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Help identifying fossil please

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  • 22-07-2016 4:44pm
    #1
    morebabies
    Registered Users Posts: 539 ✭✭✭


    Hi
    My 9 yr old found this fossil in our driveway gravel. I've Googled it and I'm still not sure what it is. Marine brachiopod perhaps? He loves nature and science and I'd be ever so grateful if you could give us an idea of what it might be please.
    Many thanks.


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    #2
    Wibbs
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 60,150 Mod ✭✭✭✭Wibbs


    My guess would be it's a part, a slice of a Carboniferous period rugose solitary coral from 300 odd million years ago. In Ireland Carboniferous limestone is the most common type of stone to contain fossils. Places like the Burren in Clare are entirely made of the stuff. It blankets the country, so where you find it, with a bit of searching you should find fossils. :)

    niamh1.gif

    Going by the size of the slice I'd identify it as one of the Caninia species. Here's a pic of two more intact ones.

    243ab.jpg

    And what they may have looked like in life.

    167396881-reconstruction-of-caninia-sp-genus-of-the-gettyimages.jpg?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=GkZZ8bf5zL1ZiijUmxa7QSE4PFJEx5FdF2eXThOZH7YQOhWoJ1dPT%2BLuAAYrOoLNDa3nAwlRQgwV%2BicolRB5vf%2BxhRhXSbbh1POdb1LHJ14%3D

    Hope that helped.

    Rejoice in the awareness of feeling stupid, for that’s how you end up learning new things. If you’re not aware you’re stupid, you probably are.



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    #3
    morebabies
    Registered Users Posts: 539 ✭✭✭morebabies


    Thanks so much for all that information, he'll be delighted.


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    #4
    the evasion_kid
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,740 ✭✭✭the evasion_kid


    Sorry to hi-jack a thread, Ammonoidea?


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    #5
    Wibbs
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 60,150 Mod ✭✭✭✭Wibbs


    Could be, though I'd expect to see the inner floatation chambers preserved so maybe it's a gastropod? Looks to be a big bugger for that mind you.

    Rejoice in the awareness of feeling stupid, for that’s how you end up learning new things. If you’re not aware you’re stupid, you probably are.



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    #6
    the evasion_kid
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,740 ✭✭✭the evasion_kid


    Wibbs wrote: »
    Could be, though I'd expect to see the inner floatation chambers preserved so maybe it's a gastropod? Looks to be a big bugger for that mind you.

    Roughly the size of my fist wibbs,i live quite near the sea,infact if I dug just beneath it I'd come across all kinds of shells.


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    #7
    Rubecula
    Registered Users Posts: 8,551 ✭✭✭Rubecula


    Are they possibly bits of bivalves?

    If so they may be one of many millions of species.


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    #8
    Thargor
    Registered Users Posts: 17,931 ✭✭✭✭Thargor


    Wont bother making a new thread, any clue what this is over in the Nature forum?

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=101591151&postcount=8010


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    #9
    Wibbs
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 60,150 Mod ✭✭✭✭Wibbs


    Again it could be the outer skin of a coral. IIRC the Spanish point rocks are deep water Carbniferous limestones and shales, not the usual areas for corals. It's an oddball looking thing anyway. Cool find.

    Rejoice in the awareness of feeling stupid, for that’s how you end up learning new things. If you’re not aware you’re stupid, you probably are.



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    #10
    Rubecula
    Registered Users Posts: 8,551 ✭✭✭Rubecula


    looks very like a fossilised algae or sea weed Thargor but unable to give a definitive answer, sorry.


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