New Members curious_worm Posted October 27, 2008 New Members Share Posted October 27, 2008 I found a stone block with what appears to be fossilized worms. The origin of the block, according to a label, is Pakistan. The attached picture shows what appears to be both cross-sections and longtitudinal sections of the animal. My first impression, based on the longtitudinal sections, is that it is a worm. The longest section is about 4 cm long. The majority of cross-sections are rhomboid, although there are few (~10%) circular sections. Typical cross-sections are 5 mm in the long axis, 2-4 mm in the short axis. The cross-sections consist of concentric layers. The boundaries between the layers are best seen in glancing light, although a hint of them shows up in the photograph. The concentric rhomboids are "anchored" by two arrowhead-like structures at the tips of the long axis of the rhomboid. The arrowhead-like anchors (8-12 per cross-section) are arranged on a line that divides the animal into symmetrical halves. There are a few cross-sections without the anchors; concentric structure is preserved, although it is more round than rhomboid. In the middle of the arrowhead line lies a dark circular structure. It is about the same size as arrowheads. The only prominent feature of the longtitudinal sections is a line in the middle, also consisting of arrowhead structures. Some longtitudinal sections show vacuolation, but that is likely to be an artifact of preservation. I did not see anything resembling a pharynx or a tail. I cannot ID the rock in which the fossils are included. It is light brown in color, with occasional orange-brown vein (iron oxide?). It originates, if the label is to be believed, in Pakistan. I can provide additional pictures, but since I am on vacation and don't have access to a lab/microscope, there is only so much I can do with a macro mode on my P&S camera. The picture I included is false-color; that was the best way to show the features, given the image quality. If you have any ideas about what this might be, I'd be happy to hear them. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkfoam Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 Interesting pictures! It looks to me like forams and not worms or worm tubes. Forams are single cell animals (Phylum Protozoa) that can secret a test or shell. It also looks like you have several species represented. Most forams are very small but several can get fairly large. I have collected the foram, Discocyclina sp. (Sp?), that were bigger than a quarter. JKFoam The Eocene is my favorite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest N.AL.hunter Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 I also have foram fossils that look like the smaller items in this rock, but not the longer ones in your picture. However, I do not believe them to be worms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New Members curious_worm Posted October 27, 2008 Author New Members Share Posted October 27, 2008 Thank you, jkfoam and N.AL.hunter. Now that you've mentioned forams, the small ones (the ones I previously called "cross-sections") indeed look like fusulinid forams. But what does it make the long structures? Are they cross-sections of a larger (fusulinid) foram species? By the way, can anyone recommend a handbook for foram ID? Thanks in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkfoam Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 Curious worm, The longer structures are discoid foraminiferia. Think of them as flat as a coin and what we are seeing in the picture is the cross section. I'm sorry, I can't recommend a hand book on forams. There may be one out there but I don't know of it. I can recommend "Invertebrate Fossils" by Moore, Lalicker and Fischer. Try Amazon or Halfprice.com to get a used copy. Its out of print. It has a Chapter that discusses fossil Protozoa. The problem with forams is that they are or were the most studied fossils on the face of the earth. A Paleontologist once told me that Forams were the only "Economic" fossils and that all other fossils were "Academic" fossils, meaning that Forams were used extensively in the search for oil and other fossils were used extensively in museums. But , hey, he was a "Bug Man" for Exxon. JKFoam The Eocene is my favorite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New Members curious_worm Posted October 28, 2008 Author New Members Share Posted October 28, 2008 Thanks, jkfoam. I'll start with Moore et al. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ordovicious Posted October 28, 2008 Share Posted October 28, 2008 It's beautiful and mesmerizing to look at. I'd be tempted to buy it if I saw it for sale somewhere and it wasn't too expensive. I get the same feeling from it as I do looking at a lava lamp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted October 28, 2008 Share Posted October 28, 2008 A Paleontologist once told me that Forams were the only "Economic" fossils and that all other fossils were "Academic" fossils, meaning that Forams were used extensively in the search for oil and other fossils were used extensively in museums. But , hey, he was a "Bug Man" for Exxon. If I remember correctly the way it was explained to me, forams are used to date the layers that are being drilled in the search for oil. They have people on the rigs looking for forams in the "drillings" (for lack of a better term) as it comes up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest solius symbiosus Posted October 28, 2008 Share Posted October 28, 2008 ^^Yep, that is it. Forams are some of the best index fossils that ever lived. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted October 28, 2008 Share Posted October 28, 2008 That is a lovely display specimen; solidly of the "cool rock" category of fossils. Wish it were mine! "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...
Guest Nicholas Posted October 28, 2008 Share Posted October 28, 2008 I agree, it is a great collector piece. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommabetts Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 Now that is awesome, reminds me of the late 60's early 70's. How does it look under a black light? It is mezmerizing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megaselachus13 Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 They seem sectioned foraminifera. Remind me a lot to Nummulites that appear striped in various ornamental limestone for construction. The limestone with Nummulite massive taphocenosis are known as nummulithic limestone, as well as those which are saturated with sections of crinoid stems are called encrinitic limestones. Greetings & Welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 They seem sectioned foraminifera. Remind me a lot to Nummulites that appear striped in various ornamental limestone for construction. The limestone with Nummulite massive taphocenosis are known as nummulithic limestone, as well as those which are saturated with sections of crinoid stems are called encrinitic limestones. Greetings & Welcome. How rare is it? I wouldn't mind having a nice piece. "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...
jkfoam Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 Auspex Seems I remember reading somewhere that the Egyptian pyramids were constructed of limestone blocks that were choc-a-lot full of large discoid forams. I don't think that limestone that is full of forams is that rare it is just that the average foram is so small. Limestone full of large forams may be the exception and is fairly rare. I know that we quarry alot of limestone here in central Texas but none of it is known for its foram content. For example the Austin Chalk is quarried quite extensively and is quite fossiliferous but the fossils you see are mainly molluscan. JKFoam The Eocene is my favorite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOROPUS Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 How rare is it? I wouldn't mind having a nice piece. It is an important rock former in the first part of eocene. It is so common, that in old times, instead of calling it as "eocene", they calle it Nummulitic era. I have some examples around where I live, but if you polish them they would be great! The matrix is really hard! Look to the Egipt pyramids! They have 4000 years, and thgey are still there! And, this Nummulites, where the biggest unicellular animals that have live on earth.The biggest one ever collected, was from the area where I live, and it was, more or less 6 or 7 centimetres long (they are as big as the plates for tea cups!)Remember, they are unicellular! BBBBBIIIIGGGG MOOOONSTEEEER! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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