nyponen
off to a rocking start
Member since November 2018
Posts: 5
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Post by nyponen on Nov 3, 2018 14:53:10 GMT -5
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Mark K
Cave Dweller
Member since April 2012
Posts: 2,528
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Post by Mark K on Nov 3, 2018 18:18:20 GMT -5
Looks like coral to me.
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Post by johnw on Nov 3, 2018 21:01:58 GMT -5
Hi nyponen , I don't want to appear to be completely irreverent, but the first picture of the rock you have had in your collection for 50 years reminds me of a pumpkin spice cookie I lost around that time and second, after careful observation it reminds me of a happy camper with only one tooth. Now, please understand I did try my very best to answer your question being: How was it formed? Where did it come from? What do you think it looks like ? But added a touch of humor. See the image below. OK, to the serious stuff, based on the third image down, I'm guessing, IMHO, it's derivative of some form of fossilized plant with fungal outgrowth. But I am sure there are several members on this site that have far more experience that I do and can provide a more concise answer. BTW, welcome to the Forum. Cheers, johnw
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fuss
spending too much on rocks
Member since October 2018
Posts: 250
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Post by fuss on Nov 3, 2018 23:39:59 GMT -5
I vote coral as well.
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Post by fernwood on Nov 4, 2018 7:19:57 GMT -5
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nyponen
off to a rocking start
Member since November 2018
Posts: 5
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Post by nyponen on Nov 4, 2018 11:14:33 GMT -5
I've wondered whether it might be some kind of fossil, but it doesn't look like coral to me. I've bought quite a few pieces of fossil coral to use in jewelry, and none of them resemble this rock. I've also been unable to find any fossil coral photos on the internet that resemble this. The growth rings in this rock are curved and evenly spaced. When you see lines in a coral fossil, they are straighter and they aren't evenly spaced. They are closer together towards the bottom and splay out towards the polyp. You can usually see that the lines in a coral fossil are part of a tubular structure. There is no sign of a tubular structure in this rock. There is an area just below the center of the sixth photo where there appear to be radial lines that look a little like the radial lines you see on a fossil coral polyp, but those lines are not differences in the color of the rock; they are just shadows caused by ridges in the rock. The ridges look like the result of some kind of fracture with a little druzy on it. If you polished that area smooth, the radial lines would disappear. The radial lines don't disappear when you polish a fossil coral. Also, coral is a colony animal. You would never see just one polyp. It looks more like an irregular "Central Wisconsin Ordovician Oolitic Agate", although I haven't seen anything quite like these growth rings in photos of those. Here's a photo of the rock with a ring I made using a typical fossil coral cabochon.
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Post by fernwood on Nov 4, 2018 12:16:32 GMT -5
I am learning that some of the fossils from the escarpment are very unusual. If you want, do some research on glacial movement, glacial lakes/rivers in your area. The lines could be sediment layers from an ancient ocean.
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Post by fernwood on Nov 4, 2018 12:18:48 GMT -5
In my area there are many fossil corals that have the overall appearance of your rock. The color and texture. A local geologist told me that these were the bases of the corals. The bases did not have the traditional coral markings.
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805riggs
off to a rocking start
Member since November 2018
Posts: 1
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Post by 805riggs on Nov 4, 2018 12:57:20 GMT -5
I have a geode that kind of resembles that rock but anyways don't know if it's helpful but the evenly spaced lines in the pictures remind me of a piece of petrified wood. I'm fairly new to rockhounding myself but maybe there's a chance you have pieces of petrified wood mixed in with your rock.
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Post by fernwood on Nov 5, 2018 7:59:37 GMT -5
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