Looks like a plant, but I'm not sure (Mortimer Forest, Shropshire. Silurian; Wenlock)

[EntomoloJosh]

Is this some kind of plant fossil, or just a weird-ish rock? It was about 15mm in length.

 

Original photo:

 

Brightened photo:

 

Thank you!

[Ludwigia]

Did you touch up that 2nd photo? If so, then those appear to be scratch marks seen in the 1st.

[Rockwood]

This looks like the result of some kind of impact or abrasion to me as well. 

[Brandy Cole]

 I first thought you were talking about the lines on the top of the first picture.  To me, that looked like it could be an impression fossil of some kind.

 

 

 

Edited January 24 by Brandy Cole
Spelling correction

[Rockwood]

It does look a bit like a brachiopod. 

[Advantage]

Is it likely to be a plant with a stem and leaves from the Silurian? I thought the Mortimer forest deposits were marine? Hence Rockwoods suggestion re a Brachiopod.

 

Steve

[EntomoloJosh]

2 hours ago, Ludwigia said:

Did you touch up that 2nd photo? If so, then those appear to be scratch marks seen in the 1st.

The only editing I did on the 2nd photo was brightening the area I thought was a fossil, as I thought the original photo wasn't too clear

[Rockwood]

7 minutes ago, Advantage said:

Is it likely to be a plant with a stem and leaves from the Silurian?

I think stem and leaves came later. Land plants from that time looked more like liverworts, or moss at best. 

[Advantage]

I agree Rockwood, here in the UK we have well preserved liverworts in the Rhynie chert deposits in Scotland. Plants with the morphology we recognise today appeared in the Devonian. 

[EntomoloJosh]

Thanks all for clearing this up - likely just a mark

[Mark Kmiecik]

6 hours ago, EntomoloJosh said:

Thanks all for clearing this up - likely just a mark

 

Except the spot at the top that Brandy Cole indicated. That may be something, but we would need better focused photos of that area. And photos of the other side and the edges could also be helpful.

Edited January 24 by Mark Kmiecik