ghost1066 Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 Ok pretty sure i know but thought I would throw it out and see what floats. This was found in Smyrna TN in an area that should be the Lebanon Limestone deposit but this is not the type of fossil I usually find there looks more like chert. It is an ordovician deposit. What say yea? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost1066 Posted January 14, 2012 Author Share Posted January 14, 2012 Indy I thought the same but I have never found chert in this shape which means exactly zero. It tapers and has a small opening in the smaller end which appears to have been an attachment point. If it is just chert it is the coolest one I've found. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indy Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 Ooops ... I accidentally deleted my reply...Here it is again Very interesting shape and features I see why stromatolite would could to mind However, I will vote for chert. Flash from the Past (Show Us Your Fossils)MAPS Fossil Show Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indy Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 (edited) Indy I thought the same but I have never found chert in this shape which means exactly zero. It tapers and has a small opening in the smaller end which appears to have been an attachment point. If it is just chert it is the coolest one I've found. I agree...Its a very cool specimen Wondering what others will say Edited January 14, 2012 by Indy Flash from the Past (Show Us Your Fossils)MAPS Fossil Show Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimB88 Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 looks like a cryptozoon - type stromatolite to me. But Im no expert. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 Possibly a stalagmite? "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost1066 Posted January 14, 2012 Author Share Posted January 14, 2012 looks like a cryptozoon - type stromatolite to me. But Im no expert. Jim that is what I thought and was hoping. Still not sure but it looks like one when in hand. I do find them there along with other stromatilites so I jumped to that conclusion just never fosslized like this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost1066 Posted January 14, 2012 Author Share Posted January 14, 2012 Auspex this was an ocean environment at the time even though there are cave there are none real close to the location I found this. It is just one of those " I'm not sure" finds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 Auspex this was an ocean environment at the time even though there are cave there are none real close to the location I found this. It is just one of those " I'm not sure" finds. I just threw that out there, mostly because the small-end view looked "dripped upon". "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashcraft Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 chert and stromatolite are not exclusive of each other. I find lots of chertified stromatolites, from the Ordovician, I know one creek that has hundreds, if not thousands of the digitate type that resembels your specimen. I believe they are coming out of the St. Peters sandstone, although others would argue that. They make the best specimens as they take a nice polish, It is also not uncommon for them to have a "pipe hole" in their base. That being said, I cannot rule out that the specimen is strictly a chunk of chert, as it is so water worn. If it is a stromatolite, there should be lamillae exposed somewhere. There may be some towards the bottom, but I can't tell for sure from the photo. Brent Ashcraft ashcraft, brent allen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indy Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 chert and stromatolite are not exclusive of each other. I find lots of chertified stromatolites, from the Ordovician, I know one creek that has hundreds, if not thousands of the digitate type that resembels your specimen. Brent Ashcraft Really ??? How about sharing some pictures of some of those stromatolites that look like this specimen :pic: Flash from the Past (Show Us Your Fossils)MAPS Fossil Show Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashcraft Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 (edited) Really ??? How about sharing some pictures of some of those stromatolites that look like this specimen :pic: I was prepping them as you were typing. Below are limestone examples that are Ordovician, the first one is an example from the Dutchtown, . Edited January 15, 2012 by ashcraft 1 ashcraft, brent allen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashcraft Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 Here is a reef structure, one photo is of the outcrop, which is all stromatolitic, the second is a closeup so you can see the growth lamillae. The outcrop is also Ordovician, name the Everton ashcraft, brent allen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashcraft Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 growth "rings" from above ashcraft, brent allen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashcraft Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 Here are three photos from what I consider to be St. Peter formation. They are all silicified, and show the common blue/black coloration internally. The large specimen with the hammer shows a "pipe hole" extending all the way through on the lower node. The slice also shows cavities. ashcraft, brent allen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashcraft Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 May not let me post any more pics for awhile, here is a silicified specimen also ashcraft, brent allen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashcraft Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 May be able to get one more- a slice of a silicified stromatolite. Ordovician, St. Peter formation, Scott County, Missouri 1 ashcraft, brent allen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indy Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 (edited) Interesting... Side-by-side comparison (ghost1066's image rotated 180 degrees) Mother Nature is a world famous artists The true test of whether this is a stromatolite would be revealed when sliced. If it was mine...I wouldn't whack it with a hammer or slice it to satisfy my curiosity. I would put it in the hands of a friend of mine, who is a stromatolite expert, OR add it to my collection as a very interesting specimen Edited January 15, 2012 by Indy 1 1 Flash from the Past (Show Us Your Fossils)MAPS Fossil Show Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howard_l Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 I will put my two cents in, it could be a Stromatoporoid, they are very common in some Ordovician of Central KY. They resemble Stromatolites and can be easily mistaken but they lived in deeper water whereas Stromatolites liked tidal environments. The chert replacement could have destroyed a lot of the structure; Geotizing will destroy almost all structure. 1 Howard_L http://triloman.wix.com/kentucky-fossils Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryLynnRocks Posted May 10, 2023 Share Posted May 10, 2023 On 1/14/2012 at 11:19 PM, Indy said: Really ??? How about sharing some pictures of some of those stromatolites that look like this specimen :pic: I'm in Knox county TN, right on the Jefferson county line & have an entire mountain of it. This land is 4 acres & it's stromatolite from the bottom to the top. There's lots of other stuff but it's mixed in with the stromatolite's, chert, agates, quartz, limestone, pyrite, lepidolite, common opal, druzy crystals, jasper & who knows what I'll find tomorrow. I know this is an old post, would like to see what you think 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryLynnRocks Posted May 10, 2023 Share Posted May 10, 2023 On 1/14/2012 at 11:30 PM, ashcraft said: Really ??? How about sharing some pictures of some of those stromatolites that look like this specimen :pic: I was prepping them as you were typing. Below are limestone examples that are Ordovician, the first one is an example from the Dutchtown, . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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