Coral

[Beach Boy]

I have decided to collect and study Coral starting with this my only piece as yet.

Found on the Yorkshire Holderness coast so will be erratic.

Any help with this would be appreciated .

Where from.

How old.

Name.

Many thanks

Dave.

[TqB]

Hi Dave,

Good looking specimen! You really need sections for definite ID but I'm 99.9% sure that's a Lithostrotion (in the strict modern sense - it's a name that has been very broadly applied in the past).

Judging by the corallite size it's probably L. vorticale which turns up a lot there.

That's from the lower Carboniferous, Holkerian or Asbian stage, so about 330-335my.

(You also get Jurassic corals around there which can look superficially similar.)

Here's a Lithostrotion vorticale, ground and polished - it's from the Yorkshire coast, but well north of yours - we get pretty much the same Carboniferous erratics. They seem to come from a wide area, from the Pennines to the west but plenty from as far as Scotland too.

Edited April 4, 2013 by TqB

[Beach Boy]

Hi Tarquin

My first request for help with Coral and within a few hours i get this information ,

Amazing knowledge truly amazing

I have a piece of coral over 300my WOW.

Thank you Tarquin i very much appreciate your help. and thanks for the photographs they are stunning.

Dave.

[TqB]

You're very welcome Dave, hope to see some more soon! There must be at least a dozen species you can find down there...