strange find

[Aaron]

Its not a fossil. That thing is modern. Western Interior Seaway was a Cretaceous sea that basically cut North America into two equal parts about 100 million years ago. You find a ton of fossils in sediments deposited in the WIS but its shoreline never made it to the havasu area.

That's a pipe coral (Tubipora musica) probably dropped out of someone's aquarium. Definitely will fizz if you drop some dilute hydrochloric acid on it as like most corals, its structure is made of calcium carbonate (calcite or limestone) Those white worm-looking things on the red structure are the remains of calcareous tube worms (polychaetes). You've probably seen them on seashells at the beach.

That's it for the lesson for the day. I figured that this somehow counts as work...

[stairman]

Sorry aaron but the western interior seaway is in reference to a cretaceous sea that separated the western most canadian mountains and alaska from what would become the eastern portion of the us and canada.It was a branch of the ocean that separated america into two different continents.It was never west of the rockies.
It is entirely possible that it came from someones aquarium though.People throw all kinds of junk out in the desert.

Originally Posted by Aaron

Its not a fossil. That thing is modern. Western Interior Seaway was a Cretaceous sea that basically cut North America into two equal parts about 100 million years ago. You find a ton of fossils in sediments deposited in the WIS but its shoreline never made it to the havasu area.

That's a pipe coral (Tubipora musica) probably dropped out of someone's aquarium. Definitely will fizz if you drop some dilute hydrochloric acid on it as like most corals, its structure is made of calcium carbonate (calcite or limestone) Those white worm-looking things on the red structure are the remains of calcareous tube worms (polychaetes). You've probably seen them on seashells at the beach.

That's it for the lesson for the day. I figured that this somehow counts as work...

[Gino]

find those but white colored, and the holes are much bigger. Laguna is littered with them, they make a good center peice with come conch shells. you can fidnt he conch shells in same place.

[old_rookie]

I just like to look at cabojohn's posts to see what new image he's got in his sig.

[StinkyMatt]

If THAT is Cabo John and my wife sees this site, my fishin days are over!

"Honey, John and I are gonna go fishing together this weekend....."

Slap, kick, punch.......sign these papers you SunuvaBi$%#!

[Aaron]

Originally Posted by stairman

Sorry aaron but the western interior seaway is in reference to a cretaceous sea that separated the western most canadian mountains and alaska from what would become the eastern portion of the us and canada.It was a branch of the ocean that separated america into two different continents.It was never west of the rockies.
It is entirely possible that it came from someones aquarium though.People throw all kinds of junk out in the desert.

lol, what? That's exactly what I said. If you would prefer a map...

And if you would also prefer links to info about the coral...
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit-us/galler...tes/index.html
and...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organ_pipe_coral

[steveooo]

Typical. Seems like every winter when its cold and the fishing is slow, the conversations always turns to internet bickering about Cretaceous sea's
Is it summer yet?

[TCS]

The question is whether the Cretaceous Sea had a bikini brigade and good fishing.

[Aaron]

Good grief steve, you couldn't be more right. I haven't been able to pry myself away from work, I'm insanely bitter about it and now I'm on BWE explaining/arguing about the western interior seaway??? Shit...just, shit. slow fishing or not, I'd give my right arm to be out there.

Seaway would have had an insanely good bite on marine reptiles and chondrichthyans, no bikini brigade, and ammonites would have stuck around for months on end for bait.

[driftwood]

Anybody seen any Great White sharks in La Jolla lately?

[Fiskadoro]

Originally Posted by steveooo

Typical. Seems like every winter when its cold and the fishing is slow, the conversations always turns to internet bickering about Cretaceous sea's

That or the Cambrian Extinctions. Damn science!!! It's just so fact driven and cerebral.

[Fiskadoro]

Originally Posted by Aaron

Its not a fossil. That thing is modern. ...That's a pipe coral (Tubipora musica) probably dropped out of someone's aquarium. Definitely will fizz if you drop some dilute hydrochloric acid on it as like most corals, its structure is made of calcium carbonate (calcite or limestone) Those white worm-looking things on the red structure are the remains of calcareous tube worms (polychaetes). You've probably seen them on seashells at the beach...

Glad someone else said it... Yeah it was dumped not a fossil. Pipe coral is brittle even fragile, and hollow, a fossilized coral is much harder, and solid. I've got a chunk of that stuff sitting around here somewhere that I used to have in my aquarium.

Jim

[maui jim]

In a hundred years from now, no one will remember or care, but it's still cool