West Virginia fossils

[Michael B.]

While backpacking in the Cranberry Wilderness I found this soccer size rock with what appears to be carbonized plant material encased in a sandstone matrix. Can anyone shed further light on this specimen? Thank you 

[Miocene_Mason]

Yes, Carbonized plants from the Carboniferous period! That’s around 300-some million years old depending on the exact formation. Hard to tell which one because the geologic map shows a lot in that area. Nice find!

[Michael B.]

Thank you!

[Plax]

can we get sharply focused pics of the broken and porous areas? Guess that the mods will move this to the ID section.

[gdsfossil]

Hope you learned more about this.  I'm sure someone not in the forum has probably asked the questions, but as a lifelong backpacker and rockhound, I need to know for myself.  Did you carry it out or sneak it in your significant other/kid's backpack when they weren't looking?

 

[Kane]

14 minutes ago, gdsfossil said:

Hope you learned more about this.  I'm sure someone not in the forum has probably asked the questions, but as a lifelong backpacker and rockhound, I need to know for myself.  Did you carry it out or sneak it in your significant other/kid's backpack when they weren't looking?

 

Unfortunately, this member has not logged in since this thread was started.

[Fossildude19]

11 hours ago, gdsfossil said:

Did you carry it out or sneak it in your significant other/kid's backpack when they weren't looking?

 

Hopefully, they didn't,  as you need a permit to collect rocks in the Cranberry Wilderness. 

 

 

I hope you are not intending to do something that would be illegal.   

[gdsfossil]

It was tongue and cheek.