🔎 UNIDENTIFIED Are there mollusks ?

[paulmars]

I dont know where they were found.

1sr4 one item, likewise last 2

 

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[Red-Coat]

Welcome to Tnet.

Good fossils. No, they’re not molluscs. They’re brachiopods. The smaller ones are of the ‘spiriferid’ type. Unlike bivalve molluscs such as clams etc, the shells of brachiopods are hinged at the rear end for top/bottom opening rather than at the side for left/right opening. The two groups may have superficial resemblances but they're not closely related.

 

[GlowingArtist]

Aren't they in modern landscaping cement? The third image down shows two carefully matched together sections that are carefully poured or hand sanded. It looks like a teen science assignment to me.

 

[Red-Coat]

Aren't they in modern landscaping cement?

Limestone!

 

[GlowingArtist]

Limestone!

Do you disbelieve that fossels can be created today? No, they do not look like limestone to me.

 

[Red-Coat]

Do you disbelieve that fossels can be created today? No, they do not look like limestone to me.

The first and third pictures show it to be a chunk of weathered limestone which has been split on one of its bedding planes to expose the fossils. Note that the first picture shows the two halves to be mirror images of one another with the fossils standing proud in one half and their matching negative impressions in the other. Neither surface is smooth and exhibits what would be expected for a fracture in limestone. That's exactly what happens when you give fossil-bearing sedimentary rocks a whack with a chisel at right angles to the strata.

Yes, I know fossils can be faked. I saw large fake ammonites being made out of cement when I visited Morocco a few years ago. This split pairing would really be rather difficult to create in cement though. And why would anyone bother to do this for common fossils. You could buy a nicer and larger example with more brachiopods for a few dollars.

 

[GlowingArtist]

Are the chisel marks visible?
I have an Art degree so if I could make it, it would stay a potential fake in my mind.

 

[Kray Gelder]

Are the chisel marks visible?
I have an Art degree so if I could make it, it would stay a potential fake in my mind.

Ask yourself why fake ( time and money involved ) something having no monetary value, something that in the right quarry or hillside, you could fill a dump truck with? Red-Coat can be counted on to provide in depth and accurate information. Consider it a learning moment.