Sharkbyte Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 (edited) I bought this fossil at an antique shop about 20 years ago and since I didn't know what it was (neither did the seller) except that it was a fossil, it got put away and forgotten for all those years. I have recently become very interested in Plant fossils so I remembered having this and dug it back out of storage. In researching fossil Fern plates I ran across something that looks similar to this piece and closely described like this. According to what I have read, it is a fairly common Carboniferous Period Horsetail or Calamite Stem from about 300 mya. I'm guessing that when this was a living plant it would have been round like a tree but compressed to less than a 1/4" thick as it lay on the woodland floor and was covered up. The opposite side is detailed just like this side so that is why I'm guessing it would have been round with a light cell structure on the inside that did not hold up to compression. Is this indeed a common fossil and could it be found in the St. Clair, Pa. site? I'm asking because, I have no known information on this specific piece as to where it was found and even what it was. I bought this piece and a smaller piece that the seller described as a fossil snake skin. I knew it was not a snake skin and I knew they both were plant fossils but that was the extent of it. I think I paid less than $20 for both and now I am hoping to give this fossil a permenant identification with a close guess as to where it might have originated from as I doubt very nearly absolutely, that it did not come from North Carolina. It is 10" long by about 4-1/2" wide and less than a 1/4" thick and I sure would like to know more about it. Edited September 27, 2011 by Sharkbyte "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Confucius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piranha Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 That is a beautiful large Calamites. Congratulations Bobby! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piranha Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 I would add that this one is probably best placed as Archaeocalamites, which is a catch-all for impression-compression fossils, etc., or steinkerns of stems. These are ancestral to modern day horsetails (Equisetales). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 Scott knows his plants! Nice acquisition, Bobby! 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...
Rockin' Ric Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 Nice big Calamite, love the detail in the ribbing and nodes! WELCOME TO ALL THE NEW MEMBERS! If history repeats itself, I'm SO getting a dinosaur. ~unknown www.rockinric81.wixsite.com/fossils Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharkbyte Posted September 27, 2011 Author Share Posted September 27, 2011 Thank you Scott. I appreciate the information and confirmation. Is this indeed a common plant fossil and is it widely distributed? I would add that this one is probably best placed as Archaeocalamites, which is a catch-all for impression-compression fossils, etc., or steinkerns of stems. These are ancestral to modern day horsetails (Equisetales). "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Confucius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharkbyte Posted September 27, 2011 Author Share Posted September 27, 2011 Thanks Tim and Ric. I appreciate that. "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Confucius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 Origin? It could have come from any Carboniferous coal-swamp deposit in the world; no way of telling. Nice fossil, BTW! "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharkbyte Posted September 27, 2011 Author Share Posted September 27, 2011 Thanks Auspex. I appreciate it. Origin? It could have come from any Carboniferous coal-swamp deposit in the world; no way of telling. Nice fossil, BTW! "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Confucius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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