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Ammonite find in Rifle Gap State Park, CO

https://media.piefed.world/posts/lX/ng/lXng1b2l4n29QCx.jpg

My son and I found this next to a reservoir in a super crumbly wall. We gave it to the rangers (we weren't allowed to keep, since it was on public land).

We also found this,but have no idea what it is:
https://files.catbox.moe/262pwu.jpg
https://files.catbox.moe/iwajcn.jpg
https://files.catbox.moe/us9qtk.jpg
https://files.catbox.moe/aw11qf.jpg

I've asked a couple paleontologists and they also weren't sure.

Hudell @lemmy.dbzer0.com - 1mon

Who took a bite thinking it was a brownie?

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andyburke - 1mon

I am a layman with no expertise, so guage this guess accordingly:

Fossilized bone or a fossilized aquatic tubeworm/sea cucumber thing.

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fossilesque - 1mon

Fancy something you got there.

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negativenull - 1mon

We had to give them to the rangers. I doubt any paleos have even seen them officially.

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fossilesque - 1mon

Re: the mystery piece- My paleontologist buddy says "You’re on the Cretaceous right? That is a Baculite. A cephalopod. Related to belemnites and modern squid. Nice piece. Good find."

I figured he'd know. It looked similar to a belemnite and that's his thing. He goes out there a lot.

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negativenull - 1mon

Oh wow! That's amazing! Given the 4 or 5 chambers in the top picture I figured was something interesting. I forgot to get a picture of it in-situ, but the sediment layers curved around it which I thought was interesting.

Is your buddy in Colorado as well?

I think it's Cretaceous (especially given the ammonite we found), but the geology in that State Park is very wonky. All the sediment layers are perfectly vertical where I found the piece.

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fossilesque - 1mon

Nah, he's over here next to the Jurassic Coast. One of his sites, though, is out there. I think he's comparing belemnites. He gave me a bag of them! :) I am envious of those sediment layers. I wish a quarter of my holocene sediments were so nice lmfao.

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