Upper Devonian Vert fossil from NY

[mikeymig]

Upper Devonian Skull?

 

Cashaqua Shale Member, Sonyea Group 

Western New York

size - matrix block is 8" x 8"

 

I found this fossil around 12 years ago. The locality it was found at is a nodule layer with well preserved coiled/straight shelled nautiloids, petrified wood (some very large), small gastropods, small pelecypods and that's about it. I have found one other weathered piece of bone before at this locality but this nodule, I knew when found it, that it was special. It needs to be prepared and would love to get it done. That is the reason I took it out of the mothballs. First, I would like to know exactly what it is. I'm thinking very early fish skull.

 

My question to you is - what species is it and is it fish or something else like an amphibian? 

I know we are dealing with bone and not wood or something else from the Upper Devonian.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

 Happy Collecting from Mikeymig 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mikeymig]

Nodule pics - 

[mikeymig]

Close ups - 

[connorp]

@jdp

[mikeymig]

[jdp]

thinking this is a chunk of placoderm, but I don't see anything identifiable beyond that.

[mikeymig]

On 4/28/2020 at 5:24 PM, jdp said:

thinking this is a chunk of placoderm, but I don't see anything identifiable beyond that.

So not a big deal and it would be okay for me to prep? Placoderm material is rare in my neck of the woods and it looks different from other Placoderm armor that I've found here in NY. Thats why I posted Thanks

[jdp]

Ideally I'd want to see it prepared professionally. There might be something identifiable in there, and it might be scientifically important.