Sabre52
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Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
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Post by Sabre52 on Jan 8, 2009 10:51:56 GMT -5
Howdy folks, Well, I cleaned up the specimen I fished from the creek yesterday and am more confused now than ever. I spent three hours yesterday going through all my fossil tomes and notes with no luck at all. When it was in the creek, I thought it was a pet wood log. I chipped it and thought right off, " Whoopee, a cycad because of the diamond shaped areas that look like leaf scars. But then I noticed that, unlike cycads, where the pattern runs along the edge, in this specimen, it runs clear across the piece. So, now I'm back to some kind of colonial coral which makes more sense because this area was once sea bottom. No coral anything like this in any of my books though so any of you who are fossil buffs, enlighten me if you can. Big specimen too, about 7" each way. ( *L* No, smaller than my head!) Anyway here are a few pics. Thanks for lookin...Mel Overall views: Face of the specimen. I saw the pits in the muddy piece and even thought palm at first: Close look at the chipped face showing near pattern in carnelian and snow white agate. Boy those diamonds screamed cycad when I first chipped it! Now I think maybe another coral replacement. I'm sending my pics off to a real expert. Closer still: Just remembered another specimen I found on our hill a few months ago. Quite a bunch of these in one area. Not so pretty but I'm thinking a similar if not identical form. Posted some pics before but these are new photos for comparison. This specimen is complete except for the missing conical chip and is amost egg shaped but with those same strange geometric patterns on the exterior. Interior designs in this one are lest diamond or triangle shaped.
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MidNight~Rocksi3
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Post by MidNight~Rocksi3 on Jan 8, 2009 11:01:25 GMT -5
WOOOHOOOO!! I'M FIRST!!!.. Yaaay!! and so glad I got up at the crack of dawn to see this! wow mel.. that is something else.. I'm thinking HUGE DINO FISH BRAIN!! lol. jks.. but seriously reminds me of a that big round bone that goes into a hip socket. .lol.. whatever it is.. sure is Cool. can't wait till you find out now.. cuz you got me ready to do the happy dance for you too!!!! woohoo good score!
*smiles* Roxy
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Tigger
freely admits to licking rocks
The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers is I'm the Only One!
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Post by Tigger on Jan 8, 2009 11:10:50 GMT -5
WOW! Very sweet piece! Congrats on the find Mel. Can't wait to find out what it is. Are you going to slab it? The slabs may be breathtaking!
Tigger
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NorthShore-Rocks
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Post by NorthShore-Rocks on Jan 8, 2009 11:33:19 GMT -5
Score!!!
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Post by sitnwrap on Jan 8, 2009 12:50:06 GMT -5
What ever it is it sure is cool and worthy of the "happy dance" I don't know about anyone else but posting stuff like this causes intense curiosity so I went and googled cycad because I had never heard of it.
Wouldn't dare venture a guess but I sure did learn some stuff I wouldn't have had you not posted this.
Thanks for posting and thanks for tickling the brain cells. Also looking forward to what you find out about it.
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snowdog
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Post by snowdog on Jan 8, 2009 13:18:34 GMT -5
Mel, -- I'm by no means any good on fossils but, first thought on this was that it is a stromatolite/ oncolite ( fossil algae) ---the rounded head of it looks like the ones you see pics of from Australia -- they were among the first living things and can still be found in a couple of areas ----------------grew is shallow seas
whatever it is tho, it's a goooooooooooooood one ! ;D
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Sabre52
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Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
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Post by Sabre52 on Jan 8, 2009 13:25:10 GMT -5
Tigger: Boy, I'd love to face cut this piece but I didn't move my big saw to Texas with me and have to find a club with a saw or save money for a new one now that I'm moved.
Snowdog: You may very well be right. I'm tumbling some stuff from a similar but duller colored specimen right now and the side view, cut along the tubes, does look a little like the stromatolite pattern you see in Mary Ellen Jasper.. Only thing is, I've haven't been able to find any info on stromatolite deposits in the Texas Cretaceous...Mel
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Sabre52
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Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,456
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Post by Sabre52 on Jan 8, 2009 14:44:50 GMT -5
Snowdog: I looked up everything I could find on stromatolites and I'm still guessing on this specimen. It doesn't seem to have the sort of wavy concentric layering shown in most the pics and illustrations but the shape of the piece sure does resemble some of the columnar specimens. I just can't seem to find any stromatolite examples that show the sort of organized geometry these specimens do. I did post some pics at another site rich in fossil folks and sent them to a buddy who is a crackerjack a paleontologist, so maybe we'll have an answer soon. Apparently, according to the literature, Texas does have a lot of Cretaceous stromatolites but alas, I could find no pictures of examples....Mel
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Post by fishenman on Jan 8, 2009 14:49:24 GMT -5
Cool find Mel. Possibly a fossil sponge or tube worms?
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adrian65
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Arch to golden memories and to great friends.
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Post by adrian65 on Jan 8, 2009 15:11:31 GMT -5
Interesting is not enough said. And beautiful rock, too!
Adrian
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Post by sparkles on Jan 8, 2009 15:30:57 GMT -5
Hey Mel! What a super chunk! I think it looks most interesting and can see why you brought it home! It's a keeper! Now this has been a very interesting few minutes searching, and a result! But maybe not the one your looking for... Firstly I considered what had been said, all true and my thoughts followed a similar thread, however I still have this fossil coral thing in my mind, since my last investigation in to an unknown specimen. Looked like a colony just as you said Mel, those shapes screamd out to me. So I went asearching.... And I found exactly the identity! Of MY fossil that I couldn't identify last time! More soon... But as to your specimen, I'm leaning towards something like the following... www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/cnidaria/tabulata.htmlLooks similar in places and has numerous species which develop layered colonies of diamonds, hexagons, pentagons etc... Worth a further investigate! How about this one... www.dkimages.com/discover/DKIMAGES/Discover/Home/Science/Earth-Sciences/Palaeontology/Fossils/Invertebrates/Coral/Tubulata/Actinocyathus/Actinocyathus-1.htmlAnyhow - that blighter from Wales - black with alien coral like forms... this one... forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/index.cgi?board=sawingb&action=display&thread=26408It's a Lithostrotion! Check this place out... www.dkimages.com/discover/DKIMAGES/Discover/Home/Science/Earth-Sciences/Palaeontology/Fossils/Invertebrates/Coral/Rugosa/Lithostrotion/Lithostrotion-1.htmlSo thanks Mel! I enjoyed looking at your rock, hope I helped a little, but most of all thanks for helping me to identify my specimen! ;D Cheers, Sparkles. Additional: A couple of hours later.... I think it may be Lithostrotion basaltiformis, another of a similar variety, but has those freaky basalt like forms, it struck me when I first looked at the rock, it has that columnar growth pattern. Have a search! It could fit quite nicely... Have Fun! - S
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Sabre52
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Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
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Post by Sabre52 on Jan 8, 2009 18:05:28 GMT -5
Sparkles: I looked up Lithostrotion basaltiformis and boy it really looks similar ( virtually identical) to what I've got. Only problem is, those groups of corals ( tabulate and rugose) supposedly became extinct like 140 million years earlier than the rocks we have around here which are early Cretaceous maybe 100 million years old. I'm with you though and am leaning more towards a colonial coral. Just bought two new paleontology books and still no help *Sigh* but by golly, when I get something like this I'm like a dog with a bone. I'm gonna keep chewing on it till I figure it out.....Mel
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Post by sparkles on Jan 8, 2009 18:09:21 GMT -5
Hiya Mel, I know what you mean ;D Now have a search for Lithostrotion vorticale, it's that time changes things routine again, basaltiformis is now defunct, all hail vorticale, I wonder why they couldn't make their mind up I wonder if your rock had traveled any? I don't know your local geology I'm afraid, although I'm sure that few will know it better than you! ;D This fella also found something similar looking! www.flickr.com/photos/dcartiersr/2647961068/in/set-72157606044122574/Geeze Mate! You pick 'em! ;D What Fun! Cheers Sparkles.
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Sabre52
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Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,456
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Post by Sabre52 on Jan 8, 2009 18:29:08 GMT -5
Dang, that looks exactly the same! I posted some more pics of another specimen.The second specimen was found in situ in Edwards formation lower cretaceous rocks so if it is the one pictured in the link you've posted, it wasn't quite as extinct as they thought it were *L*....mel
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MidNight~Rocksi3
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Post by MidNight~Rocksi3 on Jan 8, 2009 19:48:50 GMT -5
Well I was hoping to find out what it is.. still nothing huh... But still.. . i'm just having fun trying to pronounce all them names you guys just said..
sound like i've had one way to many for sure.. cuz i can't get past the first sylalalllable. LOL.. jks
*smiles* Roxy
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,456
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Post by Sabre52 on Jan 8, 2009 19:58:08 GMT -5
*LOL* Rox, if ya want to be a paleontologist yore gonna hafta quit drinking and partying so's yore mind is clear.....Mel
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Post by texaswoodie on Jan 8, 2009 20:48:21 GMT -5
Congrats on an awesome find Mel! It's this kind of find that keeps us going.
Curt
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Post by Condor on Jan 8, 2009 22:44:24 GMT -5
Whatever it is, it's definately a keeper. It will be interesting to see what else you find on your property.
Condor
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NorthShore-Rocks
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Post by NorthShore-Rocks on Jan 9, 2009 13:52:00 GMT -5
Mel...will you pursue that avenue with your friends and colleagues? I.E. something out of place out of time with what is currently believed? That is very interesting stuff!!!
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,456
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Post by Sabre52 on Jan 9, 2009 15:10:26 GMT -5
North: One thing you learn about science is what we know is only what we know "for now". This is especially true regarding the fossil record which is always changing as new discoveries are made. We only get the tiniest of glances into the past because conditions for good fossilization are not always common and what we find is based as much upon luck as skill. ( I spent hours today looking for more of that stuff and only found one more agatized fossil and it's not the same as these.) I've got to admit, I'm dying to see what my buddies say after they see the pics.....Mel
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