Colonial coral Hexagonaria percarinata
The fossilized coral lived approximately 350 million years ago during the Devonian Age, in the sea which used to cover Michigan. More specifically the Petoskey Stone is a rock and a fossil, often pebble-shaped, that is composed of a fossilized rugose coral, Hexagonaria percarinata. The Petoskey Stone Story. The Petoskey Stone was adopted as the Official State Stone in 1965. A Petoskey Stone is a Tetracoral (Colony Coral): In that many animals lived together in a colony. “Hexagonaria” is it’s scientific name. In each hexagon chamber are the prehistoric remains of salt water marine life The living coral that turned into the Petoskey stone thrived on plankton that lived in the warm sea. Calcite, silica and other minerals have replaced the first elements of each cell. Each separate chamber, then, on each Petoskey stone, was a member of a thriving colony of living corals. For that reason the Petoskey stone is called a colony coral. The picture below illustrates the six sided formation left from the living coral colonies found on the Petoskey stone. What is a Petoskey Stone? The “Petoskey Stone,” which became the official state stone of Michigan in 1965, is actually a petrified fossil coral of the genus hexagonaria. Approximately 350 million years ago, a warm, salt water sea covered Michigan. In the depths of this sea, the members of the colony coral lived. This silt is seen as dark streaks on the Petoskey Stone.In a time before Native American Indians moved their teepees across the hills and dunes of Northern Michigan, before even the dinosaurs roamed the Earth, a warm, salt sea covered what is now Lake Michigan. Much of what is known about the Devonian is interpreted from the fossil record. At least seven different species of the genus Hexagonaria are found in Devonian rocks in Michigan. The Petoskey Stone genera of corals are found in Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, New York, Canada, Germany, England, and even Asia. The Petoskey Stone -- Page 1 of 4 The Petoskey Stone Some history, lore and facts about the Petoskey Stone Wouldn't it be great if rocks could talk? For example, through legend and facts, a Petoskey Stone could tell you much about Michigan's history and geology. THE PETOSKEY STONE What exactly is a Petoskey stone, and why is it called what it is? Actually, in this case, legend, geology, and history are intertwined to give the definition of what the Petoskey stone actually is. The study of the geology of the Petoskey stone also gives one quite an idea of how life was in Michigan during the Devonian time. It was formed by the fossilization of ancient coral, Hexagonaria. The coral lived in shallow waters and today’s fossil often includes ancient silt and mud. Petoskey Stones are often found on many beaches of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, as well as in rock quarries from Traverse City to Alpena. The honeycomb patterned stone has a hardness from 4 to 5 and is the official state stone of Michigan. This fossil is around 350 million years old. Fordite.  So, what is a Petoskey stone? It is a fossil colonial coral that lived in the warm Michigan seas during the Devonian time around 350 million years ago. The name Hexagonaria (meaning six sides) percarinata was designated by Dr. Edwin Stumm in 1969 because of his extensive knowledge of fossils. Actually, in this case, legend, geology, and history are intertwined to give the definition of what the Petoskey stone actually is. The study of the geology of the Petoskey stone also gives one quite an idea of how life was in Michigan during the Devonian time. A Petoskey stone is a rock and a fossil, often pebble-shaped, that is composed of a fossilized rugose coral, Hexagonaria percarinata. The stones were formed as a result of glaciation, in which sheets of ice plucked stones from the bedrock, grinding off their rough edges and depositing them in the northwestern (and some in the northeastern) portion of Michigan 's lower peninsula. The city of Petoskey, Michigan, is also named after him, and is the center of the area where the stones are found. The stones are commonly found on beaches and in sand dunes. According to legend, Petosegay was a descendant of French nobleman and fur trader, Antoine Carre and an Ottawa princess. The stones were formed as a result of glaciation, in which sheets of ice plucked stones from the bedrock, grinding off their rough edges and depositing them in the northwestern (and some in the northeastern) portion of Michigan 's lower peninsula.
http://www.hearthsidegrove.com/what-is-a-petoskey-stone/ http://www.geo.msu.edu/extra/geogmich/petoskystone.html http://grandpashorters.com/petoskey-stone/ http://www.michigan.gov/documents/deq/ogs-gimdl-GGPS_263213_7.pdf http://www.shintangle.com/petoskeystones.html http://ontherockstc.com/pages/michigan-stone-info http://www.shintangle.com/petoskeystones.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petoskey_stone https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petoskey_stone
what kind of fossil is a petoskey stone