lissa318 Posted August 15, 2013 Share Posted August 15, 2013 (edited) I found and brought loads of things home from my Melbourne, FL trip. As some of you know I am from PA so not familiar with beach finds... This post is in the question and answer section instead of ID for a reason. How can you tell if shell, coral, bryozoa are fossilized or not if on a beach??? The majority of these were found in a huge discarded pile near the pier at Sebastian beach. The majority were broken. They were all white, gray, bluish, black, orange.. Do shell fossils always lose color if fossilized? The worm tube (I think) at bottom right of 2 of the pics wasn't found there but leads to another question... I found a variety of different looking worm tubes covering rocks I brought home... How can I make sure they are dead? Don't want worms everywhere.... lol Edited August 15, 2013 by lissa318 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lissa318 Posted August 15, 2013 Author Share Posted August 15, 2013 (edited) Oh, and could the 2 tubular shapes in last pic be burrows? It was a very rocky beach and found lots of cool stones. Found some fun coral growing on shells and rock too. Edited August 15, 2013 by lissa318 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellseeker Posted August 15, 2013 Share Posted August 15, 2013 I found and brought loads of things home from my Melbourne, FL trip. As some of you know I am from PA so not familiar with beach finds... This post is in the question and answer section instead of ID for a reason. How can you tell if shell, coral, bryozoa are fossilized or not if on a beach??? The majority of these were found in a huge discarded pile near the pier at Sebastian beach. The majority were broken. They were all white, gray, bluish, black, orange.. Do shell fossils always lose color if fossilized? The worm tube (I think) at bottom right of 2 of the pics wasn't found there but leads to another question... I found a variety of different looking worm tubes covering rocks I brought home... How can I make sure they are dead? Don't want worms everywhere.... lol Look at the photos of 2 mya shells in this thread. http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/37602-smr-aggregates/?hl=gaudy The gaudy natica and deer cowrie still retain some color. Like most shells on the beach, I do not think these shells are "fossilized", just protected across the ages. I do think that IF a shell is fossilized , it will lose or change color, like the calcite clams from Ruck's Pit. Most tube worm shells I find are empty and easy to determine to be without occupants. Now barnacles are a different story. The White Queen ".... in her youth she could believe "six impossible things before breakfast" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lissa318 Posted August 16, 2013 Author Share Posted August 16, 2013 Look at the photos of 2 mya shells in this thread. http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/37602-smr-aggregates/?hl=gaudy The gaudy natica and deer cowrie still retain some color. Like most shells on the beach, I do not think these shells are "fossilized", just protected across the ages. I do think that IF a shell is fossilized , it will lose or change color, like the calcite clams from Ruck's Pit. Most tube worm shells I find are empty and easy to determine to be without occupants. Now barnacles are a different story. Thanks! So shells don't actually fossilize for the most part then? That is something I didn't know. As for the worms I probably used a very poor example. I have rocks that look infiltrated by them. The one shell I used on my coral post looks like this on the back...I brought lots of rocks home that were porous and had tubes going through them. And please share about barnacles because have quite a few or them too! lol. Appreciate your input! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellseeker Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 I went to my fossil club meeting tonight and a friend reminded me that any trace of an animal over 10000 years in age is by definition a "Fossil". There may be but not always a fossilization process. While some shells go through a fossilization process, most do not. On worm shells and barnacles, I am not really an expert, just relating my experiences. Sometimes there have been barnacles attached to shells, driftwood, sea debris that I find and infrequently the were alive or recently dead -- and the only way I seemed to be able to determine that was by the smell of decay after a while. The White Queen ".... in her youth she could believe "six impossible things before breakfast" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 (edited) I brought lots of rocks home that were porous and had tubes going through them. The many holes that are in this piece of shell are caused by Cliona, the sulfur sponge. The sponge lives in the shell boring holes as it grows. Here's an example of a shell that has been bored by the sulfur sponge. A modern Busycon from North Carolina. Edited August 16, 2013 by Al Dente Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeR Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 The worm tubes are actually gastropods of the genus Petaloconchus. "A problem solved is a problem caused"--Karl Pilkington "I was dead for millions of years before I was born and it never inconvenienced me a bit." -- Mark Twain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lissa318 Posted August 16, 2013 Author Share Posted August 16, 2013 The worm tubes are actually gastropods of the genus Petaloconchus. Well that's interesting! My tube in the bottom right corner of the 3rd picture starts to spiral and goes to a point at the end... So the tubes on the back of my one shell are gastropod also? I'll have to look that up. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lissa318 Posted August 16, 2013 Author Share Posted August 16, 2013 The many holes that are in this piece of shell are caused by Cliona, the sulfur sponge. The sponge lives in the shell boring holes as it grows. Here's an example of a shell that has been bored by the sulfur sponge. A modern Busycon from North Carolina. conchsmall.jpg Al Dente, I wondered about those holes but assumed they were coral related because so many of my porous pieces had what I believe to be a modern coral on them! Thanks for letting me know and sharing your picture. My shell above has coral, worm or gastropod tubes, a barnacle and now sponge going on... If it is a modern shell it has bad luck. lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lissa318 Posted August 16, 2013 Author Share Posted August 16, 2013 I went to my fossil club meeting tonight and a friend reminded me that any trace of an animal over 10000 years in age is by definition a "Fossil". There may be but not always a fossilization process. While some shells go through a fossilization process, most do not. On worm shells and barnacles, I am not really an expert, just relating my experiences. Sometimes there have been barnacles attached to shells, driftwood, sea debris that I find and infrequently the were alive or recently dead -- and the only way I seemed to be able to determine that was by the smell of decay after a while. Shellseeker, thanks for the info! I was confused by the fossil thing but it is now clear to me! Yuck on the smell thing... Although I will embarrassingly admit I was more worried about waking up to 50 gazillion worms everywhere. lol I would be very, very unhappy. Haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeR Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 (edited) Well that's interesting! My tube in the bottom right corner of the 3rd picture starts to spiral and goes to a point at the end... So the tubes on the back of my one shell are gastropod also? I'll have to look that up. Thanks! Free floating larva settle on shells and hard bottom and grow long tubes which stick up from where the shell is anchored and live life as filter feeders. They can live as individuals or in colonies. Most times when found attached to beach shells the last whorl forming the aperture of the gastropod is broken off. See here https://www.google.com/search?q=petaloconchus&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=sEkOUo-BMsGH2gWMx4HgBQ&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1366&bih=651 Edited August 16, 2013 by MikeR "A problem solved is a problem caused"--Karl Pilkington "I was dead for millions of years before I was born and it never inconvenienced me a bit." -- Mark Twain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lissa318 Posted August 16, 2013 Author Share Posted August 16, 2013 Free floating larva settle on shells and hard bottom and grow long tubes which stick up from where the shell is anchored and live life as filter feeders. They can live as individuals or in colonies. Most times when found attached to beach shells the last whorl forming the aperture of the gastropod is broken off. See here https://www.google.com/search?q=petaloconchus&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=sEkOUo-BMsGH2gWMx4HgBQ&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1366&bih=651Thanks for the info and definitely looks like what I have!!! Took some pics of the tip of my one to share. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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