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Something mysterious

Myrmica

By Myrmica
in Fossil ID

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Myrmica Regular Member

Myrmica

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I have wondered about this one for several years.  It is from the east side of Lake Turkana, in Kenya but I wasn't at the actual spot from where it was picked up, so I don't know anything about the specifics of the location.  This was one of at least a dozen specimens that I saw.  The other side looks the same as what you can see in the photo.  I have wondered if it could be a stromatolite but the shape is odd for that.  Could it be some sort of evaporative feature?  It is the only one I have, so I haven't tried cutting it open.  I'd love to hear some opinions.

 

 

Possible stromatolite.JPG

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Tidgy's Dad Regular Member

Tidgy's Dad

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The sort of druzy pustules on some of the surface suggest a possible desert evaporite origin, but I've not seen anything quite like that before.

I think it's a fossil sponge. 

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DPS Ammonite Regular Member

DPS Ammonite

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Stromatolites and oncolites occur near the lake. 
 

http://awramik.faculty.geol.ucsb.edu/pubs/ABEL8201.pdf

 

Edited by DPS Ammonite

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fifbrindacier Regular Member

fifbrindacier

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I agree with @Tidgy's Dad.

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Myrmica Regular Member

Myrmica

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Thanks all.  I will pursue the stromatolite idea for now.  DPS Ammonite - thanks for the reference!  The thought of a sponge hadn't occurred to me because I didn't think that there would be a calcareous sponge in a freshwater system (?), and the specimen is definitely calcareous.  It also seems rather big for a calcareous sponge.  Hmm, but now you have be thinking..

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