possible BIG fossil, help please

[Newbie_1971]

Found two parts of this the other day in Indiana, and after more inspection I found the other part down the slope. It appeared to have washed out of the bank and tumbled down breaking it into pieces.Any Help with this would be appreciated.  Thank you.

Edited October 7, 2023 by Newbie_1971
added the state

[Danielb]

It looks like a rock. Also you need to put where it’s from before posting.

[FB003]

I agree it also looks like a rock. That said, it may be worthwhile for you take pictures at different angles such as straight in on both ends, opposite side, etc... This appears to be the same picture/angle at different zoom levels.

[hadrosauridae]

what exactly makes you think this is a fossil of some kind?

[Newbie_1971]

4 minutes ago, FB003 said:

I agree it also looks like a rock. That said, it may be worthwhile for you take pictures at different angles such as straight in on both ends, opposite side, etc... This appears to be the same picture/angle at different zoom levels.

[Fossildude19]

I think there is a very slight chance that this could be a sponge, stromatoporoid, or bryozoan colony of some sort.
Not well versed in these items, so, I could be reaching at straws. 

Maybe someone more knowledgeable will weigh in.

[Newbie_1971]

1 minute ago, hadrosauridae said:

what exactly makes you think this is a fossil of some kind?

I am very new at fossil hunting. It just stood out, and looked very different than any surrounding rocks, shale type area. I was thinking something may be incased in the sediment. There are dark lines and such under the surface.

[Ludwigia]

I'm inclined to think that this is some kind of concretion.

[Newbie_1971]

5 minutes ago, Fossildude19 said:

I think there is a very slight chance that this could be a sponge, stromatoporoid, or bryozoan colony of some sort.
Not well versed in these items, so, I could be reaching at straws. 

Maybe someone more knowledgeable will weigh in.

Found it in a shale area, not another rock around with rounded edges. The shape also made me think it may be a very large fossil. There are dark lines that you can see in areas of the surface as well. Like I  have mentioned to you before, I  am very new to this fossil thing. Not sure if you saw or not, but found a bunch of trilobite fragments early today which got me stoked. Thanks for your reply.

[Newbie_1971]

1 minute ago, Ludwigia said:

I'm inclined to think that this is some kind of concretion.

That was the only other thing that I could think it could possibly be if not a fossil.

[FossilNerd]

Hmmm… I’m intrigued by the surface pattern.

 

Can you also take some pictures of the broken ends? Where the two pieces would have been connected together. It might show more details to help confirm or deny your suspicions of it being a fossil. 

[hadrosauridae]

16 hours ago, Newbie_1971 said:

I am very new at fossil hunting. It just stood out, and looked very different than any surrounding rocks, shale type area. I was thinking something may be incased in the sediment. There are dark lines and such under the surface.

 

 

 

From what I can see of the broken ends in your pics, I dont see any signs of this being a fossil.  I agree that this is probably some type of concreation.

 

However, dont feel bad if this doesnt turn out to be a fossil.  Nobody starts out knowing how to ID fossils in the field, its a learning process.  Looking for things that "stand out" from the surroundings is the best start in field exploration.  

[val horn]

The shape makes me think of a geological flute cast,  a dished out area on the underlying sediment that can filled in with the clay that became shale overtime.

[erose]

SE Indiana? Location is important. I would also suggest a flute cast upside down.

[Fossildude19]

New photos rotated and contrasted:

 

 

[Carl]

This reminds my a bit of a fossil informally called Godzillus. Googling will get you various images.

[Fossildude19]

Godzillus fossil images.

[Newbie_1971]

On 10/8/2023 at 1:13 PM, erose said:

SE Indiana? Location is important. I would also suggest a flute cast upside down.

Yes, se indiana

[erose]

30 minutes ago, Fossildude19 said:

Godzillus fossil images.

The texture is slightly. different. but this was what came to mind as. well.

[piranha]

Here is the paper:

 

Meyer, D.L., Brett, C.E., Dattilo, B.F., Fine, R. 2016
Inverted Trilobites: Key to Complex Preservation of an Organically Textured Surface in Offshore Siliciclastic

Mudstone and Carbonate Facies: Kope Formation (Upper Ordovician), Kenton County, Kentucky, USA.
Palaios, 31(10):453-462  PDF LINK

[hadrosauridae]

6 hours ago, Carl said:

This reminds my a bit of a fossil informally called Godzillus. Googling will get you various images.

 

Looking through the pictures of "godzillus", I have difficulty in believing that was a fossil of something other than maybe algae mat or a sponge.  

[Fossildude19]

18 hours ago, hadrosauridae said:

 

Looking through the pictures of "godzillus", I have difficulty in believing that was a fossil of something other than maybe algae mat or a sponge.  

 

 

Perhaps,  ... but it was an enigmatic fossil of something. 

[hemipristis]

On 10/9/2023 at 2:02 AM, val horn said:

The shape makes me think of a geological flute cast,  a dished out area on the underlying sediment that can filled in with the clay that became shale overtime.

Wow, now that term brings me back to sedimentology class!

Edited October 11, 2023 by hemipristis