Three Unknown Fossils ( Or Maybe Not Fossils At All )

[Obiezyswiat]

Hi there,

after my find last week (a part of a rugose solitary coral) I became obsessed with fossils. I searched all my rocks collection and found four possible fossils ( I do not count many clams fossils ). I need your help with the identification. I think one of them is a piece of a solitary tabulate coral. Anather one looks to me like some leaf prints, but I'm not sure. The strangest one , with lots of colours, looks like an instantly crystallized tentacle or something. And the fourth one, not very visible, but if I move it into the light, I see a small fish shape ( like really small scales reflecting the light ) . There are the photos :

(this is the fish shape I am talking about. It's barely visible, I'm not able to take a nice picture of it)

[Jace]

Hello

Here's my Opinion

From the group of photos left to right

1. Defiantly fossil

2. A fossil also though i can't ID.

3. Crystal rock

4. Agatised rock

As for the ID's I'll let other give you a better guess than me.

Welcome to the forum! How awesome are fossils!!

[Brewcuse]

If I had to guess, I'd say (top row) 1 and 3 are fossils (1 could be anything from a trilobite to a shell impression, for me, I can't see enough; 3 is like coral I've seen IDd here, but could be a crystalline rock structure), 2 &4 are interesting rock/mineral specimens.

In my experience, things that look like they might be fossils usually aren't. Fossilized animal parts look organic first and foremost, even in really small pieces. Almost always, what is fossilized is a hard part, not something soft like a tentacle. Also, clues about what each could be come from the kind of rock and where it was found. In Ontario and New York, we have a lot of glacially-moved rock, you'll find it especially on lake shores and in rivers. They could be from anywhere "north" of where you found it, carried by ice/water to there. Local sedimentary rock can be more reliable with fossil types and where you might find certain species.

In any event, I collect rocks and fossils and I love the thrill of discovery and you're doing the same. Enjoy!

[Obiezyswiat]

Thank you for your suggestions. I've checked on the internet for the coral like one, and it's really similar to a solitary tabulate coral found on google. As for the first one, I agree it could be lot of things. And for the rock plenty of colours, it's strange how it formed. Along the double red line at the bottom, there is a row of 2 double circles per row. It is possible to see 4 straight rows, and them it seems to get squeezed by something. I've found lots of Agates, Jaspers and agatized small rocks, and this one is really strange looking. When you say 'almost always', do you mean it could still be possible that a tentacle gets fossilized/agatized ? If yes, I'd go to a University to check this one Thank you !

[Pumpkinhead]

I'm going to build upon what Jace said. Here is my opinion:

1. Possible imprint of a brachiopod shell

2. Perhaps another brach

3. It could be a tabulate

4. An eccentric rock

Soft parts like tentacles rarely become fossilized. Also, I have never heard of solitary tabulates- what you mean could be solitary rugose, which from what you have said you have found previously. If you could tell us where exactly you found these specimens that would probably help with a more specific identification than what I have already provided.

[Pumpkinhead]

An afterthought: 2 could be a rugose, but if it is it's very badly weathered.

[Obiezyswiat]

Oops, sorry you are right, Tabulata is colonial. I'll attach a picture of the Rugosa I've found. All of my finds come from Gaspesie, Qc, CA. Every found piece was near the Pierced Rock.

Ahh I'd really like to identify this number 4, the eccentric rock Guess I'll need to ask on some rock forums.

My previous find, piece of a rugose coral

Edited July 23, 2014 by Obiezyswiat

[Pumpkinhead]

If you found those in Quebec then that "fish" fossil you found probably isn't a fish. As far as I know reasonably complete fish fossils don't come around until about the Devonian and these look Silurian or Ordovician to me. It would help if you could get a close up of the "fish" object but if you can't dont worry. It's always nice to have a couple of rocks in your collection that are enduring mysteries. Also, if these are Silurian and Ordovician rocks you are hunting on dont expect to find any planet fossils, especially if the fossils are marine like these ones. The first hints of terrestrial plant life that I know of are found at the end of the Silurian and they are quite rare. Leaf fossils do not become widespread until tens of millions of years after that.

Thanks for sharing your fossils. If you find anything else that you have questions about or if you just want to share some pictures feel free to do so.

[Nor'easter]

The ones with the pitted circles look a lot like Petoskey or Charlevoix "stones" that are also found in the Michigan area. Colonial coral.

[Pumpkinhead]

Good call! It might actually be crystallized enough to grind it down to a proper petosky stone. If you have a rock tumbler or something of that sort you should give it a try.