OScout Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 (edited) Hello and greetings. I found this at the river. First time I have ever found a fossil with color in it...which perplexes me a bit. How can this retain its color? Kind of pink red and spotted-in water it lights up, out of water color fades. Any help to ID the fossil and info on it would be much appreciated. This fossil is quite unique for where I live/search; southern ohio Indiana. Thank you very much for any help! Glad to be in the forum! Edited July 16, 2014 by OScout Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl O'Cles Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 looks kinda crabby to me but could just be a concretion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 Welcome to the Forum. Looks like a brachiopod to me. As far as the color - I don't think it is original, but rather the color of whatever minerals replaced the original shell material. Regards, Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 IPFOTM -- MAY - 2024 _________________________________________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobWill Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 Welcome to the forum and thanks for showing your find. I'm seeing the general shape and possible ornamentation of a brachiopod too. That part protruding from the bottom may be another shell but probably doesn't belong to the brach. It may help to see the other side and more information about the location might prompt someone who knows the formation or general age. That can help with an ID. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OScout Posted July 16, 2014 Author Share Posted July 16, 2014 Hi and thank you. But, I must ask...when I look up brachiopod, it resembles a clam (sort of). We have millions of those around here, so they are something I am very familiar with. It does not seem to resemble a clam structure when I look at it. Does brachiopod include a more diverse group? I hesitate to say this, as the bottom is sealed in the fossils/stone, but the more I look at it, the more it resembles a cowry shell. Is a cowry a brachiopod? Is this a possibility? Thanks you for the help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 (edited) A cowrie shell is a gastropod, or snail. I don't believe this is a gastropod fossil. I'm not positive, but I think cowrie shells developed later than this fossil. Brachiopods are different from bivalves (or clams) in that their valves or shell halves, are unequal, whereas clam shells are equally sized and shaped. See this diagram: You have one of the halves, or valves of a brachiopod shell. It looks to me like it might be an internal mold of a shell, actually. The shell filled with sediment, which turned to stone, and then the original shell material eroded away, leaving the shell you see. The other valve may be hidden in the rock, or may not be present at all. I hope that makes sense to you. Regards, EDIT: IMage linked from HERE: http://dcfossils.org/images/uploads/fossils/brachiopods_versus_bivalves_illustrated1_t.jpg Edited July 16, 2014 by Fossildude19 Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 IPFOTM -- MAY - 2024 _________________________________________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OScout Posted July 17, 2014 Author Share Posted July 17, 2014 Thank you very much for the information! It makes perfect sense. An "internal mold of the shell"...woah, you are pretty good at this! Thank you again, much appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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