fossil-lover Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 I found this fossil in Colorado. The shop stated that it was a fossil fern but it doesn't look like any that I have seen online. Any ideas? I would like a firm definition of what it is, and possibly where it came from if anyone has ideas. I'm a new member and this is my first posting. Help? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilshk Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 sorry not a fern Dinosaur Fossil Lab http://www.fossilshk.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 Possibly Permian "fern" wood; Google "Tietea Psaronius". Most of it comes from Brazil. "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! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Smilodon Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 (edited) Possibly Permian "fern" wood; Google "Tietea Psaronius". Most of it comes from Brazil. I was thinking "tree fern" but that's so not my thing. Update: Cycad ? - fossils present in Colorado, I believe Edited October 8, 2009 by Smilodon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracer Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 i've got some of the brazilian stuff but i've never seen any like this specimen, so i don't know. pretty cool, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 I think I agree with Smilodon on the Cycad possibility. Maybe a piece from the crown where all of the fronds are coming out of (think of what a Sago palm looks like). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Dactyll Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 Fossil-lover.... Nice specimen.... and welcome, thanks for sharing that with us.... Cheers Steve... And Welcome if your a New Member... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 It is most certainly a fern. It is the stem of a tree fern or similar thick-stemmed fern and may originate from Australia. Yours is one of the most gorgeous uncut pieces I've ever seen. Check out these URLs for some pictures: https://www.westerncoloradopublishing.com/fossil_wood__Australia.html http://www.fossilmall.com/EDCOPE_Enterprises/plants/plfossil77/plantfossil77.htm http://www.mrt.tas.gov.au/pls/portal/docs/PAGE/MRT_INTERNET_PAGE_GROUP/MRT_EXPLORATION_AND_MINING/MRT_FOSSICKING/MRT_FOSSICKING_AREAS/OCCURRENCE_GEMSTONES_V8.PDF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 It is most certainly a fern. It is the stem of a tree fern or similar thick-stemmed fern and may originate from Australia. Now that's cool! Thanks Carl; the collective knowledge of the Forum scores again "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! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1nickeless1 Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 Beautiful piece! Pic of a tree fern I shot in S. Australia. The things are huge! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossil-lover Posted October 9, 2009 Author Share Posted October 9, 2009 It is most certainly a fern. It is the stem of a tree fern or similar thick-stemmed fern and may originate from Australia. Yours is one of the most gorgeous uncut pieces I've ever seen. Check out these URLs for some pictures: https://www.westerncoloradopublishing.com/fossil_wood__Australia.html http://www.fossilmall.com/EDCOPE_Enterprises/plants/plfossil77/plantfossil77.htm http://www.mrt.tas.gov.au/pls/portal/docs/PAGE/MRT_INTERNET_PAGE_GROUP/MRT_EXPLORATION_AND_MINING/MRT_FOSSICKING/MRT_FOSSICKING_AREAS/OCCURRENCE_GEMSTONES_V8.PDF Carl - thank you for this information. I was leaning toward the Osmunda fern but the photo from the fossil mall was so much more exquisite in the cross section. The photos of fossil wood from Australia are more helpful. The bundle ends on my specimen are what intrigue me. I can't find any photos anywhere that look like them. I am still trying to figure out if they are like the fossilized fan palm root bundles of Washingtonia filifera. Your thoughts? Regards, Christine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Smilodon Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 It is most certainly a fern. It is the stem of a tree fern or similar thick-stemmed fern and may originate from Australia. Yours is one of the most gorgeous uncut pieces I've ever seen. Check out these URLs for some pictures: https://www.westerncoloradopublishing.com/fossil_wood__Australia.html http://www.fossilmall.com/EDCOPE_Enterprises/plants/plfossil77/plantfossil77.htm http://www.mrt.tas.gov.au/pls/portal/docs/PAGE/MRT_INTERNET_PAGE_GROUP/MRT_EXPLORATION_AND_MINING/MRT_FOSSICKING/MRT_FOSSICKING_AREAS/OCCURRENCE_GEMSTONES_V8.PDF It's clearly part of a cycad, but why in the world would you think it's from Australia? He bought it in a rockshop in Colorado. This material abounds in Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico. Please see my post from 6:50 yesterday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 Could be local, but rock shops aren't what they used to be; fossils are becoming a global commodity. "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! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 Carl - thank you for this information. I was leaning toward the Osmunda fern but the photo from the fossil mall was so much more exquisite in the cross section. The photos of fossil wood from Australia are more helpful. The bundle ends on my specimen are what intrigue me. I can't find any photos anywhere that look like them. I am still trying to figure out if they are like the fossilized fan palm root bundles of Washingtonia filifera. Your thoughts? Regards, Christine First, just to be clear, there is no chance that it is a cycad - cycad morphology is strikingly different. Additionally, cycadeoids are more common as fossils and even more commonly wrongly IDed as cycads. But I digress! And as to its presence in the US west, as anyone who collects fossils knows, fossil dealers deal globally. If it was found by you in situ, that would be another story entirely. Now to your question: it definitely won't be Washingtonia because that Washingtonia is a true palm and what you have is a fern. It's almost certainly an osmundaceous fern, but where to go from there, I'm lost... But needless to say, it is absolutely gorgeous! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossil-lover Posted October 14, 2009 Author Share Posted October 14, 2009 First, just to be clear, there is no chance that it is a cycad - cycad morphology is strikingly different. Additionally, cycadeoids are more common as fossils and even more commonly wrongly IDed as cycads. But I digress! And as to its presence in the US west, as anyone who collects fossils knows, fossil dealers deal globally. If it was found by you in situ, that would be another story entirely. Now to your question: it definitely won't be Washingtonia because that Washingtonia is a true palm and what you have is a fern. It's almost certainly an osmundaceous fern, but where to go from there, I'm lost... But needless to say, it is absolutely gorgeous! Carl - thank you so much for this information! What a wondeful resource this forum has proven to be. I appreciate your sharing your knowledge with me. Christine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 There's a nice piece of Psaronius fern wood on Ebay right now: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&Item=170394686084&Category=165715&_trkparms=algo%3DLVI%26its%3DI%26otn%3D1 "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! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archimedes Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 could it be palm wood? it sort of looks like a piece of fossil palm wood i have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracer Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 it does not look like any of the palm wood i have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 It could be palm root (Rhizopalmoxylon) but it's a far cry from Psaronius. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plantguy Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 Carl/Smilodon, I was perusing a site today ....How about another possible supporting picture for the tentative tree fern id.... There is a permian Tubicaulis africanus cross section (London Nat History Museum) that looks similar to photo #1. http://piclib.nhm.ac.uk/piclib/www/image.php?img=78546&frm=ser&search=tree. Maybe not age or genus/species appropriate but structural similarities??? Thoughts??Regards, Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Posted October 26, 2009 Share Posted October 26, 2009 Good job, Chris. Definitely in the same fern group - Osmundaceae. I'm sure the posted fossil is a petrified osmundacean stem fragment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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