John Papastathis Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 Hi folk, My friend Rob found this attractive chunk of quartz at an old quarry near Hyde Park in Dutchess Co NY a couple of years. It was accidently split open to and revealled this interesting internal feature which has a very 3D concave/convex positive and negative structure. The only guess I can make is possibly a eurypterid. If so then we are only seeing the mesosoma sans head and tail and the appendages still burried in the matrix. If it is a eurypterid a curious aspect would be the quartz nodule encasing it. Everything I see on the net is in shale. The body measures 2-3/4" x 1-1/2" Any help would be great Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Papastathis Posted March 18, 2008 Author Share Posted March 18, 2008 Forgot to include this side shot where "paddle" is encased in matrix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Papastathis Posted March 18, 2008 Author Share Posted March 18, 2008 Also, seem to be a second animal under the 1st. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members geofossil Posted March 18, 2008 Members Share Posted March 18, 2008 That's a piece of quartz that was in the process of solidifying with a bit of air space that was filled with chalcedony, the colour, (or similar) and then the white quartz continued flowing in. Not a Eurypterid or any other organic process. (I'm not staking my life on this but 98% certain.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Papastathis Posted March 18, 2008 Author Share Posted March 18, 2008 Thanks again for correcting me. (Twice in one day). The shape looks so much like the mid-section of a euryterid it really fooled me. As a newbie to fossils I really appreciate the input and am inspired to really start studying in earnest. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members geofossil Posted March 19, 2008 Members Share Posted March 19, 2008 Thanks again for correcting me. (Twice in one day). The shape looks so much like the mid-section of a euryterid it really fooled me. As a newbie to fossils I really appreciate the input and am inspired to really start studying in earnest.John That one I'm fairly certain of but there's a lot of quirky stuff that is dismissed in paleontology or prematurely explained away. The only 2 things that are absolutes are the specimen itself and the location it was found in. Everything else is based on science which is never a closed book but always rewriting itself. In paleontology everyone makes mistakes and the reason is that we have to go out on a limb and take a chance with an I.D. or some speculation. It's the old adage nothing ventured, nothing gained. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rain1950 Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 That's a piece of quartz that was in the process of solidifying with a bit of air space that was filled with chalcedony, the colour, (or similar) and then the white quartz continued flowing in. Not a Eurypterid or any other organic process. (I'm not staking my life on this but 98% certain.) You have it right. Even low temp quartz forms around 800F, no life form would be in that environment; what we have is what in the mineral world is a psuedo-fossil. It looks like one, but is just another inclusion in the quartz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Papastathis Posted March 19, 2008 Author Share Posted March 19, 2008 Thanks, now I don't feel quite as stupid thinking this was a fossil realizing it was "psuedo" as you say. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Papastathis Posted March 19, 2008 Author Share Posted March 19, 2008 Thanks, now I don't feel quite as stupid thinking this was a fossil realizing it was "psuedo" as you say.John By the way, your second reply concerning science etc., contained so much insight it borders on the profond. Nothing ventured... How true !!!! John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Papastathis Posted March 19, 2008 Author Share Posted March 19, 2008 And also thank you Rain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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