Fossil Leaves in Ancient Peat from the Woodbine

[Mikrogeophagus]

My last few excursions have been a continuation of my exploration of the Woodbine. In my experience, it is a very difficult formation to hunt on, so even the smallest of discoveries is a welcome sight to behold. If you have the fortune of finding something there, it is likely to be different and unlike anything from the nearby surrounding formations. My most recent outing took me to an exposure rich with coalified material. The "peat" layer I dug into was extremely brittle and fell apart with minimal effort. Densely packed in was numerous chunks of wood and fragments of leaves likely from the forest floor of the ancient continent Appalachia. If I hadn't dug it out from under several meters of rock myself, I would have thought these things to be modern in age (many of the leaves were just like the dried ones you could find in throughout a yard). I tried my best to spot any bones, but it seemed that only plants were present. I spent most of the day carefully splitting these slabs only to find bits of leaves that immediately fell apart upon exposure. Luckily, I was able to grab a handful of nice specimens that I could take home and consolidate with some paraloid b72. They are much sounder structurally now, though they are still very fragile. I'm not sure if it's even worth trying to ID as many of my specimens are extremely fragmented. However, I think they are distinct enough to see the general shape of the leaves and create a crude snapshot of a Cretaceous forest floor. If you see something you recognize, feel free to share! Here are some photos:

 

Piece 1: Sort of looks like a conifer leaf

 

Piece 2:

 

Piece 3:

 

Piece 4: A tiny leaf

Piece 5: This one is actually double-sided. On the front is a large leaf. The other side has a conglomerate of many small leaves similar to the ones found on piece 3.

 

Thanks for reading!

[JohnJ]

6 hours ago, EPIKLULSXDDDDD said:

likely from the forest floor of the ancient continent Appalachia.

 

The Late Cretaceous Woodbine Formation is known to produce plant fossils, but they were local to the deltaic environment in the North Texas area at that time.  Not sure why you are thinking their origins are in Appalachia.

 

Interesting, fragile finds.  

 

Edit: I missed the "ancient continent" reference.  

[Mikrogeophagus]

@JohnJ I was thinking they were a part of the continent Appalachia that was present at the time of the western interior seaway along with Laramidia. I'm probably mistaken, but I am under the impression that the terrestrial environments found in the Texas Woodbine were a part of said continent. Was the deltaic environment distinct from these landmasses?

 

Edit: My bad just saw your edit after I posted!

Edited July 18, 2022 by EPIKLULSXDDDDD

[JohnJ]

My error.  I overlooked "ancient continent".  That's the kind of confusion that happens when researchers use a name to describe an ancient area already in use to describe a modern area....  

[DPS Ammonite]

Look for amber:

 

 

http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/124912-late-cretaceous-amber-in-woodbine-group-in-grayson-county-north-central-texas/&tab=comments#comment-1360356

 

[Mikrogeophagus]

Oh wow one of those papers mentions a beetle being found in Texas amber. The Woodbine never ceases to surprise. I'll keep an eye out! 

[deadplants]

Really fabulous find! These specimens appear to have really well-preserved details, they would be great to look at under a microscope. Looks to be quite a few different plants just in this small sample.

 

Delicate plant fossils like these can be tricky to collect without them falling apart, especially as the matrix dries out. A classic way to collect them to minimize damage to the fossil is to immediately wrap each rock chunk in newspaper, or toilet paper then newspaper, and then pack them away in a cardboard box at room temperature for a couple months to slowly dry out and "cure". The difficult part is just waiting for a couple months to unwrap them!