SE Texas - Something or Nothing?

[johnnyvaldez7.jv]

I've been losing my mind over this one.  I've found quite a few fossils that have been crushed, had all types of matrix on them and filled with them. This has me scratching my head because I've had fossils... teeth and bones before that had fragmented sections and small pieces barely holding on by matrix. There are pieces to this that fit that like it's a layer or an enamel. The outer lighter brown looks like some sort of matrix and it's covering the key end-sections, and the darker internal makes me think it's something like a fossil or tooth. Even though I don't see bone clearly or the porous internal of bone... I think it has been river worn so that I can't make out any features but I really think it's something. I've found some pretty beat up fossil similarly. 

  It's a bummer because I feel the only way to really know would be to cut a cross section to get a clean view and I'd hate to do that plus wouldn't know the best way to do so.  Does anyone recognize anything? It's a long shot.  

And maybe it's just geological and nothing more.

Found in SE Texas on a river gravel bank where I find lots of Pleistocene material. 

[fossilus]

Not obvious to me, maybe chert which might contain fossil material. Maybe ironstone concretion (red probably says iron content)? If it's very hard, it might indicate chert although ironstone can also be hard. Sorry!

[johnnyvaldez7.jv]

@fossilus No need to be sorry... thanks!  I have to eliminate it completely or it's gonna bug me big time.

[NaturalSciGuy]

Looks like mudstone, ironstone, or some form of chalcedony. Might have a fragmented hematite band as well. Neat rock!

[Brandy Cole]

I agree with NaturalSciGuy.  I'm leaning toward river smoothed ironstone with some type of mineral infill.  I would've picked it up too. It's interesting.

[johnnyvaldez7.jv]

Thank you all for your help.  Yeah this is pretty cool. I had it on my desk and would look at it each time I walked by trying to figure out what it was. Glad I can box it now. 

[johnnyvaldez7.jv]

One reason I really thought it was something more was how this identified crushed camelid cervical vertebra has these lighter brown colors of matrix and then these darker fragmented pieces of bone... kinda like this subject piece. 

 

This vertebra was on the Fossil ID site where it was identified, but then it disappeared when the changeover happened. 

[ClearLake]

With Thanksgiving coming up, all I am seeing is a slice of fossilized pumpkin pie. Or maybe chocolate cake. 

[automech]

Pumpkin pie, or any pie, wouldn't last long enough to get fossilized in my house!

[fossilus]

Yes, I have often seen bits of fossil bone in matrix like this. And this is likely a cervical vertebrae possibly camelid like camelops, paleolama or hemiauchenia. But it also could be bison which tends to be similar but not as stretched length wise. looks like it's not very well preserved and missing one end.

[johnnyvaldez7.jv]

@fossilus Yes for sure this thing is pretty beat up. It's probably been crushed and the matrix is pretty much what is keeping it in some sort of a shape and holding it all together.  I get a kick outta these finds because I'd like to think of something huge stepping on it... say like a mammoth or giant ground sloth. It's something neat for me to image the story behind it. It's one of my favorites. 

@ClearLake @automech I'd take some german chocolate cake or a nice warm  apple pie with vanilla ice cream on top.

[automech]

Two of my kids have their own ice cream machines. And, have pretty much perfected it. They made me a coffee flavored one that I didn't share with anyone.