Activity

  • Aubrey Miller posted a new specimen. 4 years, 8 months ago

    4 years, 8 months ago
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Aubrey Miller has contributed specimen mFeM 58623 to myFOSSIL!

    • Hi, @aubrey-miller – it is possible that it is a fossil coral. It’s difficult to tell without really looking closely at the sample. I don’t know much about more recent corals but your classification looks correct – if that’s what this specimen is. I’ll tag in a few local experts who may have been out collecting a bit more than I have in the area – @mackenzie-smith @michael-ziegler

      If you want to use Macrostrat you can get a better idea of the geologic context of the area but I think a lot of the area is a hodge podge of sediment. https://macrostrat.org/map/#/z=9.1/x=-82.5885/y=27.9358/bedrock/lines/

      • @aubrey-miller @jbauer I think it’s coral too but I don’t think it’s Acropora. I’ve worked with modern Acropora from the Maldives and what really defines that genus are large, distinct corallites (calcified tubes where the polyp is) which I do not see evidence of in this specimen. While this genus is notorious for taking on different growth forms depending on its environment I believe the corallite part is constant.

      • I’d agree with the fossil coral @mackenzie-smith and @jbauer mentioned. I’m afraid I won’t be able to clarify it further. Although, the typical preservation of this agatized coral specimen is interesting. In the second photo features what appear to be some druzy brown/orange crystals. The original coral material has been replaced by silica (provided by ocean water, diatoms, or even clay) and created a pseudomorph. The new material is probably chalcedony, which is a material many stone tools are made of. Many of the deposits in this region are from more recent sediments (Pleistocene/Holocene) but I imagine this coral could possibly be from older deposits from that area like the Hawthorn Group, Arcadia Formation, Tampa Member (https://mrdata.usgs.gov/geology/state/sgmc-unit.php?unit=FLOGMIhat%3B0). All in all, cool find!

    • As Mackenzie points out it is not Acropora. Florida Geological Survey Bulletin No. 56 describes the fossil corals of the Tampa Formation (latest geology pointed out by Michael Z.). https://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00000252/00001/pdf. It looks from a distance to be Goniopora. A much closer pic will be needed to identify to species.