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ID: another wood materials?


Ralenka

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Hi! This was found in a creek in Tompkins county, NY, USA (Devonian period). The shale rock contained these rusty/blackish marks. Is it just rock composition or fossils? Wood? Why is it that fish bones are a rarity in Devonian rocks of Central NY?

thanks!

 

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A25C5EE6-345E-4FC1-83D0-CF4C01D1E5D5.jpeg

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Ralenka, 

Do me a favor, and check to see if this material fizzes when vinegar is placed on it. 

If it does, it's probably limestone, rather than shale. 

 

That said, the things you are seeing look like pyritized burrows. 

These are quite common in Western and Central New York. 

 

 

Fish remains are rare for a number of reasons. 

First, vertebrate remains are rare due to fossilization/preservation bias. 

Secondly, the fish have to be in the area to die and sink to the bottom. 

I'm not sure the environments of the times were conducive to fish being around. 

They are found, but the parts are rare, and sometimes not recognized as fish material. 

Teeth can be recognizable, but   scales and armor may not be readily recognizable. 

Also, there may be fish remains, but they could be really small. 

 

 

 

 

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    Tim    -  VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

   MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png      PaleoPartner.png.30c01982e09b0cc0b7d9d6a7a21f56c6.png.a600039856933851eeea617ca3f2d15f.png     Postmaster1.jpg.900efa599049929531fa81981f028e24.jpg    VFOTM.png.f1b09c78bf88298b009b0da14ef44cf0.png  VFOTM  --- APRIL - 2015  

__________________________________________________
"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."

John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~   ><))))( *>  About Me      

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Thanks @Fossildude19

I applied vinegar, but it does not fizz much. Should limestone react to any kind of acid? I used apple cider vinegar, 5%. The stone itself easily splits into thin plates (and I thought it’s one of the main characteristics of shale, while limestone is more “solid”?)


I am a bit confused. I thought Devonian’s second name is “the age of fish”. So is it the case that the conditions of this particular location was not suitable for fish?

 

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3 hours ago, Fossildude19 said:

vertebrate remains are rare due to fossilization/preservation bias.

 

10 minutes ago, Ralenka said:

I am a bit confused. I thought Devonian’s second name is “the age of fish”. So is it the case that the conditions of this particular location was not suitable for fish?

He is saying that this just wasn't a place where they became fossilized. 

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I think that the environment was not conducive to fish being around to be fossilized.. 

I think Western and Central New York were more deep sea environment, where as Eastern NY was more shallow water.

Maybe @erose  or @Jeffrey P  or @fossilcrazy  or @Shamalama  may be able to explain it better than I can.

 

 

  • I found this Informative 1

    Tim    -  VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

   MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png      PaleoPartner.png.30c01982e09b0cc0b7d9d6a7a21f56c6.png.a600039856933851eeea617ca3f2d15f.png     Postmaster1.jpg.900efa599049929531fa81981f028e24.jpg    VFOTM.png.f1b09c78bf88298b009b0da14ef44cf0.png  VFOTM  --- APRIL - 2015  

__________________________________________________
"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."

John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~   ><))))( *>  About Me      

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I think that's where the club went after trilobites and such from a salt mining area.

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Could be burrows. Could be poorly preserved plant material which I have seen in your area. Fish material, as Fossildude19 says, is pretty rare, mostly restricted to very thin layers and generally quite tiny bits of bone and armor plates that are fairly easy to recognize. . 

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If I may make a simplified Devonian scenario for New York deposits. The ancient shore was at the foot of the Acadian mountain range. (now the Eastern Albany area.) This Devonian sea was vast and had the conditions of a temperate zone, it stretched past Ohio and as far as Iowa. North America was below the equator and in the prevailing easterly winds (opposite of what we are now) At the time of the deposits we speak of,  it was near the Frasnian- Famennian boundry. Some scientists believe the first forests eroded/flooded and the plant debris put high amounts of vegetation into the sea. This biogenic breakdown of plants in warm waters created a very low oxidation level and this could have been responsible for heavy marine extinctions. Both plants and animals settled and had less putrification and high Sulfur levels. Some plants drifted from shore and sank at sea. Some fish died and dropped out of the water column. Any submarine currents could have played at part on the distribution of both. Anyone wanting to know more should consult references, I have given you the best information I retained. I have included a pretty good visual of the setting. 

namD360.jpg

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Glad to share. The more we know about our fossils the more we appreciate our finds. You are doing well. Happy Hunting!

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