Riverbed fossil - mystery, maybe plant fossils?

[David123456789]

The pictures show the front and back of a small slab of stone (approx 6in x 6in x 0.5in thick).  I have no experience of fossils and so am completely in the dark with this.  The stone was on the stony beach which was exposed due to low rainfall - it would ordinarily be under water in a small stream about 2m wide. The pattern is 3D - as if the dark areas within the lighter lattice-type lines have been slightly hollowed out (perhaps only by 0.5 mm). A friend guessed that they may be plant fragments.  The stream runs close to an area in Scotland frequented by Druids many centuries ago, as well as being the site of a Roman marching camp (Circa 54-55BC).  I wondered if the stone had been carved rather than imprinted or shaped by weathering.  I'm afraid I'm not a photographer, but if on first sight the stone seems worthy of further inspection I have a friend who is a professional photographer and can easily have better images uploaded.  

 

 

Also, can only upload the 'front' - which is the more interesting side, due to Mb limit.  Once again, I can get my friend to cut the byte size and upload more images if this is of interest.

 

Kind regards, David

[Tidgy's Dad]

Yes, plant material including a nice bit of Lepidodendron, I think. 

Hello, and a very warm welcome to TFF from Morocco. 

[grandpa]

Plus one for "plant material including a nice bit of Lepidodendron" and plus one for " a very warm welcome to TFF ", but this time from Austin, Tx.

[David123456789]

Thanks very much to both of you - both for the warm welcome and rapid ID .

 

I've just done a search on Lepidodendron and now know something I didn't know before - lovely.  I was hoping it might have been some ancient scaly creature, but hey ho, there we go.  I don't know how common they are but I'll definitely look for more and may even frame it!

 

Once again many thanks for IDing it so quickly - I'm even more excited now than when I found it!

 

if i may take advantage of the expertise here, are there likely to be other fossils of things that are commonly found in the same environment as Lepidodendron?  I think I may have caught the fossil-haunting bug and will definitely head down to the stream in search of more.

 

Cheers, David

Edited May 4, 2020 by David123456789

[Tidgy's Dad]

Not really rare but always nice finds nonetheless. 

Have a look at Upper Carboniferous (I think this will be) plants, you've a decent chance of finding leaves, stems/ trunks and roots I would imagine.  

[David123456789]

Thanks Tidgy's Dad. I'll do that. Will be my first venture into history beyond 500 years.

[Mark Kmiecik]

8 hours ago, David123456789 said:

Thanks Tidgy's Dad. I'll do that. Will be my first venture into history beyond 500 years.

Welcome from Illinois, USA. About 299,999,500 years beyond 500 years, give or take a few. Gotta watch that first step! Welcome to fossils. Come on in. The water's just fine.

[David123456789]

@Mark K.  Cheers thanks. I've been focussing on Scotland's history around and prior to the Union with England - this will take me to new depths of time!

[cngodles]

On 5/4/2020 at 6:19 PM, David123456789 said:

was hoping it might have been some ancient scaly creature, but hey ho, there we go.

This was a thing hundreds of years ago. They would have these on display labeled as skins of ancient beasts.

[David123456789]

@cngodles 

Hi there.  Yes - thanks for that.  I saw the written at the end of the Wiki page for this type of fossil.  Certainly looks scaly :-)