Shane5150 Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 I showed my son where a good spot to find fossils was, he took a hammer and banged away at some sandstone and this was the result.Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for any responses. Look forward to what the experts have to say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bj aurora Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 welcome to the Forum Shane! I won't have anything to add to the ID of this item, but I can ask some of the questions to help the knowledgable ones: Where was this found? Any idea of the formation? What is the size (adding a ruler or a coin to the photo usually helps with IDing)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shane5150 Posted July 7, 2009 Author Share Posted July 7, 2009 welcome to the Forum Shane! I won't have anything to add to the ID of this item, but I can ask some of the questions to help the knowledgable ones: Where was this found? Any idea of the formation? What is the size (adding a ruler or a coin to the photo usually helps with IDing)? This was found in our backyard. I live in Westbank, BC. We live on ten acres and behind our home there is a great deal of shale and sandstone located underneath the soil. It is exposed because they bulldozed away some earth to make the house area level. So technically the sandstone is beneath about 3' of soil and rock. The exact dimensions of the egg itself are 2 1/8" X 1 5/8" or 5cm X 4.2cm. Hope this helps. Also, thanks for the welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamalama Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 Welcome to the Forum! Hate to rain on the parade, but it's more likely a concretion than an egg. A concretion is a sedimentary feature that is often round, oval or egg shaped and is generally formed by layers of sediment and minerals around a central core. Sometimes they can have a fossil at the middle, like the Mazon Creek concretions, but more often than not they are barren. If you break it open on one end you might see concentric layers like in a jaw breaker. Eggs are notoriously difficult to fossilize and are exceedingly rare in the fossil record. There have been discoveries of large areas of dinosaur eggs but these are due to nesting areas being covered by sandstorms or other weather events so that the delicate eggs are preserved and not immediately crushed. -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 McPheeIf I'm going to drive safely, I can't do geology. - John McPheeCheck out my Blog for more fossils I've found: http://viewsofthemahantango.blogspot.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shane5150 Posted July 7, 2009 Author Share Posted July 7, 2009 Welcome to the Forum! Hate to rain on the parade, but it's more likely a concretion than an egg. A concretion is a sedimentary feature that is often round, oval or egg shaped and is generally formed by layers of sediment and minerals around a central core. Sometimes they can have a fossil at the middle, like the Mazon Creek concretions, but more often than not they are barren. If you break it open on one end you might see concentric layers like in a jaw breaker.Eggs are notoriously difficult to fossilize and are exceedingly rare in the fossil record. There have been discoveries of large areas of dinosaur eggs but these are due to nesting areas being covered by sandstorms or other weather events so that the delicate eggs are preserved and not immediately crushed. I see. So the best way is to crack it open? I have another sample of rock from here that looks like older vegetation, it is black and found near this, sadly, concretion. Should I post that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shane5150 Posted July 7, 2009 Author Share Posted July 7, 2009 Here is a pic of a split piece of sandstone. Thank you for all your help, way out of my element. Really don't want to tell my son something when it is not a fact. To me, the layman, this looks like grass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Here is a pic of a split piece of sandstone.... That definitely looks like plant debris. You are not too far from the McAbee Fossil Beds, which is a nice Eocene site (50 million years old) with some very cool stuff. It's possible that your local rocks are related. Here's a link to the fossil tour program (kid-friendly, dig and keep your own) at McAbee: http://www.dll-fossils.com/Index.asp "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! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommabetts Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Welcome to the forum, Shane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shane5150 Posted July 8, 2009 Author Share Posted July 8, 2009 That definitely looks like plant debris.You are not too far from the McAbee Fossil Beds, which is a nice Eocene site (50 million years old) with some very cool stuff. It's possible that your local rocks are related. Here's a link to the fossil tour program (kid-friendly, dig and keep your own) at McAbee: http://www.dll-fossils.com/Index.asp Thank you for your help. I live here and did not even know about it. Great to know. I am checking it out now. Maybe Ogopogo is real, afterall. Thank you for the welcome, mommabetts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seldom Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Shane Welcome from Galveston Island Galveston Island 32 miles long 2 miles wide 134 bars 23 liquor stores any questions? Evolution is Chimp Change. Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass; it's about learning to dance in the rain! "I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen." Ernest Hemingway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamalama Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 The second piece you posted does look like Plant debris and is a neat piece. -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 McPheeIf I'm going to drive safely, I can't do geology. - John McPheeCheck out my Blog for more fossils I've found: http://viewsofthemahantango.blogspot.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shane5150 Posted July 8, 2009 Author Share Posted July 8, 2009 The second piece you posted does look like Plant debris and is a neat piece. I have found a bunch more in the back yard. Will post. This is becoming very fun. Just a question. What is the best way to split sandstone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 It looks to me that you have some excellent examples of Metasequoia occidentalis (Dawn Redwood) from the Eocene; congratulations! Here's a link with pics and info: http://www.educationalfossils.com/educatio...dawnredwood.htm Splitting the bedding layers of your matrix may best be done with a hammer (and protective eyewear!) and a thin, sturdy shiv of some sort (maybe a putty knife?). Mess around with different techniques until you find one that works well on your particular material. "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! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shane5150 Posted July 8, 2009 Author Share Posted July 8, 2009 It looks to me that you have some excellent examples of Metasequoia occidentalis (Dawn Redwood) from the Eocene; congratulations!Here's a link with pics and info: http://www.educationalfossils.com/educatio...dawnredwood.htm Splitting the bedding layers of your matrix may best be done with a hammer (and protective eyewear!) and a thin, sturdy shiv of some sort (maybe a putty knife?). Mess around with different techniques until you find one that works well on your particular material. Thank - you for your help. The advice and website are very helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bone digger Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Hey Shane, I used to live in Westbank! If you go down Painter road almost to the end (just before you start going up the hill) there is an outcropping of shale on the right hand side of the road. It may be partially hidden from view by a house I'm not sure, the area has changed so much since 1984 when I moved away. As a kid I used to find lots of leaf fossils there, oh and black widows as well so be careful! I don't know who lives there now but they may let you go check it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shane5150 Posted July 8, 2009 Author Share Posted July 8, 2009 Hey Shane, I used to live in Westbank! If you go down Painter road almost to the end (just before you start going up the hill) there is an outcropping of shale on the right hand side of the road. It may be partially hidden from view by a house I'm not sure, the area has changed so much since 1984 when I moved away. As a kid I used to find lots of leaf fossils there, oh and black widows as well so be careful! I don't know who lives there now but they may let you go check it out. Sounds great. Looks like Westbank has some fun for fossils around. Our backyard is proving to be most exciting. Higher altitude, with great deposits of shale, sandstone. You might want to know that they actually changed the name of our munincipality to West Kelowna. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2ynpigo Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 The last photo shows a very nice leaf. Congrats on the find. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thefossilkid Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 welcome to the forum from new jersey, and nice finds! i woul dlove to be able to find fossils in my backyard! Jake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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