Agatized egg with some outer shell left

[Wny_Native]

I examined this item for a clue for its gem like appearance. After a few minutes I determined the oblong shape was made of Agatized material. On the top portion the agate was easily identified.

 

Turning the rock upside down the agate can be seen again. What was left of the exterior is smooth with an occasional outcrop of black rock.

A google picture search first gave me a hint of the possible origin.

 

 A dinosaur egg whose shell was cracked allowed the flow of mineral rich water to fill the egg and form the inner layer. Most of the outer shell is missing but I have included a few close ups to further my theory.

 

 

[Plantguy]

Welcome to the forum! good photos. 

Cool specimen but I think rather its a concretion retaining some of the surrounding matrix layer it was deposited in. The small circular feature in the last photo appears to be a coral fragment/section embedded in that matrix. 

 

Regards, Chris 

[Wny_Native]

I agree about the coral 

there are several other small, coral like attachments to this item

so it’s not a fossil?

 

[FranzBernhard]

3 hours ago, Wny_Native said:

so it’s not a fossil?

It is a fossil, but not an egg fossil, but a coral fossil.

Franz Bernhard

[Fossildude19]

These extremely hard dolostone nodules are very common in some layers of strata in Western NY. 

Sometimes, when split open, they contain trilobite, brachiopods, gastropods, or cephalopod fossils.

Not an egg, but neat fossil on the outside, and maybe some inside.

[Wny_Native]

I agree about the coral 

there are several other small, coral like attachments to this item

so it’s not a fossil?

 

should I have it cut in to two parts or leave as is?

 

[Fossildude19]

I'd give it a few whacks with a hammer.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Sometimes they are empty.  Sometimes they can contain treasures.

[Mark Kmiecik]

Wear safety glasses. Rocks send chips flying everywhere when hit with a hammer.

[Lone Hunter]

12 hours ago, Wny_Native said:

so it’s not a fossil?

 

20 hours ago, FranzBernhard said:

It is a fossil, but not an egg fossil, but a coral fossil.

Franz Bernhard

 

[Wny_Native]

Picture with quarter to scale fossil

 

[Ludwigia]

On 12/3/2023 at 3:36 PM, Wny_Native said:

so it’s not a fossil?

The dolostone (not agate) matrix is not a fossil but the petrified coral is one. This rock is not a fossilized dinosaur egg. The rocks to be found around Buffalo are anyway too old to contain any dinosaur fossils, since they hadn't yet come into existence at that time.