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Author Topic: Interesting stone  (Read 1578 times)

Egon27

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Interesting stone
« on: November 09, 2015, 05:07:11 PM »
I found in the garden of stone [flint] with small but distinct characters. Can anyone explain what this is? The characters are small, 3-4 mm in diameter.

Carlo

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Re: Interesting stone
« Reply #1 on: November 09, 2015, 05:35:51 PM »
I'd start nosing around in fossil resources. I've seen many, but nothing like this--and I'm no expert.
Carlo A. Balistrieri
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Martinr

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Re: Interesting stone
« Reply #2 on: November 09, 2015, 05:50:50 PM »
looks like an ancient equivalent of a sea urchin

Graham Catlow

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Re: Interesting stone
« Reply #3 on: November 09, 2015, 06:55:29 PM »
Try Googling Blastoids. Extinct Echinodermata. Related to the sea urchin as Martin suggests.
Bo'ness. Scotland

James Cheshire

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Re: Interesting stone
« Reply #4 on: November 10, 2015, 01:36:39 AM »
These are crinoid (sea lily) stem impressions. It's an echinoderm, related to sea urchins and starfish. More information here. Beautiful find!
James M. Cheshire - Granville, Ohio, USA - zone 6a.

Mavers

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Re: Interesting stone
« Reply #5 on: November 10, 2015, 10:26:27 AM »
Wow, how old would these fossils be?

they're beautiful Egon.
Mike
Somerset, UK

David Nicholson

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Re: Interesting stone
« Reply #6 on: November 10, 2015, 10:46:52 AM »
As far as I can find out these come from a period around 550 million years ago. It's all relative though, no point in singing Happy Birthday to 'em ;D
David Nicholson
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"Victims of satire who are overly defensive, who cry "foul" or just winge to high heaven, might take pause and consider what exactly it is that leaves them so sensitive, when they were happy with satire when they were on the side dishing it out"

Martinr

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Re: Interesting stone
« Reply #7 on: November 10, 2015, 10:57:27 AM »
Don't think they're quite that old

David Nicholson

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Re: Interesting stone
« Reply #8 on: November 10, 2015, 11:10:46 AM »
............................. It's all relative though, no point in singing Happy Birthday to 'em ;D

 ;)
David Nicholson
in Devon, UK  Zone 9b
"Victims of satire who are overly defensive, who cry "foul" or just winge to high heaven, might take pause and consider what exactly it is that leaves them so sensitive, when they were happy with satire when they were on the side dishing it out"

Maggi Young

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Re: Interesting stone
« Reply #9 on: November 10, 2015, 11:33:46 AM »
These are crinoid (sea lily) stem impressions. It's an echinoderm, related to sea urchins and starfish. More information here. Beautiful find!

Fascinating - and useful-  information, James - thank you!!


And they're  possibly "just" 252 million years old - quite something , isn't it?
« Last Edit: November 10, 2015, 11:51:26 AM by Maggi Young »
Margaret Young in Aberdeen, North East Scotland Zone 7 -ish!

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Egon27

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Re: Interesting stone
« Reply #10 on: November 10, 2015, 02:09:16 PM »
Thank you all. I have two question: Why elements of these creatures are raised? It should probably be concave if imprint in stone. Second problem: the selected portion of the picture is probably no living organism?


Maggi Young

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Re: Interesting stone
« Reply #11 on: November 10, 2015, 02:12:20 PM »
I presume the raised portions in the stone are made by the concave (hollow)  portions of the original stems.
Margaret Young in Aberdeen, North East Scotland Zone 7 -ish!

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James Cheshire

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Re: Interesting stone
« Reply #12 on: November 11, 2015, 05:07:03 PM »
You are correct, Maggie. :)

A crinoid stem is composed of stacked coin-like segments, called columnals. The fossil circled in red is a portion of stem on its side. The other fossils are on-end. Originally the fossils were cylindrical pieces, but they dissolved away ages ago. Only the impressions remain (these are called external molds).

Here are pictures of a crinoid stem portion from Ohio. The central hole is called the lumen.

James



James M. Cheshire - Granville, Ohio, USA - zone 6a.

Maggi Young

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Re: Interesting stone
« Reply #13 on: November 11, 2015, 05:34:59 PM »
Fossils  are quite riveting - well not always so for the human versions!!  :-X
Margaret Young in Aberdeen, North East Scotland Zone 7 -ish!

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Tristan_He

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Re: Interesting stone
« Reply #14 on: November 11, 2015, 08:09:26 PM »
Beautiful fossils. Echinoderms really are a work of art.

@ James - out of interest, how do you tell crinoid stem from blastoid?

Tristan

 


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