Bear Claw Fossils (Asterosoma Trace Fossils)
I was taught as a little girl how to search for these fossils my family called Bear Claws, other locals call them daisy rocks, and some call them octopus rocks. While they are not actually any of these things, we can usually find about 5-7 in a day trip. We have been told these are rare and only found in North to Northwest quadrant of Arkansas, Southwest Missouri, and Kentucky. My Great Grandmother found thousands in her lifetime, and when she passed they were shared with anyone whom wanted one. My grandad even masoned them into their rock house on Henderson Creek. She taught me how to find them upside down, and now I am the hunter of these fossils in our family.
These are a commonly misunderstood geologic feature called an Asterosoma. Almost everyone, upon first seeing an Asterosoma, thinks it’s either a fossilized plant, flower, or some kind of fossilized animal – usually an octopus.
Asterosomas are actually trace fossils left behind by ancient marine animals (most likely worms or shrimp) that burrowed through mud in a delta or tidal-flat. This one was found in the Carboniferous section of north Arkansas and is roughly 300 million years old. These trace fossils are called Asterosoma because of their star-like shape.
In cross-sectional view, multiple Asterosomas sometimes overlie one another connected by a central vertical tube – like a garland of Asterosomas. This suggests that, as new sediment was periodically washed into the environment, the animal may have burrowed its way back to the top of the mud and wallowed out another home for itself. The animal itself was too soft-bodied to be preserved in the rock record. arkansasgeological.wordpress.com/2015/05/14/geopic-of-the-week-asterosoma
Bear Claws can be found in the woods or in the creeks and rivers. The shelves fall from bluff edges and break upon falling to the ground. Over the years, they are rolled in floods and river water giving them their rounded and smooth edges. These are random selection and would great for any collection.
I was taught as a little girl how to search for these fossils my family called Bear Claws, other locals call them daisy rocks, and some call them octopus rocks. While they are not actually any of these things, we can usually find about 5-7 in a day trip. We have been told these are rare and only found in North to Northwest quadrant of Arkansas, Southwest Missouri, and Kentucky. My Great Grandmother found thousands in her lifetime, and when she passed they were shared with anyone whom wanted one. My grandad even masoned them into their rock house on Henderson Creek. She taught me how to find them upside down, and now I am the hunter of these fossils in our family.
These are a commonly misunderstood geologic feature called an Asterosoma. Almost everyone, upon first seeing an Asterosoma, thinks it’s either a fossilized plant, flower, or some kind of fossilized animal – usually an octopus.
Asterosomas are actually trace fossils left behind by ancient marine animals (most likely worms or shrimp) that burrowed through mud in a delta or tidal-flat. This one was found in the Carboniferous section of north Arkansas and is roughly 300 million years old. These trace fossils are called Asterosoma because of their star-like shape.
In cross-sectional view, multiple Asterosomas sometimes overlie one another connected by a central vertical tube – like a garland of Asterosomas. This suggests that, as new sediment was periodically washed into the environment, the animal may have burrowed its way back to the top of the mud and wallowed out another home for itself. The animal itself was too soft-bodied to be preserved in the rock record. arkansasgeological.wordpress.com/2015/05/14/geopic-of-the-week-asterosoma
Bear Claws can be found in the woods or in the creeks and rivers. The shelves fall from bluff edges and break upon falling to the ground. Over the years, they are rolled in floods and river water giving them their rounded and smooth edges. These are random selection and would great for any collection.
I was taught as a little girl how to search for these fossils my family called Bear Claws, other locals call them daisy rocks, and some call them octopus rocks. While they are not actually any of these things, we can usually find about 5-7 in a day trip. We have been told these are rare and only found in North to Northwest quadrant of Arkansas, Southwest Missouri, and Kentucky. My Great Grandmother found thousands in her lifetime, and when she passed they were shared with anyone whom wanted one. My grandad even masoned them into their rock house on Henderson Creek. She taught me how to find them upside down, and now I am the hunter of these fossils in our family.
These are a commonly misunderstood geologic feature called an Asterosoma. Almost everyone, upon first seeing an Asterosoma, thinks it’s either a fossilized plant, flower, or some kind of fossilized animal – usually an octopus.
Asterosomas are actually trace fossils left behind by ancient marine animals (most likely worms or shrimp) that burrowed through mud in a delta or tidal-flat. This one was found in the Carboniferous section of north Arkansas and is roughly 300 million years old. These trace fossils are called Asterosoma because of their star-like shape.
In cross-sectional view, multiple Asterosomas sometimes overlie one another connected by a central vertical tube – like a garland of Asterosomas. This suggests that, as new sediment was periodically washed into the environment, the animal may have burrowed its way back to the top of the mud and wallowed out another home for itself. The animal itself was too soft-bodied to be preserved in the rock record. arkansasgeological.wordpress.com/2015/05/14/geopic-of-the-week-asterosoma
Bear Claws can be found in the woods or in the creeks and rivers. The shelves fall from bluff edges and break upon falling to the ground. Over the years, they are rolled in floods and river water giving them their rounded and smooth edges. These are random selection and would great for any collection.