connorp Posted October 2, 2019 Share Posted October 2, 2019 This tiny guy just popped in the freezer today. I apologize if the pictures aren’t the best – the nodule is barely a centimeter at its widest point, so my phone is having a tough time focusing. If they’re not good enough let me know and I’ll try again. Anyways, I have no idea what this is! Maybe some kind of bark? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caldigger Posted October 2, 2019 Share Posted October 2, 2019 Looks to perhaps be some bark? Pictures are just fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigred97 Posted October 2, 2019 Share Posted October 2, 2019 I thought I recognized this from Nimravis' Sometimes You Have to Whack It topic. I searched for "subsurface" and here are his words: Subsurface of the non-vascular plant Taeniophyllum latifolium You can do the same search in his topic to see other examples he has posted. The checkerboard pattern looked familiar. I have several of these specimens, very small, but I really like looking at them under magnification, such a striking pattern. Nice find! Chris 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connorp Posted October 2, 2019 Author Share Posted October 2, 2019 7 hours ago, bigred97 said: I thought I recognized this from Nimravis' Sometimes You Have to Whack It topic. I searched for "subsurface" and here are his words: Subsurface of the non-vascular plant Taeniophyllum latifolium You can do the same search in his topic to see other examples he has posted. The checkerboard pattern looked familiar. I have several of these specimens, very small, but I really like looking at them under magnification, such a striking pattern. Nice find! Chris That looks like a match! What does the term subsurface mean in this context? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stats Posted October 2, 2019 Share Posted October 2, 2019 I think it could be Calamites. Cheers, Rich 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnBrewer Posted October 2, 2019 Share Posted October 2, 2019 5 hours ago, stats said: I think it could be Calamites. Cheers, Rich Not sure they are but I’m often wrong! Ralph @Nimravis? John Map of UK fossil sites Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nimravis Posted October 2, 2019 Share Posted October 2, 2019 12 hours ago, bigred97 said: I thought I recognized this from Nimravis' Sometimes You Have to Whack It topic. I searched for "subsurface" and here are his words: Subsurface of the non-vascular plant Taeniophyllum latifolium You can do the same search in his topic to see other examples he has posted. The checkerboard pattern looked familiar. I have several of these specimens, very small, but I really like looking at them under magnification, such a striking pattern. Nice find! Chris This is correct and I was told the ID from Jack Witry (Fiddlehead). I always like these pieces and some are very showy. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nimravis Posted October 2, 2019 Share Posted October 2, 2019 17 minutes ago, JohnBrewer said: Not sure they are but I’m often wrong! Ralph @Nimravis? Thanks- @bigred97 had it correct. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stats Posted October 2, 2019 Share Posted October 2, 2019 2 hours ago, Nimravis said: Thanks- @bigred97 had it correct. Cool! Looks like I should change a few labels! Cheers, Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigred97 Posted October 3, 2019 Share Posted October 3, 2019 Thanks, @Nimravis! Follow-up question - are you able to explain in a little more detail what "subsurface of the non-vascular plant" means? Does subsurface refer to below ground or that there was a layer of plant material covering the "checkerboard" when it was alive? And I believe vascular means having hollow tubes. So this plant didn't have capillaries for extracting water from the ground? I wonder if this will be covered in Jack's new book? Really looking forward to that whenever it is published (I thought it would be soon). Thanks again, Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nimravis Posted October 3, 2019 Share Posted October 3, 2019 39 minutes ago, bigred97 said: that there was a layer of plant material covering the "checkerboard" when it was alive That is something that I cannot answer, but I always took it as you mentioned above. You could always PM Jack and ask him. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westcoast Posted October 3, 2019 Share Posted October 3, 2019 Those checkerboard patterns are the result of burial diagenesis. Minute cracks that form as the organic matter is turned to coal and the cracks are often filled with calcite. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doushantuo Posted October 3, 2019 Share Posted October 3, 2019 image from: K.A.Frodsham and R.A. Gayer International Journal of Coal Geology 38(1999): The impact of tectonic deformation upon coal seams in the South Wales Coalfield,UK alternatively: https://pygs.lyellcollection.org/content/56/1/15.short 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kmiecik Posted October 3, 2019 Share Posted October 3, 2019 17 hours ago, bigred97 said: Thanks, @Nimravis! Follow-up question - are you able to explain in a little more detail what "subsurface of the non-vascular plant" means? Does subsurface refer to below ground or that there was a layer of plant material covering the "checkerboard" when it was alive? And I believe vascular means having hollow tubes. So this plant didn't have capillaries for extracting water from the ground? I wonder if this will be covered in Jack's new book? Really looking forward to that whenever it is published (I thought it would be soon). Thanks again, Chris Due this month if I recall correctly. Mark. Fossil hunting is easy -- they don't run away when you shoot at them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connorp Posted October 9, 2019 Author Share Posted October 9, 2019 On 10/3/2019 at 1:55 AM, westcoast said: Those checkerboard patterns are the result of burial diagenesis. Minute cracks that form as the organic matter is turned to coal and the cracks are often filled with calcite. So are these patterns attributable only to indeterminate plant material? I could not find any literature (outside Jack Witry's literature) that referenced Taeniophyllum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westcoast Posted October 9, 2019 Share Posted October 9, 2019 47 minutes ago, connorp said: So are these patterns attributable only to indeterminate plant material? I could not find any literature (outside Jack Witry's literature) that referenced Taeniophyllum. Yes, the checkerboard patterns will form in a variety of plant types depending on diagenesis 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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