Missourian Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Fossil algae are often neglected by collectors. They seem to be stuck in some gray area between plants and invertebrates. But they can still be quite interesting and beautiful. I'll start with some Pennsylvanian phylloid algae in limestone: Found in the Wyandotte Formation in Miami County, Kansas. These are of the red or green variety of algae. If red, they are Archaeolithophyllum. If green, they are something akin to Eugonophyllum. The cup shape of the thalli makes me lean towards green, which means I imaged it up side down. 1 Context is critical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Thanks, Missourian; I'd like to see this topic get some traction. "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...
Wrangellian Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Good idea. Nice piece, Mossourian, those are interesting. Maybe you could add a pic of a piece that has the algae surface exposed to go alongside the cross-section piece.? I'll add these two even though I already posted them elsewhere: Early 'land plant' (freshwater green algae - Coleochaetales) Parka decipiens, Lower Devonian - Old Red Sandstone, Carmyllie Series Forfar, Angus, Scotland This has been classified as a Chlorophyte algae: Receptaculites occidentalis Salter Ordovician (Mowhawkian - Upper? Turinian) Black River Gp. Mascot, Knox Co., Tenn. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ordovician_Odyssey Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Here is a nice peice of Tetradium algae.. Tetradium algae has (supposedly) been recently been recognized as a red algae.. This Peice is from the Gull River fm., Ottawa Ontario.(Mid-late Ordovician) Regards! Shamus 1 -Shamus The Ordovician enthusiast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrangellian Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 And I have this, which I believe to be: 'Filamentous Cyanobacteria' (Hormogonales) Marpolia spissa? [Fossils of the Bur. Sh., Briggs et al] with Inarticulate brachio. ?Acrothyra or ?Lingulella sp. (black thing) Burgess Shale, Stephen Fm, Yoho Nat. Park, BC -found in a 'bargain bin' at a rock/gem show in Victoria years ago. (true story) Length of piece ~14cm, length of brachio 8mm Had to use the 'sharpen' tool lightly on the 1st pic as detail faded on shrinking pic. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missourian Posted January 18, 2012 Author Share Posted January 18, 2012 Nice piece, Mossourian, those are interesting. Maybe you could add a pic of a piece that has the algae surface exposed to go alongside the cross-section piece.? I have a single specimen that is fresh on one side and deeply weathered on the other. I'll get pics as soon as I can get at it. Context is critical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piranha Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Great topic Missourian These fossils are generally overlooked as you mentioned and they can be difficult to collect as well. Marine algae that is non-calcareous and lacking a calcium-based skeleton is quite rare in the fossil record. Previously I had posted a few seaweed fossils that I was fortunate to acquire over the years. Typically they are mistaken for and offered as terrestrial plants. Luckily, $10-15 was the most ever given for one of these fossils. Each of the attached examples are from the Order Phaeophyta (brown algae / kelp), middle-upper Miocene of the Monterey Formation, Santa Ynez Valley, California. RE: Non-Calcareous Marine Algae from California Marine Deposits Parker, B.C. and E.Y. Dawson. 1965, Nova Hedwigia 10:273-295. Julescraneia grandicornis Paleocystophora acuminata Paleocystophora plumosa Paleohalidrys dendritica Phaeophyta Indet. sp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 I really appreciate seeing all these examples of such a humble but important organism; keep 'em coming! "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...
Wrangellian Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Nice piece, Shamus! Interesting parallel filaments..? These have also been classified as an algae ("ball algae"), though I think there is no consensus on that (Palij said 'Cnidarian') - lack of detail means they could be anything from animal to plant to protist... Nemiana simplex Palij 1976 Ediacaran <565my Yampol Mbr, Magilev Fm, Balday Series(Gp.?) Novodnestrovsky Quarry (Nowodniestrowsk) R. Nemia, Kamenez-Podolskiy (Podolia) Region, Ukraine Then there's stromatolites - do they count if they're said to be Cyanobacteria? Here's my only piece of one - "Mary Ellen Jasper" Stromatolite, Collenia undosa U. Orosirian, 1.85by (or Siderian, 2.2 or 2.4by?) Biwabik Fm, Animikie Gp. Nash Fork Shear Zone?, Mary Ellen Mine, Mesabi Range, nr Biwabik, St. Louis Co, MN top is to Left Cut surface measures 14cm at longest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrangellian Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 (edited) Nice examples Scott, you snuck them in while I was composing my latest post... It's easy to understand why those are mis-ID'd as terrestrial, some certainly look like cedars or Metasequoias! Speaking of calcareous algae, these have been ID'd (possibly) as such and are all over the North side of Departure Bay in Nanaimo, Vancouver Isl. - Cedar District Fm (Campanian).. in the bedrock like this pic, and in loose cobbles, a few of which I gathered. Loupe is about 4cm Edited January 19, 2012 by Wrangellian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jdeutsch Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 (edited) Southwest Wyoming- They should all be tertiary- various places from Wamsutter to Farson to Kemerrer. I have no idea how to assign a species Edited January 19, 2012 by Jdeutsch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missourian Posted January 19, 2012 Author Share Posted January 19, 2012 Then there's stromatolites - do they count if they're said to be Cyanobacteria? I include them in my algae pile. Context is critical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piranha Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Great examples everyone... two more for the thread: Parka decipiens (2) - 2.5 cm Devonian - Carmyllie Series Old Red Sandstone, Scotland Fisherites reticulatus - 15 cm Ordovician - Kimmswick Fm Lincoln County, Missouri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrangellian Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 (edited) I include them in my algae pile. Me too I forgot about the WY Eocene stroms, I have a piece of that too but won't compete with you guys.. Scott, you always seem to have nicer examples of things I have! I've got to step it up guess Edited January 19, 2012 by Wrangellian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missourian Posted January 19, 2012 Author Share Posted January 19, 2012 Some probable phylloid algae: Pennsylvanian Frisbie Limestone Miami County, Kansas More in this thread: http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php/topic/26021-mystery-fossils-pennsylvanian/ Context is critical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pleecan Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 What a super thead! Thanks every one for posting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ordovician_Odyssey Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Heres another type of Algae from the Gull River formation (Ottawa Ontario), which would be aprox. Mid-Late Ordovician. It is a Recepticulites sp. Cheers! -Shamus The Ordovician enthusiast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawkeye Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Margaretia dorus from the Wheeler shale in Utah If you believe everything you read, perhaps it's time for you to stop reading... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missourian Posted January 20, 2012 Author Share Posted January 20, 2012 Thanks for the many contributions. I'm jealous of some of the lower Paleozoic and Tertiary algae.... Context is critical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RCFossils Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 A rare fossil algae from the Mazon Creek deposit Taeniophyllum latifolium. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RCFossils Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Another example of Taeniophyllum latifolium preserving internal structure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missourian Posted January 20, 2012 Author Share Posted January 20, 2012 Another example of Taeniophyllum latifolium preserving internal structure Hmmm.... I may have to take a second look at some of my 'Cordaites', Context is critical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missourian Posted January 20, 2012 Author Share Posted January 20, 2012 (edited) Earlier, someone requested a weathered example of this phylloid algae: These thalli, from the Pennsylvanian Paola Limestone of Kansas City, Missouri, are really brought out after some deep weathering: As some show a cup-like form, I'm pretty sure they are some form of codiacean green algae. Also, note the vertical, mineral-filled 'crack' that stands out. These may be codiacean algae as well: They were collected from the Pennsylvanian Argentine Limestone in Kansas City, Missouri. Edited January 20, 2012 by Missourian Context is critical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missourian Posted January 20, 2012 Author Share Posted January 20, 2012 (edited) Archaeolithophyllum sp. Pennsylvanian Raytown Limestone Platte County, Missouri The Raytown is nicknamed 'Calico Rock' because of the appearance of the blades of this algae in the rock: The blades really stand out on the heavily weathered surface on the other side: These encrustations, which are in growth position here, bound the sediments. In places, these algal bindstones have formed prominent reefs during the Pennsylvanian. Here is some fragmented Archaeolithophyllum found in the Raytown at a nearby site: Edited January 20, 2012 by Missourian Context is critical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missourian Posted January 20, 2012 Author Share Posted January 20, 2012 (edited) Osagia Pennsylvanian Farley Limestone Kansas City, Missouri: This form genus is actually an intergrowth between filamentous algae (Girvanella, et al.) and ammovertellid foraminifera. The organisms coated grains that rolled around in a high energy environment. Ottonosia Fontana Shale Jackson County, Missouri: Another form genus, Ottonosia is basically a larger version of Osagia. These algal 'biscuits' are also called oncolites. As you can see in the image, thick coatings have been left on the shells of brachiopods and mollusks. These algal-foram growths also form flat sheets: This one is from the Pennsylvanian Westerville Limestone in Jackson County, Missouri. And finally, stromatolites can be found in a few spots: Note the laminations on the polished edge. This was found adjacent to a tidal channel on top of the Pennsylvanian Sniabar Limestone in Jackson County, Missouri. Edited January 20, 2012 by Missourian Context is critical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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