Devonian Red Hill Tiny Fish Fossils

[hitekmastr]

This image on the right shows a tiny Devonian fish spine from our June trip to Red Hill, PA - any help identifying this would be much appreciated.

The long vertical fossil immediately to the right looks like the fossil of a minnow sized Devonian fish but [Herb] suggests it is actually a plant - archaeopteris - he has a keen eye! It is possible to peel back more rock covering the stem to verify but we're new to fossiling and this might be a bit tricky for us to attempt.

More photos from our Red Hill trip are included in the Members Gallery including Hynaria and Placoderm teeth, scales, and other fossils. The contrast of the green and red shale is striking. The greenish grey shale is pond or lake mud that dried up approximately 361 million years ago and the red is mostly fossilized soil. More of our Red Hill fossils are included in a posting in the Members Gallery.

Edited June 26, 2012 by hitekmastr

[hitekmastr]

Here is a close up of the longer fossil which we originally thought was a small fish with a lobe tail fin at the far left...however, Herb from KY suggests this could be a plant, not fish - in which case another interpretation would be that the "lobe" is a plant (Archaeopteris sp) which the "lobe" does in fact resemble.

Herb - you're right about possibly being able to uncover more to verify. The lobe at the far left was covered originally when we brought it home but fell off to reveal the pattern.

Still interested in ideas for the small bony dorsal/spine fragment.

One of the most fascinating aspects of collecting at Red Hill was finding new things after we returned home and started inspecting everything more closely. We also have Ordovician samples from Antes Creek, and Devonian specimens from Montour, that we will share in separate galleries after we get a few items identified.

Edited June 26, 2012 by hitekmastr

[Herb]

I believe the close up is of a piece of Archaeopteris sp. stem burried at a slight angle giving it the appearance of tapering. I think you will be able to uncover more specimen deeper. Don't know about the spiny looking thing.

You might find some more info at "the Devonian Times/Red Hill"