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Found near gun sight mountain AK


Dave in Alaska

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My 9 year old boy found several of these on the side of a hill near gun sight mountain Alaska.  The area is know for sea shell fossils,  we found several clam shells in the same area.

 

This is right in the middle of the Matanuska formation. 

IMG_0138.JPG

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The picture seems a bit blurry. How big is the specimen? My initial guess would be some kind of plant matter fossil.

...How to Philosophize with a Hammer

 

 

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Sorry, I knew I forgot to include something.

It is about 3 inches across the long way (top to bottom in this photo).  sorry about the photo not being the best.  I have temporarily misplaced my camera, so this came from a phone. 

 

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Brightened, cropped, contrasted and sharpened.

 

IMG_0138.JPG.baa7c1410bb68894151db31827ce4036.JPG

 

Is the area to the right of the flower shape a broken off chunk, or is it flat?  :headscratch:

I question why that would look like the same color if that is a chunk broken off. 

 

More like it was carved into the rock, than an imprint or carbon film. :unsure:

 

Better pictures may be required. 

Regards,

    Tim    -  VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

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I can see what you are saying, but it is some kind of illusion in the picture they are on the same plane, in addition the rock was cracked open and an identical mark was on both sides.

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According to Wikipedia, these are the plants of the formation:

PalynomorphsEdit

  • Lycopodophyta: One Species[5]
  • Pteridophyta: Sixty-Nine Species[5]
  • Ginkgophyta: Nine Species[5]
  • Cycadophyta: Nine Species[5]
  • Pinophyta: Nine Species[5]
  • Anthophyta: Five Species[5]

TreesEdit

Fragments of petrified wood are known from the formation.[5]

“...whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been and are being evolved.” ~ Charles Darwin

Happy hunting,

Mason

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Is the geological age Upper Cretaceous?

If it is, that rule out Annularia/Asterophyllites -  like plants.
Stellate ichnofossils usually have 3-D preservation.
A remaining possibility would be phenocrysts. As they are dark and not white, I guess they could be Augite phenocrysts.

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