Paleo-shark_hunter Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 Does anyone know what the disk shaped fossils that are commonly in Ocala Limestone are? I find them everywhere in Florida, but I have no Idea what they are... If anyone knows weather I should leave them, or keep them, that woul dbe appreciated thanks "Re-living History, one piece at a time..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gizmo Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 Picture Please!- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkfoam Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 If these disk shaped fossils are perfectly round disks that appear to be very thin wafers and range in diameter from say a 1/4 inch up to 1 inch diameter or even larger then they are probably a foraminifera (a protozoa). The genus may be Lepidocyclina. The Ocala Limestone has a whole assembledge of large forams. Do a Google search for "Ocala Limestone + Foraminifera". I think the second entry will provide a PDF of the reference you need. JKFoam The Eocene is my favorite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paleo-shark_hunter Posted June 5, 2011 Author Share Posted June 5, 2011 If these disk shaped fossils are perfectly round disks that appear to be very thin wafers and range in diameter from say a 1/4 inch up to 1 inch diameter or even larger then they are probably a foraminifera (a protozoa). The genus may be Lepidocyclina. The Ocala Limestone has a whole assembledge of large forams. Do a Google search for "Ocala Limestone + Foraminifera". I think the second entry will provide a PDF of the reference you need. JKFoam Yes, those sound right are they worth keeping, or should I just leave them? thanks "Re-living History, one piece at a time..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkfoam Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 Paleo Shark Hunter, OK, I'm an invert guy. I'd collect a bunch of them but in your case how many do you want? If I were you I'd collect a few just for my collection. Remember, these are Protozoa, a single celled organism. How rare is one the size of a quarter? If you can collect some like the one I have pictured below you have some great trading material, I would think. Most Foraminifera collected are maybe up to a couple of millimeters in size. JKFoam The Eocene is my favorite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paleo-shark_hunter Posted June 6, 2011 Author Share Posted June 6, 2011 Paleo Shark Hunter, OK, I'm an invert guy. I'd collect a bunch of them but in your case how many do you want? If I were you I'd collect a few just for my collection. Remember, these are Protozoa, a single celled organism. How rare is one the size of a quarter? If you can collect some like the one I have pictured below you have some great trading material, I would think. Most Foraminifera collected are maybe up to a couple of millimeters in size. JKFoam I have one almost the size of a quarter, would this be worth anything? "Re-living History, one piece at a time..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeR Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 Looks to be a worn Asterocyclina mariannensis (Cushman, 1920). Very common in certain spots within the Upper Ocala. Mike "A problem solved is a problem caused"--Karl Pilkington "I was dead for millions of years before I was born and it never inconvenienced me a bit." -- Mark Twain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowsharks Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 Gosh, it just looks like a rock to me. Prolly why I don't do inverts, or at least the ones that just look like rocks to me. Daryl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeR Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 (edited) Gosh, it just looks like a rock to me. Prolly why I don't do inverts, or at least the ones that just look like rocks to me. Daryl. Actually you get a better idea of the look by not zooming in. Anyone who has collected in Upper Eocene and Oligocene carbonate deposits in the SE USA have probably come across some of these large protozoa. Below are two species that are better preserved. Left: Asterocyclina americana (Cushman, 1920) Right: Asterocyclina mariannensis (Cushman, 1920). Both from locality 335; Upper Eocene; Upper Member Ocala Limestone; Jackson County, Florida. Edited June 7, 2011 by MikeR "A problem solved is a problem caused"--Karl Pilkington "I was dead for millions of years before I was born and it never inconvenienced me a bit." -- Mark Twain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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