[LBI]

Can anyone help me identify these?  The longest is 5 1/2”. Maybe deer antler pieces?

[LBI]

[LBI]

And Merry Christmas!

[Rockwood]

Maybe internal molds of rudist bivalves. 

They aren't antlers.

[FranzBernhard]

There was quite a similar question less then a day ago:

At least the left one looks somewhat similar!
Franz Bernhard

[Rockwood]

Think I could make honorary Texan if it is ?  

[Earendil]

49 minutes ago, Sam hooks said:

 

I know I am possibly wrong but they look like fossil calf bones

Not calf bones, notice the definite curve. I would say they're either rudist bivalves like Rockwood said, or they're petrified wood pieces?

[grandpa]

Here's a third option - they are ichnofossils, burrows. 

 

And no, @Rockwood, there is an entire licensing process required to become an honorary Texan, including a rather comprehensive test - both written and physical. 

Not just anyone is allowed that honor.   

But you are quite welcome to come visit our state and take back some of our wonderful fossil bounty if you'd like. 

[JohnJ]

I agree with @grandpa.  All the inclusions in the matrix suggest a burrow cast.

[FossilNerd]

2 hours ago, grandpa said:

 

And no, @Rockwood, there is an entire licensing process required to become an honorary Texan, including a rather comprehensive test - both written and physical. 

Not just anyone is allowed that honor.   

I think becoming an honorary member of Texas is like AA with its 12 step program.
 

After cozying up to a Texan for a while I feel like I’m only on step 3. It’s a hard club to get into!  

 

Incidentally I’m on the fossil burrow wagon.

[LBI]

Thanks for the replies, I hadn’t thought of burrows. 

[LabRatKing]

These look like flow stone to me, however they could be this rhizoliths ( plant root ichnofossils)

 

We got any location/formation data?

 

Without that info its all just WAGS.

 

~Honorary Texan... have a gun rack in my VW bug...

[LBI]

What is flow stone? I’m still new at this, so I guess I’ve never heard of or seen any. 

[LBI]

Location is Vanderpool TX. I took a screenshot of the USGS rock unit data. 

[Rockwood]

15 minutes ago, LBI said:

What is flow stone? I’m still new at this, so I guess I’ve never heard of or seen any. 

Minerals precipitated as the water they are dissolved in evaporates. Commonly found in caves, and near mineral springs.

[abyssunder]

Hard to say what they are, but I think they are not rudist remains. 

[LBI]

Thanks Rockwood. We do have some caves and during normal rainfall periods, springs and seeps are abundant. So flowstone would be like replacement fossilization, but without replacing anything?

[LBI]

Or more like a cast or mold?

[Rockwood]

48 minutes ago, LBI said:

Thanks Rockwood. We do have some caves and during normal rainfall periods, springs and seeps are abundant. So flowstone would be like replacement fossilization, but without replacing anything?

 

47 minutes ago, LBI said:

Or more like a cast or mold?

I see no reason that flow stone couldn't produce replacements, or casts. It would just be sort of a more open system. 

If they are casts, weathering could explain the look. I do see why the others are doubting it though.

[grandpa]

49 minutes ago, LBI said:

So flowstone would be like replacement fossilization, but without replacing anything?

 

48 minutes ago, LBI said:

Or more like a cast or mold?

Flowstone is not a fossilization process per se and need not have anything to do with preservation of past life.  It is rather a purely geologic process.  Familiar examples of flowstone  are found in area caves - stalagmites and stalagtites are a type of flowstone.  If you are familiar with these, you know what flowstone is and how it forms.  I do not believe that this is flowstone, however.  I stand by "burrows".

 

1 minute ago, Rockwood said:

I do see why the others are doubting it though.

The surface of the "burrows" and the cross-sectional end photos do not look like flowstone to me. 

 

16 hours ago, LabRatKing said:

 

~Honorary Texan... have a gun rack in my VW bug...

BUT - @LabRatKing, Is that a VW bug Pick-up?  Be careful, the answer is critical to acceptance! 

[DPS Ammonite]

1 hour ago, grandpa said:

BUT - @LabRatKing, Is that a VW bug Pick-up?  Be careful, the answer is critical to acceptance! 

@LabRatKing  To be accepted in Texas don’t talk religion or politics, talk paleontology and be friendly.

 

Remember the Alamo.

 

Eat Tex-Mex food, everything fried and especially barbecued beef brisket.
 

Ask how they correctly pronounce names. They don’t always use the original English, Spanish, German or French pronunciations hence the pronunciation of Amarillo. If you can correctly pronounce “Grosvenor” then a local might give you directions to a nearby good Pennsylvanian collection locality. 

 

 

 

Edited December 26, 2020 by DPS Ammonite