David in Japan Posted February 27, 2016 Share Posted February 27, 2016 hi, I found the following fossil last week at my usual spot (himenoura formation, santonian). I first thought about crinoid but as I wasn't sure, I showed it to a fellow fossil hunter who hunted for 30 years in this formation. He told me that it was a Nereide's fossil (kind of worm) and taht it was quite rare, I should take great care of it. I do not doubt of his judgment but I would appreciate if I could get a second opinion concerning this fossil and some answers concerning the following question. 1) Did you already encounter this kind of fossil and do you agree with the ID I was told ? 2) I thought that soft tissue like ammonite's head, anomalocaris and so on couldn't really became fossil, I mean, it is possible to get some trace but not shell like fossil. If cretaceous nereide were like modern Nereide, would it be possible for worms to fossilize? Thank you very much for your help, David ~~~~~~~~~~~~〇~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Warmest greetings from Kumamoto、 Japan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted February 27, 2016 Share Posted February 27, 2016 (edited) I have heard that sometimes an animal can be "mummified" before the lithification takes place which allows for the preservation of the soft tissue, more often the soft tissue is preserved as a carbon "film" in flat layered deposits The Burgess shale in Canada is famous for its "pyritized" soft tissue fossil deposits. A 3 dimensional worm? Are You sure Your friend did not meen a worm burrow? Tony Edited February 27, 2016 by ynot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted February 27, 2016 Share Posted February 27, 2016 Just had another thought-- some worms have an armor exoskeleton, which can be fossilized as a 3 dimensional fossil. Tony PS Nice find!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted February 27, 2016 Share Posted February 27, 2016 He told me that it was a Nereide's fossil (kind of worm) and taht it was quite rare, I should take great care of it. Nereites is a type of trace fossil, not a type of soft body preservation. I think this probably is a trace fossil. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted February 27, 2016 Share Posted February 27, 2016 I agree - looks like a burrow or trace fossil to me. 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...
fossilized6s Posted February 27, 2016 Share Posted February 27, 2016 I agree with burrow. Soft tissue doesn't usually preserve in a three dimensional form. There are very rare cases where it can be, as witnessed in the World famous Beecher trilobite beds. ~Charlie~ "There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why.....i dream of things that never were, and ask why not?" ~RFK ->Get your Mosasaur print ->How to spot a fake Trilobite ->How to identify a CONCRETION from a DINOSAUR EGG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David in Japan Posted February 27, 2016 Author Share Posted February 27, 2016 Thank you very much.I was surprised when he told me worms. Maybe the thing that worms cannot fossilized in 3d is so obvious that he didn not mentionned it. ~~~~~~~~~~~~〇~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Warmest greetings from Kumamoto、 Japan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrangellian Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 My first thought was burrow too, but there are worms that produce a hard shell. But I would defer to what Al Dente said as I am unfamiliar with Nereites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts