Id For Something Found By A River Please?

[ampharos]

My father found this by a river in England and asked me to " get on that internet and figure it out " lol

It was found by the river Tees in Co Durham - England

is it some kind of plant roots?

Thank you in advance

[abyssunder]

Tube worms?

[Auspex]

It looks to be a fossil coral, of some sort.

Someone here should be able to put a name to it.

Something similar to syingopora, maybe?

[njfossilhunter]

Welcome to the Fossil Forum....I'm thinking coral as well......which one... I don't know since this is not in my field of knowledge

[Ludwigia]

I'm also thinking along the lines of Auspex. Coral, not plant.

[abyssunder]

I don`t think is tabulate coral Syringopora,because the cylindrical coralittes should have cross linked small tubules and branching.

[TqB]

It's superficially similar to Syringopora but I can't see any sign of branching or tabulae, just parallel, empty tubes.

I think it's "Hyalostelia", part of the root mass of a hexactinellid (glass) sponge. I've found it myself in Teesdale and other Carboniferous localities in N.E. England.

(The name is really a form genus for this part of the sponge, several genera have similar structure but you need other parts for a full ID.)

Here's a Natural History Museum specimen:

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/earth/rock-minerals/earthlab/specimen/fossil.dsml?name=Hyalostelia%20smithii&Panel=7&Row=G&ColumnValue=1

[abyssunder]

Tarquin,...this is a good possibility.

[TqB]

Hi Abyssunder, thanks, I'm fairly sure - I've collected a lot around there and can't think of anything else that fits.

Tube worms was a good suggestion - this was actually described in the 19th century as "Serpula parallela"

Edited April 25, 2015 by TqB

[ampharos]

Thank you tarquin, that specimen was found in Richmond literally round the corner lol

Thanks all

[Auspex]

This is 5-star TFF content: a fossil that somewhat resembled several very different things, run to ground by a member who knows the area and its relatively arcane fossil secrets! "Sponge roots"?! A day has yet to go by that I am not reminded how much there is to know, and how little of it I do.

[Bathollovian]

In the Jurassic of Normandy (France) we have this kind of Serpulids...

http://www.etab.ac-caen.fr/discip/geologie/fossiles/CollFossiles/61Bathonien/Annelides/1.html

What do you think about it ?

[Taogan]

I think it is Hyalostelia as well, I've collected Syringopora and Hyalostelia from the river at Richmond it has the feel of the sponge not the coral.

[TqB]

In the Jurassic of Normandy (France) we have this kind of Serpulids...

http://www.etab.ac-caen.fr/discip/geologie/fossiles/CollFossiles/61Bathonien/Annelides/1.html

What do you think about it ?

Certainly similar although not as straight.

In more complete specimens, the sponge "roots" have been found connected to the main sponge body. Also, as they are long hexactinellid spicules they're made of silica (although this can be replaced).

They're a well known element of the fauna in some Carboniferous beds in the area - as I posted above, they were originally (early 19th century) identified as serpulids but more complete specimens revealed their true identity.