please, what are these fossils

[larson1951]

found in southern North dakota by a friend
embedded in the side of a high badlands type bluff in a layer near the top of a high bluff maybe 150 feet high
what are they??

 

[Produce Guy]

They look like small pods from Invasions of the Body Snatcher's

 

[Tylocidaris]

Hi Larson

They are geologic in origin. Down here we call them "mudstone" or "ironstone" concretions. Just cool geology!

 

[larson1951]

thanks tylocidaris,how are they formed and what are concretions
once again, thanks much

 

[Silver Phoenix]

Concretions---sometime an object (sometimes an animal that becomes fossilized inside) begins to collect material on its surface as a snowball rolling down a hill. Material clings to the "core" and eventually lithifies, creating what you see. Some concretions can be broken open with a hammer and chisel or freeze-thaw shock method and fossils or crystals can be found inside. Some have nothing, some may have pyrite or apatite/calcite or even a fossil such as a fossil crab.

 

[larson1951]

thanks silver, the info is appreciated
if you have any more to add I would thank you for that
once again thanks

 

[jpitt1970]

Could just be concretions, but the Dakotas are known for thier fossilzed dinosaur eggs.. I'd have em checked out

 

[Mr Tuff]

the egg my 1st thought on 1 or 2 of emm... neat finds. MR TUFF

 

[steve71]

thats some pretty cool stuff.to bad i wasent hunting back when i lived in ND

 

[Beuwulf]

Hello, larson 1951; I am not a geologist but the rock looks like a type of earthy hematite, reddle perhaps. It is /was used as a pigment and a polish. You might check to see if a metal detector can see it, if it can not it still does not exclude it from being hematite, it just has a lower iron content. Also it oxidizes or rust readily once exposed.

 

[lordpiney]

larson...they are sidderite nodules. they are mostly iron. very cool looking!

 

[savant365]

You can google "septarian nodules" also and see some similar examples.

HH Charlie