Clay fossil

[unclemac]

I find all kinds of clay fossil casts on my beach but this one has me stumped. Definitely was organic, clay, not man made. haven't got a clue.

 

[GaRebel1861]

That is strange & interesting. Never seen nothing like it.

 

[theonlinefisherman]

A very old and very worn piece of coral is what I think it is. I have two that look like that but they're more of a bone color. But that is what is looks like.

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[unclemac]

A very old and very worn piece of coral is what I think it is. I have two that look like that but they're more of a bone color. But that is what is looks like.

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I should have given you a bit more...my bad.... the beach where I found this is littered with these clay fossils of twig castings, the same material that this is made from. They are pretty fragile and crumble easily and come in all sizes from a few mm. to about nine inches or so. This is something associated with those.

 

[Age_old]

I should have given you a bit more...my bad.... the beach where I found this is littered with these clay fossils of twig castings, the same material that this is made from. They are pretty fragile and crumble easily and come in all sizes from a few mm. to about nine inches or so. This is something associated with those.

If you found fossil wood/twig casts at the site, it may be a seed or nut. No matter what it is, it's very cool looking.

 

[Age_old]

Here is a fossil hickory nut from colorado. It is 34 million years old, and it looks vaguely similar to yours. Do you know what time period your fossils are from?

 

[unclemac]

Here is a fossil hickory nut from colorado. It is 34 million years old, and it looks vaguely similar to yours. Do you know what time period your fossils are from?

well, i'll tell you. The agate fossils I find at the same place are from 25 to 35 milliion years old, there is a layer of shell (an old oyster bed) about 3 feet thick on the clay cliffs that is around 80,000 years old. The shells are still intact within the band too. When you pry the shell off the clay you get clay fossil impressions that look rather like the clay you see on this piece....however...there is an absence of terrestial organic shapes within this band (as it was a shellfish bed). The clay twigs that litter the beach don't really seem to be from this band but do seem to wash out of a lower band that seems more at present day sea level.....So, long story short....this piece is more than 80,000 years old but I don't know how much older. By the way I also find a lot of stone casts of sticks too....not petrified wood mind you....but mud stone casts. These are from a different layer that I expect is even lower.