Black shale find - what is it?

[Kurri Kline]

Hello,  I like busting open local black shale to see what is inside.  This is from the Eastern Panhandle in West Virginia.  That is a pen in the picture to give perspective as to the size.  I am finding a lot of Brachiopods in the same shale (you can see some of it in the picture)  I am very new to hunting fossils, any groups local to Washington DC area?  Thank you for checking out my shale.

 

[KingSepron]

Welcome to the forum!

[Bobby Rico]

Welcome to my forum.

i think better picture in day light would definitely help. I have edited you pictures it may help a little 

 

[piranha]

The mystery item is not a brachiopod.  This is a seed: Holcospermum

 

 

 

figure from:

 

Blake, B.M. 2009. Carboniferous Paleobotany and Paleoclimatology of the Central Appalachian Basin, West Virginia, USA. West Virginia University, PhD Thesis, 240 pp.

[grandpa]

Hello and a warm welcome to TFF from Austin, Tx.  You've found a great place to explore questions and ID's such as you are raising, to wit, the quick response from @piranha.  The breadth of expertise and experience of this forum never ceases to amaze me! 

 

Again, Welcome!

[Fossildude19]

1 hour ago, piranha said:

The mystery item is not a brachiopod. 

Scott, 

I think he was referring to this item in the picture as a brachiopod. 

 

 

 

[piranha]

35 minutes ago, Fossildude19 said:

Scott, 

I think he was referring to this item in the picture as a brachiopod.

 

 

From the inset photos it looks like the seed is the highlighted item. 

 

[Fossildude19]

Yup. I got that. 

Just pointing out the potential brachiopod.   

[piranha]

Leaf, seed and brachiopod would be quite an unusual association!

[Kurri Kline]

Thank you so much!  I didn't even see the seed!  Just to clarify, is this picture of a leaf?

[dinosaur man]

Nice finds!, and welcome to the forum!

[Mark Kmiecik]

17 hours ago, Kurri Kline said:

Thank you so much!  I didn't even see the seed!  Just to clarify, is this picture of a leaf?

Yeah, I don't see leaf here either, and even though the association of brachio and seed is uncommon though both are pods (), it is not impossible. I actually thought this "leaf" was the mystery.