Petrified Wood?

[Carl]

I totally agree, Scylla. I've seen too many pieces of "petrified wood" be confidently IDed from photos or even in hand that turned into crystals, metamorphics, fossil tooth dentine, or other geological oddities. And I've definitely seen similar for "stromatolites." I'm sticking to my guns on this one.

I don't know your geology so I will withold my vote in this discussion. However I must point out to everyone that extensively metamophosed gneiss can have this banded appearence. On my local beaches we find many examples of pseudo-wood from glacial transport and weathering and all three fossil experts (I being the least knowledgable) all agree that we would call them pet wood if they were found in a different geological setting. So break out a hand magnifier and see if there are small shiny specs of mica in the dark bands. If there are, then you have a very convincing pseudo wood chunk.

[Carl]

Sorry, Brent - didn't mean to suggest you weren't a stromatolite expert. And if you are, I would defer to your ID here.

As Sheldon would say "0-1 on sarcasm" in relation to the ordovician wood.

It is not true that high magnification is required to identify petrified wood, unless you are talking to species level. Family and genus often can be identified based on a blown up photograph. Attached is such a photo, of the genus Quercus, or whatever they call the Cretaceous variety.

And who says I am not a stromatolite expert?

King of the Stromatoites

Brent Ashcraft

[Indy]

Not having the specimen in hand but recognizing the features from many similar specimens

found over the years. I will say...to these ole eyes ... I don't see wood or stromatolite.

I have found many such geological anomalies in the field and suggest (at best)...

wood pseudofossil.

PS: I didn't collect any because (to me) they weren't fossils

[Auspex]

Grind and polish a couple spots with different orientation, and scrutinize them at 30 power; this should answer it.