Two strange fossils (?) found in upstate NY

I have been collecting fossils for a few years locally. My locality is void of any substantial fossils from the dinosaur period, due to the ice ages and their resultant extensive erosion. It is, however, richly strewn with fossil specimens from the Devonian/Silurian/Ordovican periods, possibly even much earlier periods. Lots of shale, slate, some limestone, mudstone layers. Some road cuts expose up to 100 feet of these layers.

Anyway, I came across these two strange rocks; I will refrain from calling them fossils for now. I was highly intrigued by them. I realize identification by mere photograph is difficult, perhaps someone could help me identify them.

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those are trace fossils, well thats what they look like to me

Yup, those are trace fossils. I think so as well.

I would guess that the first one is the remains of a fish or amphibian. It was too large to take home. I haven't a clue as to what the other is. Never seen anything like them in the field.

TJW1226 wrote:

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My guess would be the brachiopod genus lingula.

could the top picture specimen be an eel instead of fish?

I don't think it could be an eel. Eels didn't evolve until the cretaceous, and upstate NY has much older sediment.

But as to what it really is, I am stumped.

There looks like a rib cage...maybe a juvenile snake.

it almost looks like a leach (the first pic)

I don't think it's any kind of animal remains. Snakes also hadn't evolved yet And I am unsure if leeches are present in the fossil record because they are soft bodied.

Maybe it is a trace fossil like everyone said before?

yeah. im not the trace fossil expert lol i just know what they look like!