New Members Brianb Posted May 11, 2021 New Members Share Posted May 11, 2021 (edited) I found these 5/10/21 around Elko Nevada Nevada in an area rich with coral and Brachiopods. Any help identifying theses so appreciated! Ty! Edited May 11, 2021 by Brianb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClearLake Posted May 11, 2021 Share Posted May 11, 2021 Welcome to the forum. Unfortunately, to me these look like chert nodules. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted May 11, 2021 Share Posted May 11, 2021 + 1 for chert. No fossils there. Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 IPFOTM -- MAY - 2024 _________________________________________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New Members Brianb Posted June 27, 2021 Author New Members Share Posted June 27, 2021 (edited) Here’s two more flint Pseudomorph sponges I’ve mined. They assay at 99 percent quartz with Montmorillmonite and Allophane. They fire assay for AU .02/0Z/Ton. AG 1.05/OZ/Ton. They are flint nodules, they are siliceous sponge fossils that were first calcium carbonate but then later replaced with good old fashioned quartz from extreme geothermal heating. As flint they are generally thought to be white on the outside and black on the inside, then again “flint,” is an archaeologic term. They are also eoliths, geofacts, figure stones and painted. Did I mention they are gold and silver ore and that they are stunning. Even seasoned amateur paleontologists think these amazing amazing precursors to ALL LAND ANIMALS are nodules? Trust me, I’ve been confidentially told on this forum they are simply nodules. Lazy. Nice try. Have hundreds more. Edited June 27, 2021 by Brianb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted June 27, 2021 Share Posted June 27, 2021 You will do much better around here by avoiding calling other members lazy when they offer their time, opinion, and experience to assist in identification. 1 ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted June 27, 2021 Share Posted June 27, 2021 @Brianb Have these been studied and proven to be sponges by an actual paleontologist? Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. 1 Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 IPFOTM -- MAY - 2024 _________________________________________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tetradium Posted June 27, 2021 Share Posted June 27, 2021 7 minutes ago, Fossildude19 said: @Brianb Have these been studied and proven to be sponges by an actual paleontologist? Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. While chert had been known to have fossils I have one or two ordovician chert that have microfossils in them (I can see tiny crinoid stem pieces in them). 9 minutes ago, Fossildude19 said: @Brianb Have these been studied and proven to be sponges by an actual paleontologist? Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. And I could be wrong but i remember some years ago they used certain acids that dissolves the quartz, revealing some stunning fossils inside Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New Members Brianb Posted June 27, 2021 Author New Members Share Posted June 27, 2021 They’ve been studied extensively by geologists and paleontologists. Most comments from the area is they are poorly preserved. I say they are beautiful. Not this particular set, but from the specific area. I’ll post more pics and it will click! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted June 27, 2021 Share Posted June 27, 2021 Were any of them sponge experts, such as Joe Botting? I would be interested to know which paleontologists confirmed these as sponges. 2 ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DPS Ammonite Posted June 27, 2021 Share Posted June 27, 2021 What formation and geological time period are they from? Do you have any pictures that show spongy texture? My goal is to leave no stone or fossil unturned. See my Arizona Paleontology Guide link The best single resource for Arizona paleontology anywhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClearLake Posted June 27, 2021 Share Posted June 27, 2021 Your original post asked for and identification of the items you posted. You were given two suggestions of chert. Your assay supports that answer. I'm not going to bother getting into the difference between chert and flint because you can ask 10 geologists and probably get 11 different definitions; suffice it to say they have the same chemical and microcrystaline structure and its not really relevant to whether they are fossils or not. Some chert is formed from the dissolution of organisms (including sponges) and reprecipitation as microcrystalline quartz but chert is also formed from inorganic processes. So, without seeing any evidence of actual fossils in your specimens, I would not call them fossils. If you can show us evidence of fossils in your rocks (not just the presence of quartz), I will gladly change my mind. The fact that they are chert/flint does not automatically make them fossils. You mention several times that you think they are beautiful. I would agree, they can look very nice all polished up, but that has nothing to do with whether they are chert/flint nodules, fossils, mineral accumulations or anything else. 1 2 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siteseer Posted June 28, 2021 Share Posted June 28, 2021 7 hours ago, Brianb said: They’ve been studied extensively by geologists and paleontologists. Most comments from the area is they are poorly preserved. I say they are beautiful. Not this particular set, but from the specific area. I’ll post more pics and it will click! If they've been studied extensively, there must be at least a couple of journal articles about them. 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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