Unknown Tennessee Cretaceous Botanicals

[Tennessees Pride]

This is a topic I've been meaning to create in the I.D. section for some time now. Hopefully it will be an easier way for interested members to access information regarding my paleobotanical materials. I likewise encourage anyone with Cretaceous Tennessee specimens to post in this topic, to create a better understanding of botanical fossils/palaeoecology/palaeoclimatology, ect. from the cretaceous of Tennessee.

I intend to add new materials to this topic for years to come,to ensure a way for researchers to view specimens easily, a benifical concept considering my materials are scattered throughout the TFF in numerous posts in such a way as to be impossible to track for most members and guests of the Forum. Of course a section compiled of all my unknowns will beneficial to myself also.

Unless specifically listed with the botanical, all material I post will be Campanian or later. These specimens are recovered material from many diverse sites I collect from. Thank you for viewing my materials and helping with identifications...an untrained person like myself certainly needs all the help I can get!

[Tennessees Pride]

Highly unusual material.

[Plax]

I would recommend the publications by Edward Wilber Berry. His prolific published works were done in the early 20th century but he is still frequently cited in modern paleobotanical literature.

Edited February 1, 2016 by Plax

[Plax]

Highly unusual material.

If it weren't curved I'd say Cylindracanthus. Have no idea what it could be botanically

[Tennessees Pride]

More views.

[Tennessees Pride]

If it weren't curved I'd say Cylindracanthus. Have no idea what it could be botanically

I would recommend the publications by Edward Wilber Berry. His prolific published works were done in the early 20th century but he is still frequently cited in modern paleobotanical literature.

Hey Plax, great to hear from you! Thank you for your suggestion. And your sure right about Mr.Berry, he's somewhat of a hero to me. I have every possible paper of his I can find. He published several important contributions to paleobotany, but I'm still always on the lookout for very small reports he contributed to science....each one really are "little treasures".

[PFOOLEY]

Looks similar to this Alabama Cretaceous find.

[Tennessees Pride]

Mike, that was an outstanding suggestion....the pictures in the link placed so dang much doubt in my mind that I knew if I didn't try to test the material some way, it would have soon drove me crazy! After giving the material a few light taps with a small piece of metal, I couldn't confirm...made the judgment call to very lightly and minutely scratch the specimen with the smallest needle I have ( in a tiny place), then looked at the result under 30× mag (the highest I have currently). I didn't damage the specimen, but HAD TO KNOW. I can confirm it is lignite.

Edited February 1, 2016 by Tennessees Pride