Paleonet: Help with some fossils

[David Kopaska-Merkel]

I don't think these are trace fossils. Many are on this slab, but it seems none cross cut each other. Also, one appears to retain some dark material.

Cephalopods are possible, but it seems every single one is facing the same way. Is that really true? I'm not sure how that could happen.

David

David C Kopaska-Merkel
Geological Survey of Alabama
Box 869999
Tuscaloosa AL 35486-6999
205-247-3695
www.gsa.state.al.us
fax 205-349-2861
-----Original Message-----
From: Paleonet [mailto:paleonet-bounces at nhm.ac.uk] On Behalf Of Jinzhuang Xue
Sent: Thursday, June 12, 2014 1:37 AM
To: paleonet
Subject: Paleonet: Help with some fossils

Dear all, 
     The attached is a picture showing some conical things horizontally laying on the bedding plane of sandstones. They look like stromatolite but they are not.  But, are they trace fossils? sedimentary structures? or anything else?  We are wondering if anyone here could help us for identifying them.  Has anyone found similar things before?  Thanks a lot in advance.  The age of the rock is Late Devonian Famennian, and the depositional environments may be swamps near coastal area.  

All the best,

Jinzhuang Xue
Peking University
　　　　　　　　pkuxue at pku.edu.cn
　　　　　　　　　　2014-06-12