Steve B Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 I found this in the Upper Carboniferous Coal Measures at Writhlington, Somerset. It is 1cm long. I thought it might be the hindwing of a cockroach? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 (edited) Welcome to the Forum. This is very interesting, Steve! The shape and size are a good match for cockroach, but the veination is unlike any insect fossil I have seen. Have you been able to find a faunal list from the Radstock Formation? My quick searches turned up very little. This LINK shows a cockroach wing from China,... somewhat similar in shape, but the veination is a bit different. Thanks for posting this extremely interesting insect fossil. Regards, EDIT: Tried to tweak your picture to bring more contrast to the veins. Not sure it did much. Edited February 28, 2015 by Fossildude19 Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 __________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paleoflor Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 Contact Ed Jarzembowski Searching for green in the dark grey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RCFossils Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 Great find! Definitely a roachoid wing. The wing is in great shape so an expert might be able to identify it to the species. Here is a similar type from the Mazon Creek deposit. Welcome to the forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 This is a wonderful find; I am envious! "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...
fossilized6s Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 Welcome! Very cool find! Thanks for bringing it here. ~Charlie~ "There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why.....i dream of things that never were, and ask why not?" ~RFK ->Get your Mosasaur print ->How to spot a fake Trilobite ->How to identify a CONCRETION from a DINOSAUR EGG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
t-tree Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 Great find,like Auspex i'm envious too! Be happy while you're living for you're a long time dead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichW9090 Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 Fossil of the month material, for sure! The plural of "anecdote" is not "evidence". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve B Posted February 28, 2015 Author Share Posted February 28, 2015 Thanks very much for all your help and comments. Very encouraging. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taogan Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 It looks like cockroach, I'll have a look and see if I can find anything else about it when I get home from work. Nice specimen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodney Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 Your photo is excellent, reminds me of stereo microscope contrast. Rodney Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 I'm no expert on insects by any means, but 2 years ago I found the cockroach wing pictured below which looks quite similar to yours at the upper carboniferous site (Westfal D) at Piesberg near Osnabrück, Germany. Angelika Leipner from the Museum am Schölerberg was present at the time of discovery and she helped later with identification. She could go as far as saying that it probably belongs to the genus Phylloblatta sp., but left it at that since they were undergoing a complete revision at the time. I'd suggest contacting her. She is always interested in new discoveries and can be very helpful. The link is unfortunately only in German, but you can click on the obvious email link. http://www.osnabrueck.de/24708.asp Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve B Posted March 1, 2015 Author Share Posted March 1, 2015 Thanks Ludwigia. I've sent the photo to Angelika and will let you know the verdict. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abyssunder Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 Nice find!Congrats! " We are not separate and independent entities, but like links in a chain, and we could not by any means be what we are without those who went before us and showed us the way. " Thomas Mann My Library Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piranha Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 The literature points to the Archimylacridae and Mylacridae as the predominant cockroach families from Writhlington. Over 90% of the Writhlington cockroaches are isolated wings, and only 12% of a tested sample (550) were complete. Congrats again on a rare discovery! Duncan, I.J., Titchener, F., & Briggs, D.E. (2003) Decay and disarticulation of the cockroach: Implications for preservation of the blattoids of Writhlington (Upper Carboniferous), UK. Palaios, 18(3):256-265 Jarzembowski, E.A. (1989) Writhlington Geological Nature Reserve. Proceedings of the Geologists' Association, 100(2):219-234 Bolton, H. (1921-1922) A monograph of the insects of the British Coal Measures: Parts I and II. Palaeontographical Society, 156 pp. OPEN ACCESS PDF 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 __________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 Me too Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paleoflor Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 Contact Ed Jarzembowski Jarzembowski, E.A. (1989) Writhlington Geological Nature Reserve. Proceedings of the Geologists' Association, 100(2):219-234 That is the same Ed Jarzembowski. He has kindly helped me with insect-like "mystery fossils" in the past and has experience with your locale. You could consider contacting him in an attempt to get your specimen identified further. Please keep us updated on what Angelika Leipner had to say... Tim Searching for green in the dark grey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paleoflor Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 Great find! Definitely a roachoid wing. The wing is in great shape so an expert might be able to identify it to the species. Here is a similar type from the Mazon Creek deposit. Welcome to the forum. Stunning example, by the way... Searching for green in the dark grey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve B Posted March 2, 2015 Author Share Posted March 2, 2015 Angelika Leipner confirms that it is a cockroach forewing, but is unable to give a species as the Carboniferous cockroaches need revising. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 Nice to hear that she responded so quickly. Man, those guys sure are taking their time with this. Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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