jax Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 OK, I found this almost 2 years ago, and only picked it up because it looked like someone carved it with a knife, but it was rock. (Eagle Ford group, Arcadia Park formation) I tossed it in my pill bottle, and put in on the shelf. A few months ago I was flipping thru a book and saw a Belemnitella from the Eagle Ford formation, and it look just like this thing I found. I finally found it again in my mess of a fossil room, and here it is. So, what ya think?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phoenixflood Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 Yep, belemite The soul of a Fossil Hunter is one that is seeking, always. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CreekCrawler Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 Hey,I lost my carpentry pencil out there last time we visited that area.... It looks like you found it! Nice find dude. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LanceH Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 A rare find around here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jax Posted October 10, 2009 Author Share Posted October 10, 2009 A rare find around here. Thanks Lance! I figured it maybe a bit rare. I might just have to find a home for it in my display now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 Hey,I lost my carpentry pencil out there last time we visited that area.... It looks like you found it! Nice find dude. I might be missing something, not being that familiar with belemnites, but I'm not so sure...Barry may be closer to the ID. (respectfully adjusted brightness and contrast) The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true. - JJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Smilodon Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 (edited) A rare find around here. Lance, that's really interesting because I'd say there are probably 80 billion of them back east in the cretaceous of Delaware and New Jersey. Belemnites don't get much respect but this recent acquisition from Germany does - 100+ and some ichthy verts thrown in for good measure Edited October 10, 2009 by Smilodon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CreekCrawler Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 I might be missing something, not being that familiar with belemnites, but I'm not so sure...Barry may be closer to the ID. Taken from Chuck Finsley's A Field Guide To Fossils of Texas Order Belemnoidea Belemnitella.sp Upper Cretaceous. Sharpened pencil-shaped shell:pointed on one end,fairly straight sided,long and narrow. Slightly narrowed on the end opposite the point.Structure of shell is thick-walled and of thin radiating crystals. Shows no suture lines as do nautiluses or ammonites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CreekCrawler Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 Belemnites don't get much respect but this recent acquisition from Germany does - 100+ and some ichthy verts thrown in for good measure That's a nice plate... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plantguy Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 Hey gang, Interesting photos/specimen. I'm no belemnite expert but the bullet shape certainly looks similar to what I've collected in the field but...do you guys see any sign of concentric growth rings in the cross section? The flat sides near the tip certainly make me wonder how they got there as well. Shape/ID makes sense but... Additional thoughts?? Here are a couple purchased German specimens from my collection. Youngibelus and Megateuthis... Simply an awesome death assemblage with the verts!....where the heck did you get that from?? Regards, Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 I might be missing something, not being that familiar with belemnites, but I'm not so sure...Barry may be closer to the ID. Taken from Chuck Finsley's A Field Guide To Fossils of Texas Order Belemnoidea Belemnitella.sp Upper Cretaceous. Sharpened pencil-shaped shell:pointed on one end,fairly straight sided,long and narrow. Slightly narrowed on the end opposite the point.Structure of shell is thick-walled and of thin radiating crystals. Shows no suture lines as do nautiluses or ammonites. Thanks, Barry. I've seen plenty of web photos which all show the radiating crystals that form the thick wall. Which means you have to come to the table with more than just "shape". Justin, your find doesn't show this structure in the photos. Is it "thick-walled and of thin radiating crystals"? I also haven't seen belemnites with the flattened sides like your find. At this point, a phosphate nodule, a construction pencil, or the core rod from a battery makes more sense than belemnite...but I could be corrected. The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true. - JJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Smilodon Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 ame='CreekCrawler' date='10 October 2009 - 10:53 AM' timestamp='1255190028' post='107432'] Thanks, Barry. I've seen plenty of web photos which all show the radiating crystals that form the thick wall. Which means you have to come to the table with more than just "shape". Justin, your find doesn't show this structure in the photos. Is it "thick-walled and of thin radiating crystals"? I also haven't seen belemnites with the flattened sides like your find. At this point, a phosphate nodule, a construction pencil, or the core rod from a battery makes more sense than belemnite...but I could be corrected. I'll stay out of the fray, but I must admit that the flattened sides is a puzzlement. But, there are many types of pathological guards, so while the flattened sides are a puzzlement, it's not an automatic disqualifier. Also, it may just be a mold of a guard rather than the guard itself, thus no radiating crystaline structure. I think that clears things up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Smilodon Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 Simply an awesome death assemblage with the verts!....where the heck did you get that from?? Regards, Chris Chris, If you are asking where the fossil came from, it's from an early Jurassic quarry in Mistelgau, Germany. Plates like this are sometimes called "belemnite battlegrounds." If you are asking where did I get it from, a friendly German dealer in Tucson. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plantguy Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 Simply an awesome death assemblage with the verts!....where the heck did you get that from?? Regards, Chris Chris, If you are asking where the fossil came from, it's from an early Jurassic quarry in Mistelgau, Germany. Plates like this are sometimes called "belemnite battlegrounds." If you are asking where did I get it from, a friendly German dealer in Tucson. Smilodon, Thanks for the details, I've seen a few much smaller pieces of similar material. Some of the German material I keep seeing around is just amazing. (Solnhofen, Holzmaden, Bundenbach.) Also, thanks for the original postings of Eagle Ford Belemnitella...didnt mean to be critical of anyone's ID's..we're all striving for the best answer for all of what we find/acquire....keep collecting/posting! Regards, Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jax Posted October 11, 2009 Author Share Posted October 11, 2009 ame='CreekCrawler' date='10 October 2009 - 10:53 AM' timestamp='1255190028' post='107432'] Thanks, Barry. I've seen plenty of web photos which all show the radiating crystals that form the thick wall. Which means you have to come to the table with more than just "shape". Justin, your find doesn't show this structure in the photos. Is it "thick-walled and of thin radiating crystals"? I also haven't seen belemnites with the flattened sides like your find. At this point, a phosphate nodule, a construction pencil, or the core rod from a battery makes more sense than belemnite...but I could be corrected. I think the issue here might be location/Formation. I am looking at a reference from the same formation, while all others posted here are not. Chuck Finsley's "A field Guide to fossils of Texas" Page 73, photo 282 shows my reference. It looks just like mine, to a certain degree. Im not seeing any crystals on the ones pictured (black and white pics arent the best either...) My other thought was, that since theres not many of this spec. to reference from this formation, whos to say it could look a bit different than what others look like? Im not saying that this is one, but what else could it be? It came out of the limestone in the Arcadia Park fm, so its not man-made. You can see where it has started to pit out a little on the outside of the piece. Chuck will be at a fossil show at the end of this month, and if I get to go, I am going to show it to him and see what he thinks. Also anyone else who wants to take a stab at what it might be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plantguy Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 I think the issue here might be location/Formation. I am looking at a reference from the same formation, while all others posted here are not. Chuck Finsley's "A field Guide to fossils of Texas" Page 73, photo 282 shows my reference. It looks just like mine, to a certain degree. Im not seeing any crystals on the ones pictured (black and white pics arent the best either...) My other thought was, that since theres not many of this spec. to reference from this formation, whos to say it could look a bit different than what others look like? Im not saying that this is one, but what else could it be? It came out of the limestone in the Arcadia Park fm, so its not man-made. You can see where it has started to pit out a little on the outside of the piece. Chuck will be at a fossil show at the end of this month, and if I get to go, I am going to show it to him and see what he thinks. Also anyone else who wants to take a stab at what it might be. Jax, For what its worth I did look at a couple more really worn examples in my collection that I collected from the Great Valley Sequence in Calif and the pitted weathering pattern in the calcite is very similar. No flattened sides though--I'd love to know how that came about...One view of one of the examples shows a really worn side with no crystalline structure evident--the other side shows some of the internal structure including the phragmacone. Definitely let us know what Chuck thinks... Best Regards, Chris . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CreekCrawler Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 Ok Justin,lets at least rule out the lead.See if that little point will write on paper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jax Posted October 13, 2009 Author Share Posted October 13, 2009 Ok Justin,lets at least rule out the lead.See if that little point will write on paper Ok, i just went down stairs and took this piece and tried to write with it..... Nope, not lead. Everytime i look at it, it just makes me wonder... Its just a weird piece! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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