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Possible vertebrae impression fossil?


Lmilly

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do you know the age of it? I do not think that it is a fossil, I assume it could be a mineral crust or nodule, limonite

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Unfortunately I’m still learning about geology and I don’t know any information! I found it today in a dried creekbed in Montgomery County, PA, USA 

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If it helps, I found specimens at the same location that are very convincing petrified wood pieces (I started exploring this location last year):

 

IMG_5450.thumb.jpeg.486f274f042872cfc112611a6ff2efc9.jpegIMG_5456.thumb.jpeg.1d95fc193dfa7127693c3558a568c7ee.jpegIMG_5457.thumb.jpeg.7158922d598f5aba9a9dc7f845e1ab8d.jpegIMG_5458.thumb.jpeg.59bb1280751d70394c3f518f9492456a.jpeg

IMG_3472.thumb.jpeg.42e4254037c44f5fb570a5db5bf9db38.jpegIMG_3476.thumb.jpeg.f6637da3bb59df733d6b16b43654e013.jpeg

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Some of these do resemble petrified wood, but I would lean toward a geologic origin. Many of these appear to be some type of ironstone and I can’t make out any texture that distinguishes these from wood-like geologic structures (then again, I have not handled much petrified wood). 

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12 hours ago, rocket said:

do you know the age of it? I do not think that it is a fossil, I assume it could be a mineral crust or nodule, limonite

I'd agree

'Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.'

George Santayana

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14 hours ago, Lmilly said:

If it helps, I found specimens at the same location that are very convincing petrified wood pieces (I started exploring this location last year):

 

Some of those could be limonite-replaced wood.  I've found some in the glacial gravels of the Pleistocene Columbia Fm in New Caste County, Delaware (USA) that look just like those.  "Ironwood" like that has been documented in Pleistocene sediments on the Atlantic Coast of the US

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'Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.'

George Santayana

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@hemipristisThank you for sharing! Some of the pieces I find do have a brittle texture but are often intermixed with crystals. Is this characteristic of ironwood? (Examples below of the brittle specimens)

 

If we assume ironwood, would that make sense for Montgomery county? I’m very knew to this as rockhounding is a hobby of mine but I’m extremely eager to learn. Whenever I post to forums with my questionable pieces, I often get dismissed because the location doesn’t match the expected geology for that area. I feel it’s necessary to mention this specific creekbed in Montgomery county is unlike any I’ve explored in PA or anywhere else for that matter. The bed is made of clay and I found (assuming) smoky quartz, agates, Jasper, and petrified wood layering the entire bed. Does this sound consistent for the age of the Pleistocene sediments you mentioned? 

brittle wood wrapped around stone (quartz?): 

IMG_3481.thumb.jpeg.e476c3bd3dafacb2e876bb6cbc6b83f0.jpeg
 

more brittle texture mixed with hard sediment:

image.thumb.jpg.9d517e9f6de56eb2f28c3f5061ad75bb.jpgimage.thumb.jpg.aa33d9441c3788681a63aa8812204a09.jpg
 


this specimen is rock hard like the previous images I posted in this thread and includes small crystals along with some irregular markings and banding:

image.thumb.jpg.7b324f076e3dd7d22ddc31e5982e42fc.jpg

Edited by Lmilly
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