Naked Science Forum

Non Life Sciences => Geology, Palaeontology & Archaeology => Topic started by: Guymac07 on 09/04/2020 17:54:51

Title: Is this part of a fossil?
Post by: Guymac07 on 09/04/2020 17:54:51: Hey everyone. This is my first post! I was hoping someone could help me find out more about this pebble I found on a beach on the South coast of England, UK. It has a "butterfly" indentation which seems too symmetric to be a natural flaw. Could it be part of a fossil, and if so any ideas what?
Thanks!
Title: Re: Is this part of a fossil?
Post by: RD on 09/04/2020 19:09:53: Looks like an urchin fossil ...
(https://i.etsystatic.com/10028242/r/il/be0cf7/1555241875/il_794xN.1555241875_ra6v.jpg)

urchin fossils.jpg (180.47 kB . 1500x1122 - viewed 16508 times)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/BAG-MOROCCAN-ECHINOIDS-FOSSIL-SPECIAL/dp/B071LM5YTP
Title: Re: Is this part of a fossil?
Post by: chris on 09/04/2020 19:52:13: Yep, that's an echinoid fossil to my eye.
Title: Re: Is this part of a fossil?
Post by: Monox D. I-Fly on 10/04/2020 05:26:53: Quote from: RD on 09/04/2020 19:09:53
Looks like an urchin fossil ...
(https://i.etsystatic.com/10028242/r/il/be0cf7/1555241875/il_794xN.1555241875_ra6v.jpg)

urchin fossils.jpg (180.47 kB . 1500x1122 - viewed 16508 times)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/BAG-MOROCCAN-ECHINOIDS-FOSSIL-SPECIAL/dp/B071LM5YTP
Huh? I thought "urchin" was an animal similar to "hedgehog", "porcupine", or "echidna" and named so just because its body is full of spikes like a "land" urchin...
Title: Re: Is this part of a fossil?
Post by: RD on 10/04/2020 11:20:21: Quote from: Monox D. I-Fly on 10/04/2020 05:26:53
Huh? I thought "urchin" was an animal similar to "hedgehog", "porcupine", or "echidna" and named so just because its body is full of spikes like a "land" urchin...

I should have written "sea urchin" to differentiate it from other urchins, like street urchins (https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/urchin). :)

In some cases the spines just consist of bristles and don't survive fossilization, other than as a pattern on the surface (https://i.etsystatic.com/10028242/r/il/be0cf7/1555241875/il_794xN.1555241875_ra6v.jpg).
Title: Re: Is this part of a fossil?
Post by: Monox D. I-Fly on 13/04/2020 08:26:45: Quote from: RD on 10/04/2020 11:20:21
Quote from: Monox D. I-Fly on 10/04/2020 05:26:53
Huh? I thought "urchin" was an animal similar to "hedgehog", "porcupine", or "echidna" and named so just because its body is full of spikes like a "land" urchin...

I should have written "sea urchin" to differentiate it from other urchins, like street urchins (https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/urchin). :)

In some cases the spines just consist of bristles and don't survive fossilization, other than as a pattern on the surface (https://i.etsystatic.com/10028242/r/il/be0cf7/1555241875/il_794xN.1555241875_ra6v.jpg).
I knew it:
Quote
3. an archaic or dialect name for a hedgehog
Title: Re: Is this part of a fossil?
Post by: Bill S on 13/04/2020 18:56:12: Hi Guymac07, welcome.

Looks very much like a specimen of Micraster Sp. From Hunstanton, Norfolk, UK. I didn’t collect the fossil, so never did the work to try to identify the species. It was not as well preserved as yours.
Title: Re: Is this part of a fossil?
Post by: Bill S on 13/04/2020 19:03:22: Quote
an archaic or dialect name for a hedgehog

Then there is yrchin, which is a sort of pork sausage.
Title: Re: Is this part of a fossil?
Post by: Monox D. I-Fly on 14/04/2020 03:37:42: Quote from: Bill S on 13/04/2020 19:03:22
Quote
an archaic or dialect name for a hedgehog

Then there is yrchin, which is a sort of pork sausage.
So it's a hedgehog sausage?