tom999w Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 Hi everyone, newbie here. I was walking through the woods along a creek in upstate New York and found this rock in the creek. I've never seen anything like it, so thought I'd show it here and see if anyone can figure out what it is. It's about 12" high. I'm thinking it may be a rock full of fossils, but I surely don't want to break it open because I don't know what I'm doing, and don't want to destroy it. I've also searched on the internet for a couple hours and didn't find anything that resembles this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FranzBernhard Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 (edited) Welcome to TFF from Austria! Nice specimen, quite unusual also to me. Could be trace fossil, sedimentary structure or tectonic structure - I don´t know! Or even something man-made, a carving? Franz Bernhard Edited March 4 by FranzBernhard 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westcoast Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 What does the other side look like? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom999w Posted March 4 Author Share Posted March 4 The other side is just plain rock, just a smooth surface. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 Could be some sort of trace fossil. Less likely is sedimentary structures. EDIT: (But still possible.) What county was this found in? 1 Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 __________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom999w Posted March 4 Author Share Posted March 4 This was found in Sullivan County New York, in a very remote part of the woods, in a brook that had eroded the surrounding ground level about 8 feet down below the regular level of the ground surface. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 The odds look good that this is a trace fossil. As viewed it would be inverted from the orientation that the shapes were created (hypo relief). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TqB Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 They look rather like flute casts/sole markings but out of stratigraphic context it's hard to be sure. 2 Tarquin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 My gut says this is artificial. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom999w Posted March 4 Author Share Posted March 4 (edited) It looks like something living that was in the process of movement when it was solidified. Edited March 4 by tom999w Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPrice Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 15 minutes ago, Carl said: My gut says this is artificial. I'm leaning with this. Someone very handy with an angle grinder? Doesn't hurt my feelings if I'm wrong because I've never seen any kind of fossil that looks like this but have seen plenty of stone carvings. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom999w Posted March 4 Author Share Posted March 4 (edited) But the location I'd found this is so remote. I doubt someone made a pretty sculpture and then carried it two miles from the nearest road to drop it in a creek bed in the woods. There is not even walking paths there. I'm stumped on what it is.. Maybe it's from outer space. Edited March 4 by tom999w 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 Still in the ichnofossil/sedimentary structures camp. 3 Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 __________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 It has slightly meniscate look to it. I suppose that could be tool chatter, but in that context ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaybot Posted March 5 Share Posted March 5 My money is on microbial mat/Stromatolite. They are in many diverse shapes, here are some example pics: (not my photos) Just a thought. Either way, neat looking fossil/rock -Jay ''...science is eminently perfectible, and that each theory has constantly to give way to a fresh one.'' -Journey to the Center of the Earth, Jules Verne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doushantuo Posted March 5 Share Posted March 5 (edited) I'm not above considering this to be a piece of nicely polished/eroded (originally) reasonably viscous pillow lava, or an expression of vesicularity in basalt. Flow direction would then be from the smallest to the broadest part. There is a SLIGHT geometrical resemblance to Phycodes, so I get where the ichnofossil idea is coming from Edited March 5 by doushantuo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doushantuo Posted March 5 Share Posted March 5 (edited) I can even live with turbiditic flutes Given that there seems to be some variance in the directionality of the shapes, I think it is slightly more probable than my previous explanation,derived form igneous petrology edit : I think TQB might be on the right track there JEFF PEAKALL , JIM BEST , JACO H. BAAS, DAVID M. HODGSON ,MICHAEL A. CLARE , PETER J. TALLING , ROBERT M. DORRELL* and DAVID R. LEE Sedimentology (2020) 67, 1601–1666 An integrated process-based model of flutes and tool marks in deep-water environments: Implications for palaeohydraulics, the Bouma sequence and hybrid event beds size 19 mB Sedimentology - 2020 - Peakall - An integrated process‐based model of flutes and tool marks in deep‐water environments .pdf Edited March 5 by doushantuo 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom999w Posted March 6 Author Share Posted March 6 Very interesting. Thanks everyone very much for the replies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaybot Posted March 6 Share Posted March 6 19 hours ago, doushantuo said: I can even live with turbiditic flutes Given that there seems to be some variance in the directionality of the shapes, I think it is slightly more probable than my previous explanation,derived form igneous petrology edit : I think TQB might be on the right track there JEFF PEAKALL , JIM BEST , JACO H. BAAS, DAVID M. HODGSON ,MICHAEL A. CLARE , PETER J. TALLING , ROBERT M. DORRELL* and DAVID R. LEE Sedimentology (2020) 67, 1601–1666 An integrated process-based model of flutes and tool marks in deep-water environments: Implications for palaeohydraulics, the Bouma sequence and hybrid event beds size 19 mB Sedimentology - 2020 - Peakall - An integrated process‐based model of flutes and tool marks in deep‐water environments .pdf 19 MB · 0 downloads I think you've hit the nail on this one 1 -Jay ''...science is eminently perfectible, and that each theory has constantly to give way to a fresh one.'' -Journey to the Center of the Earth, Jules Verne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom999w Posted March 12 Author Share Posted March 12 Ok, Thanks everyone for the information. I left it in the woods where I found it. Maybe someone will stumble upon it in the next thousand years and like to look at it too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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