:) First, sorry if this doesnt belong here...could this be some kind of fossil?

curious kat · Mar 29, 2014

First, sorry if this doesn't belong here...could this be some kind of fossil?

...I have this posted in the rock forum and it was suggested that I try it here.....what do you guys think? It's 2 inches long, full of little lumps on the outside, rock heavy, don't see any agate on it, has a fiber looking center and a knot/knob on each end. Thought is was a concretion but is it? Help.... :dontknow:

TJE · Mar 29, 2014

Sure reminds me of some type of fossil corral CK...maybe someone closer to your area may have seem them before.

curious kat · Mar 30, 2014

Maybe TJE...thanks for answering & giving a suggestion on it...will go google pics to see what they look like...

Harry Pristis · Mar 31, 2014

I don't think this is a coral, kat. My best guess is that this is a concretion of silica that formed around something organic. In other words, there was a buried fossil at the core of the concretion. There is a complicated chemical process in which the decomposing organics attract available silica (and other minerals) from surrounding matrix.

Here is a Mississippian brachiopod in which this process is incomplete:

curious kat · Mar 31, 2014

yaaaahhhh...it's Harry! Thanks for taking a peek at this, so you think concretion....that's what I first thought. Do find them, but this is the first with "bumps" & a large fiber like thing in the center, usually it's only a tiny speck. I tried it on another site also to see what they said, so far sponge, pinecone, coral....is there such a thing as fossil fruit? I'm still a little stumped about the "knobs" on each end, would/do concretions have that & what are they...maybe will take pics of the ends....just in case...thanks so much Harry for showing up!