Geodized Gastropod Ky USA

[Lorelei.ofthe.Sea]

I shared some pictures of my Geodized Gastropod in my introduction post, and was asked to provide more pictures so I brought it over here to share those pictures and provide more information.  

 

Information I can now provide (thanks to this forum) This gastropod is from Ordovician Era. Found in an Alluvium (creek bed) that flows through the Cumberland Formation in May of 2022. Find location is also downstream by less than 1/4 mile (>1/2km) from an injunction of the Ole Leipers Limestone (south central Kentucky) formation. I have not gotten to specificly research these formations yet for their known fossils, but it is my next step! 

 

Previously (using an over generalized geological map of Kentucky ... and my inability to accurately guess where about my spot is without county lines or smaller town names... ) I thought my find location was in a Devonian/ Mississippian location... while those are both present and fairly close, I was wrong. 

 

I know with it being geodized, odds of getting down to a species is going to be pretty slim, but I can't help but try! 

 

(Added note: this is one of MANY geodized gastropods I have from this area... this is the only one of this particular shape... but I have a good dozen or so more shapes I am working to identify 😉 or get as close as I can) 

 

Educated Guesses thus far (and based off of the wrong info of possible Devonian/Mississippian Era) 

 

1. Paleozoic Turbinate Gastropod even though that Era isn't close to my find sight at all, it does bear resemblance of Paleozoic Turbinate Gastropods found on the very limited geological Kentucky survey website.

 

2. Geodized Ammonite... no species guess, and just based off of a dry picture and shape alone with no context of location during a passing conversation with one of my Geologist heros I got a chance encounter with at a local fossil show! And in his defense, he just claimed that it could be based on shape, but he'd need to see it in person or better pictures before saying for certian. (Though, it did crush my soul when I learned it probably wasn't as it would have been my only ammonite find of my lifetime) 

 

Feel free to share your opinions! I'm always open to learning as much as I can! 

 

Oh... and forgive the odd rulers... they are cm but are from a paper cutting board... used for paper projects like scrapbooking... so it doesn't visibly start counting the centimeters until its at 3cm to account for what's under the bar that holds down the paper at the cut line... I apparently have little to nothing with cm on it, but that will be remedied soon! 

 

All pictures of specimen are taken while slightly damp to help show details. 

 

Top view, straight down

 

Bottom view, straight down 

 

Side view, with shell opening on bottom and the only way it would stand vertical on its own 

 

Side view, angled and propped to show gastropod shell 'opening' from position of bottoms up

 

Side view, angled and propped to show gastropod shell 'opening' from position of top up. 

 

Side view, flat to show gastropod shell 'opening' of natural laying position. 

 

Possible beneficial alternate views:: 

 

[Crinoids]

These are great geodized specimens, and great for studying. 

 

I do not personally believe you have an ammonite, I'd go with an gastropod, due to its helical coiling. Getting down to a species level now would be difficult to achieve. 

 

 

[Fossildude19]

Agree, Geodized gastropod.

Species or even genus level is not likely, given the deformity caused by process of becoming a geode.

Best that can be said is turbinate gastropod.

 

[Lorelei.ofthe.Sea]

1 hour ago, Crinoids said:

These are great geodized specimens, and great for studying. 

 

I do not personally believe you have an ammonite, I'd go with an gastropod, due to its helical coiling. Getting down to a species level now would be difficult to achieve. 

 

 

Thank you! I think you're right as well about it not being an ammonite. You're the second to say so and with regards to how it's coiled. I am not sure the difference (but that's something else I will gladly research and learn!) 

 

And I knew starting out that getting species or even genus names, for this one, and probably many (or all) of the other geotized Gastropods/Brachiopods I have is slim to none. But all I can do is try, because they're my favorites and as they're bring displayed in my home, I like to provide as much information about what they are as I can! So I thank you again! 

[Lorelei.ofthe.Sea]

1 hour ago, Fossildude19 said:

Agree, Geodized gastropod.

Species or even genus level is not likely, given the deformity caused by process of becoming a geode.

Best that can be said is turbinate gastropod.

 

Thank you so much! You're also the second to guess Turbinate Gastropod, so I think when this one gets its display, it will be its official label! I know these probably aren't super 'prized' finds, especially since they're so distorted because of the geotizing process, but.... this was my first ever clearly geotized fossil I have ever found, and it was found on a trip that I was taken on for my birthday specifically to rock/fossil hunt... so to me it's absolutely priceless to me.  So thank you again! 

 

[Lorelei.ofthe.Sea]

2 hours ago, Crinoids said:

These are great geodized specimens, and great for studying. 

 

I forgot to say in my other reply too that you're also the second to tell me they're worth studying.  I was told by someone else on fb that there might be some interest on a college level. While this one specifically I might lend, I do have others I would be willing to donate to study...that are just as impressive, and to some, maybe even more impressive (I can do pictures of them if there is interest) But when asking how to go about that, I got crickets. So I'll extend that question here too! If anyone knows how to go about that, I am curious! To think I would make a contribution... big or small, to the study/and or discovery of our amazing planet would be an unthinkably awesome dream come true! 

Edited Monday at 07:48 PM by Lorelei.ofthe.Sea

[Fossildude19]

7 minutes ago, Lorelei.ofthe.Sea said:

 

I forgot to say in my other reply too that you're also the second to tell me they're worth studying. ...

... But when asking how to go about that, I got crickets. So I'll extend that question here too! If anyone knows how to go about that, I am curious! To think I would make a contribution... big or small, to the study/and or discovery of our amazing planet would be an unthinkably awesome dream come true! 

 

 

You would need to find someone who studies the taphonomy of fossils, who would be interested in studying/publishing about geodized fossils. You would have to search a place like Researchgate for a likely candidate. Someone who has published in these areas before.

 

(BTW- This is my first time seeing the word Geotized. I have only ever seen it before as Geodized.)  

 

 

[Lorelei.ofthe.Sea]

15 minutes ago, Fossildude19 said:

 

 

You would need to find someone who studies the taphonomy of fossils, who would be interested in studying/publishing about geodized fossils. You would have to search a place like Researchgate for a likely candidate. Someone who has published in these areas before.

 

(BTW- This is my first time seeing the word Geotized. I have only ever seen it before as Geodized.)  

 

 

First, thank you for the info! I'll see what I can look up and find... 

 

And second 🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️ 🤣 that's a human/phone internal war error... my phone specifically refuses ALL scientific terminology... even when spelled correctly it auto corrects to some random, off the wall, word it thinks I was trying to use instead... even when I back up and retype it, it will force a change sometimes 3 or 4 times before the battle finally ends... 

It appears here that I won the battle and and it finally accepted it as a word it would allow me to use when I mistyped it... and who knows how long I've gone with using if this way, without realizing the incorrect spelling! (I am both amused and absolutely horrified all at once🤣) thank you for pointing it out! ... I'll get on fixing that as soon as I crawl out from under this rock I am hiding under 🤣🤣!