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Carboniferous/Pennsylvanian Ferns & Trackways


Rockin' Ric

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I got to go fossil hunting on Saturday for Carboniferous/Pennsylvanian fossils. When we got to the site we were greeted with frost covering everything! Some of the stone was frozen in the piles and we had to wait for a thaw before removing any that looked interesting. The first picture shows some of the frost crystals present on some of the stone. The first 4 hours on site I didn't find what I was looking for...fern fossils and a possible trackway? As we were wrapping up to leave I came across this slab of shale partially buried with a fern frond visible on the surface. Being the fern collector I dug the stone out to split thinking the entire 3' x 2' stone contained fern fossils. As I began to split not only did I find ferns but these Tetrapod Tracks! The stone didn't split evenly like most do, and this one was aggravating an example in in the 3rd picture where two different set of tracks can be seen on two different layers! The tracks and trackways were split as shown into many pieces instead of a continuous track across the slab. These are a few my favorites including other fossils found in that one slab, not including the partial Nautiloid in the last picture. I was told these tracks and trackways belong to the Cincosaurus cobbi and Nanopus reidiae? Love the first picture, if you see at the bottom there is a Alethopteris pinnue impression overlapping one of the tracks. Also the detailed pos/neg print of the Whittlseya...I did get my ferns as well as the tracks and other fossils to boot! 

 

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If history repeats itself, I'm SO getting a dinosaur. ~unknown

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Amazing finds, Ric! 

Awesome.  :footprint2:

    Tim    -  VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

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

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That first trackway is really impressive! :envy: What is a Whittlseya? I have never heard of it before.

Follow me on Instagram (@fossil_mike) to check out my personal collection of fossils collected and acquired over more than 15 years of fossil hunting!

 

 

 

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This such a cool find. I'm guessing the slab that these were found in wasn't in situ? It would be neat to "follow" them to see where they lead. One of my plant fossil localities turns up the occasional set of bird tracks, but have yet to find one.

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Great finds! Love the trackway. :footprint1::b_love1:

The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it.  -Neil deGrasse Tyson

 

Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don't. -Bill Nye (The Science Guy)

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I hunt the late Carboniferous, as I understand it the Pottsville is Early to Middle. This gives me hope for finding tracks some day. They are, without a doubt, one of the coolest things to find, next to a Trematopid skull.

https://fossil.15656.com/research-pages/fedexia-striegeli/

Fossils of Parks Township - ResearchCatalog | How-to Make High-Contrast Photos

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