As of: March 2, 2024, 7:50 a.m
By: Robin Dittrich, Kilian Bäuml
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A spectacular find on the Baltic Sea is presented on the Internet.
But opinions about the authenticity of the fossil are divided.
Kassel – The secrets of the ocean sometimes reveal themselves in the form of treasures that wash up on the shore.
Impressive discoveries are also made again and again on the Baltic Sea coast.
Collectors and lucky beachgoers often share their finds online.
So did a Facebook user who may have discovered a remarkable fossil.
However, there are doubts about their discovery.
Facebook user presents prehistoric fossil: Real find or mere illusion?
Rita W. shows a prehistoric fossil on a blue background.
She claims to have “found it on the Baltic Sea”.
The well-preserved remnant of a bygone era is reminiscent of a sea creature with tentacles.
Within two days, more than 1,300 other users responded to her post in the “Beach Finds Sea Glass, Fossils, Stones and Sea” group.
There are almost 100 comments under the photo.
The lucky finder shared the discovery of a spectacular prehistoric fossil on Facebook.
However, users doubt the location of the relic.
© Karina Hessland/Imago Rita Wegner Facebook
Many congratulate the lucky finder.
One user writes “sensational,” while another comments: “Uffff, how brilliant is that.” Many users speculate about which fossilized sea animal it could be.
Some suspect that it is an octopus or squid: “I immediately thought of tentacles, perhaps of an octopus,” says one woman.
But some obviously experienced group members agree that it can only be a sea lily (Encrinus liliiformis).
Despite its name, this is actually an animal and not a plant.
Fossilized sea lily discovered on the Baltic Sea: sensation or fraud?
The sea lily
The “Encrinus liliiformis” was named Fossil of the Year in 2019 by the Paleontological Society.
With its long stem and crown, the sea lily resembles a flowering plant.
In fact, it is an animal that populated the Germanic Muschelkalk Sea around 230 million years ago.
Source: mineralienatlas.de
However, there was disagreement among users as to whether such a find on the Baltic Sea was even possible.
Several people expressed doubts: “That doesn’t happen there,” said one.
Another adds: “On the Baltic Sea at a flea market, or where exactly was this found?
Fortunately, there are many real experts here who can immediately tell whether the Baltic Sea location is correct.”
Due to numerous inquiries, the finder specified the location: “I found this sea lily on Rügen, in Altefähr, opposite Stralsund, I was there with my dogs last summer.” One user says that this find “cannot be completely ruled out for Rügen” , but these are “very small and extremely rare.” His verdict: “The whole thing is very, very fishy, doubts are more than justified.”
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Mysterious find on the Baltic Sea: fossil or fake?
The finder of the fossil defends herself: “It's legitimate to raise doubts, but I would have absolutely nothing to gain from lying to you.” Another user who also found fossils agrees: “Nice find.
It is also said that trilobites cannot be found on Rügen.
Conclusion: I found one there.
Enjoy it.” How the fossilized sea lily got to where it was found is probably not clear.
However, this should be unimportant for the finder.
There are always spectacular discoveries even far from the sea. Archeologists, for example, were excited about a gold treasure that could have come from Germany.
The editor wrote this article and then used an AI language model for optimization at his own discretion. All information has been carefully checked.
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