Pyritized wood?

[Darbi]

It appears to me as a pyritized wood, it gave off the metallic sheen when it's under the light. Pyrite/marcasite are abundant at where I found this and it's from Kiowa formation (Albian). Kiowa formation is primarily an estuarine and shallow sea environment, fossilized wood and plants are occasionally found from there. I found it as a concretion but it crumbled into tiny pieces when I pulled it out of the ground, so this one is the largest and only piece I have now. Do you think it's a pyritized wood? 

[Rockwood]

End grain ? I'm thinking wood is likely so far.

[grandpa]

I'm thinking petrified wood is correct, but from the photos I don't see any pyrite.  What I think I'm seeing instead is a thin coating of druzy quartz on the surface.  Hard to be certain from the photos.  Perhaps a close-up of what you believe to be pyrite would help.

[Scylla]

If it was a low oxygen environment some pyrite could easily form during fossilization. I can't see it from the photos, but if it is common in fossils of the area I don't doubt it. Often pyrite will oxidize to various other iron minerals (limonite) and that may explain that reddish/yellowish brown color I see on you fossil.

[Darbi]

17 hours ago, Rockwood said:

End grain ? I'm thinking wood is likely so far.

I don't see any end grains. I have not washed it yet, so it's a possibility there are end grains.

13 hours ago, Scylla said:

If it was a low oxygen environment some pyrite could easily form during fossilization. I can't see it from the photos, but if it is common in fossils of the area I don't doubt it. Often pyrite will oxidize to various other iron minerals (limonite) and that may explain that reddish/yellowish brown color I see on you fossil.

Yup, Kiowa formation is characterized by mostly anoxic environment - brackish and estuarine: according to the several scientific journals on this specific formation that I have read. Pyritized fossil gastropods are abundant in the area too, so are the iron concretions.

[Darbi]

14 hours ago, grandpa said:

I'm thinking petrified wood is correct, but from the photos I don't see any pyrite.  What I think I'm seeing instead is a thin coating of druzy quartz on the surface.  Hard to be certain from the photos.  Perhaps a close-up of what you believe to be pyrite would help.

 

Both pictures are at 1000x magnification. Not the best pictures, sorry. I don't see any druzy quartz, only these extremely small pyrite crystals.

 

Small pyrite crystals, less than 1mm and magnified at 1000x.

 

 

You can see the grains going in the same direction and also shiny like brass.

 

[Darbi]

Thank you everyone!