Newbie

[DoxyLady]

Hi all, complete newbie here! I have an old fossil I've dragged around with me for decades but have been unable to identify it. I've googled images and still haven't found anything like it. From what I have found, it came from a generally Cretaceous area in southern Oklahoma, south and slightly east of Ardmore in Love County. The landowner gave us permission to surface hunt (my boys were trying to earn badges for Boy Scouts) The section I picked up was the only loose part of a roughly 4 or 5 foot long "trunk" that was still encased in rock (hardened red clay), so the short section is the only part we could get. It does not look like any petrified wood I've been able to find, but more like a reed or rush, only very big.

 

Tried to get close enough to see the longitudinal grooves as well as the bands around the "trunk" but I'm not sure the resolution is going to be sharp enough to show up. It reminds me of a giant stalk of celery the way the grooves run down the length!

 

Sorry for the vagueness, we found it about 35 years ago. Am hoping someone will recognize this. Thanks in advance!

 

[grandpa]

First and foremost, a very warm welcome to TFF from Austin, Tx.  I hope you find a home here as many, many fossil enthusiasts have.

 

Second, to your question, what you have here is, in my opinion, a very nice specimen of calamites.  Google "calamites" and see images and compare these to first picture.

 

Third, calamites would not come out of the Cretaceous.  This species went extinct in the Permian.  Also, judging from the "geological map of OK" (google that as well), this area is Permian in age.  That would certainly be consistent with the potential age of the fossil as well.

 

Hope this helps, and again - Welcome to the forum!

 

Grandpa

 

 

[Fossildude19]

Welcome to the Forum.  

I agree with grandpa. Calamites, for sure.

[snolly50]

15 minutes ago, grandpa said:

calamites

 

8 minutes ago, Fossildude19 said:

I agree with grandpa.

Yep and a nice example too. After 35 years the rest may be weathered out - send those boys back for it.

[Rockwood]

It may be useful to note that it appears to be a pith cast. 

I agree that the size would tend to indicate the older age suggested for it. The younger sphenophytes are generally believed to be smaller.

[Ludwigia]

Welcome from Germany and +1 for Calamites.

[Mark Kmiecik]

What grandpa said, and a very, very nice specimen of Calamites, a horse tail rush that grew up to 40 feet tall and branched resembling a pine tree in general.

[Uncle Siphuncle]

22 hours ago, Fossildude19 said:

Welcome to the Forum.  

I agree with grandpa. Calamites, for sure.

A Texas example I found recently.

[Rockwood]

The narrowing leads me to believe this is the proximal end of a branch.

[DoxyLady]

First--thank you for a very warm welcome! I used to fossil hunt with my boys all the time, and continued long after they left home simply because I love fossil hunting! Have never been particularly good at identifying, and thanked the heavens when the Internet enabled me to search images.

 

I really appreciate the ident, and the specimen shown by Steward is even more beautiful than mine--very nice indeed!

 

Neither of my sons remained interested in fossil collection, sadly, so I'm considering giving my modest collection to the children of the young lady my son is dating, they are in the "I love dinosaurs" phase. Whichever I decide to do, it's nice to now have a name to give to my very old anonymous fossil!

 

Here's wishing you all a happy, prosperous new year!