Bell shaped fossil

[Daisyjpoe]

Split a rock open and found this. Can someone help me identify please. 

[Ludwigia]

Looks more like a mineral than a fossil to me.

[Mark Kmiecik]

Resembles a rugose coral, but I'm not an expert on corals.

[ScottBlooded]

49 minutes ago, Mark Kmiecik said:

Resembles a rugose coral, but I'm not an expert on corals.

I likewise had this thought, hollowed out horn coral. I am also however not an expert- amateur that’s seen a lot of horn coral in various states of preservation 

[Coco]

Hi,

 

Dice are not a good rule for specimen size, there are dice of all sizes. Look in my signature for your next pictures.

 

Coco

Edited April 9, 2022 by Coco

[hemipristis]

Hard to tell.  Whatever it was, it dissolved away leaving the mold, and calcite(?) crystals grew in the opening.  Based upon the roughly triangular shape and the radial spray of crystals at one end, a rugose coral, as noted by others, is a fair guess

 

PS I like the die for scale.  Nice improvisation

[Ludwigia]

It doesn't look like replacement to me, but rather a pure crystal formation within a vug. I'm also wondering if the stone itself isn't of metamorphic origin.

[Tetradium]

3 hours ago, Ludwigia said:

It doesn't look like replacement to me, but rather a pure crystal formation within a vug. I'm also wondering if the stone itself isn't of metamorphic origin.

I see a maybe short crinoid stem in NW part of the rock. Could it be a metamorphic limestone/dolomite? I don't have experiences in those area so I'm just curious. 

[Ludwigia]

3 hours ago, Tetradium said:

Could it be a metamorphic limestone/dolomite?

That's more or less along the line that I was thinking, but I'm not at all sure just based on a few photos. I also wouldn't completely rule out metamorphosed fossil preservation.

[Al Dente]

I think it is a horn coral steinkern. I see crinoid stem impressions  surrounding this fossil.

 

 

Edited April 9, 2022 by Al Dente

[Coco]

Hi,

 

@hemipristis@Daisyjpoe

 

I maintain that dice, like hands, are not a good indication of size, there are all measures ! Images will probably speak more than words...

 

 

 

 

Coco

[hemipristis]

4 hours ago, Coco said:

Hi,

 

@hemipristis@Daisyjpoe

 

I maintain that dice, like hands, are not a good indication of size, there are all measures ! Images will probably speak more than words...

 

 

 

 

Coco

Yes they vary, but I find that the vast majority of dice are the same size.  Is it ideal? No. But it'll do in a pinch. Ya go to war with what ya got, as the expression goes. A ruler isn't always handy

Edited April 10, 2022 by hemipristis

[westcoast]

35 minutes ago, hemipristis said:

Yes they vary, but I find that the vast majority of dice are the same size.  Is it ideal? No. But it'll do in a pinch. Ya go to war with what ya got, as the expression goes. A ruler isn't always handy

Agree. For a lot of the fossils posted here a broad indication of size is all that is required. In this particular case whether it is 2cm or 4cm isn't so important. However, I would still encourage all to use a ruler as a first choice where possible.

[Daisyjpoe]

23 hours ago, Al Dente said:

I think it is a horn coral steinkern. I see crinoid stem impressions  surrounding this fossil.

 

 

I agree. I've done a little bit of research over the past few days and I believe it may be a horn coral. 

[Caverat]

On 4/9/2022 at 2:46 AM, hemipristis said:

Hard to tell.  Whatever it was, it dissolved away leaving the mold, and calcite(?) crystals grew in the opening.  Based upon the roughly triangular shape and the radial spray of crystals at one end, a rugose coral, as noted by others, is a fair guess

 

PS I like the die for scale.  Nice improvisation

No, not really good for scale...

[Mahnmut]

Hi, I also think this is a nice mineralization most probably "inspired" by a horn coral fossil.

 

Concerning the measure, while I do share Cocos opinion that a ruler is the gold (or platinum?) standard for measurements, all kinds of things from coins to hands to dice and beverage cans can give a good impression of general size, rarely differing amongst them by more than a factor of two, like the nice collection of unusually diverse dice above. That difference may become crucial for an exact ID, but not for a general "what is this?".

Of course when selling fossils online, some sellers tend to have fotomodels with tiny hands holding the fossils, but thats another story.

Best Regards,

J

[hemipristis]

16 minutes ago, Mahnmut said:

Hi, I also think this is a nice mineralization most probably "inspired" by a horn coral fossil.

 

Concerning the measure, while I do share Cocos opinion that a ruler is the gold (or platinum?) standard for measurements, all kinds of things from coins to hands to dice and beverage cans can give a good impression of general size, rarely differing amongst them by more than a factor of two, like the nice collection of unusually diverse dice above. That difference may become crucial for an exact ID, but not for a general "what is this?".

Of course when selling fossils online, some sellers tend to have fotomodels with tiny hands holding the fossils, but thats another story.

Best Regards,

J

Thank you!

 

It seems to surprise some that not everyone walks around with a metric ruler and calipers in the pocket

[hemipristis]

Anyways, nice little piece

Edited April 11, 2022 by hemipristis

[Sagebrush Steve]

8 hours ago, hemipristis said:

Thank you!

 

It seems to surprise some that not everyone walks around with a metric ruler and calipers in the pocket

But they do walk around with dice in their pocket?  If so, just use a felt tip pen to mark the dimension in mm on the side of a die.  Then you can have the best of both worlds.

[Coco]

21 hours ago, hemipristis said:

Thank you!

 

It seems to surprise some that not everyone walks around with a metric ruler and calipers in the pocket

I did a special post in my signature to make a centimeter paper available. So as I say in this post, not having a rule at home and also not having a printer surprises me a bit.

In addition, when it is said that the dice, hands etc... can give an idea of the size of a fossil, people (especially new members of TFF) will remember only that, they will not try to make an effort to put a ruler on their photos.

 

When we ask an entire smart and benevolent population for identification, I believe that we must make a minimum of effort: quality of the photos, measurements, provenance etc... This is nothing compared to what this community brings to each other.

 

Coco

[hemipristis]

15 hours ago, Sagebrush Steve said:

But they do walk around with dice in their pocket?  If so, just use a felt tip pen to mark the dimension in mm on the side of a die.  Then you can have the best of both worlds.

 

You seem to have missed my earlier post: "it'll do in a pinch. Ya go to war with what ya got, as the expression goes. A ruler isn't always handy"

 

Not everyone is a hobbyist, folks.  Some are people who barely know what a fossil is.  They're just out on a hike, a walk, or vacation, and they find a nifty rock and wonder..  They use what they have handy.  If my defense of them makes me a rube, so be it. 

 

 

Edited April 12, 2022 by hemipristis

[hemipristis]

2 hours ago, Coco said:

I did a special post in my signature to make a centimeter paper available. So as I say in this post, not having a rule at home and also not having a printer surprises me a bit.

In addition, when it is said that the dice, hands etc... can give an idea of the size of a fossil, people (especially new members of TFF) will remember only that, they will not try to make an effort to put a ruler on their photos.

 

When we ask an entire smart and benevolent population for identification, I believe that we must make a minimum of effort: quality of the photos, measurements, provenance etc... This is nothing compared to what this community brings to each other.

 

Coco

I agree with you for repeat posters  or those that are hobbyists. For those that just found a nifty rock and want to know what it is, I disagree.

 

And with that, I have spoke my piece.

Fin

 

 

Edited April 12, 2022 by hemipristis

[Coco]

You have the right to think that, but I also have the right to have my own mind. I try to do "education"... (and I hope that the translation will not surprise), we must make sure to give the right reflexes and the right gestures, especially since those who have found a beautiful rock often believe they have a dinosaur egg, a reptile skull or a fossil fungus...

 

Coco

Edited April 12, 2022 by Coco

[Mahnmut]

Hi Coco,

thats the good thing, we all respect each others opinions here.

Its actually just a nuance that made me open this discussion again.

When someone says "please use an exact measure, that is better" I am perfectly d'accord.

When someone says "all the other size references are no good/useless", it drives me into opposition because I think thats not true, and I am that other kind of nerd.

 

Regarding the fossil in question, I wonder how much of the visible structures (especially the radial crystals on the broad end) do fit actual rugose coral anatomy, if only in orientation.

Any thought on that from the coral experts?

 

Best Regards