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Hello all, here are two more track ways I found on Saturday. Just looking at these I'm imagining what the tetrapod was doing to create this wonderful piece! These are so cool because the mudflat the organism took a stride on was a lil' wet, at least that's what it appears to be. The Cincosaurus cobbi left some of its footprints (can see the prints if photo is enlarged) on the mud of the disturbance as it sloshed through the mud on its belly?
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Hi all! It was such a gorgeous day to get out to fossil hunt. We've had rain the past several weeks and made this site more interesting to hunt! I found this shale slab that has a set of tetrapod trackways and parallel to it a Diplichnites/arthropod trackways. It was thought this could be a predation trackways but upon closer inspection the Diplichnites veers to the right and the tetrapod trackway veers the opposite direction. My guess these trackways were laid down at different times. Ohhh well, not close enough...perhaps next time I will find a predation trace fossil! Cool fossil anyway!
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Hello All! I got to go visit a new site near where I live Saturday and it didn't disappoint. There were fossils everywhere and had to limit what I was able to take home because there was so many. I focused on fern fossils of course but also the most I found interesting. This site contained both Carboniferous Period plant as well as marine fossils. I went with a group of folks, all of them walked away with some really nice finds. Hope to get back there soon! As you can see the fossils just littered the ground, although some of them were so fragile that when you picked them up by hand they fell apart due to being exposed to the elements for a long period of time. The pinnues on this fern frond is the largest I've ever found. I looked it up and this species is a Eusphenopteris stiara? The Lyginopteris has a Calamite overlapping it. Look closely at the stem above it and you can see the hair-like thorns. One of my favorites fern finds is this Mariopteris. Lepidodendron leaf scars. Sigillaria outside impression and decorticated inside impression 3D Stigmaria root casts. Bivalves with Nautiloid impression top left. Bivalves surrounding what appears a Cephalopod? Lepidostrobus cone with Lepidostrobophyllum...what a mouthful! Always find the Lepidostrobophyllum independently from the cone...this is the first even with a partial stem! Bivalves as well as tiny and Mussel. Also to add to this, I found two Lycopod trunks. Seeing I had no room to store these behemoths I gave the bottom one to someone else and let them be Superman for the day. The other one had to weigh 200+ pounds so it was left behind. I got word yesterday that someone in the group is making arrangements to retrieve it because it may have scientific value. Either way I usually pass these things up because there is no room to store them!
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I discovered a dark green crystal near a construction site in a neighborhood of Alabaster, Alabama which sits in the southern tip of the Pottsville formation of the Pennsylvanian epoch. At first glance I noticed circular air bubble inclusions and assumed it was just glass. But, upon further inspection with a secondary light source, it appears there’s small material that resembles pollen in other inclusions. There’s striations visible that almost make it look like a green jolly rancher under light. It does not really feel like glass in your hand when held and has a greasy appearance. Anyone familiar with green amber??
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Howdy Y'all! It's the beginning of a new decade and has been over four months since we were able to visit the honey hole for fern fossils. It's difficult for my hunting buddies to get time off on a work day that is my weekend, a Monday or Tuesday. One of them managed to get off for a Monday fossil excursion. Last week we visited a rock wall that we thought was a potential site? It was a disappointment because we had to get past a briar patch in order to get to the wall, although there was stone at the base of that wall we didn't see any signs of fossils...so we moved on? We decided to visit the fern site and there for about two hours and found some good specimens and a fossil of the day. We had a lot of rain fall and flooding the week before and most of what we found was caked in mud and soil! I finally got them washed and here are a few of those fossils. Most of them are hash plates. From the looks of them, they depict a flood zone in the Carboniferous period. The fern leaflets appear scattered about and stripped from their stems. You will see some fern fronds, half of them stripped of leaves. We find a lot of these type hash plates on this site. Pic #1- Eusphenopteris fern fronds Pic #2- Nueroptheris fern fronds and leaflets Pic #3- Fern Rachis and leaflets and Calamite stem Pic #4- Nueropteris fern fronds and leaflets Pic #5- Fern leaflet stems? Pic #6- Fern Rachis with leaflets Pic #7- Nueropteris fern fronds and leaflets Pic #8- 2D Calamite stem Pic #9- Large Fern Rachis Pic #10- Fossil Find of the Day- 3D Lepidodendron stem
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Gorgeous Day For A Carboniferous Ichno Fossil Hunt!
Rockin' Ric posted a topic in Fossil Hunting Trips
Hello all! It was too gorgeous of a day to be indoors so I get out and go to my favorite ancient mudflat. I found several cool tracks of Xiphosurans and Diplichnites. Some day I hope to find a slab of shale with all the tracks I have found on this site so far...one big plate all of them on the same slab like they decided to party in one spot! I'm getting close...it could happen! Pic #1- Diplichnites and 3 Xiphosuran tracks on this slab Pic #2- Detail Xiphosuran track Pic #3- 4 Xiphosuran tracks Pic #4- Ripple marks?? Pic #5- One of the largest Xiphosuran tracks I've found so far...it's the size of a US 50 cent piece. Most have been smaller than a US quarter Pic #6- Pos/Neg impression of a Xiphosuran track Pic #7- This one is shaped differently than the other Xiphosuran's, a different species perhaps? Pic #8- Dunno what this one is? Pic #9- Larger leg marks made by a bigger Xiphosuran??? Always find one side leg marks and never the both sides? Pic #10- Diplichnites
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Howdy y'all! As fall sets in and lots of rain in the forecast, it makes for some good ichno/trace fossil hunting! The lower temps in the South just makes it idea. I got out last week after a weekend of rain on site with many rockslides containing goodies to be found. These fossils aren't your typical trace fossils of tetrapods or giant insects but of the small and tiny variety which are a joy to find! I love collecting them and they offer a glimpse into ancient mud flats of the Carboniferous period. Some of these fossils can be identified and others are in waiting and hopefully I will continue to find other mysterious tracks along the way. As I've mentioned before I hope to find the track maker of each fossil but at the moment content with what I'm finding. I will continue to post my finds and hope you guys and gals are just as fascinated by them as I! Pics #1, 2, 5, 7, 11- are identified as Xiphosurans...sometimes I find them single, double and sometime multiples. I've also been told they are some type of "hopping" insect (Toganoxichnus)? Pics #3, 6, 8, 10, 14- are identified as Diplichnites traces. Pic #4- Not sure what the fish/infinity impression is? Next to it is half of a Xiphosuran track. Pic #9- You will see a Xiphosuran track and next to it is a track shaped into a backward question mark. It appears a small arthropod got bogged down in the mud and struggled to find a firmer footing and did as you can tell toward the end...just my theory??? Pics #12, 13- not sure but there are a number of traces...maybe feeding traces on #12 and a single on #13? Pic #15- You will see two different Xiphosuran tracks with a Diplichnites overlapping them.
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Hi Y'all! It's been a crazy hot summer...so hot that it kept me from getting out to fossil hunt. A break came last week when I was able to get out for about an hour and half and found these nice specimens. Having to work on weekends and daylight getting shorter I didn't have much time to really get into it but this site continues to produce regardless how much time I spend there. Love my Carboniferous Flora, especially the ferns! This site produces some unbelievable fossils with detail and contrast! Several varieties of fern species have been found and so fortunate to find so many with the venation detail as some of you have seen in past post of ferns on The Fossil Forum. Here are a few from last weeks finds. Pic 1- Sphenopteris- although there isn't much contrast here, it's still a nice piece Pic 2- Closeup of the Sphenopteris leaves with detail venation Pic 3- Lycopodiates with Nueropteris fern frond and leaflets, coal film giving detail and contrast Pic 4- Lepidodendron stems, coal film giving some detail and contrast Pic 5- Lepidostrobus, detailed cone with coal film giving detail and contrast Pic 6- Lepidodendron- interior impression of trunk Happy National Fossil Day everyone!
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Hello all! It's been very busy the past several months but managed to get out and do some fossil hunting several weeks ago. Found quite a few trace and plant specimens but not the spectacular "fern fossil" or "trace slab" with several different tracks on it that I envisioned finding at these sites. It's just a matter of time? With the weather and the rain we'd been getting lately it won't be long until the weeds and Kudzu take over one the sites and will be much more difficult to hunt. Until then we will gather as much as we can, when we can. Pic #1-3- 2D Calamite impressions...the first picture looks like stitching, if you look closely you will see a node. Pic #3- has a fern rachis highlighted with coal film Pic #4- Almost 3D Calamite cast Pic #5- Lepidostrobus cones Pic #6, #7 and 11- Nueropteris fern frond Pic #8, #9- Mariopteris fern fronds Pic #10- Lyginopteris fern frond with Nueropteris leaflet Pic #12-15- Trace Fossils, makers unknown...probably some type of arthropod?
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Carboniferous Period experts! I need some help getting the correct ID on this fossil. I was finally able to get out to do some Carboniferous Plant fossil hunting on Monday after 2 months! I find a lot of these and wonder if they part of the same plant? The branch to the right that has a coal film on it seems to be that of Lepidodendron and in the upper left what appears to be Lycopodiates? I've associated the Lycopodiates as a ground plant? Is what up in the upper right the leaves of the Lepidodendron or the ground plant I spoke of earlier?
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Hello All! I've collected a lot of plant fossils as well as others, most of them stored in boxes. Over time I've purchased and been given many pictures frames from regular to shadow box with plans of someday placing something in them. Now I've combined both my fossils and frames together, discovering new ways to be creative and getting the fossils out of the box and filling up wall space! Of course all of these are for personal use and not for sale. Here are a few samples... The third sample was created several years back and can be improved upon.
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Hello Y'all! It's been awhile...I recently acquired several track fossils to add to my collection. I think these tracks were made by a Cincosaurus Cobbi. They were found at a renown ichno fossil site here in Central Alabama about a hour drive from my home. I have been there twice and found mostly cool plant fossils but these are really downright cool especially the ones with fossil fern fronds on the shale plate. I thought I'd share them with you. Hopefully when the weather warms up and there's more daylight I will be able to visit more of these sites to add these cool fossils to my collection!
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Hey Y'all! Due to some technical issues with pictures on the first posting... I'm trying again.... It had been awhile since I got to go on a fossil hunt with the local Alabama Paleontological Society group. On 11/20/18, I got to go to a active surface coal mine not far from my home on a gorgeous, cold day considering we had rain all week. We checked in around 9:30 am and was guided to our destination through a lot of mud to a site away from the major activity of mine operations. We had the run of spoil piles that were created into berms that contained all sorts of plant fossils! My goal for the day was to find as many fern fossils that could fit into two 5.5 gallon buckets and those berms didn't disappoint. Most of what I found was disarticlulated Neuropteris fern fronds and lots of fern hash plates. The leaflets had a reddish tint of iron that had oxidized when exposed to the weather as the sample shows. I collected a number of hash plates that I found very interesting. I found numerous fern fronds ... ... and even several pieces of Sigillaria bark impressions that I don't have in my collection. (I think this one is the interior impression of the Sigillaria) I shot a picture of a young Mimosa, a modern day tree fern leaves and shadow cast upon a hash plate slab with the Neuropteris leaflets. After about and hour or two on that berm I think I tapped it out so another location was found and we all moved there where I found many more fern fossils including the find of the day, this fern frond! By the time we got ready to leave both of my buckets were full and of course we all wanted to stay longer but felt we didn't want to over stay our welcome. There were several slabs that I didn't have time to break down so I left them as well as the bigger ones that couldn't be taken out, so only a picture had to do! The last picture is that of a Stigmaria with visible rootlets! What an awesome day, I declare this site as one of my favorites and look forward to coming back again!
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Crazy is, crazy does when it comes to fossil hunting on a hot day! Went fossil hunting last Tuesday after work with the temp pushing 92 degrees with a real feel of 101 degrees! Gotta love the summer in Bama...not! Oh cold weather can't wait till you get here! Here are a few finds from that hot steamy day.
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From the album: Lycopod, Cordaite and Fern Fossils
Fern fronds in the unfolding process. -
Here is one half of my latest active coal mine finds. There's not much contrast between the image and stone like the previous fossils I've posted on the lighter color shale that came from a construction site. The mine shale is a lot darker in color, some slabs found are almost close to coal consistency. Carboniferous Period, Pottsville Formation, Central Alabama. Panoramic view of the coal mine Stigmaria with rootlets and Cordaites leaves...there were lots of this in the spoil piles. Stigmaria with rootlets, rarely find stigmaria this small with the rootlet image attached...most I've had to photograph because the stone was too big to carry out. Lyginopteris fern fronds with fern rachis and what appears to be lepidodendron stems? Fern rachis and Lyginopteris ferns. I counted 5 Trigoncarpus on the first piece. Second pic with Fern rachis with Nueropteris fern fronds and leaves? Lyginopteris Fern fronds with stems and Stigmaria impression with nodes. Nueropteris fern fronds and leaves with rachis and Trigoncarpus with overlapping rootlets and other type of material? 3D Calamite stem.
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It had been December 2017 since I last did a fossil hunt. Unable to go on the weekends because of work and by the time I get off there is no daylight left to attempt a hunt. Now it's 2018 and the days are getting longer I went on a fossil fern hunt recently and found a bucket full of nicely preserved specimens! Unfortunately the ground was wet, the shale slabs were saturated with moisture and brittle making them impossible to wash so I'm having to let them dry out before washing the grit and dirt off my finds. I was able to get one or two washed now posting a cool find. On one side there is "y" shaped Lepidodendron stem with what looks like the leafy portion of the tree or Lycopodiates. Turn it over you have the several different varieties of plant fossils from Mariopteris Fern fronds, Peripteris leaf, Lepidostrobus cone, Lycopodiates and Fern Rachis. I will post the other when I get them washed and presentable.
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Hello ya'll! Here is the find of the day from a recent fossil fern hunt. Slowly but surely getting them cleaned. While on site I debated on whether to toss this fossil since it had a partial impression of Lycopodiates on one side. There was about an inch of stone that could be split from the other side. Good thing I did! A Spiropteris appeared when I split the stone with both pos and neg plates. I guess the moral of the story is don't toss it, split it!
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Hello All. Here are some Carboniferous Brachiopods found at a residential construction site in Central Alabama. #1 Nicely perserved Brach #2 Mermaid top #3 Small Brach hash #4 Small Brach hash with Lepidophylloide #5 Pyritized Brach with small Chonetids scattered about? #6 Brach with pieces of Mussel and Trilobutt. #7 Brach with piece of Bivalve.
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I am aware of the different species of Calmites but don't know all of them. Can anyone identify this one? I'm curious as to what the vertical seam separating the ribbing?
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Not as spectacular as previous plant fossil finds. Here are a few specimens from last Tuesday's hunt, consisting of Maropteris and Neuropteris fern frond, Lepidostrobus, Trigoncarpus, Coal crusted Calamites Stem and Fern Rachis.
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Found these two fossils the same day at two different sites. The sites are 30 minutes east and west of each other. On both fossils there is a trigoncarpus seed pod. Could the images criss-crossing, overlapping each other be cyperite leaves or Lepidophylloides? ...Or some type of stems or root system?
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Here is one half of my latest active coal mine finds. There's not much contrast between the image and stone like the previous fossils I've posted on the lighter color shale that came from a construction site. The mine shale is a lot darker in color, some slabs found are almost close to coal consistency. Carboniferous Period, Pottsville Formation, Central Alabama. 3D Calamite Stems Calamite Stem with Trigoncarpus and large Calamite stem impression. Neuropteris leaf hash plates with rachis. Trigoncarpus seed pods with stems and rachis. Not sure what the first pic is...Calamites??? Fern leaf hash plate. Fern hash plate and Lyginopteris fern fronds.
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Hello Ya'll! Got to do some serious fossil hunting this month and was able to find some pretty good plant and ichno specimens! Here are some of the plant fossils found. Pic #1-2- 3D Calamite stem cast cleaned and in situ Pic #3- Mariopteris fern fronds with rachis and lepidodendron stem Pic #4- Nueropteris fern frond with large leaf fern fossil Pic #5- Mariopteris fern frond Pic #6- 3D Fern Rachis Pic #7-8- Fern Rachis/Fern hash plate
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Hello All! It's been awhile since I posted latest pics of trace fossil finds. I usually go to my favorite site once every two weeks and usually walk away with 1 to 3 finds but never have the time to post all of them. Here are a few and I hope I haven't posted any of these previously on TFF...they definitely have been posted on the Facebook sites. Probably need to go through my boxes and sort through the others and take pics and post soon? Pic #1- Have no idea what created this? Pic#2- Resting trace with another set of tracks to the right. Pic#3-6- Really cool tracks...Diplichnites, Protichnites? Pic#7- U-shaped burrow. Pic#8-10- Conostichus, side and top view Pic #11&12- I find a lot of these, unfortunately they've been all one side not a complete set. From the looks of them, I'm assuming they are the track/claw marks of an arthropod???
