Ordovician in Tennessee (Help!)

[Terri]

Maybe a little B.C.? (really don't know) 2.5 cm.

 

[Terri]

This pic shows it well. Very cool fossil

Thanks Kevin! I'm getting a little excited now, today I went back to the spot where I found the fossil in #455 and my avatar and I found quite a few, all small bits and pieces like the one above but I started losing the light and had to leave. I've been looking for that spot where I would find more than a few scattered cephs since I found my quarry, just had a feeling they were there. That's the spot I'll start at when I go back!

 

[Terri]

Here's an external mold(?) of a little orthocone with a couple partial chambers and a bit of the siphuncle showing? About 5 cm.

 

[DWhatley]

I've been thinking a lot about your trace fossile worms and current aquarium inhabitants. I still wonder if they are not something like our current day brissle worms but marks left in my algae by snails gave me another thought. Unfortunately, I could not get a photo of the gaps in the the trail and will try again next week before cleaning but I noticed my snails leave a broken chain where they feed on the wall algae. Basically, they leave a zig zag trail but the trail has regular gaps. The gaps were too small for me to capture in the photos but I will try to put something behind the glass (the white plate I tried today did not work) so that I can get a closer focus on the glass rather than what is behind it next time.

 

[Terri]

Isn't it all too intriguing? Trace fossils especially, I may move on to other fossils but I too always continue to look for the answers. Looking at modern trace can sometimes tell us a lot, I think it's too late for you D, your hooked (it will be interesting to see your pics.) Interesting about the gastropod trails......with all the gastropods where these trace where found, I think it could be possible one ended up inside a cephalopod shell. That makes more sense to me than worm trace. (for this particular trace).

just for reference; post#430, 458, and460

 

[DWhatley]

I think it's too late for you D, your hooked

No, just facinated. I won't be hooked until I play in the dirt

 

[Terri]

 

[Cuddlycuttlefsh]

Can any of you guys list some fossil searching hotspots?

 

[Terri]

Your on the East coast? Check this web site, scroll down to United States fossil sites, there may be something listed close to where you live. If not, there's a thread for questions on the same page, lots of members there that may be able to help you with some locations close to home. http://www.thefossilforum.com/

 

[Cuddlycuttlefsh]

Thanks, the forums were very helpful

Did you search up this site or did you forever had a long-time account on the site?

 

[Terri]

I've been a member there for a couple of years, but I mostly just enjoy browsing the id. forum. I play a game and try to figure out what the fossil is before I read the responses. Fun!

 

[Terri]

Kevin, I just wanted to make sure you didn't miss posts #496 and 498! I have several more to post also, but may have to get better pics. first.

 

[DWhatley]

in #498 there is a beige 3 dimentional "segmented worm" looking thing. Is that plant material or something of interest (lower right) like a siphuncle of another orthocone? Also upper right where the color changes and a smooth shape buldges out. Not a ceph part but is it a fossil of some sort?

Blowing it all the way up, I think I know that the beige thing is not a siphuncle but I did see a snail almost inside the orthocone I wonder how man different periods of time are represented by this little collection. There is a worm like structure that looks much younger.

 

[Architeuthoceras]

Yes I saw them.

There seems to be similarities between your fossils and some of those in the Frey paper from that wikipedia page. I'm having a little trouble with the age and stratigraphy though. Generic IDs may be close as they all seem to be fairly long lived taxa, still... need more research.

 

[Terri]

there is a beige 3 dimentional "segmented worm" looking thing

If we're looking at the same thing, I think it's a bit of shell

Not a ceph part but is it a fossil of some sort?

Yes (again if we're looking at the same thing) internal mold of a gastropod. To the right at top of orthocone?

There is a worm like structure that looks much younger.

I think the worm like structure is probably a bit of a brachiopod sticking out of the matrix.

I wonder how man different periods of time are represented by this little collection. There is a worm like structure that looks much younger.

Well, all the fossils that you see there are all from the same time period, they are made up of different types of materials which preserve in different ways, and some are molds where there is no shell material remaining at all, so that it may seem some are younger than others because they preserve differently.

Your eye is getting better D and good questions... I hope I explained it all properly and if not Kevin will (please) correct me.