Devonian Plant, Bryozoan Or Something Else?

[hitekmastr]

DEVONIAN BRYOZOAN or PLANT or SOMETHING ELSE?

We were searching for trilobites (will post our finds soon) - and were removing large slabs of shale from the substrate at the lowest section of a slope-shaped Devonian shale formation. I cracked open a slab of shale to find this stunning branch-shaped bryozoan - is this a plant or bryozoa or something else? Can anyone tell from the visual clues and morphology?

Shown here are the full shale piece with the covering piece also shown, and some closeups - the long main piece is about 14 centimeters long - the accompanying piece on the left is the top half of the shale piece:

Edited August 12, 2013 by hitekmastr

[Indy]

Disclaimer: I live in the Mississippian & Pennsylvanian

so what do I know about the Devonian ??!!

To me the mystery shapes have a plant flavor

[kwilson]

Stratum and location would help. It does look like some (once) pyritized plant material rather than a bryozoan. O soo no evident of zooecia.