Intact Oyster from North Carolina

[Wildcat1750]

Here is an intact fossil oyster that I found at North Topsail Beach, NC. Almost looks good enough to eat!
L

 

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[RTR]

Sure its a fossil ? From here it looks good enough to eat

 

[Wildcat1750]

Sure its a fossil ? From here it looks good enough to eat

I think so... It's sealed shut except for a solid sandy aggregate in the voids.

 

[galenrog]

Not a fossil. Still has organic matter at the hinge. A few more years, and even the hinge will decay. The rest is primarily calcium carbonate. The resident simply went the way of all living things. Bury it in the mud for a few thousand years, then it will be a fossil.

Time for more coffee.

 

[Wildcat1750]

Not a fossil. Still has organic matter at the hinge. A few more years, and even the hinge will decay. The rest is primarily calcium carbonate. The resident simply went the way of all living things. Bury it in the mud for a few thousand years, then it will be a fossil.

Time for more coffee.

Thanks for verifying that. I wasn’t 100% certain. I’ll just have to update this post in a few million years then.

 

[Doug H]

Not a fossil. Still has organic matter at the hinge. A few more years, and even the hinge will decay. The rest is primarily calcium carbonate. The resident simply went the way of all living things. Bury it in the mud for a few thousand years, then it will be a fossil.

Time for more coffee.

If the oyster is dead wouldn't the shell just open on it's own. When you buy mussels they say if the shell is open and doesnt close on it's own then the mussel is dead. I dont know.

 

[old digger]

Your item sure doesn't look too recent, sure looks like a nice fossil specimen.

 

[Wildcat1750]

Your item sure doesn't look too recent, sure looks like a nice fossil specimen.

During the winter of 2015 North Topsail Beach conducted a major beach nourishment project. Fossils from the dredging are mostly from the Oligocene epoch, River Bend formation. It is quite possible that this oyster was from this dredging operation.

 

[SnakemanBill]

I'd have to go with modern as well. Empty oysters (usually called boxes) often will hold sand and sediment
long after the oyster dies.

 

[Wildcat1750]

I'd have to go with modern as well. Empty oysters (usually called boxes) often will hold sand and sediment
long after the oyster dies.

Maybe I should try to open it? I am becoming curious now...

 

[PennyG]

Maybe I should try to open it? I am becoming curious now...

I’d want to know what’s inside too lol.

 

[Wildcat1750]

I’d want to know what’s inside too lol.

That would be a riot if there were a pearl in it!