TSCannon Posted October 8, 2023 Share Posted October 8, 2023 (edited) Solved: it’s an egg case! Most likely for a cockroach that snuck into the clay. Gross/interesting. Hi all - wanted to see if anyone can provide any insight into two little “fossils” I found in a chunk of gray clay, likely from the Cretaceous, Ozan formation, in Central Texas. I’ve included a photo of the matrix as well. It’s a really light, gray clay that dissolves into mush in water. I ran some of it through a garden sieve and pulled out these two little fossils so far. The first looks like a little razor blade tic tag. Not sure if the other one is a tooth or a fragment of something else. Thanks for the help! Edited October 8, 2023 by TSCannon Solved - not fossils 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikrogeophagus Posted October 8, 2023 Share Posted October 8, 2023 Hmmm I don't know of any prehistoric species these are readily identifiable to. I have a hunch they could be something modern like seed pods which make for good pseudo-micro-fossils now and then (especially that first one). Maybe try poking forcefully at the surface to see if you can indent it and prove it isn't mineralized material. Either that or leave it in moist soil for a week and check for sprouts . I have yet to find a micro tooth producing spot in the Central TX Ozan, unlike up in North TX. If one were to exist, it would probably be a thin layer of phosphatic pebbles similar to Moss Creek by the NSR. I checked the Central TX Ozan for such a layer at the Austin-Ozan contact with no luck in the past. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSCannon Posted October 8, 2023 Author Share Posted October 8, 2023 (edited) 11 minutes ago, EPIKLULSXDDDDD said: Hmmm I don't know of any prehistoric species these are readily identifiable to. I have a hunch they could be something modern like seed pods which make for good pseudo-micro-fossils now and then (especially that first one). Maybe try poking forcefully at the surface to see if you can indent it and prove it isn't mineralized material. Either that or leave it in moist soil for a week and check for sprouts . I have yet to find a micro tooth producing spot in the Central TX Ozan, unlike up in North TX. If one were to exist, it would probably be a thin layer of phosphatic pebbles similar to Moss Creek by the NSR. I checked the Central TX Ozan for such a layer at the Austin-Ozan contact with no luck in the past. Thanks for the help. I initially thought they were modern seeds or something, but they are both very hard and make a “click” sound when I tap on them with metal, so I thought they might be fossils. It’s totally possible my sample was contaminated though. Also this particular chunk of clay might be from another formation. I can’t exactly remember where I got it from. Edited October 8, 2023 by TSCannon 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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