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Found in coal seam


Levon

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I work in the coal mine in South western pa. Northern wv. I find petrified wood mostly fern tree piece but can't find much about them online. I also find what I think is pyrite.I know that they are mostly fern. They are out of the Pittsburgh seam and are around 330 million years old. Any other info would be appreciated. 

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I work in coal mines in South western pa. Northern wv. I find alot of different types of fossils mostly in shale that disintegrate after being in air. Petrified wood. And pyrite. If you have any info it would be greatly appreciated. I know they're from Pittsburgh seam of coal are fern and around 330 million years old.

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Interesting, but can't see enough detail, partly due to the light flare. 

Better pictures will be needed for an id please. 

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The oxygen is used up by the decay processes in the thick build up of plant matter of coal beds. Under these conditions iron will combine with sulfide to form pyrite and other similar compounds. Pyrite disease, as it's known, is a serious problem that results when the mineral oxidizes with exposure to the atmosphere.

I'm not sure if this would be called petrified wood. It's possible, but in this picture I can't be sure if it's that, coalified wood or just coal.

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Welcome to the Forum. :) 

Cropped and brightened:

 

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Not seeing any identifying characteristics to nail down what type of tree fern this may have belonged to. 

    Tim    -  VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

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Given the internal structure, I think it is safe to say that this piece is from  a tree fern, rather than a club moss. Beyond that, I do not know anyone offhand with the expertise to narrow it down any further.

The level of pyritization is interesting, and attractive! Please show us more as you find them.

"There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant

“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley

>Paleontology is an evolving science.

>May your wonders never cease!

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I will post better pictures it was wet in last ones and I could only post 1 picture at a time. I had a truck bed full of them at one time. I even had one that was a regular tree it had a y in it knot hole and all. They are very heavy and feel like a rock. 

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You can see the gold color in this picture. They all have a good or silver color to them. When I was underground in northern wv near wv\pa border. I would see them in the coal daily. I still work in the mine but I am above ground now so the pieces I find are smaller. The equipment they use to mine coal does a number on them. I ask everyone I worked with no one was interested in knowing anything about them. They were just an annoyance to them cause they were hard and would create sparks and occasionally light small methane pocket. 

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I find alot of pyrite now cause the smaller pieces. I would almost go back underground to get more of the larger pieces. 

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