Cordaites?

[Rockaholic]

All the photos I’m posting today are fossils found on Indiana surface mine spoil piles dating from the late middle Pennsylvanian. My best guess is that these are Cordaites though some of the physical characteristics of this specimen are not typical of the Cordaites that I’ve seen in my research.

Edited November 9, 2013 by Rockaholic

[Rockaholic]

I think that this may also be a well-worn Cordaites.

[Rockaholic]

As long as I’m posting I thought I’d share a couple of photos from my latest round of photogragraphy.Heres a fern and a cone bract photo.

[Auspex]

I agree with Cordaites. Nice detail and definition on that material, and good job with the imaging!

[Rockaholic]

Thanks for the confirmation.

I agree with Cordaites. Nice detail and definition on that material, and good job with the imaging!

[paleoflor]

Hi Rockaholic,

These strap-like leaves with parallel venation could indeed be some smaller species of Cordaites. Most species I am familiar with have somewhat broader leaves though. Alternatively, one could, given the size of the fossil, perhaps consider some larger species of Cyperites (lycophyte microphylls). It is always very difficult to ID these strap-like things...

Kind regards,

Tim

[Rockaholic]

Hi Rockaholic,

These strap-like leaves with parallel venation could indeed be some smaller species of Cordaites. Most species I am familiar with have somewhat broader leaves though. Alternatively, one could, given the size of the fossil, perhaps consider some larger species of Cyperites (lycophyte microphylls). It is always very difficult to ID these strap-like things...

Kind regards,

Tim

Thanks for your thoughts. It was the parallel venation that I noticed with a second look after setting this piece aside thinking at first that it was either a stem or Cyperites segment. Also this slab had this partial frond on it that distracted me.

[paleoflor]

Thanks for your thoughts. It was the parallel venation that I noticed with a second look after setting this piece aside thinking at first that it was either a stem or Cyperites segment. Also this slab had this partial frond on it that distracted me.

The number of veins, especially on the left photograph, does indeed favor Cordaites, I guess. Just spent some time in the books and there are remarkably small species. Nice finds - as are the pecopterid fronds.

Tim

[Rockaholic]

The number of veins, especially on the left photograph, does indeed favor Cordaites, I guess. Just spent some time in the books and there are remarkably small species. Nice finds - as are the pecopterid fronds.

Tim

The number of veins, especially on the left photograph, does indeed favor Cordaites, I guess. Just spent some time in the books and there are remarkably small species. Nice finds - as are the pecopterid fronds.

Thanks for your help identifying this specimen. After spending some time researching this week I’m going with Dorycordaites palmaeformis.As it seems often to be the case with flora fossils this is subject to future change.