Pennsylvanian Flora from East Central Illinois

[deutscheben]

The quality of the fossils from this second site is not as good as the ones I was previously posting- the detail is a little more grainy and they can be quite soft. Although they are indeed concretions like Mazon Creek, the material that makes up these concretions is coarser than those on average.

 

That being said, it has still produced a number of interesting and in some cases quite nice plant fossils. I will start with some ferns.

 

I found the two sides of this little Alethopteris 2 years apart.

 

 

 

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The finds have also mostly been small, under 3 inches. I’m not positive on the nomenclature for these next ferns, I still need to pick up the new ESCONI flora guide. 
 

 

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It’s not very well-preserved or complete (and unfortunately most of the outer surface is not exposed), but this is my only example from any site of a seed like this- perhaps Trigonocarpus?

 

 

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This is also where I have found my only example of Artisia, the fossilized pith cast from Cordaites. As is often the case with this form genus, this piece is preserved inflated, here you can see it from two different angles.

 

 

[bigred97]

Nice finds! I love that you found the 2 sides of the fern 2 years apart! 

[connorp]

Very neat finds!

[deutscheben]

8 hours ago, bigred97 said:

Nice finds! I love that you found the 2 sides of the fern 2 years apart! 

 

2 hours ago, connorp said:

Very neat finds!

Thanks! The finds from this site are sparse (averaging about 10 pieces each trip), but there have been some real gems.

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Here is another example of a genus I have only found from this site (and only one specimen). Lycopodites is the tip of a branch from a lycophyte tree.

 

[Caverat]

Hello Deutscheben! I collected at one of those waste dumps decades ago and found some very nice specimens. I'll attach an image of a large specimen that I interpreted as a clay that had been fired (as you mentioned) due to the twisted deformation of the barks surface. The light blue grid is one inch.

[deutscheben]

13 hours ago, Caverat said:

Hello Deutscheben! I collected at one of those waste dumps decades ago and found some very nice specimens. I'll attach an image of a large specimen that I interpreted as a clay that had been fired (as you mentioned) due to the twisted deformation of the barks surface. The light blue grid is one inch.

Whoah, that is an excellent one! It definitely seems like collecting would have been easier and sites more accessible in this area about 20-30 years ago- so much has been reclaimed or blocked off now. 

[deutscheben]

Here are two of my largest ferns from this site (and they aren’t really large at all). Each is a different “Pecopteris” type- not too certain on the exact names at this time. 
 

 

[deutscheben]

Oh my, I am very overdue for an update on this thread. In the past year, ESCONI has been able to gain access to the large spoil pile on the first page, and I have joined the club on three outings there, in addition to occasionally collecting from the secondary locations in the area where the red dog shale can be found.

 

My collections cabinet has now grown quite full of specimens, so it will take me a while to catch this thread up, but I had better get started! 
 

I will begin with one of my most recent finds, a much better Asterophyllites then the one I posted earlier. (The entire piece is 75 mm wide)

 

 

 

Edited April 1, 2022 by deutscheben

[deutscheben]

Going up to an entirely different scale, this piece of Asolanus bark is one of my largest fossils, period. I like how you can see the transition between the varying patterns in the bark.

 

 

 

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This is my only Annularia from the second site I have mentioned in this thread.

 

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Back to material from the main spoil pile, this a nicely rounded Calamites undulatus.

 

 

 

 

These small leaves are basal pinnules from Macroneuropteris scheuchzeri.

 

 

 

[deutscheben]

Two of my rarest finds from the red dog shale are frustratingly incomplete, but they give a tantalizing peek at the other life that was around during the time of the coal forests.

 

First is a minuscule impression which has been tentatively ID’ed as an arthropod part- it is only a few mm across.

 

 

Next is a piece with an extended hollow impression that runs through multiple layers of the shale. The first two photos are the positive and negative sides (and the third a wider overview) and the final picture is where the impression exits from the opposite side of the piece.

 

This has been identified as a piece of bone, possibly a lungfish rib, which is terribly exciting! Both are the only examples of their type that I am aware of from this site. Other fauna that has been found here include the branchiopod Leaia tricarinata, various bivalves, and the shark egg case Palaeoxyris.

 

 

 

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Back on the subject of flora after that faunal excursion, here is a single Sphenophyllum emarginatum whorl, with a splash of yellow coloring.

 

 

This Crenulopteris fern pinnule is from the same chunk of rock and has a subtle red coloration.

 

 

Close-up:

 

[connorp]

On 2/24/2021 at 7:13 PM, deutscheben said:

Here are two of my largest ferns from this site (and they aren’t really large at all). Each is a different “Pecopteris” type- not too certain on the exact names at this time. 

This one is interesting. Looks like the venation is well preserved - could you post some close ups?

[deutscheben]

On 5/12/2022 at 9:34 PM, connorp said:

This one is interesting. Looks like the venation is well preserved - could you post some close ups?

Here is the best preserved venation- it is mostly visible at the ends of the pinnules.

 

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This morning I have a fern and a bark to share- both are in the softer, unbaked black shale from this site, which means they are rather fragile.
 

First is a large example of one of the most common ferns from this site, Danaeites emersonii. 
 

 

This next specimen preserves two different interesting bark types. On one side is what I believe is Calamophyllites,the smooth outer surface that would go over Calamites.

 

 

On the opposite side of the same piece is a finely detailed example of Asolanus camptotaenia.

 

Here is a close-up of one of the leaf scars:

 

 

[deutscheben]

More bark specimens today- first is an extremely detailed Syringodendron.

 

 

 

Next is an interesting specimen, I believe it is a Lepidophloios with a bark scar.

 

 

On the reverse is some plant matter with what may be insect damage.

 

[connorp]

On 5/14/2022 at 8:22 AM, deutscheben said:

Here is the best preserved venation- it is mostly visible at the ends of the pinnules.

 

One of the species listed in the guide book is Pecopteris platynervis. I’m not super familiar with it but that would be my guess. It’s a nice piece.

[deutscheben]

Thanks, Connor!

 

Here are some interesting finds from last summer. First are two different examples of bark. 
 

This one is a large specimen, I’m afraid I don’t know what it would be classified as, though.

 

The next piece is also quite large. I believe it is Syringodendron, but is is unusual in the way the ridges pinch between the leaf scars.

 

 

Finally, this very exciting specimen may represent insect oviposition (egg-laying) scars in the outer layer of a Calamites. The photos show the positive and negative sides and a close-up.