MARS: Crinoid and Prasopora Fossils Exposed

Hello all,

Examining Nasa's latest Mars rover images, I found what looks like possible Crinoid and Prasopora type fossils that have been exposed by wind.

This image was cut from an area called Yellowknife Bay. I didn't find anymore of these "fossils" anywhere else on the photo.
The possibility of these being fossils are small, but I find it odd that they are found in such a small area. Ancient shoreline?



Nasa's original image here

reply to post by super70


After zooming way in on the "thumbnail" photo in the upper left I see, what to me, looks like a Conch shell laying on it's side.
It is at the upper part of the pic above the circular thingys.

The whole picture looks organic and fossil like. But ??? who knows

At least it's not just looking like rocks this time.

I like your theory, would like to know NASA's take on this. Could also be some wents of some sort.

Good find

Good find s and f. The evidence is mounting for past and present life on mars. No wonder the bookies have drasticly cut the odds of alien life being discovered.

grubblesnert
reply to post by super70

 

After zooming way in on the "thumbnail" photo in the upper left I see, what to me, looks like a Conch shell laying on it's side.
It is at the upper part of the pic above the circular thingys.

The whole picture looks organic and fossil like. But ??? who knows

edit on 20-1-2014 by grubblesnert because: spellin'

After paying more attention to the Illustration in the OPs post I just realized that the "thumbnail" pic I was looking at is most likely earth based and put up there for comparison

Please corrected me if I'm not as dumb as I actually feel right now!!

reply to post by super70


Interesting find, super70, perhaps someone with geological expertise could look into this. The image section is from sol 137 and there are larger close-ups available, here go some cropped versions (normal and white-balanced):



Original Source Image:
mars.jpl.nasa.gov...

Looks like fossilized kitchen cabinet knobs to me!

S&F for intriguing insight.. would like to see more comps of mars crinoid/prasoic to earth's tho

reply to post by super70


my initial thought was that it could have been some form of stalagmite in years long gone, but then it doesn't explain the circular hole in the middle (as far as I know anyway), interesting post OP S+F

Thanks for sharing. I can see what you're talking about. The raw image from the nasa site is amazing. I have been looking at it for over a hour now. I don't know why, but everytime I see a picture from Mars I feel like i'm crawdad fishing. I just want to walk around flipping rocks over to see what underneath. S & F for you though. I'll be back, going to look around in the image a little more.

Space ants! Nice find OP.

reply to post by super70


I think what you were getting at (specifically) are the crinoid holdfasts. Here's an image from wikipedia showing an earthly version of these coneshaped features with an opening on top:

Image Source: Wikipedia, Public Domain


And sol 137 again for comparison:

If this had been imaged by MAHLI in even higher resolution, the first picture should be more or less what we should be seeing (in detail) on the Martian surface, provided that these really are crinoid holdfasts ... but a close resemblance is there IMO!

Original Source Image:
mars.jpl.nasa.gov...

reply to post by jeep3r


I agree, great picture find!

reply to post by jeenyus2008


Wow my thoughts exactly, these images amaze me. Ive spent many sunny afternoons in creek beds looking for crawdads
and fossils too, thought it was just me!

Personally I have never wondered if life once existed on Mars. I think the topography of Mars (and your find) completely support that life of some type once existed. Even scientists think life once existed there.

What I am even more curious about is what happened to the atmosphere of Mars?

reply to post by super70


What's most interesting to me is how they are all attached to, and elevated from, the rock face. Could this rounding and upraising occur with wind erosion and dust/sand shear?

super70 and Jeep3r have teamed up to present some good data and photographic focus on an interesting phenomena of rock and/or nature.

Mamatus
Space ants! Nice find OP.

I think you mean anthills, and that one on the lower left side of jeeps pictures seems like a good example of whatever these are (and there should be a "ah ha" explanation coming soon. I thought of Phage, but haven't "seen" him around ATS lately).

reply to post by Aleister


Possibly. One theory could be this was a shallow shoreline of silt and mud. Gas trickled up through the rock forming small cone shaped bubbling structures. The water evaporated leaving the protrusions exposed which hardened into stone over time.

But I preffer the idea that these are ancient water borne crustacean fossils!

super70
reply to post by Aleister

 

Possibly. One theory could be this was a shallow shoreline of silt and mud. Gas trickled up through the rock forming small cone shaped bubbling structures. The water evaporated leaving the protrusions exposed which hardened into stone over time.

But I preffer the idea that these are ancient water borne crustacean fossils!

Very good explanation, thank you. That would work. Lots of us want things on Mars to be fossils, but like in all good research everything must be analyzed for the "this could have made it" explanations. I put up a thread on a mars skeleton this week and then was told it was all pixel distortion. Fun while it lasts (and those pixels made a very nice skeleton). Your explanation makes sense, and just adds to proving that Gale Lake existed and had a long life.

reply to post by Aleister


While this possible theory could explain the conical shaped crinoid holdfast and prasopora claims, it does not explain the crinoid stem fossils. The fact that they are in close proximaty to the cones (like you might find on a shoreline on earth) makes the case for fossila, rather than tiny mud volcanoes.

One of these is an identified Earth Crinoid fossil. The other is "apparently" just a rock formation on Mars. Hmmmm

reply to post by yorkshirelad


I know! This was Richard Hoagland's find in the very first crater that the first Mars Rover landed in. And then NASA ground it down with a drill.

super70
reply to post by Aleister

 

While this possible theory could explain the conical shaped crinoid holdfast and prasopora claims, it does not explain the crinoid stem fossils. The fact that they are in close proximity to the cones (like you might find on a shoreline on earth) makes the case for fossila, rather than tiny mud volcanoes.

Thanks again. This is shaping up to be one of those good "keeper" threads.