GeologyRocksHelp With Fossils(?) I Found At The Beach
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I don't think they are
Wed, 02/06/2013 - 23:10I don't think they are fossilised either. However, shells sometimes come out of the matrix in such good condition (dependant on the rock type) that they look as if the incumbent creature has only just relinquished the shell.
John
“Civilisation exists by geological consent, subject to change without notice.” - Will Durant
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Thanks for the help
Thu, 02/07/2013 - 17:23I got a tip to drop some vinegar on the fragments to see if they fizzled, indicating the presence of calcium. They did fizzle on both sides. This puzzled me as the underside looks like rock and is chipped like rock. There is presence of chert, jasper, quartz and moonstone in the area. I'm pretty sure the last picture is limestone and it looks like fossils I've found locally. I found pumice at the same spot as well.
I'm guessing the fragments are shells stuck to rock then? Or do shells sometimes harden up like rocks?
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Help With Fossils(?) I Found At The Beach
Submitted by theoriginalrods on Fri, 02/01/2013 - 21:14.Hi: I was hoping someone could give me info on these shells/fossils found at the beach recently. I am interested in the geology of them more than what kind of shell, which would most likely be clam. This question may be a little silly, but how can you tell the difference between a shell and a fossil. They were found on the Samoa Peninsila in Humboldt County, Northern California. They are all between 2-3". My wife found the whole shell (last picture) when she was walking our dog there. I'm guessing it's a fossil of a cockle shell in limestone or shale. I am a beachcomber and fossil hunter, so I went to the same spot to check it out. The last two times I went I found these shell fragments which appear to be agatized. Could these be fragments of fossils which have been filled in with chalcedony or quartz? One of them has a bluish moonstone like iridescence and they all appear to have banding. Is this possible or am I mistaking shells for something else? They seem too thick and hard to be shells. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'm going to keep going back to look for more; these are cool and I've never found anything like them on the beach before.
Thanks,
Rodney