Meganeura Posted May 21, 2022 Share Posted May 21, 2022 Found this in some gravel near peace River - not sure if this is coprolite or not, wanted to get some opinions! Still very new on identifying most fossils. Fossils? I dig it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted May 21, 2022 Share Posted May 21, 2022 Could just be a phosphate nodule. 2 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...
Meganeura Posted May 21, 2022 Author Share Posted May 21, 2022 Considering it's from a phosphate mine, that would make a lot of sense. Thanks! Fossils? I dig it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted May 21, 2022 Share Posted May 21, 2022 Yup. I see a lot of phosphate nodules that get crushed or squished and end up looking a lot like that. @GeschWhat is our local expert in all things coprolitic. Perhaps she'll weigh in with an authoritative opinion soon. At the Montbrook site up here in north central Florida we are digging in an old river system and encounter lots of alligator fossils. Apparently, gators digest their food (turtles, fishes, birds) so well that the bones are dissolved as well. Excess calcium that is not needed by the gator is expelled in their waste. Gator coprolites that we find (fairly regularly) have the consistency of drywall--quite chalky. This is likely what preserves them preferentially over other species. When picking through the micro-matrix from Florida sites (Peace River, Cookiecutter Creek, Montbrook) I find tiny coprolites (likely fish but possibly other types of animals) to be quite common. The first image below was composed by Lori (our Queen of Coprolites, Duchess of Dookie), the other two are my assemblages of coprolitic diversity. Next time you are out fossil hunting you might consider collecting some micro-matrix to pick through at home. A whole new world of micro-fossils: http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/51286-collecting-cookiecutter-shark-micro-matrix/ http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/71406-optimizing-micro-matrix-sorting/ Cheers. -Ken 2 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meganeura Posted May 21, 2022 Author Share Posted May 21, 2022 3 minutes ago, digit said: Yup. I see a lot of phosphate nodules that get crushed or squished and end up looking a lot like that. @GeschWhat is our local expert in all things coprolitic. Perhaps she'll weigh in with an authoritative opinion soon. At the Montbrook site up here in north central Florida we are digging in an old river system and encounter lots of alligator fossils. Apparently, gators digest their food (turtles, fishes, birds) so well that the bones are dissolved as well. Excess calcium that is not needed by the gator is expelled in their waste. Gator coprolites that we find (fairly regularly) have the consistency of drywall--quite chalky. This is likely what preserves them preferentially over other species. When picking through the micro-matrix from Florida sites (Peace River, Cookiecutter Creek, Montbrook) I find tiny coprolites (likely fish but possibly other types of animals) to be quite common. The first image below was composed by Lori (our Queen of Coprolites, Duchess of Dookie), the other two are my assemblages of coprolitic diversity. Next time you are out fossil hunting you might consider collecting some micro-matrix to pick through at home. A whole new world of micro-fossils: http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/51286-collecting-cookiecutter-shark-micro-matrix/ http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/71406-optimizing-micro-matrix-sorting/ Cheers. -Ken First of all - absolutely love the titles people are getting, that's hilarious. Also Ralph already got me onto microfossils so I'm probably gonna collect some when I head out to Peace River tomorrow, hold onto it for when I get a set of smaller sifters. In other news though, I swear I have a couple of those mini-coprolites that I thought were just shells, I'll have to look to confirm but that's really near regardless! 2 Fossils? I dig it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meganeura Posted May 21, 2022 Author Share Posted May 21, 2022 This is what I found that may be one? Fossils? I dig it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted May 21, 2022 Share Posted May 21, 2022 Nope. A coil with a decreasing diameter is more indicative of an internal mold (steinkern) of a gastropod (snail). Cheers. -Ken 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeschWhat Posted June 27, 2022 Share Posted June 27, 2022 Sorry I'm chiming in so late. I don't get much of a chance to check in on the forum much anymore (making sure coprolites aren't forming in my grandbabies diapers). That looks like a coprolite to me. It appears to have a pinch (sphincter) mark on one end. @Fossildude19, I'm really curious. If there is a phosphate mining in Florida, could they be mining coprolites? I know they used to do it in England. In a super quick Google search I saw a mention of phosphate pebbles being found and mined along the Peace River as early as 1888. If what they are mining calcium phosphate, I would bet it is coprolite. I would love to see in situ photos of what they are actually mining. 1 Lori www.areallycrappystory.com/fossils www.facebook.com/fossilpoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted June 27, 2022 Share Posted June 27, 2022 3 minutes ago, GeschWhat said: Sorry I'm chiming in so late. I don't get much of a chance to check in on the forum much anymore (making sure coprolites aren't forming in my grandbabies diapers). That looks like a coprolite to me. It appears to have a pinch (sphincter) mark on one end. @Fossildude19, I'm really curious. If there is a phosphate mining in Florida, could they be mining coprolites? I know they used to do it in England. In a super quick Google search I saw a mention of phosphate pebbles being found and mined along the Peace River as early as 1888. If what they are mining calcium phosphate, I would bet it is coprolite. I would love to see in situ photos of what they are actually mining. Sorry Lori, but I really have no idea. Pictures of the item laying flat on a table, with multiple angles might help. @Meganeura. (Fingers get in the way. ) 2 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...
Meganeura Posted June 27, 2022 Author Share Posted June 27, 2022 6 minutes ago, Fossildude19 said: Sorry Lori, but I really have no idea. Pictures of the item laying flat on a table, with multiple angles might help. @Meganeura. (Fingers get in the way. ) Pictures as requested! @GeschWhat @Fossildude19 Fossils? I dig it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeschWhat Posted June 28, 2022 Share Posted June 28, 2022 That is an internal mold of a gastropod. 1 1 1 Lori www.areallycrappystory.com/fossils www.facebook.com/fossilpoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted June 28, 2022 Share Posted June 28, 2022 It's the black one that is likely a coprolite that Lori is asking for additional (finger-free) images. 13 hours ago, GeschWhat said: If there is a phosphate mining in Florida, could they be mining coprolites? I know they used to do it in England. In a super quick Google search I saw a mention of phosphate pebbles being found and mined along the Peace River as early as 1888. If what they are mining calcium phosphate, I would bet it is coprolite. I would love to see in situ photos of what they are actually mining. According to those who mine it: https://fipr.floridapoly.edu/about-us/phosphate-primer/phosphate-and-how-florida-was-formed.php Cheers. -Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meganeura Posted June 28, 2022 Author Share Posted June 28, 2022 11 minutes ago, digit said: It's the black one that is likely a coprolite that Lori is asking for additional (finger-free) images. According to those who mine it: https://fipr.floridapoly.edu/about-us/phosphate-primer/phosphate-and-how-florida-was-formed.php Cheers. -Ken It’s one of these 2 pieces - here’s the pics @GeschWhat Fossils? I dig it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeschWhat Posted July 2, 2022 Share Posted July 2, 2022 Looks like “animal waste product” to me. 1 Lori www.areallycrappystory.com/fossils www.facebook.com/fossilpoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meganeura Posted July 2, 2022 Author Share Posted July 2, 2022 11 hours ago, GeschWhat said: Looks like “animal waste product” to me. Would that be human waste product as in waste from phosphate mining? Or are we talking your specialty? Fossils? I dig it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted July 4, 2022 Share Posted July 4, 2022 Nope, she specifically mentioned animal waste. Cheers. -Ken 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meganeura Posted July 4, 2022 Author Share Posted July 4, 2022 9 hours ago, digit said: Nope, she specifically mentioned animal waste. Cheers. -Ken I mean, humans are debatably animals… Fossils? I dig it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Pristis Posted July 4, 2022 Share Posted July 4, 2022 There is no debate of the facts . . . we are animals, even Ken. 1 1 http://pristis.wix.com/the-demijohn-page What seest thou else In the dark backward and abysm of time? ---Shakespeare, The Tempest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted July 5, 2022 Share Posted July 5, 2022 You're sure then that I'm not just an experimental AI with access to the internet? Chee...<404 Page Not Found> 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meganeura Posted July 5, 2022 Author Share Posted July 5, 2022 2 minutes ago, digit said: You're sure then that I'm not just an experimental AI with access to the internet? Chee...<404 Page Not Found> Harry, you broke the poor bot! Fossils? I dig it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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