I think it belongs to the Silurian of North America (in the province of Manitoba).
It is limestone and the fossil has this net-like structure. I originally thought it was a Bryozoan, some think it is a Poriferan (sponge).
Without a photo, I am guessing the most probably is Receptaculitid algae. Here is an excellent ref.:
https://archive.org/details/northamericansil28nite
You are right, it is Bryozoan, I think is Fenestella sp. living relative Sertella spp. Look like it too.
Michael:
I tend to agee with Genway that it is probably a Fenestella sp.
Best
Syed
Syed Abbas,
Thank you very much for your contribution!
There was a problem seeing the attached pictures. I tried to re-enter pictures to no avail, then I saw in other questions pictures there were not available for viewing either. Now everything works fine. Nobody is perfect, even computers.
I can't catch details, but it is very similar also to dendroid Graptolithina fossils. If so, the specimen may be Ordovician.
Thanks Yury for pointing this out, Indeed it looks very similar and could be.
Dear Michael,
I agree with Yury, I think it is a dendroid graptolite. The dark color of the fossil is reminiscent of graptolites rather than of the mineralized skeleton of bryozoans. The dendroid genus Desmograptus is characterised by such an anatomising pattern as displayed by your fossil. Check out Sloan (1959) (Journal of Paleontology, 33 (4), pp. 680-681), who described a similar form as Desmograptus cancellatus from Silurian carbonates of Minnesota.
Cheers,
Michael
Thank you Michael Streng for your contribution and the reference to a location not too far away from the place I found the fossil.
Best wishes,
Michael I.
I think it is a dendroid graptolite too. Possible as: Dictyonema retiforme from Early Silurian of Canada (425 myo), on display at Museo Paleontologico Lai, Ceriale, Savona, Italy; Dictyonema jlabelliforme ( EICHW.).Pl. I. Text fig. l. (A complete synonomy list published by BuLMAN (1927, p. 12-13).
Michael:
Looks like dendritic Graptolites described from Silurian, but at present it could only be described as Gen. et sp. indet.
Best
Syed
Thank you Amr. I think the majority vote is for a dendroid graptolite.
Possibly a bryozoan, but certainly not Fenestella sp. You need to search for further detail with higher magnification. The fossil seems to be a mould so the skeleton is not preserved, but if chamber arrangement can be observed that should lead you to choose either graptolite or bryozoan. Primitive reticulate bryozoans belonging to the suborder Phylloporinina order Fenestrata, were relatively common during the Ordovician and Silurian, and though I cannot see a scale in the uploaded images, some genera within this group look very much like your specimens.
I can say it is more likely a carbonized filament of dendroid graptolites.
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