Kato Posted February 10, 2019 Share Posted February 10, 2019 Okay, I finally unpacked some boxes a couple of weeks with the intent of finally getting this officially named. I believe it is Palmoxylon Mohavensis and I believe from the Miocene. Found in the Mojave Desert in California, north and east of Red Rock Canyon and north and west of Last Chance Canyon about 40 years ago. Size of overall specimen is approximately 4" x 5" x 6" In addition to not knowing the true identity, I think this is also down by the roots? Starting with the end that has been cut and somewhat polished. Graining is confused leading me to think root end of tree?? Opposite end Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kato Posted February 10, 2019 Author Share Posted February 10, 2019 One side Opposite side to that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kato Posted February 10, 2019 Author Share Posted February 10, 2019 Root(?) end. Slight zoom in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kato Posted February 10, 2019 Author Share Posted February 10, 2019 zoom into one of the openings a shot of a busted open section Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted February 10, 2019 Share Posted February 10, 2019 Looks like a fern to Me. 2 Darwin said: " Man sprang from monkeys." Will Rogers said: " Some of them didn't spring far enough." My Fossil collection - My Mineral collection My favorite thread on TFF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abyssunder Posted February 10, 2019 Share Posted February 10, 2019 Maybe something similar to both of them ( Palmoxylon and Rhizopalmoxylon), but I'm not well versed in fossil plants. link 2 " We are not separate and independent entities, but like links in a chain, and we could not by any means be what we are without those who went before us and showed us the way. " Thomas Mann My Library Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted February 10, 2019 Share Posted February 10, 2019 41 minutes ago, Kato said: Graining is confused leading me to think root end of tree I think you have it in a confused kind of way. I think the outside layers of the trunk were essentially a mass of roots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted February 10, 2019 Share Posted February 10, 2019 In ferns that is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidgy's Dad Posted February 10, 2019 Share Posted February 10, 2019 Nice piece, whatever it may be! Life's Good! Tortoise Friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kato Posted February 10, 2019 Author Share Posted February 10, 2019 37 minutes ago, abyssunder said: Maybe something similar to both of them ( Palmoxylon and Rhizopalmoxylon), but I'm not well versed in fossil plants. link Between this and what @Rockwood said it got me to thinking 'how similar are modern palms'? A little searching and I found the diagram below. It appears the palm roots did not spread either far or wide but the bases were basically pot shaped. To me, very interesting, palm trees can make basal offshoots and high offshoots per this diagram. Not that I've seen a lot of palms but I did not know that factoid. Given the odd, not pot shaped, form of this specimen, I begin to wonder if either basal or high offshoots are a possibility and could the 'roots' possibly be where leaves actually emerged from? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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