LanceH Posted October 19, 2008 Share Posted October 19, 2008 Has anyone seen a trace fossil like this? This was found just a couple feet below the Woodbine formation in North Texas (washed downhill into Grayson fm.). It appears to be an impression of some type of bark in a piece of mudstone or perhaps animal skin(?). It's about 3/4" square and flat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Nicholas Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 Some very good examples of ancient plant impressions... http://museum.gov.ns.ca/fossils/gallery/index.htm Just look through the ages and try to find a match, I've searched for better plant fossil resources but I find them to be... unavailable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LanceH Posted October 20, 2008 Author Share Posted October 20, 2008 Maybe I should make a positive clay impression and post that. That might be more recognisable to the fossil plant peoples. I looked through the few pics on that link above but didn't see anything. The piece is very flat, don't see any curve. I'm not a fossil plant person so don't know of any Cretaceous leaves or bark that could leave such a pattern in mud. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Nicholas Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 I think you are correct, make a clay impression. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest solius symbiosus Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 a positive, of a negative, of a positive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpbowden Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 Hey Lance, I did an emboss of it in photoshop and it doesn't look like bark, it sort of looks like fish skin without the scales. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 I sent your pic to a paleontologist friend. He said: "I have not seen this before. Just on the off chance, does it have the structure of bone? Amphibian skull has a regular patter of smooth bumps that look like a fingerprint pattern. On the broken edge, you might be able to see the marrow area. Just thinking out loud." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LanceH Posted October 20, 2008 Author Share Posted October 20, 2008 Yeah, an animal skin impression did cross my mind but can't see an animal leaving a clean stamped impression in wet mud unless it died there and the mud dried around it. I sent your pic to a paleontologist friend. He said:"I have not seen this before. Just on the off chance, does it have the structure of bone? Amphibian skull has a regular patter of smooth bumps that look like a fingerprint pattern. On the broken edge, you might be able to see the marrow area. Just thinking out loud." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracer Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Murphy Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 Lance: This really does not look like bark or the surface of a plant. The raised surfaces are curved, mostly circular, and almost look like the impression of shark skin (shagreen). It would be interesting to see what a clay impression of the specimen looks like. That might be more definitive. Most of the lower Woodbine that I have encountered in Denton and Tarrant counties has been terrestrial. Regards, Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LanceH Posted October 22, 2008 Author Share Posted October 22, 2008 Ok, here is a clay impression of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracer Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LanceH Posted October 22, 2008 Author Share Posted October 22, 2008 I noticed the rounded nodes are rather smooth and there are fiberous like extensions between all of them stretching mostly in similar directions. Plant? Animal? Alien? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpbowden Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 I have seen this before, it looks like the crown of a tooth from a while back, not the one you made but the original. It was on the tooth of a reptile that feed on clams. I am not really sure of any of this, it was a long time back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest N.AL.hunter Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 This does look familiar to me. If you don't find the answer soon, I'll check through my collection as I unpack it. What age are those formations you mentioned? Cretaceous? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LanceH Posted October 22, 2008 Author Share Posted October 22, 2008 It is from early Upper Cretaceous, maybe around 98-96 mya. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
screweduptexan Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 Interesting. I'd like to know what it is too. I can't come up with anything clever enough for my signature...yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracer Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest N.AL.hunter Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 Could it be fossil turtle shell? When the outer layer of the shell erodes away, it often leaves something similar to this object. See here for examples: http://www.rathbonesgifts.com/Fossil%20Turtle.htm I know none of them are an exact match, but as I said earlier, yours does look familiar to me. Again I'll look in my collection when I get the chance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
explorer1 Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 Ok, here is a clay impression of it. looks like snake scales odd for sure. could be shed skin off off a reptile also i have gravel for sale check the trade room or my posts. god hunting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hybodus Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 Lance, looks like a chunk of carapace from a Trionychid turtle ("soft shelled turtle"). Not uncommon for cretaceous marine deposits. I am not a turtle expert, and it is not a large enough chunk to determine species, and there are quite a few documented from the Cretaceous of Texas. Many folks get mixed up between Trionychid costal fragments and croc scutes / croc skull frags. But once you have seen lots of them, the ornamentation is a dead giveaway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
explorer1 Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 Ok i think i have it,lepidodendron trunk , a young branch or sappling. check the web also i have gravel for sale check the trade room or my posts. god hunting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest solius symbiosus Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 ^It doesn't really resemble a lycopsid... maybe one of the very inner barks??? I was thinking cycadid when I first saw it, but IDK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
screweduptexan Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 I dont know what it is either, but I found this peice of pecan bark today and when I saw the underside of it, it reminded me of your fossil's clay impression. What do you think? I can't come up with anything clever enough for my signature...yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hybodus Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 Lance - how about a pic of the other side as well as one of the edges? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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