metwerks Posted November 7, 2016 Share Posted November 7, 2016 I found this over the weekend north of Milwaukee on the shoreline of Lake Michigan. It looks to be in the Devonian or possible Silurian Period and what I am guessing is Bryozoans from the seafloor of what once was. I would appreciate anyone knowledgeable to confirm. I know these are pretty common finds, but wondering if it is somewhat rare to find this big (11" x 12" x 3" & weighs 24lbs). Also given the dense formation, I assume my guess of being from seafloor is correct? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted November 7, 2016 Share Posted November 7, 2016 If this is from the Devonian, it could be Idiostroma. Idiostroma is a type of branching stromatoporoid that occurs in large beds. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herb Posted November 7, 2016 Share Posted November 7, 2016 looks like a nice slab of bryozoans to me "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence"_ Carl Sagen No trees were killed in this posting......however, many innocent electrons were diverted from where they originally intended to go. " I think, therefore I collect fossils." _ Me "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."__S. Holmes "can't we all just get along?" Jack Nicholson from Mars Attacks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metwerks Posted November 7, 2016 Author Share Posted November 7, 2016 Thanks....Is there anything that can be used to clean/dissolve limestone and better show of fossil ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fifbrindacier Posted November 7, 2016 Share Posted November 7, 2016 I vote for a stromatoporoid. "On ne voit bien que par le coeur, l'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux." (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry) "We only well see with the heart, the essential is invisible for the eyes." In memory of Doren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doushantuo Posted November 7, 2016 Share Posted November 7, 2016 The Devonian of the USA has a lot of stromatoporoid float-/packstones,so i go for stromatoporoid as well. This tubular morphology is also know from some Amphipora species edit< Like Al Dente said before me edit two:the mode of fragmentation of the "twigs" is reminiscent of Amphipora in the Givetian of Germany Ramose (/arborescent)morphologies abound in the fossil record. Most of the time you need ultrastructural (e;g. from thin sectioning)data to tell them apart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fifbrindacier Posted November 7, 2016 Share Posted November 7, 2016 1 hour ago, metwerks said: Thanks....Is there anything that can be used to clean/dissolve limestone and better show of fossil ? You can wash it with water and a tooth brush, but i don't think it is worth to do more than that, your plate is very nice like this. "On ne voit bien que par le coeur, l'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux." (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry) "We only well see with the heart, the essential is invisible for the eyes." In memory of Doren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metwerks Posted November 7, 2016 Author Share Posted November 7, 2016 Here are maps of geographical area. While I found in the "Devonian Zone" (first pic) vs Silurian (2nd pic), I could not say which it is. Not sure if the era dictates what it might be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archimedes Posted November 8, 2016 Share Posted November 8, 2016 Definitely a lot of Bryozoans in the rock, nice specimen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmaier Posted November 8, 2016 Share Posted November 8, 2016 Wow, dense cluster of branching bryozoa. I've never seen it so thick. To clean it... 1. Toothbrush and soapy water to remove organic schmutz (oil based grime). Then rinse. 2. Toothbrush and diluted vinegar to remove hazy limestone dust. Rinse. Doing the soap first allows the vinegar to do its job. Oil based grime blocks the vinegar from getting at the rock, so you need to strip the oil first. 3. Some people put them outside (when there is not freezing) to be bleached by the sun and erroded by the rain. Nature seems to prep these types of fossils pretty well. Don't leave it out during freeze/thaw, or nature might crack it apart. A lot of the yellow and orange might stay, because it isn't surface "dirt", it is deep mineral staining. Some people bleach these, but I'm not too keen on that because bleaching is only temptory. But, bleaching can give a temporarily new view of the fossil. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metwerks Posted November 8, 2016 Author Share Posted November 8, 2016 5 hours ago, tmaier said: Wow, dense cluster of branching bryozoa. I've never seen it so thick. To clean it... 1. Toothbrush and soapy water to remove organic schmutz (oil based grime). Then rinse. 2. Toothbrush and diluted vinegar to remove hazy limestone dust. Rinse. Doing the soap first allows the vinegar to do its job. Oil based grime blocks the vinegar from getting at the rock, so you need to strip the oil first. 3. Some people put them outside (when there is not freezing) to be bleached by the sun and erroded by the rain. Nature seems to prep these types of fossils pretty well. Don't leave it out during freeze/thaw, or nature might crack it apart. A lot of the yellow and orange might stay, because it isn't surface "dirt", it is deep mineral staining. Some people bleach these, but I'm not too keen on that because bleaching is only temptory. But, bleaching can give a temporarily new view of the fossil. Thank you....good info. 50/50 dilution? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmaier Posted November 8, 2016 Share Posted November 8, 2016 "50/50 dilution? " Yeah, good enough. Actually, even full strength shouldn't hurt it much, but diluting it slows it down and the smell is less over-powering. You need to keep an eye on how aggresive the vinegar is towards the fossil. You don't want to get so aggressive with it that you start to erode the fossil. Vinegar is an acid and attacks these things, but it is a mild acid (that is also good on a salad). And rinsing is important because otherwise it will continue to attack the fossil. Cleans it up good, for better viewing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fifbrindacier Posted November 9, 2016 Share Posted November 9, 2016 1 hour ago, tmaier said: And rinsing is important because otherwise it will continue to attack the fossil. And the salad. "On ne voit bien que par le coeur, l'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux." (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry) "We only well see with the heart, the essential is invisible for the eyes." In memory of Doren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abyssunder Posted November 9, 2016 Share Posted November 9, 2016 Acid rain would be sufficient ... " 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...
doushantuo Posted November 9, 2016 Share Posted November 9, 2016 Amphipora packstone: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metwerks Posted November 9, 2016 Author Share Posted November 9, 2016 3 hours ago, doushantuo said: Amphipora packstone: That looks like cat litter - LOL. How big is this piece? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metwerks Posted November 9, 2016 Author Share Posted November 9, 2016 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coco Posted November 9, 2016 Share Posted November 9, 2016 1 hour ago, metwerks said: You cheat ! They are granules for rabbit ! Coco ---------------------- OUTIL POUR MESURER VOS FOSSILES : ici Ma bibliothèque PDF 1 (Poissons et sélaciens récents & fossiles) : ici Ma bibliothèque PDF 2 (Animaux vivants - sans poissons ni sélaciens) : ici Mâchoires sélaciennes récentes : ici Hétérodontiques et sélaciens : ici Oeufs sélaciens récents : ici Otolithes de poissons récents ! ici Un Greg... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fifbrindacier Posted November 10, 2016 Share Posted November 10, 2016 On 9 novembre 2016 at 8:46 PM, Coco said: You cheat ! They are granules for rabbit ! Coco Yeah, but fossilized granules ! "On ne voit bien que par le coeur, l'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux." (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry) "We only well see with the heart, the essential is invisible for the eyes." In memory of Doren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coco Posted November 10, 2016 Share Posted November 10, 2016 For fossil rabbits ? Coco ---------------------- OUTIL POUR MESURER VOS FOSSILES : ici Ma bibliothèque PDF 1 (Poissons et sélaciens récents & fossiles) : ici Ma bibliothèque PDF 2 (Animaux vivants - sans poissons ni sélaciens) : ici Mâchoires sélaciennes récentes : ici Hétérodontiques et sélaciens : ici Oeufs sélaciens récents : ici Otolithes de poissons récents ! ici Un Greg... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fifbrindacier Posted November 10, 2016 Share Posted November 10, 2016 Or for fossilized Jackalopes ? "On ne voit bien que par le coeur, l'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux." (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry) "We only well see with the heart, the essential is invisible for the eyes." In memory of Doren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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