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Post by txrockhunter on Nov 10, 2015 7:42:11 GMT -5
I found this out in Mountain Home, TX and thought it was some sort of animal bone. Mel Sabre52, this should be right up your alley if it's some sort of animal bone. Some of the rock on the inside, appears to be chert or flint like. Any ID help would be much appreciated!! Thanks for looking! Jeremy
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
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Post by Sabre52 on Nov 10, 2015 9:04:07 GMT -5
Jeremy, You know, I'm not even sure those are real fossils. We have a lot of similar stuff here on the ranch where silica in the form of chert has infilled various weird voids in the limestone. Some are obviously infillings of tracks left by old burrowing clams and such but often they are fillings of channels eroded through the ancient softer limestone. They come on all kinds of fantastic shapes, so many in fact that folks here use them for decorative pieces all the time. I've seen them shaped like bones, peanuts, snakes, turtles and heck, the wife even has one in her garden shaped like a goose. I suppose the track infillings would be called trace fossils but the others are only psuedo-fossils. If yours is a bone, mosasaur bones seem the most common around these parts as most the area was a huge shallow sea....Mel
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Post by txrockhunter on Nov 10, 2015 9:28:12 GMT -5
That's fascinating! Based on the location and the commonality, I would assume that this is a track filling. But, for curiosity's sake how could you "economically" find out if it is bone? Thank you for the response!
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Fossilman
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Member since January 2009
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Post by Fossilman on Nov 10, 2015 11:02:04 GMT -5
Trim off a piece on one of the ends,see if its marrow cells inside....As of now,I would say no,it's not a bone.... Cool rock though...
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Post by txrockhunter on Nov 10, 2015 11:52:30 GMT -5
Trim off a piece on one of the ends,see if its marrow cells inside....As of now,I would say no,it's not a bone.... Cool rock though... I am just learning how to identify & research some of the fossils that I am finding, so thanks for the info! I will make a cut to see, but after your and Mel's responses I think you guys are right. I guess some times you just have to call it a cool rock and be satisfied with it......I guess that comes with practice! Jeremy
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Sabre52
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Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,466
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Post by Sabre52 on Nov 10, 2015 17:55:20 GMT -5
Yeah, what fossilman says. Texas silica pretty much replaces cell structure so if cut, especially around the edges, you should be able to see definite cells if it's bone just as you would see wood grain and cellular patterns if it were wood. Silica fossils in Texas tend to show remarkable structure....Mel
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Post by beefjello on Nov 11, 2015 13:25:01 GMT -5
Hi Jeremy, here's some mosasaur bone I found near Needle Peak in Texas a couple years back to give an idea
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Fossilman
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Member since January 2009
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Post by Fossilman on Nov 12, 2015 10:22:07 GMT -5
Yes,the cell structure is very visible in most bone...Dead give away....Nice bone-Beefjello!!
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