r/fossilid • u/Top-Challenge1917 • 1d ago

Coastal alabama but came from a delivered pile of landscaping rock

So this bad boi could really be from anywhere! Not tested for hardness, though hubs tried doing a little polishing to get rid of the outer weathering a bit and he said it was difficult and he couldn't really work it.

263 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

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u/thanatocoenosis Paleozoic invertebrates 1d ago

It's a colonial rugosan(order of Paleozoic coral).

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u/Top-Challenge1917 1d ago

Thank you so very much! We are reading about rugose coral now and our minds are blown by the age of this thing! Any idea what kind of rock they are in? It doesn't look like it's still limestone. Hubs had a tough time trying to polish it, he thinks it's about as hard as quartz.

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u/phlogopite 1d ago

Yes, it’s in chert. Crypto- to microcrystalline silica.

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u/Top-Challenge1917 1d ago

Ah that makes sense! Thank you 😊

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u/DatabaseThis9637 1d ago

Yay! I am actually doing pretty well, now,at IDing rugosan coral!

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u/Top-Challenge1917 1d ago

Can I ask if you know if this is a Petoskey stone or is this different?

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u/Choice-Strength3407 14h ago

While also a rugose coral, Petoskey stones are hexagonaria percarinata fossils, Devonian (350 Million BCE). They only grew (and are now found) in Michigan's northern Great Lakes. Petoskey stones have a very characteristic honeycomb pattern, and typically look like those in this picture.

https://preview.redd.it/tsw2kfutwace1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8bb1e39b8ecba1a1677619fdbe80a4c1a01f1697

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u/Miserable_Ninja5055 1d ago

How do you understand this is rugosa and not an archeociate? (I'm not good at identifing )

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u/thanatocoenosis Paleozoic invertebrates 1d ago

This is cerioid with dissepiments and tabulae. Archeocyathids lack those structures/features.

u/YellowTutu246 1d ago

and it is beautiful

u/HorseEmotional2 1d ago

Keep your eyes open for other fossils. Mammoth teeth have been found in gravel pits.

u/LWDJM 1d ago

https://preview.redd.it/ly7uulpot6ce1.jpeg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f08af2ed3abb2cf16231860e33f3f397bd06672c

It’s a Rugose Coral/ Horn Coral, here is my example found on the Yorkshire Coast in the UK!

You have a really nice specimen there my guy!

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u/Top-Challenge1917 1d ago

Thanks so much! I like yours too. Very cool!!