I have no idea! Can anyone help me identify?

[shanarene]

We found this on our ranch in South Texas and have,absolutely, no clue as to what it is. Its very heavy and approximately the size of a watermelon. It seems to have an outer crust/layer made of tiny sea shells. Its hard to describe, but, to me, it looks like it has "wrinkles" sorta like a brain looks. I know that sounds wierd but that's the only way I can describe it. Here's a few pics. We're really curious as to what it is. Any ideas?

 

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[gentleone444]

That is really intriguing!

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[tamrock]

I'm guessing a coral.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

I think it is a form of coral (or similar "colony type" invertebrate Sea Life), and it looks at least partially fossilized.

After-posting edit: I was typing my reply at the same time as Tamrock, but he finished first, because I kept going back to enlarge and study the photos several times. ;-)

 

[old digger]

To be honest with you, your item really looks like the eroded/worn down ball-joint of a large animal. Most probably the (hip) Ball joint of a mammoth or dinosaur.

 

[Wampum]

To be honest with you, your item really looks like the eroded/worn down ball-joint of a large animal. Most probably the (hip) Ball joint of a mammoth or dinosaur.

Not sure that's it. I've got some mammoth joints at my house and they don't look like that. It looks like coral possibly brain coral fossil or maybe fossilized sponge.

 

[smokeythecat]

Really cool. Just keep it.

 

[old digger]

I'll stick with my response. I have found my fair share of dinosaur bones here in Montana.

 

[Old Pueblo]

I'll stick with my response. I have found my fair share of dinosaur bones here in Montana.

It does look like bone to me, and the first thing I thought of when I saw it was fossil.

 

[ArDirtSlinger]

I'll stick with my response. I have found my fair share of dinosaur bones here in Montana.

I vote fossilized bone also

 

[creskol]

Jimmy Hoffa?

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

I can see the resemblance to bone. But the problem I have with it being fossilized bone is that fossils develop in a matrix of other stone.... and this object is full of tiny tunnels which have no "matrix" left in them at all. When a fossil weathers out of the matrix, there's still some matrix left inside "tunnels" in the fossil. I could be wrong, but it seems like there ought to be some matrix visible somewhere in the thousands of deep tunnels on Shanarene's find.

 

[shanarene]

Thanks for all the replies. Very interesting ideas. I was thinking the same thing as the coral but I'm no expert. I am, however, still going to try and get a confirmed identification. Thanks again, all. Keep any ideas coming...

 

[4x4x4]

....Make soup....you can TASTE the difference.

 

[4x4x4]

....Make soup....you can TASTE the difference.

And , Welcome from Southern California!

 

[Anduril]

Put me in the fossil camp.
FWIW, I'm a diver.. since 1981, Florida & Bahamas mostly.. and I don't think this is a coral.
At least, none that I've ever seen (even when I try to visualize it as fossil).