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Mystery Mississippian Fossil


Shamalama

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I have an odd couple of fossils I found in Mississippian rocks in Kentucky a few years back. It comes from the Brooks Hill Road cut in rocks from the Borden Formation. I kept finding these strange dark streaks on the rocks that look like overly large Graptolites or maybe a sponge, but I can't find anything to give me a good ID on what they may be. Any suggestions are welcomed.

Thanks!

Dave

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-Dave

__________________________________________________

Geologists on the whole are inconsistent drivers. When a roadcut presents itself, they tend to lurch and weave. To them, the roadcut is a portal, a fragment of a regional story, a proscenium arch that leads their imaginations into the earth and through the surrounding terrain. - John McPhee

If I'm going to drive safely, I can't do geology. - John McPhee

Check out my Blog for more fossils I've found: http://viewsofthemahantango.blogspot.com/

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Definitely something...

Unfamiliar to me, though.

"There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant

“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley

>Paleontology is an evolving science.

>May your wonders never cease!

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In my opinion, it is a mashed and poorly presreved archimedes. Of course, my opinion and 50 cents will get you a soda in the teachers lounge.

Brent Ashcraft

ashcraft, brent allen

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In my opinion, it is a mashed and poorly presreved archimedes. Of course, my opinion and 50 cents will get you a soda in the teachers lounge.

Brent Ashcraft

I can see the general shape of archimedes, but it seems too large... although it's difficult to tell the actual size from the pics.

Was leaning toward calling it a poorly preserved cephalopod, at a guess, since it appears to have chambers... but my opinion

will need more than 50 cents added to get the soda.

Shamalama, I too have quite a few mysterious items in my collection, and I refer to them as UFO's.

(unidentified fossilized objects)

"don’t you lock up something that you wanted to see fly..." chris cornell / soundgarden

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I know that most archs you see are small, but they can get quite large. I have a plate with two overlain, one is about 8" long and .75" wide. There is another on the paleolist photo page that is measured in feet (maybe 6 feet? can't remember)

Brent Ashcraft

ashcraft, brent allen

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I know that most archs you see are small, but they can get quite large. I have a plate with two overlain, one is about 8" long and .75" wide. There is another on the paleolist photo page that is measured in feet (maybe 6 feet? can't remember)

Brent Ashcraft

WOW! :o I'm going to have to check that out. thanks for cluing me in!

"don’t you lock up something that you wanted to see fly..." chris cornell / soundgarden

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I know that most archs you see are small, but they can get quite large. I have a plate with two overlain, one is about 8" long and .75" wide. There is another on the paleolist photo page that is measured in feet (maybe 6 feet? can't remember)

Brent Ashcraft

Found at least one "monster" Archimedes on there: http://www.lakeneosho.org/Paleolist/90/index.html ... Amazing!

(Brent, I also happened to see a very nice Favosites specimen on that site and was admiring it, when I noticed that you are the one that posted it there!)

"don’t you lock up something that you wanted to see fly..." chris cornell / soundgarden

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Yes, I am an equal opportunity annoyer. I annoy anybody, anytime, anywhere.

The favosites (if that is what it is) is a student's, who, of course, remembered that I had it and came back and got it.

I will try to post a picture of my arch, I have a new lens and have been looking for a reason to break it out.

Brent Ashcraft

ashcraft, brent allen

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Here is an archimedes of fair size, cut out of the Meramec river bottom, near St. Louis. Warsaw formation, Mississippian. This material is full of silicon spicules and is awful hard to work with. This specimen needs to be gone over with a blaster with HARD grit.

Brent Ashcraft

post-120-1239409360_thumb.jpg

ashcraft, brent allen

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Yes, I am an equal opportunity annoyer. I annoy anybody, anytime, anywhere.

The favosites (if that is what it is) is a student's, who, of course, remembered that I had it and came back and got it.

I will try to post a picture of my arch, I have a new lens and have been looking for a reason to break it out.

Brent Ashcraft

"equal opportunity annoyer"... I like that :D

Thanks for posting your specimen, I think it's awesome exactly as it is.

After seeing your pic I did some reasearch and found that Arch. is often significantly larger than I'd realized,

as you pointed out... would love to see one of the larger-size specimens with the fronds preserved on it!

"don’t you lock up something that you wanted to see fly..." chris cornell / soundgarden

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Cool pics and links, but I don't think it's an Archimedes as there are no equivalent lacy bits nearby. In fact I don't see any other fossils, hard or soft shelled. The size of the mystery stain in the pics is about 3" long each. I'm leaning toward a sponge or water plant of some kind myself. Thanks for the ideas though!

Dave

-Dave

__________________________________________________

Geologists on the whole are inconsistent drivers. When a roadcut presents itself, they tend to lurch and weave. To them, the roadcut is a portal, a fragment of a regional story, a proscenium arch that leads their imaginations into the earth and through the surrounding terrain. - John McPhee

If I'm going to drive safely, I can't do geology. - John McPhee

Check out my Blog for more fossils I've found: http://viewsofthemahantango.blogspot.com/

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Guest solius symbiosus

I don't think that it is fossil. To me, it looks like a hard ground is exposed through the over laying matrix.

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