Blue Forest petrified wood

[digit]

Putting a shout-out here to see if any members have any nice specimens of pet wood from the Blue Forest locality in SW Wyoming. A researcher in the paleobotany department of the Florida Museum (FLMNH) is doing research on the species that are found in this locality. She has already identified several specimens as palm and (interestingly) a species in the avocado family. She is presently searching for additional specimens to possibly widen the floral diversity of this site.

 

https://www.mindat.org/loc-216297.html

 

I gave away virtually all of my specimens that I collected back in 2009 and my remaining pieces are presently on display in Powell Hall (the public display museum) on campus (see below). If any members out there have some nice pieces from this locality that they might wish to offer up for research purposes I'd appreciate hearing from you. If you can PM me with some nice (higher resolution) clear images of your specimens I'll forward those on to the researcher to see if they appear to be useful for her research.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[Yoda]

Quite by co-incidence I have recently ordered a piece of this from one of my suppliers. Together with a slab off Gary Green Jasper. 

Will post a photo when it arrives 

[MarcoSr]

Ken

 

Here are two pieces that I have.  Closeups of cell structure included.  Even though I donate a lot of what I personally collect, these purchased pieces are special to me.

 

Petrified Wood, botryoidal agate, golden calcite, insect borings, ostracods, Eocene 50 MYA, Green River Fm, Blue Forest along Lake Gosiute, Sweetwater County, Wyoming (1.2 lbs 8.25 x6x.38 inches):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Petrified Wood encased In Algae-Laurel, Eocene 50 MYA, Bridger Formation, Blue Forest WY (1802 grams 9.5x7.75x.625 to .75 inches):

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marco Sr.

[minnbuckeye]

@digit, I would be happy to donate some specimens. Though wood in the Blue Forest is nice, my collection consists of pieces covered with chalcedony. The combination of the mineral deposits in combo with the wood is what appealed to me. Here is one of my posts showing some of my collection. Message me if any of this type of material would be useful.

 

Petrified Blue Forest

 

By minnbuckeye
August 30, 2022 in Fossil Hunting Trips

[digit]

2 hours ago, MarcoSr said:

Here are two pieces that I have. 

Those pieces are gorgeous. You've got to look through a lot of pieces of pet wood to find ones so nice. These images are probably good enough to show the researcher to see if it is a species she does not have in her study.

 

1 hour ago, minnbuckeye said:

I would be happy to donate some specimens. Though wood in the Blue Forest is nice, my collection consists of pieces covered with chalcedony.

Lovely trip report--brings back memories. Will show the images to the researcher and see if she spots anything of interest.

 

Thanks all for the responses--anyone else out there have a nice cache of Blue Forest?

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[jpc]

Ken- do you have my email address?  I can send her some but I do not have photos off hand. 

 

  

[digit]

1 hour ago, jpc said:

Ken- do you have my email address?  I can send her some but I do not have photos off hand.

I do indeed. Will drop you a line.

 

10 hours ago, MarcoSr said:

Here are two pieces that I have.  Closeups of cell structure included.  Even though I donate a lot of what I personally collect, these purchased pieces are special to me.

Spoke with our visiting paleobotanist today at the museum and learned a bit about pet wood. She showed me the pieces she has in the collection that she is studying already. Most turn out to be members of the cinnamon or avocado family (Wyoming was more tropical 50 million years ago). Avocado toast must have been popular in the Eocene as much of her material is from the avocado family. If I understood her correctly what appear to be cracks or fissures in the pet wood are not due to the permineralization process but are features of the wood when fresh. She tentatively identified some of Marco's pet wood as avocado. The good news for Marco is that she has more than enough of this species for her research and we don't have to deprive Marco of any beautiful and expensive specimens.

 

 

Would still like to see some close-up photos showing the grain in any other specimens that our membership has in their collection. @minnbuckeye has a lot of pieces and if the wood grain is visible along the ends, closeup photos possibly showing the structure would be informative to see if it is something novel not already in her sample of specimens.

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

 

[minnbuckeye]

Ken, leaving town for a week. I will look when back. I will say the post was from a location much higher than where the level that all the "holes " are. Maybe a different environment and different species possible?? I can message exact coordinates if they are interested. 

[digit]

33 minutes ago, minnbuckeye said:

Ken, leaving town for a week. I will look when back. I will say the post was from a location much higher than where the level that all the "holes " are. Maybe a different environment and different species possible?? I can message exact coordinates if they are interested. 

No great rush. Our visiting researcher (Nareerat Boonchai) is heading back to Thailand for a bit and will be back in Gainesville in spring. If you can manage to get some good photos of the end-grain on some of your pieces (possibly cut smooth for better visibility) I can forward them to her or I can send you her contact email via PM. She's written papers/books on other floral lists from similar localities and is now working on expanding the Blue Forest beyond avocado and cinnamon.

 

https://explorer-directory.nationalgeographic.org/nareerat-boonchai

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[Yoda]

This is my piece 

 

 

[digit]

8 hours ago, Yoda said:

This is my piece

Ah, very cool--a member of the Anacaridiaceae family (cashew/sumac). I'll forward this information on to the researcher.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[Yoda]

7 hours ago, digit said:

Ah, very cool--a member of the Anacaridiaceae family (cashew/sumac). I'll forward this information on to the researcher.

 

 

I have no idea if the ID is correct. 

Label as per supplier 

[digit]

5 hours ago, Yoda said:

I have no idea if the ID is correct. 

Label as per supplier 

My local authority has returned home (out of country) for a bit but I'll send her your photo and see what she says.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[Yoda]

1 hour ago, digit said:

My local authority has returned home (out of country) for a bit but I'll send her your photo and see what she says.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

I have just done a Google Image search. 

Leeds me to believe the label is correct 👍

[digit]

Managed to catch my local authority just before she left and showed her your photo. She agreed that the ID looks appropriate. It is also in the Anacardaceae (Cashew) family.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[KLane]

Hello! We are from Montana and we have similar looking petrified wood. My son is trying to identify it for his science fair project. Is there anybody who can tell us how to get thin slices of the petrified wood? We would be happy to share our pieces for other research projects. Thank you! 

[Fossildude19]

6 hours ago, KLane said:

Hello! We are from Montana and we have similar looking petrified wood. My son is trying to identify it for his science fair project. Is there anybody who can tell us how to get thin slices of the petrified wood? We would be happy to share our pieces for other research projects. Thank you! 

 

@digit

 

Hello @KLane,

 

You might try a local museum to see if you can get them to do thin slices for you.  Forum Member digit may be able to get you in contact with the researcher he mentioned.

Posting images of your finds might be helpful, as well.

 

Good luck!

[digit]

47 minutes ago, Fossildude19 said:

Forum Member digit may be able to get you in contact with the researcher he mentioned.

Unfortunately, she is out of the country (in Thailand) for a semester and won't be back in her lab in Gainesville till later in the summer.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken