dinosaurbero Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 Hello, the terrestrial plant fossils are not very common in supratidal carbonate outcrops of the Cretaceous of Istria (Croatia) - the Adriatic Dinaridic Carbonate Platform. I wonder if this could be a plant fossil or is it just an artifact? See the photograph: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uDM__8iS-0c/U002rzr81HI/AAAAAAAACXo/NMQ4N4OGPDs/s1600/kamenjak-cenomanian-fossil-1.jpg The age is probably Cenomanian. You can read more on my blog: http://mesozoicmosaic.blogspot.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 Maybe algae? "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dinosaurbero Posted April 17, 2014 Author Share Posted April 17, 2014 Thanks for the suggestion, Auspex. Yes, it might be some sort of sea plant. However, first of all, I would like to eliminate the possibility of an artifact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dinosaurbero Posted April 17, 2014 Author Share Posted April 17, 2014 (edited) Thanks, for posting, Auspex! The form that looks like some kind of long narrow leaves is on the left in the photograph, of course. For the size scale, there's an "indicator" in the left corner. Part of the wire fence is visible. Edited April 17, 2014 by dinosaurbero Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paleoflor Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 Interesting specimen! It does look "organic" to me also, mostly because the structure repeatedly branches by splitting in two (similar to dichotomous branching). On your website you talk about a "mid-Cretaceous angiosperm" called "Sapidopsis". I checked the name in Taylor et al. (2009), a very good and well referenced resource. Unfortunately, this genus is not listed. There is mention of a genus called Sapindopsis, though. However, given the description in Taylor et al. (2009), this genus does not resemble your specimen (to illustrate, compare Google results such as this specimen). Still, perhaps you made a typo. If not, how did you arrive at Sapidopsis (without the n)? I cannot find any information on this genus. Currently, I am inclined to follow Auspex that this could be an algae of some sort. Searching for green in the dark grey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prem Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 That looks a lot like a psilophyte plant to me. ---Prem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dinosaurbero Posted April 18, 2014 Author Share Posted April 18, 2014 I have found the name Sapidopsis angusta in this paper: http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk3/ftp05/nq23955.pdf Yes, I think it resembles a psilophyte plant. The environment was supratidal-intertidal with extensive mudflats, where dinosaurs left their tracks. With rudist reefs and stromatolites in the shallow sea. Or it could be an algae washed on the shore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piranha Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 On 4/17/2014 at 9:47 PM, dinosaurbero said: I have found the name Sapidopsis angusta in this paper: http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk3/ftp05/nq23955.pdf It's simply a typo; the valid species is: Sapindopsis angusta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dinosaurbero Posted April 18, 2014 Author Share Posted April 18, 2014 Thank you paleoflor and piranha for the correct name. Although, it seems this isn't the plant in the photograph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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