fossil
Favosites Fossil (Honeycomb Coral)
Favosites goldfussi / Order Tabulata
Hardness: 3-4 (calcite composition), Color: Gray, tan, or brown, Luster: Dull to earthy, Structure: Distinctive hexagonal honeycomb-like tubes called corallites.
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Physical properties
Hardness: 3-4 (calcite composition), Color: Gray, tan, or brown, Luster: Dull to earthy, Structure: Distinctive hexagonal honeycomb-like tubes called corallites.
Formation & geological history
Formed from the mineralized skeletons of extinct colonial tabulate corals that lived in warm, shallow seas. These fossils date primarily from the Ordovician to Devonian periods, approximately 488 to 360 million years ago.
Uses & applications
Scientific study, educational displays, hobbyist collecting, and sometimes polished into decorative items or jewelry.
Geological facts
Unlike modern corals, Favosites had small pores along the walls of the corallites that allowed the polyps to share nutrients. They are index fossils used by geologists to date rock layers.
Field identification & locations
Identify by the honeycomb pattern of small hexagonal pits. Common in the Great Lakes region (like Michigan) and the Ohio River Valley. Often found in limestone outcrops or along freshwater shorelines.
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