Mazon creek fossil id

[tom_mo]

Hello- 

 

I am hoping to get some help with identification of a few concretions. These were all found in Mazon creek pit 11 area. Unfortunately, I was only able to find one side of these.

 

The second to last may not be a fossil, but it has a really interesting/symmetrical shape so added it in just to check.

 

I’m happy to take additional photos if needed.

 

thanks in advance, this forum is always very helpful and knowledgeable when it comes to identifying!

-tom

 

 

[RCFossils]

1 & 5 are both examples of Essexella 

2 is a partial shrimp

3 is a polychaete worm Didontogaster cordylina

4 is a coprolite 

Nice finds!

[tom_mo]

Thanks RCFossils! 
 

That was quick.  I’ll hopefully be posting some more “mystery” concretions this spring.

 

-tom

[connorp]

I agree with most of RCFossils IDs, although my initial reaction to #2 was not a shrimp, but rather part of a calamitalean cone.

[Mark Kmiecik]

My first thought on #2 was Calamostachys sp. The others RCFossils nailed. Only #5 I think is Essexella asherae plus something else.

[tom_mo]

17 hours ago, Mark Kmiecik said:

interesting Mark.  When I look at the #5 fossil, with my untrained eye, I can see a sort of segmentation  pattern that looks like an insect or crustacean around the outer margin of the concretion, But I know the blob jellies have some patterns too so wasn’t sure if that was just the jellyfish.  Where do you see the possible second creature?

 

 

[Mark Kmiecik]

1 hour ago, tom_mo said:

interesting Mark.  When I look at the #5 fossil, with my untrained eye, I can see a sort of segmentation  pattern that looks like an insect or crustacean around the outer margin of the concretion, But I know the blob jellies have some patterns too so wasn’t sure if that was just the jellyfish.  Where do you see the possible second creature?

 

 

 

At the bottom of the last photo. Looks almost like a shrimp or almost like a worm with setae. ALMOST! That's the problem. Or it could be a combo of 3 or 4 critters. Hard to tell because of the preservation and my lack of experience with concretions like this. I'm mostly an MC plant guy. It's definitely interesting and, like you said, "mysterious".

Edited March 9, 2022 by Mark Kmiecik