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I’ve seen these little donut-shaped critters at a couple of sites in the Appalachian Mountains and I’m wondering what they are. My first guess was that they were some kind of coral, but now I’m thinking they might be cross-sections of sponges. Any ideas? Thanks!
@nathan-newell, @evan-walsh My thought was a moldaic preservation of a crinoid stem segment.
Jack
@evan-walsh, @jkallmeyer Interesting theories, thanks for the replies!
I agree with @jkallmeyer. These specimens resemble crinoids rather than corals or sponges.
@piotr-bajdek Thanks! That’s very helpful. I’ve found a lot of fossils like these and I’ve been labeling them all as corals, but it looks like I’ll have to do some relabeling.
You’re welcome! When I first found these fossils as a kid, I thought these were fish vertebrae!
Just search for crinoid stem fossils in Google Images. For example, this specimen looks just identical to your second picture: https://ukfossils.co.uk/2007/11/15/west-angle-bay/crinoid-stem-impression/
@piotr-bajdek Whoa! You’re right, that’s exactly what they look like! Thanks for the clarification!
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