Crazy egg rocks! Palm size. Found in Houston around 1984 in backyard.

[DrgnHrtKat]

These matching rocks were found in my backyard, in Houston, around 1984.
I have always wondered what they could be!

 

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[dognose]

what are their sizes?

are they heavy?

 

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[DrgnHrtKat]

The large one weighs 6.6 oz.
The smaller weighs 3.7 oz.

 

[Ditlihi]

These matching rocks were found in my backyard, in Houston, around 1984.
I have always wondered what they could be!

My guess......prehistoric seeds, cycads


Anatomy: Cycads & Cycadeoids







Very neat!

 

[paleomaxx]

They're iron oxide concretions. These would nucleate around something solid (occasionally organic matter preserving fossils) and as ancient seas repeatedly rose and receded, layers would be added.



In the above photo, modern nodules are being formed on a shoreline. Your specimens are much more ancient and the difference between the two surfaces is caused by weathering action. They were likely half buried in the dirt for many years with the top half exposed to the elements. As the concretion weathered, some of the layers weakened and broke down and the next layer would be revealed, appearing as the first did: darker and smooth. The white veins were are there because cracks would often form in the concretions allowing water with dissolved minerals to infiltrate and then crystallize. A spectacular example are septarian nodules:



In these concretions the cracks usually form a network which is revealed by slicing and polishing the concretions to display the crystal structure.

Those specimens of yours are very nice seeing as how both were buried just enough to allow partial weathering and exposure of the older layers.

 

[old digger]

I agree with ''paleomaxx'', a concretion created when mud and vegetation collect together by the motion of water while adding a different type of matrix on the outside layer. Eventually hardening turning certain minerals into a crystalline layer. It is not a fossil egg.

 

[DrgnHrtKat]

Wow! That’s amazing! Thank you so much for such a comprehensive reply!
Have you, by chance, looked at my other 2 posts? Maybe you have ideas about those as well...

 

[DrgnHrtKat]

I do believe I’m going to be making a trek to the museum of natural science. I’ve been carrying these around for over 30 years! It’s about time!

 

[DrgnHrtKat]

Thank you everyone!!

 

[dognose]

Strange as this may sound, could they be a synthetic building material? Somewhat like made today for fireplace, or the like? Maybe discarded extraneous building material?

Have you showed these to any of the neighbors? If so, what has been their reactions?

 

[DrgnHrtKat]

I moved away 18yrs ago. All the neighbors had seen them. No one ever said they had seen anything similar. The suburb was developed in the early 1940’s. I don’t believe they are synthetic at all. The bottoms do remind me of petrified wood, but I am less than an amateur,