Fossil mastodon tusk or tree branch?

[damon18]

Hello, I've been a member here for years and really enjoyed it, but I don't think I've ever posted before. I'm hoping your knowledge of all things old will help finally give a positive ID to this item.

This has been in my family since at least the 1950's, collected by my grandmother who made a lot of trips out to New Mexico and Arizona.

I always assumed it was petrified wood from the Petrified Forrest National Park area but it doesn't actually look like any pictures of petrified wood I've seen, and it is too light.

Dimensions are about 15 inches long and 3 inches thick at the thickest end, with a slight taper along the length.

Weight is 7.50 pounds on a digital fish scale.

it has the right curve to be a tusk of some kind but the surface texture and details aren't quite like fossil tusks I've seen.

The specks of white are paint that somehow got onto the surface during years of knocking around in storage, other than dust there doesn't appear to be any other foreign substances, but I haven't tried to clean it at all.

If there is more info that would help the ID please let me know.

Can you look at the pictures and share your ideas?

Damon

 

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[SkaBa]

Tusk of some kind. Really cool.

 

[trdking]

IMO it looks like a piece of rib bone

 

[damon18]

Tusk of some kind. Really cool.

That's what I'm thinking though it's definitely not still ivory but fossilized.

IMO it looks like a piece of rib bone

That would be cool too, it would have to be from something really big. Dinosaur!

 

[old digger]

I just do not see in your photo's any age rings that you would see in tree's and in tusk's. My guess would be mud cast.

 

[Btoots]

Google permineralization, that looks like what you have here, you won't know exactly what it is until someone.....saws into that puppy and sees a cross section to look for rings or clues. The process happens when the surrounding minerals leech into the object and displace(replace) the original organic material. Science lesson for today...Write it down, they'll be a test later..

 

[gordonquixote]

Rib bone (dugong?)

 

[lastleg]

The rib bone's connected to the dugong?

 

[sutphin]

DID SOME ONE SAY WIBBBBSSSS, WHERES THE BBQ SAUCE.

 

[1320]

This might help.

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/fossils/441438-fossil-id-request.html

 

[Reed Lukens]

Definitely not mastodon tusk but maybe fossilized neanderthal doinger

 

[damon18]

This might help.

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/fossils/441438-fossil-id-request.html

Thanks that was interesting and the complete Lepidodendron fossils do look a lot like this specimen.

I've sent photos to a local Professor, will report back if he has any input.

 

[damon18]

Yes! I heard back from the Professor of Geology I contacted, and he said, based on the photos, that it was a Stigmaria which is the root of the giant plant Lycopod from the "pre-dinosaur" period. So I was disappointed it wasn't' a dino bone but turns out it's way older than that!

Here are the comments from the professor (PHD) of Geology at a state university I contacted. (don't have permission to publish his contact info).

"Thanks for sending the photos. You indeed do have a fossil specimen! What you have is a slightly curved and corroded (on one side) specimen of Stigmaria sp., which is the root for lycopod trees from the Late Paleozoic Pennsylvanian Period. The little pits are where smaller rootlets would have been attached. Your specimen appears to have had some iron replacement (hence the red) if the photo is accurate. Also, it has become slightly flattened, which is due to compaction by overlying sediments as the root's interior begins to decay. The inside looks to be a sandstone infilling. That is the best I can do without actually seeing the specimen itself. Do a Google search for "Stigmaria" and you will come up with LOTS of information!"

 

[mcl]

Dang was going to say Lycopsid fossil for sure, I have one on my shelf. Looks like you already figured it out.