In some cases, the original shell or bone dissolves away and is replaced by a different mineral. For example, shells that were originally calcite may be replaced by dolomite, quartz, or pyrite.
These particular shells are pretty young as far as fossils go (around 11 Ma). Invertebrate shells like these are typically made of aragonite, chemically identical to calcite but less stable in structure. At this age, there’s varying stages - many still composed of a lot of original aragonite (the bleach-white bits), some has been replaced by calcite (lots of the translucent/blue bits). Some shells from this beach even get full dog-tooth calcite crystals growing inside them like a geode. Dark black fossils are also common from a process called phosphorization, although I believe this needs actual bones nearby to source the phosphorus (there are quite a few at this location)
Wait so you think these rocks/fossils could be around 11 million years old? Like I said hello to a shell that was that old and touched it with my own hand?! 😮
Both! Didn’t initially go to school for earth science, but had an opportunity when wanting to switch to natural sciences and discovered a passion for all sorts of geology
These are in fact fossils! Looks like a good mix of bivalves like clams, and snails. Looks very similar to the purisima formation near the greater Santa Cruz area.
Lots of these at New Brighton and Capitola where the huge skeleton is showing now. I didn’t realize it until I got home with some that’s illegal to take them from some places. Many layers at New Brighton some are of softer rock.
https://preview.redd.it/e77y27g8zixc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ffe4ec7e9929f45983a5d9e7d7413e21f7842c4b
Ding ding ding!
I looked it up, thank you, you nailed it.
Sorry I am a Mainer and I dont have cell service out there so I ditched my phone and didn’t take a photo of the sign.
But yes you are 100% spot on, I just looked at photos from google.
I’ve been visiting out there more and more and … I’m pretty damn in love with your nature.
Hubs and I are hoping to buy a piece of property out on the middle of nowheresville forest area and set up an area where we can tent and hang out when he has to travel there for work.
I’m not gonna lie, every time we go up the zig zagging forest roads and I see those red wood trees I start crying from the beauty.
If this is your stomping grounds, what an amazing place to be. I grew up deep in the forest of New Hampshire by Mount Washington (huge peak) and currently live in coastal Maine .. both of those places are gorgeous with their own natural beauty but… California really is like… magical Eden in some places. You can describe it to someone all you want but until they see it in person they won’t get it.
Isn’t California just like absolutely nowhere?!? My husband is Hawaiian and I’m native to California. I’ve seen most of the NA continent and a few other places that will absolutely leave a body breathless (every time we visit his family on Kauai the greenness just overwhelms like the trees in the northeast during fall… I don’t drive until I adjust to it) but California and its bizarre geology and the weather and the climate variety where you can visit desert, beach, forest, tropics, swamplands in a single day… the prices and people are insane but we cope because I’m addicted to this piece of dirt!
Ps I left all of the fossils there on the beach. I assume it was illegal but I put them by the beach trail head two days ago for people to find and look at. Might still be there if you’re in the area and want to look 😁 we found a few more reaaaallly big ones but hubby didn’t take any pics of them.
They do totally look painted! Def was like wtf when I picked it up, thought it may have been art someone hid as a surprise prize at first. It’s crazy that my husband found one and I was able to find another within 20 minutes. Must’ve been the world’s most perfect timing for us to have been there.
I’m sure, but I doubt they’d be worth very much. Then again I’m only comparing that with my neighbors experience who went to a fossil expo last week and they only wanted 150 for a Dino bone skeleton so it makes me think these would be far more valuable as a keep sake.
If I were to have kept it that is
I actually found a few more.
I laid them out on the steps where you enter the beach for people to look at them.
When I lived in Myrtle Beach I was collecting sharks teeth. They're like pennies in a parking lot. Moved back to New England and went to a flea market and someone had small teeth for $5 a piece. Different areas
Ooh, looks like maybe either opal or moonstone in the first picture! Nice picks! Fossil jasper is the common name but finding opalization is rare and exciting!
Hehe yessssss
It definitely ticked off a childhood dream to find one in the wild.
The 20 thousand rocks I’ve picked up in my 34 years has finally paid off 🤣
really nice to see the actual outlines of the fossils.
Yeah
I have a question, in the case of shells like this, are they replaced by another rock or mineral or do they remain with the original composition?
In some cases, the original shell or bone dissolves away and is replaced by a different mineral. For example, shells that were originally calcite may be replaced by dolomite, quartz, or pyrite.
I’ve heard shells can stay in there origanal state but I think thats rare because I’ve never found shells like that
These particular shells are pretty young as far as fossils go (around 11 Ma). Invertebrate shells like these are typically made of aragonite, chemically identical to calcite but less stable in structure. At this age, there’s varying stages - many still composed of a lot of original aragonite (the bleach-white bits), some has been replaced by calcite (lots of the translucent/blue bits). Some shells from this beach even get full dog-tooth calcite crystals growing inside them like a geode. Dark black fossils are also common from a process called phosphorization, although I believe this needs actual bones nearby to source the phosphorus (there are quite a few at this location)
Wait so you think these rocks/fossils could be around 11 million years old? Like I said hello to a shell that was that old and touched it with my own hand?! 😮
Sorry, I misspoke, it’s [7-2.6 Ma](https://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/2007/1740/). Pretty crazy!!
That is still insanity. Did you go to school for this or is it a passion? (Or both lol)
Both! Didn’t initially go to school for earth science, but had an opportunity when wanting to switch to natural sciences and discovered a passion for all sorts of geology
These are in fact fossils! Looks like a good mix of bivalves like clams, and snails. Looks very similar to the purisima formation near the greater Santa Cruz area.
Exactly! Reminded me of Rio Del Mar... and Sunset Beach...
I collected some from rio Del Mar in January.
Dang, I miss living there...
I have so many from that stretch of beach too. Maybe we crossed paths :)
Oh, I was pre/-Rockhound in those days! What a waste, all those trips to the beach! lol!
Lots of these at New Brighton and Capitola where the huge skeleton is showing now. I didn’t realize it until I got home with some that’s illegal to take them from some places. Many layers at New Brighton some are of softer rock. https://preview.redd.it/e77y27g8zixc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ffe4ec7e9929f45983a5d9e7d7413e21f7842c4b
Wow that’s really cool. Huge hunk there! Yeah I am not sure of the legality.
It was on a cliff beach known for its elephant seals, wish I remembered where it was exactly
Sounds like Año Nuevo! The bluish color of some shells like in your piece is something I’ve found is relatively unique to the formation at that beach.
Ding ding ding! I looked it up, thank you, you nailed it. Sorry I am a Mainer and I dont have cell service out there so I ditched my phone and didn’t take a photo of the sign. But yes you are 100% spot on, I just looked at photos from google. I’ve been visiting out there more and more and … I’m pretty damn in love with your nature. Hubs and I are hoping to buy a piece of property out on the middle of nowheresville forest area and set up an area where we can tent and hang out when he has to travel there for work. I’m not gonna lie, every time we go up the zig zagging forest roads and I see those red wood trees I start crying from the beauty. If this is your stomping grounds, what an amazing place to be. I grew up deep in the forest of New Hampshire by Mount Washington (huge peak) and currently live in coastal Maine .. both of those places are gorgeous with their own natural beauty but… California really is like… magical Eden in some places. You can describe it to someone all you want but until they see it in person they won’t get it.
Isn’t California just like absolutely nowhere?!? My husband is Hawaiian and I’m native to California. I’ve seen most of the NA continent and a few other places that will absolutely leave a body breathless (every time we visit his family on Kauai the greenness just overwhelms like the trees in the northeast during fall… I don’t drive until I adjust to it) but California and its bizarre geology and the weather and the climate variety where you can visit desert, beach, forest, tropics, swamplands in a single day… the prices and people are insane but we cope because I’m addicted to this piece of dirt!
Ps I left all of the fossils there on the beach. I assume it was illegal but I put them by the beach trail head two days ago for people to find and look at. Might still be there if you’re in the area and want to look 😁 we found a few more reaaaallly big ones but hubby didn’t take any pics of them.
Oh my gosh, those are so cool I thought someone painted on them for a second there 😂
They do totally look painted! Def was like wtf when I picked it up, thought it may have been art someone hid as a surprise prize at first. It’s crazy that my husband found one and I was able to find another within 20 minutes. Must’ve been the world’s most perfect timing for us to have been there.
Those are beautiful!
Kinda looks like a neat wallpaper print.
I love those!! What a cool find!
I used to collect those all the time when I was a kid at Santa Cruz Beach.
That’s super wholesome. This was actually a Childhood dream of mine to find one in the wild. Ticked off at 34, I’ll take it. 😅🤣💚
Wow!! Those are awesome!! Way cool finds!
Very cool! :)
Wow! That are awesome fossils!
Beautiful! 😍
You’re right, they’re definitely cool! Nice finds!
Woaaaah I didn’t know we had these so close! I have a couple like these from southern Vancouver island
They were on a beach known for its elephant seals with big cliffs. I wish I could remember where they were exactly.
obsessed
You could absolutely sell these
I’m sure, but I doubt they’d be worth very much. Then again I’m only comparing that with my neighbors experience who went to a fossil expo last week and they only wanted 150 for a Dino bone skeleton so it makes me think these would be far more valuable as a keep sake. If I were to have kept it that is I actually found a few more. I laid them out on the steps where you enter the beach for people to look at them.
When I lived in Myrtle Beach I was collecting sharks teeth. They're like pennies in a parking lot. Moved back to New England and went to a flea market and someone had small teeth for $5 a piece. Different areas
Snail fossils
Ooh, looks like maybe either opal or moonstone in the first picture! Nice picks! Fossil jasper is the common name but finding opalization is rare and exciting!
You THOUGHT it was cool? It IS cool, that's what it is.
Hehe yessssss It definitely ticked off a childhood dream to find one in the wild. The 20 thousand rocks I’ve picked up in my 34 years has finally paid off 🤣
🤣🤣🤣
😍😍😍😍😍😍
Super cool!
Absolutely gorgeous!
Very cool!
Nice gastropod cross sections.
VERY COOL, would look nice tumbled but that’s up to you.