pleecan Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 (edited) Recovered this fossil from Lake Huron at Kettle Point ON. Looks like a plant but I am not sure. What is it? Edited April 17, 2011 by pleecan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piranha Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 Extraordinary fossil Peter! It appears to be an assemblage of algal thalli. Perhaps your contact at the ROM will recognize it and might point us to the bulletin where it has been described from Kettle Point. The lower Cambrian genus of Punctariopsis sp. should be of particular interest to you coming from your favorite Chengjiang Biota. It warrants consideration as a similar type and certainly bears some resemblance to your possible phaeophycean fossil. Punctariopsis Please keep us posted on the outcome. Thanks !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pleecan Posted April 15, 2011 Author Share Posted April 15, 2011 Extraordinary fossil Peter! It appears to be an assemblage of algal thalli. Perhaps your contact at the ROM will recognize it and might point us to the bulletin where it has been described from Kettle Point. The lower Cambrian genus of Punctariopsis sp. should be of particular interest to you coming from your favorite Chengjiang Biota. It warrants consideration as a similar type and certainly bears some resemblance to your possible phaeophycean fossil. Punctariopsis Please keep us posted on the outcome. Thanks !! Thanks very much Scott for your insights! The black shale is normally devoid of fossils and once in a while one can stumble onto a pocket of fossils... lots of fun.... I was a bit worried when the water start to flood in ( I can't swim) as I did make it to shore before the area where I was hunting became totally flooded by Lake Huron in coming tides.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piranha Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 How many exciting fossils can one person possibly discover Peter? This diagram of phaeophyte diagnostic features looks very similar. I imagine this must be important. Are the ROM folks looking at it yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pleecan Posted April 15, 2011 Author Share Posted April 15, 2011 How many exciting fossils can one person possibly discover Peter? This diagram of phaeophyte diagnostic features looks very similar. I imagine this must be important. Are the ROM folks looking at it yet? Thanks fo the additional info Scott! Yes I sent the image to the ROM this morning.... the person at the ROM emailed me last week with his schedule and its a killer couple of month for him with visiting profs and papers to prepare and present etc.... and I told him it was low priority .... in due time ... I will get a response.... I also see that there was at least 2 major extinction event in the late Devonian which could explain why the black shale is mostly barren of fossils in nature.... I have had a lot of enjoyment with this hobby... had I found this hobby 30yrs ago ... may have may a career out of it : ) Seek and you shall find. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrangellian Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 Another interesting item, Peter. I'm trying to see by your pic whether the fossils are a thin film on the bedding plane or 3D like a worm burrow.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pleecan Posted April 16, 2011 Author Share Posted April 16, 2011 Another interesting item, Peter. I'm trying to see by your pic whether the fossils are a thin film on the bedding plane or 3D like a worm burrow.. Hi Eric: Definately thin film like... maybe 1 mm thickest... don't think they are burrows... PL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 Peter, Very Interesting,! I don't know if you have this PDF, but it may be helpful: Fossil Devonian Plants Regards! Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 __________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pleecan Posted April 16, 2011 Author Share Posted April 16, 2011 Peter, Very Interesting,! I don't know if you have this PDF, but it may be helpful: Fossil Devonian Plants Regards! Thank you very much Tim for the pdf. Any information is always appreciated!!! This is the first time finding Devonian plant fossils at Kettle Point formation. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamalama Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 Cool find, Peter! You'll justify that cottage any way you can, won't you! -Dave __________________________________________________ Geologists on the whole are inconsistent drivers. When a roadcut presents itself, they tend to lurch and weave. To them, the roadcut is a portal, a fragment of a regional story, a proscenium arch that leads their imaginations into the earth and through the surrounding terrain. - John McPheeIf I'm going to drive safely, I can't do geology. - John McPheeCheck out my Blog for more fossils I've found: http://viewsofthemahantango.blogspot.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pleecan Posted April 16, 2011 Author Share Posted April 16, 2011 Hi Dave: I am having lots of fun exploring Ontario fossil site. I found what I thought was an even neater find.... I thought I found a placoderm lower jaw... 3 experts have saw it and they are not able to confirm... I might as well post it on another thread.... The Niagara Peninsula Geological Society will be at Arkona Apr 30... if it is not raining I may be there also with the group for a couple of hrs. PL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pleecan Posted April 17, 2011 Author Share Posted April 17, 2011 ROM ID: "initial reaction based just on the photos is that these are trace fossils ... burrow fills of oxidized material that have been highly compressed during dewatering of the organic mud matrix - only way to tell would be to look at thin sections" So Trace Fossils burrow is the going thought at this time..... It sure did looked like algae .... oh well.... Thanks very much Scott for the analysis! It indeed was an interesting discussion. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piranha Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 Will you send it for thin section microscopy? Perhaps you might be able to remove a small portion without compromising the entire fossil or matrix. Ideally you would have a few extra spare scraps that you can send off for definitive analysis and keep your great fossil intact. In either case plant or ichnofossil it is another superb discovery. Thanks for the quick follow-up Peter! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pleecan Posted April 17, 2011 Author Share Posted April 17, 2011 Thanks Scott. I will not proceed any further on this ichnofossil for now. I know that this person took time out of his super busy schedule just to comment and I am not going to burdon him with a request for thin sectioning..... I want the ROM to concentrate on a bigger prize... the confirmation of Devonian polychaete worm... from Kettle Point ..... : ) PL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrangellian Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 Hi Eric: Definately thin film like... maybe 1 mm thickest... don't think they are burrows... PL OK, I wasnt sure if I could see cross-sections of the burrows/plants on the lefthand edge, which if there was any thickness to them would seem to rule against any sort of thin algae. But looks like you have you answer now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pleecan Posted April 18, 2011 Author Share Posted April 18, 2011 (edited) Further more email received this morning: "Weak, episodic oxygenation events are recorded by bioturbated horizons characterized by such ichnofossils as Chrondrites and Planolites, and widespread sulphate reduction is recorded by the presence of abundant marcasite." (Tsujita, Tetreault & Jin, 2001) The pale traces in your sample closely match Chondrites in general configuration. I've also seen similar traces in core samples from the KP - intervals of flattened burrows with light grey fills sharply contrasting with the black background of unoxidized organic-rich shale. end of quote I also examine the fossil at higher magnifications and did not find any microstructures that would indicate plant thus it points to ichnofossils.... Chondrites as suggested in the email from the ROM. Edited April 18, 2011 by pleecan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilcrazy Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 This picture is of in situ trace fossils from Dunkirk, NY on our side of the lake. The Shale is Dunkirk member, probably an equivalent unit of Upper Devonian Shale near the F-F boundary. The traces are wide spread layers exposed on the beach. Plants are present but usually Callixylon newberryi limbs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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