- #1
New fossil What hav I found? PIC's
- Thread starter ejoe89
- Start date
Click For Summary
Discussion Overview
The discussion revolves around identifying a fossil discovered by a high school student. Participants are exploring its characteristics and potential classification, considering various geological materials and textures.
Discussion Character
- Exploratory
- Debate/contested
- Technical explanation
Main Points Raised
- One participant suggests it could be pumice, while another counters this due to its high density.
- There is a proposal to test if the fossil fizzes with dilute hydrochloric acid, indicating it might be limestone.
- The original poster confirms the fossil does not float, suggesting it is solid.
- Another participant shares their experience finding limestone with fossilized sea creatures, drawing a parallel to the fossil in question.
- Participants discuss methods to test the hardness of the fossil, suggesting scratching it with various objects to determine its composition.
- The original poster reports that the fossil scratches into a fine white powder with a penny, raising questions about its classification as limestone.
- A later reply provides details about the fossil's location in Michigan and describes its surface texture as mostly rough and somewhat sandy.
Areas of Agreement / Disagreement
Participants do not reach a consensus on the fossil's identity, with multiple competing views regarding its classification and characteristics remaining unresolved.
Contextual Notes
Participants express uncertainty about the fossil's classification based on texture, density, and scratch tests, highlighting the need for further testing and observation.
- #2
Borek
Mentor
- 29,203
- 4,626
Pumice perhaps.
- #3
ejoe89
- 6
- 0
I was thinking against that, only because of it's high density.
- #4
matthyaouw
Gold Member
- 1,125
- 5
Doesn't float then? In texture and weathering it looks a little like a limestone or chalk. How hard is it? Can you get hold of any dilute hydrachloric acid? If it's limestone it should fizz.
- #5
ejoe89
- 6
- 0
No it doesn't float so it's pretty solid!
- #6
ejoe89
- 6
- 0
No, I can't get any dilute hydrachloric acid any time soon, I'm off campus visiting home.
- #7
Evo
Staff Emeritus
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- 3,277
What state was it found in? Was it found in a field, a river bed? Is the surface hard and smooth as opposed to rough? Does it feel sandy or porous?
- #8
turbo
Gold Member
- 3,181
- 57
I have picked a lot of limestone off the breakwater between Tampa and Clearwater, and found a lot of fossilized sea-critters. I also found some limestone with small voids in it, not unlike the pix in the OP.
- #9
matthyaouw
Gold Member
- 1,125
- 5
Try to scratch it with Your fingernail, a penny and a steel knife. If it's limestone it should scratch easily with the penny and the knife but not your fingernail.
- #10
ejoe89
- 6
- 0
matthyaouw said: "Try to scratch it with Your fingernail, a penny and a steel knife. If it's limestone it should scratch easily with the penny and the knife but not your fingernail."
My reply: It does scratch into a fine white powder when scratched with a penny. Also, when I scratch with my fingernail a smaller fraction of the white powder is produced!
Do you think it's not limestone then?
- #11
ejoe89
- 6
- 0
Evo said:
#ejoe89 replied with:
.....................
#The state it was found in?-------------------------------------------------- Michigan.
#Is the surface either smooth and hard or rough?-------------------------- mostly rough.
# Does it feel sandy or porous?-------------- Well kind of sandy like the texture of chaulk.
......................
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