how (scientifically) valuable is a leaf fossil AND the branch it came from?

[SteveMcPerzon]

ive found a few fossils as a kid and actually my first fossil find is actually a 1 in 1,000,000 kind of thing 

how did i find it? i was just playing Jurrasic park... im not kidding i was in my backyard pretending to be Alan Grant "digging for fossils" and i was just hitting random rocks with a small pick and suddenly an actual fossil my reaction was "oh..." i was so dumbfounded 


any way so i was wondering how scientifically valuable would a leaf with what is probably the branch it came from worth for research? (no financial gain) i want to identify them both however i don't have them with me right now and the petrified branch is something ive not seen and cant even look up its clearly petrified wood however its black and looks almost as if its coated in fine sugar however it looks like its actually fine quarts crystals 


i was also wondering if its worth mapping both my fossils and the fossils of other kids i went to school with because the types of fossils seems to show what the land looked like at some point its thought that the area was always a muddy silty plain (there's an area near by with so many fossils they cover the beaches and area like sand) until the natural walls of the lagoon broke around 400 years ago and the area flooded and turned into a bay (port Philip bay if you look at it you will know what i mean) however there seems to be a thin stretch that had a lot of petrified wood and leaf fossils 

i don't know if anyone knows that already or if it would not be considered important   


Any way cheers guys 

[Kane]

I would say you should perform some research (if you haven't already) on your local geology. Pay particular notice to the kinds of fossils that are found in your area. Some stuff may be common, other stuff less so. And, if in doubt, you have nothing to lose by taking your specimen to a paleontologist at a nearby university or local museum to see if it might be something of scientific significance. Go to the experts to confirm your find and if it may be of scientific value. If your area was known for having a bit of a forest/jungle, it might mean your specimen is not rare, but that cannot be confirmed until you have an expert look at it.

 

And, to satisfy our curiousity here and maybe get some of our experts on this site to help, could you post a picture of this specimen? You say it is not with you at the moment, which is a shame. If it is with someone, you might ask them if they can take a picture and send it to you. When you are reunited with the specimen, do take it to an expert to confirm what it is.

[Raggedy Man]

I would love to see a picture or two

 

 

Best regards,

Paul