sedimentary
Fossilized Tabulate Coral (Honeycomb Coral)
Favosites (Order: Tabulata)
Hardness: 3-4 (calcite based), Color: Gray to dull green, Luster: Dull/Earthy, Structure: Characterized by small closely packed honeycomb-like tubes (corallites) with transverse partitions.
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Physical properties
Hardness: 3-4 (calcite based), Color: Gray to dull green, Luster: Dull/Earthy, Structure: Characterized by small closely packed honeycomb-like tubes (corallites) with transverse partitions.
Formation & geological history
Formed during the Silurian and Devonian periods (approx. 400 million years ago) in warm, shallow marine environments. The coral was buried in sediment and replaced by minerals over time.
Uses & applications
Primarily used as educational specimens, indicators for geological mapping, and as aesthetic items for amateur fossil collectors.
Geological facts
Favosites are often called Honeycomb Corals due to the hexagonal shape of the individual corallites. They were major reef-builders before the Great Permian Extinction.
Field identification & locations
Identify in the field by looking for the distinct 'honeycomb' grid pattern on the specimen surface. Commonly found in limestone beds in the Great Lakes region of the US (Michigan, Ohio, Indiana).
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