Possible sponge?

[DNF]

Hey all, this is another find from a creek in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.

 

The matrix is some more of that possible quartzite that produced a few trilobite fragments. I'm still trying to find a source so I can hopefully put a name to the formation.

 

I'm wondering if it might be a sponge? It has a very curved shape to it, but I had a hard time getting photos that didn't make it look flat. It's about two inches long.

 

Thanks for looking 

 

 

[abyssunder]

What I think I could determine in your pictures are crinoid parts; one maybe two eroded columnals visible on the surface, the larger ones: (bottom-center, bottom-right in picture 2) and possibly one eroded columnal in longitudinal section (bottom-left in picture 2); also, possibly, a bryozoan in the same picture (bottom far- left) meeting another one (or part of the same) at north-east direction. I couldn't conclude properly if the stellar shaped forms are sponge spicules or coral septa. The whole ensemble looks to be part of a complex concretionary structure, to me.

[fossilcrazy]

DNF, As I look at your pictures I am reminded of a rock unit in NY, PA and Canada called the Oriskany Sandstone, a pure white Quartz sandstone that frequently has Brachiopods, Corals and other fossils that have dissolved away leaving colored impressions. The Oriskany is Devonian in age. See if the Oriskany extends southward to WV.  

[DNF]

Awesome, thanks abyssunder. I've only found a few pieces of this type of rock so far and don't know what to expect from it.

 

I had wondered if you would see crinoid imprints in a sponge, so concretion makes sense.

 

I cleaned about 3/4 of this off with my aro and chisel and there was a minute void between it and the matrix like I have seen with some brachiopod internal molds in other materials.

 

Would this info help or hurt a concretion ID? Thanks again.

[fossilcrazy]

DNF,

 

I found the Oriskany is definitely in WV but outcrops only in smaller areas.

[DNF]

6 minutes ago, fossilcrazy said:

 See if the Oriskany extends southward to WV.  

This map shows the oriskany sandstone at 0-1000m right in the White Sulphur area. 

 

http://www.beg.utexas.edu/gccc/CO2_data/Oriskany_001.php

 

Thanks for the info, I will keep looking into it 

[DNF]

I think we might be using the same search engine . Thanks again, I'm excited to find out what material this is and I have a good feeling you've nailed it.