sedimentary
Favosites Fossil (Honeycomb Coral)
Favosites (Extinct genus of tabulate coral)
Hardness: 3-4 (Calcite replacement) or up to 7 (Silicified); Color: Off-white, tan, or grey; Luster: Dull to waxy; Texture: Distinctive polygonal honeycomb-like pores (corallites) with internal horizontal dividers (tabulae).
- Hardness
- 3-4 (Calcite replacement) or up to 7 (Silicified)
- Color
- Off-white, tan, or grey
- Luster
- Dull to waxy
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Physical properties
Hardness: 3-4 (Calcite replacement) or up to 7 (Silicified); Color: Off-white, tan, or grey; Luster: Dull to waxy; Texture: Distinctive polygonal honeycomb-like pores (corallites) with internal horizontal dividers (tabulae).
Formation & geological history
Formed through the fossilization of colonial coral colonies during the Ordovician to Devonian periods (approx. 488 to 359 million years ago) in warm, shallow marine environments.
Uses & applications
Primarily used for educational study, geological collecting, and lapidary work (polishing and jewelry-making). Distinctive specimens are prized by fossil collectors.
Geological facts
Favosites is known as the 'honeycomb coral' due to the shape of the corallites. These corals lacked the septa (internal vertical ridges) characteristic of modern corals. They often lived in reef communities alongside rugose corals.
Field identification & locations
Identify by looking for the regular, geometric grid of small holes on the surface and the 'stacked' appearance of the chambers when seen in cross-section. Commonly found in limestone outcrops and shorelines of the Great Lakes (USA/Canada).
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