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Fossil In Shale - Not Sure If Plant Or Animal...


Fungijus

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Hi Folks - Looks like you are the right chaps to help me out with this beautiful specimen I found today.

Found on the beach at Berwick Upon Tweed - Northumberland, England - some shale had fallen from the cliff face and happened to land with the fossil uppermost in the sand.

Unfortunately, I don't know enough about fossils to even be able to ID this as plant or animal. Could be fish, snake, plant or coral? I'm afraid I can't guess at age either - sorry.

Anyway, I would be really grateful if someone were able to offer an opinion and possibly to offer some advice as to how I to best preserve it - the shale is very fragile and bits break off each time I handle it!

Many thanks in advance for any help,

J.

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Hello, this is a section of plant. Carboniferous age. Give me a few mins and I will come up with the species for you.

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Hello, this is a section of plant. Carboniferous age. Give me a few mins and I will come up with the species for you.

Wow - quick work!

Thanks,

J.

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Fossil plant remains are not common at that location, it mainly yields corals, so nice find I must say.

When it comes to preserving it, there is not much we can do really. You could give it a coat in PVA glue, but that would make the specimen look strange, and it would be of little scientific value.

What I would recommend you do is store it in a box with a label. That way it cannot get damaged through being in contact with other objects.

I have attached a picture with what I mean.

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Very nice example of Lepidodendron. Looks like a branch.

Thanks for posting it. :)

Regards,

    Tim    -  VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

   MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png      PaleoPartner.png.30c01982e09b0cc0b7d9d6a7a21f56c6.png.a600039856933851eeea617ca3f2d15f.png     Postmaster1.jpg.900efa599049929531fa81981f028e24.jpg    VFOTM.png.f1b09c78bf88298b009b0da14ef44cf0.png  VFOTM  --- APRIL - 2015  

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

John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~   ><))))( *>  About Me      

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Thanks everyone for the information and the kind comments - very much appreciated.

Not wanting to damage the specimen, I think I will mount this in a box frame and put it on my wall - that way at least it will be seen, and won't get damaged.

I suspect that if I put it in a box in a drawer, it would eventually be deemed 'unnecessary' and be removed... :rolleyes:

Cheers,

J.

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