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Post by frane on Jan 9, 2009 20:33:57 GMT -5
This is a great find, no matter what it is! It is just great that someone who knows it is something special found it instead of the average person that just wouldn't have a clue. I am going to keep checking back to see what your friends say about it. I am really curious now! Fran
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fiftiesrock
off to a rocking start
Member since January 2009
Posts: 23
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Post by fiftiesrock on Jan 10, 2009 0:12:47 GMT -5
Mel---a great find. Used to have relatives in Kerrville and now you got me wanting to take a road trip.
Great Stuff
Charles
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Sabre52
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Me and my gal, Rosie
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Post by Sabre52 on Jan 10, 2009 11:43:05 GMT -5
Update on the story. The paleo buddy I sent pics to was stumped also. He thinks maybe coral but it didn't match any of his literature either. He gave me a referral to a Paleo group here in Texas so I posted pics and a note to them too. My buddy says they are really knowledgeable and being local they might have seen it before. I also posted pics and a query to Fossil Web and got back " Maybe not fossil at all, maybe a cycadeoid. Not enough detail. I thought the pics were pretty self explanatory but I posted them the pics of the second specimen too and we'll see if that helps. Anyway, still a mystery....Mel
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Post by texaswoodie on Jan 10, 2009 11:50:21 GMT -5
What kind of answer is that? Cycad is a fossil.
Curt
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Post by NatureNut on Jan 10, 2009 11:57:01 GMT -5
Wow, this is really fascinating to follow. It's like a reality detective drama/ mystery. Can't wait for the next chapter! Jo
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WyckedWyre
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Post by WyckedWyre on Jan 10, 2009 12:02:47 GMT -5
I vote Cycad.
;DS
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Sabre52
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Post by Sabre52 on Jan 10, 2009 20:35:01 GMT -5
OK got a little more feedback. Guess the consensus so far is....not coral pretty much for sure, Maybe cycadeoid which is different than a true cycad . Did some research on this one and boy, some of the pics look real similar to my specimens including the rod like xylem structures and the odd triangle/diamond leaf scars. The colorful example would be an outside section of a much larger fossil. This doesn't seem to be the case for the gray specimen which is almost complete? Another opinion is "not fossil at all but some kind of mineral." Only thing is, I know a bit about mineral structures and can't figure what ( maybe some kind of aragonite ball or barite pseudomorph? ) Beats me as the experts had no opinion on what kind of mineral deposit was replaced by agate to form such unusual structures. Plus, to me, the geometry doesn't look right for a mineral pseudomorph. Oh well, the mystery continues *L*....Mel
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MidNight~Rocksi3
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Post by MidNight~Rocksi3 on Jan 11, 2009 11:27:52 GMT -5
Ooooo Still a mystery!!!!!! hey mel.. I've been thinking about your rock.. not sure why .. when I can't even say .. palle polatol.. pailtientlogoist.. or whatever it is you called me.. sounds cool .. but yeah maybe a few more drinks and It'll roll right off my tongue! LOL.. jks.. But what if it's a petrified catus? wooouldnt that be the same thing? no.. ? why not? either way.. I can't wait till you find out! until then I'll keep practicing.. paleeian .. palaenatol .. palealientologist!~ almost.. huh..
*smiles* Roxy
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Post by Michael John on Jan 11, 2009 13:28:40 GMT -5
Hmmm ... wonder if it might be some kind of "poop" (?).
As stated, science is always based on what's currently known. New things are discovered every day. Until fairly recently, it was thought that Man didn't exist when Dinosaurs roamed the Earth, yet now they claim that there's irrefutable proof that Man was here even BEFORE the dinosaurs. That's a pretty big thing to have "gotten wrong" for so long.
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Sabre52
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Post by Sabre52 on Jan 11, 2009 17:11:08 GMT -5
Howdy folks, Well I went out again today and I think we now have an answer. I believe Snowdog was right and this stuff is some form of stromatolite. I hiked up in back of our house to where I found the complete looking specimen and I think I've found an entire eroded reef of this stuff with broken specimens everywhere. Sad thing is it's all the dull colored stuff and not pretty like the one I found in the creek but there was enough I could chip lots of big hunks and see the structures in detail and darn they look very much like the built up columns and volcano- like structures in Mary Ellen Jasper from Snowdogs neck of the woods. Here are a couple of pics of side views through the columns.....Mel
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llanago
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Post by llanago on Jan 12, 2009 3:01:05 GMT -5
Well, I am sure glad I read this thread today so I wouldn't have to wait until tomorrow to see this awesome find!
You found that in Kerrville? Sheesh, I didn't think we had any neat rocks around this area, except flint.
I'm just up the road from you in Medina and come to Kerrville almost every Friday afternoon or Sat morning to do my rat killin', Would definitely love to meet ya' sometime when I'm over there!
There's a guy in Kerrville that might be able to cut that for you. He has a rock shop way out Shepherd Reese road. DG Gems, his name is Dave, I think. I guess he still has his shop 'cause I saw he had a booth at the Court House the weekend before Christmas. His number is 830-367-4082.
There's also a guy in Bandera that I met several years ago. I talked to him today and he's gonna cut up some of my rocks for me. Are you going to the Rock Show in Fredricksburg this coming weekend? He's going to be there. I plan on going. If you are, maybe we could meet there and say Hi.
There's also a rock shop in San Antonio, Alamo Rock Shop, and I think they also do cutting for their customers. Don't know their phone #, but they have a website.
llana
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Sabre52
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Post by Sabre52 on Jan 12, 2009 9:50:54 GMT -5
LLana: Actually found it on a ranch where we live between Kerrville and Fredericksburg. We've recently moved here from Calif sand I'm kinda liking the flint and fossils for a change *L*. I didn't bring my old saw with me as it was a contrary bastich and hope to get me a new saw soon. I did go to that show in Kerrville and meet Dave. He gave me his card and invited me to see his shop but I haven't called him yet. My wife and I are planning to meet a buddy and his wife who live in Gatesville at the F'Burg show so our schedule will kind of depend on them this year. If I have my way, I'll be first one in the door so I can get me some good slabs but I don't know what my buddy's schedule is yet so I can't say when I'll be around for a meet. I'm early sixties, 6'3" or so and will probably wear my usual black jeans, gray blue jacket and dark brown cowboy hat and I'll try and wear a name tag if you want to try tapping on a shoulder or two *S*....Mel
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Post by llana2go on Jan 12, 2009 19:13:46 GMT -5
Mel, I love doing flint! And, it's so easy and cheap! I don't know when we're gonna get to the show either. We are shooting for about noon or so on Saturday, but you know how it is with two women! We may make it by then, we may not! The guy from Bandera is Lee Adams. He said his booth will be the first (or second) on the right of the front door. He's a really nice fella (aren't almost all rockhounds?) and when I went to the show a few years ago, he had some AWESOME stuff. I bought several of his slabs. Dave's a nice guy too. I bought a bunch of Mexican lace from him - not all for me - several folks on the forum wanted some too. He has a neat little shop. Had some petrified wood that was collected by some old guy in the Painted Desert before it became a national park. Man, that stuff was beautiful. I have a slab of it that I am still trying to decide what to do with. Hope we cross paths at the show, if not, maybe some day when I am in Kerrville. llana
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snowdog
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Post by snowdog on Jan 12, 2009 23:19:44 GMT -5
;D ;D -- Hey Mel, do I really have "Mary Ellen jasper" up here by me ? --- I'm in Illinois, you know !! ;D ;D anyway, the reason I said I thought it was a stromatolite was I think that third pic looked like it was some what rounded and looked like the top of a brain ?? ;D --- otherwise the first couple pics almost looked like a form of pine cone or seed pod-- seems like I've seen one like that before but can't place it right now ( maybe it's in the barn hiding ) -- if you need it cut , you can always send it up here if you want ;D
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Sabre52
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Post by Sabre52 on Jan 12, 2009 23:47:09 GMT -5
Snowdog: I were cornfused *L* I thought you were a Minnesotan though you might get Mary Ellen in glacial till. The experts are still arguing about this stuff though, I think they've eliminated Cycadeoid and coral. I personally think you are right in your ID but some are still insisting it's an agatized mineral formation. ( Though no one has ventured what mineral has been replaced). I'd think crystal pseudomorphs would be more straight sided.If it is a mineral crystal replacement it sure doesn't show much internal geometry and sure looks stacked in layers in the longitudinal sections. I suppose it could be something like agatized calcite as I've seen similar stuff from the Cady Mountains ( kind of a giant sagenite) but those had more internal and external crystal shape....Mel
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Sabre52
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Post by Sabre52 on Jan 17, 2009 18:15:35 GMT -5
Well, I guess I have the final word on these specimens. Took them to the Fredericksburg Gem show today and showed them to an actual geologist who does Id's for the club. He took a look and said cycad and even showed me a cycad specimen they had from just up the road from our place on the Pedernales River which our creek drains into. He said mine are just hunks from the exterior of a piece. His specimen was quite huge so I suppose that's sure possible. Also, apparently there are folks in their club who have whole collections of cycad from the same area. So, I sure can't argue with an expert in the field so's it looks like I've got me a site to hunt cycad. Very cool beans!!!!!....Mel
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Post by NatureNut on Jan 17, 2009 18:25:03 GMT -5
Another mystery solved! (du-du-dunnnnn)
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Post by texaswoodie on Jan 17, 2009 19:24:00 GMT -5
Dang! I'd give my left little finger to find a cycad!
Curt
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Post by frane on Jan 18, 2009 9:07:23 GMT -5
I am sure glad the mystery is solved! Now you know exactly what you are looking for and how big they can be! Happy hunting Mel! Fran
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Post by sitnwrap on Jan 18, 2009 9:57:49 GMT -5
I'm glad that you finally know what it is but the best part was that the mystery caused others to help search for answers and learn more about rocks. Had it not been a mystery, the opportunity to learn more would have been missed.
Mel, this was a great thread and I learned a lot from it. thank you.
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