New Members Zorbadog Posted March 19, 2015 New Members Share Posted March 19, 2015 Hi Everyone, First post on the forum. Just wanted to ask an opinion on something my wife found on a footpath, next to a recently ploughed chalky, flinty field whilst walking the dogs. I have no knowledge of fossils or anything and would appreciate any information. Although it is solid like stone and certainly sounds solid when tapped against a desk, it is perhaps not as heavy (38g) as might be expected, or perhaps as a stone of similar size might be. Also any ideas on the button shaped thing? Many thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TqB Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 (edited) Hi, can I just say that's the best pseudo-fossilised toadstool I've seen! It's a fossilised sponge, probably quite porous which is why it feels light. The other one is a nice regular echinoid (sea urchin). Both of them will be from the Chalk, Cretaceous period. Edited March 19, 2015 by TqB Tarquin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raggedy Man Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 That's pretty amazing.TqB is right...best pseudo toadstool fossil yet. ...I'm back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 I agree that it is a sponge, and that it is the best mushroom-mimic ever! "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...
willy Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 museum worthy it looks like! cool find Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abyssunder Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 Oahhh!That`s very nice!Congrats for the find! " We are not separate and independent entities, but like links in a chain, and we could not by any means be what we are without those who went before us and showed us the way. " Thomas Mann My Library Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 I don't know, folks. I'm sensing the hand of man at work here... Those toadstool spots are very suspicious to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 I don't know, folks. I'm sensing the hand of man at work here... Those toadstool spots are very suspicious to me. Now that you mention it, sponges don't usually have gills, do they? We need a sponge guy on this one... "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...
Rockwood Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 Quit some time ago there was a post on here that was determined to be most likely a modern that became exceptionally hard when in a dehydrated state. Perhaps another example ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TqB Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 The "gills" look OK for a sponge, that looks like a typical flint preservation. Tarquin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 The "gills" look OK for a sponge, that looks like a typical flint preservation. Good to hear; I do so want it to be a wonderful fossil sponge! "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...
fossilized6s Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 Amazing pseudo fungi fossil! It's the best I've seen to date. ~Charlie~ "There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why.....i dream of things that never were, and ask why not?" ~RFK ->Get your Mosasaur print ->How to spot a fake Trilobite ->How to identify a CONCRETION from a DINOSAUR EGG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aplomado Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 I don't know anything about sponges, but that looks like a human artifact to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 It also looks like it has been slathered in maybe putty that was then partly wiped away. I swear I see bubbles, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 Let's take a closer look: How could something so ephemeral be preserved as flint, with such fine, fragile detail? "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...
old bones Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 I could have been convinced of it being a sponge (I don't know much about sponges), except for the incised and contrived looking 'spots' on the cap. I hope I am wrong, but I think it is man made. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TqB Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 (edited) I'm never surprised at what sponges can look like! Try searching images of, for example, Coeloptychium and Tremabolites for the sort of thing this may be. Not sure about the spots, could be artificial but similar patterns do crop up in flint sponges and may represent oscula. Edited March 24, 2015 by TqB Tarquin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old bones Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 I'm never surprised at what sponges can look like! Try searching images of, for example, Coeloptychium and Tremabolites for the sort of thing this may be. Not sure about the spots, could be artificial but similar patterns do crop up in flint sponges and may represent oscula. I did as you suggested, and there are sponges with those spots! I said that I hoped I was wrong, and I can see where I just may be... thanks for the direction Tarquin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plax Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 while the overall structure doesn't look like the Eocene Castle Hayne sponges ( I realize this is older) the preservation is quite similar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 Took a look at Coeloptychium and Tremabolites but I only see superficial similarities. In addition to the bubbles, Auspex's close-up shows dessication cracks in what I see as "putty" for lack of a better word. I'm still seeing an at least partial fabrication. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plax Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 Took a look at Coeloptychium and Tremabolites but I only see superficial similarities. In addition to the bubbles, Auspex's close-up shows dessication cracks in what I see as "putty" for lack of a better word. I'm still seeing an at least partial fabrication. That looks like sponge structure to me. Wish I had some good pics of the castle hayne chert sponges. a shame we don't have a sponge expert here as we seem to have frequent sponge possibilities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 ...a shame we don't have a sponge expert here... But we do! I have sent him a message. "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...
New Members Zorbadog Posted March 30, 2015 Author New Members Share Posted March 30, 2015 (edited) Thanks everyone for your input, last I looked there were only five replies. If I can take any more photos that would help, I can certainly do that. There does appear to be what to my uneducated eye looks like some sort of paint wash over the underside, that has been worn off in places, but is it something like chalk residue or some other part of the fossilisation process. From all your replies I can see how this interest in fossils could get rather addictive! Edited March 30, 2015 by Zorbadog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TqB Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 It could just be chalk mud - have you tried washing it? - a gentle scrub with a toothbrush should work. Tarquin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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