Manganese and Iron Dendrites

By oilshale

• February 1, 2022

Taxonomy

Kingdom: n/a
Phylum: n/a
Class: n/a
Order: n/a
Family: n/a
Genus: n/a
Species: n/a

Geological Time Scale

Eon: Phanerozoic
Era: Mesozoic
Period: Jurassic
Sub Period: None
Epoch: Late
International Age: Tithonian

Stratigraphy

Weissjura Group
Altmühltal Formation

Provenance

Collector: T. Bastelberger
Date Collected: 06/01/1979
Acquired by: Field Collection

Location

Obere Haardt (quarry)
Langenaltheim (village)
Bavaria
Germany

• dendrite
• ferns
• iron
• manganese
• solnhofen

Comments

Dendrites are moss- or tree-like pseudofossils on the margins of rock fissures and fossils, usually on the bedding surfaces of platy limestones and sandstones.

Mineral-rich water with high concentrations of iron and manganese has penetrated microscopic cavities between limestone layers, and diffusion-limited growth has created these brown iron and black manganese dendrites, which are often mistaken for fossil ferns or fossil moss..

This slab with manganese and iron dendrites comes from the lithographic limestones of Solnhofen.