Possible Devonian plant

[Miocene_Mason]

Found this in some pants, presumably from a trip to Hancock for fossil collecting. At first I thought it was a common burrow, but then I noticed a carbonized streak, could it be a plant? Mahantango formation, givetian.

[Kane]

Hard to judge by these pictures, but perhaps your first instinct of ichnofossil might be more likely. The different colour may be due to staining. Of the carbonized plant material I've found in the past, they tend to be pretty flattened while this seems raised (again, perhaps just due to the appearance presented by this photo).

[EMP]

2 hours ago, WhodamanHD said:

Found this in some pants, presumably from a trip to Hancock for fossil collecting. At first I thought it was a common burrow, but then I noticed a carbonized streak, could it be a plant? Mahantango formation, givetian.

 

Was it near Big Pool like the other site?

 

That area was closer to land, but I think it's hard to tell from these pictures. Fossil wood occurs in the Mahantango, but it's not very common. It has right shape of a woody plant piece, but then again it also has the right shape of a burrow. It could just be that the "carbonization" is a mineral stain (likely from iron), which is very common in the siltstone layers of the Mahantango.

 

I've hunted the Hamilton Group near Hancock quite frequently, and this looks more like a burrow then wood ultimately. Different angles would help though, because the lighting is making it appear to have a convex relief in the first picture when I think it should be concave like in the second picture.

[Miocene_Mason]

@EMP and @Kane it is in fact convex and it is from the same place as the others near big pool. I didn't know iron could produce black staining, so I am now inclined to think it's  another ichnofossil.

[EMP]

5 hours ago, WhodamanHD said:

@EMP and @Kane it is in fact convex and it is from the same place as the others near big pool. I didn't know iron could produce black staining, so I am now inclined to be another ichnofossil.

 

Yes, iron staining from oxidized pyrite or hematite would form black, dark red, even purplish colors on a rock (it's pretty common with the Mahantango).

 

The convex relief makes me think it's more likely a burrow then a carbonized plant, since those are either carbon films or concave.