We found a hot spot!

[Kgbow]

Last night, my wife and I watched a documentary on fossil hunting. Trying to soak up as much information as possible.... it would seem that we needed to find a shale bank or coal dump.... we both started drifting off to sleep when my wife rolled over and said that she had an idea of where to go, no actual evidence as to why, just a gut feeling. 

 

Morning time comes and we both set off out the front door. Just as we get out the yard, my wives cousin yells out and hands us a small pick he used to use in the mines. Bam, what a great start to the day. So we set off again on our way to the “gut feeling” she had.

 

We get to this new location and start looking around. A road cut bank of shale produced nothing. During this little endeavour I managed to cut my thumb after the hammer bounced off the pick and it struck just above the nail. We carry on up the track to a curve and notice a little man-made roadside ditch with a stream of water flowing through it. I lean in to clean the dried blood off my finger when I notice a fossil  (Cordaites leaf) looking up at me through the water. I immediately grab my pick, strike and what we find is the best haul of fossils we’ve ever seen. Just piece after piece, layer after layer. We go on to notice the road we are standing on is made up of this rock and there are fossils literally, everywhere. The whole hill side is this stone. It’s a dark grey, soft stone. Shale right? 

 

Anyways, here are some of our favourite finds. Still learning and looking for more. Do you think we may find insects? Also, what’s the best course of action for this place? Some of these rocks are coming out in big chunks. Should we try and break them into as many “slices” as possible? We don’t want to miss any tiny fossils we could be inadvertently throwing away! 

 

Cheers for now.

 

Also, we think we’ve identified these, but as a test of our skills, If you know any of these, could you post what you think it is and we can see if we’re right! Thank you! 

[Kgbow]

[caldigger]

Looks like you tapped into a good deposit of Pennsylvanian plant material.

[ynot]

Oh here they are!

Nice finds.

Maybe @Plantguy can help id some.

[LiamL]

Wonderful finds!

[Fossildude19]

1.  Alethopteris sp. 

2. Calamites sp

3. Possibly Lyginopteris sp.? Very hard to see, as it is so small. 

Could also possibly be Eusphenopteris sp., or Sphenopteris sp.

 

 

4. Possibly Lepidophylloides sp? 

 

 

Nice finds! Congratulations on a successful trip!  

[Rockin' Ric]

Pic 1- looks like a Nueropteris fern frond

Pic 2 & 4- Calamite stems

Pic 3- looks like a Pecopteris or Lyginopteris fern frond

Pic 4- looks like a Lepidophylloide or some type of Calamite cone?

 

Nice Carboniferous Period finds!

Btw, check out www.geocraft.com...website devoted to West Virginia fossils. This website has helped me identify a lot of the Carboniferous Period fossils found down here in Bama!

[Fossildude19]

Here is a PDF that might help some. 

I think I posted this link for you before. 

On 2/14/2019 at 10:06 AM, Rockin' Ric said:

Pic 1- looks like a Nueropteris fern frond

Pic 2 & 4- Calamite stems

Pic 3- looks like a Pecopteris or Lyginopteris fern frond

Pic 4- looks like a Lepidophylloide or some type of Calamite cone?

 

Nice Carboniferous Period finds!

 

Ric,

I agree, #1 could be Neuropteris, but I'd like to see a close up of the pinnule attachment points.

The picture of Danaeides in the linked PDF look similar, as well.  

 

[Rockin' Ric]

1 minute ago, Fossildude19 said:

Here is a PDF that might help some. 

I think I posted this link for you before. 

 

Ric,

I agree, #1 could be Neuropteris, but I'd like to see a close up of the pinnule attachment points.

The picture of Danaeides in the linked PDF look similar, as well.  

 

 

Thanks Tim, the PDF I haven't seen before. I just posted the Geocraft link...this website has been valuable to me over the years identifying my Bama plant fossils. I stumbled onto it many years ago before I joined TTF. 

[Fossildude19]

29 minutes ago, Rockin' Ric said:

 

Thanks Tim, the PDF I haven't seen before. I just posted the Geocraft link...this website has been valuable to me over the years identifying my Bama plant fossils. I stumbled onto it many years ago before I joined TTF. 

 OOOps!  I must've been typing/finding links when you posted.   

[FranzBernhard]

How nice is that!! Congratulations! What a wonderful story and find!

And would you have found it, if you had not hit your thumb? 

Franz Bernhard

[Kgbow]

Overwhelmed by the replies! Thank you all so much! I thought you’d all get bored of us couple of amateurs posting our probably obvious finds! Haha. 

 

The PDF you’ve posted is super useful! We will print this off and take it into the field. Thank you so much for posting that. 

 

We both got a couple right! Well, kind of. We said that ,

A - looked like an Alethopteris.

B - Calamites 

 

So we’re getting better right? The little one is beautiful. We are so proud of it. 

 

What do you guys think this one is? Never seen it before. 

[SailingAlongToo]

Pretty cool stuff, if you like circa ~300 million year old plant material that is. 

 

Tough go on the thumb but I bet if you keep up the hobby, it won't be the last time you whack it! I recommend wearing gloves and safety glasses!! 

 

Keep up the good work. 

[Kgbow]

24 minutes ago, SailingAlongToo said:

Pretty cool stuff, if you like circa ~300 million year old plant material that is. 

 

Tough go on the thumb but I bet if you keep up the hobby, it won't be the last time you whack it! I recommend wearing gloves and safety glasses!! 

 

Keep up the good work. 

Thank you! We get excited even when we find a leaf. Been detecting too long to know how to get excited over the small stuff haha

[Max-fossils]

Those are some cool finds! Congrats!!!

[FranzBernhard]

1 hour ago, Kgbow said:

I thought you’d all get bored of us couple of amateurs posting our probably obvious finds!

There is no such thing like a boring fossil .

Well, there are exceptions, some fossils are really, really boring, like Lithophaga or clionid sponges, but that´s a different story... .

Keep excited, keep investigative, keep intuitive, keep save - have fun with fossils!
Franz Bernhard

[Discover and Preserve]

30 minutes ago, Kgbow said:

Thank you! We get excited even when we find a leaf. Been detecting too long to know how to get excited over the small stuff haha

I have to say I'm jealous!

Brent

[goatinformationist]

Really cool finds.  Way to prospect. 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Nice finds!

[Kgbow]

7 hours ago, MelbourneBeachBrent said:

I have to say I'm jealous!

Brent

Been spoilt detecting in the UK. Must admit, it’s a special feeling finding something special. 

[Kgbow]

Thank you all for the positive feedback 

[Plantguy]

On 2/14/2019 at 10:47 AM, Kgbow said:

Overwhelmed by the replies! Thank you all so much! I thought you’d all get bored of us couple of amateurs posting our probably obvious finds! Haha. 

 

The PDF you’ve posted is super useful! We will print this off and take it into the field. Thank you so much for posting that. 

 

We both got a couple right! Well, kind of. We said that ,

A - looked like an Alethopteris.

B - Calamites 

 

So we’re getting better right? The little one is beautiful. We are so proud of it. 

 

What do you guys think this one is? Never seen it before. 

Neat finds! Any way to get a closeup of this and some of the others? Looks possibly like a Lepidodendron type branch above with the diamond like pattern and another different stem/plant fragment almost parallel to and below it. 

Regards, Chris 

[Max-fossils]

On 2/14/2019 at 12:44 PM, FranzBernhard said:

Well, there are exceptions, some fossils are really, really boring, like Lithophaga or clionid sponges, but that´s a different story... .

[MeargleSchmeargl]

One of my strongest urges as far as searching goes is a good Pennsylvanian plant site, and posts like these only serve to make said urge stronger.

I know a general area near home where I could strike gold, but I don't know a specific accessible site in GA that isn't owned by an obscure land owner,

I don't know how to contact. If only.   

 

[Mountain girl]

What county in WV? This is fantastic!