I have a few fossils from the Alleghany Mts. and one has a tiny ringlets about the size of a pencil tip embedded in it. Is it a part of an organism? There are also shells in that one too. And another has fossilized animal prints that appear to be from a raccoon, is that possible?

-- Kelly Wirth (kwirth@oswego.edu), March 20, 2001

Answers

The tiny ringlets are probably either shells or small worms of some kind. The racoon prionts are also possible as long as when the racoon walked along whatever he was walking on, the prints were undisturbed.

-- Chan'non Goodrich (chibimercury@excite.com), May 04, 2001.