An Extensive Exposure of the Wamsutta Formation, North Attleboro

[Isotelus2883]

In 2004, the oldest flying fossil insect fossil, a trace in the Wamsutta Formation, was described in Nature. The locality was several hundred feet from where an extensive exposure of the formation was located in a cut. I was planning to try and locate the locality, but due to time issues I went back to this cut, which I had visited once before. Several other localities containing abundant plants and ichnofossils are located in the vicinity. Here is an image of a shaly horizon that was between thick conglomeratic layers. There are three of these major ones, with the lower being darker and being more of a sandstone.

The middle shale layer.

Most of the finds were from here, although the lower member had some complete Cordaites leaves that I forgot to take back.
Here are the finds from the lower section. Occasionally, there were smoother sections of bioturbated mud between the sandy shale, where well defined trails were preserved.

Some raindrop prints.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a possible arthropod print, that is very badly defined.

In these higher energy layers, some fragmentary plants were found. A Cordaites? bit was found, with some clasts of quartz just below.

Some small pebbles of quartz.

Now, here are the plants from the middle shaly layer.
A Cordaites? fragment, with several other pieces. A certain layer within the shaly horizon was full of these pieces, however there was little variety and there was little need to fill my shoeboxes with these.

Some specimens, showed what seemed like borings on them. Here is the most distinct example. I found these, also on plant fragments at three separate localities in the North Attleboro area, including one of the Rhode Island Formation.

In the talus I found a decent, but either badly preserved or badly exposed fern. Just from the shape, there are quite a few possibilities on what it might be.

 
Hee is a quite well defined tetrapod footprint I found in a bioturbated layer of the section, which split readily into relatively thin and flat slabs, which allowed for an examination for prints. However, there is quite a bit missing on the other side of the split.

And last, not a fossil but a geological oddity. It is obviously a clast from one of the conglomeratic horizons, but something is weird about it. Inside, are more pebbles. It is a conglomerate, that has weathered out and become, itself, a clast of the Wamsutta conglomerate! The clasts within this pebble are of a quite different nature than the ones in the Wamsutta.

Though the finds are not very spectacular, the conglomerate pebble certainly made up for it.

Edited February 3 by Isotelus2883
Bad image spacing

[Andúril Flame of the West]

What a great trip and a change of pace from what we usually see you post here on the forum! I would say that you had a very productive trip .

 

Kudos to you for getting out there; if it is cold here in the Mid-Atlantic I can only imagine how frigid it is up there. Nice plant fossils and a very cool tetrapod trace. In my books any footprint is a win. 

[bockryan]

Very impressive finds, the footprint is pretty fantastic and I really like the rain traces

[jpc]

Interesting stuff.  I am curious about the name... Wamsutta... I am originally from MA but have never heard this name, but there is a small town here in Wyoming called Wamsutter, with an er ending.  Do you know the namesake of this Fm?

[Isotelus2883]

I don't know what the formation was named after, although a leader of the Pokanoket was of the same name. Maybe the formation was named after him?

[Tidgy's Dad]

Very interesting indeed.

Thank you for sharing this with us.

[piranha]

30 minutes ago, Isotelus2883 said:

...a leader of the Pokanoket was of the same name. Maybe the formation was named after him?

 

You nailed it!

 

"Wamsutta, a name proposed, but not actually adopted, for North Attleboro. The "Wamsutta Mills" are situated within this town. Wamsutta was the oldest son of Massaaoit, chief sachem of Pockanoket, brother and predecessor of King Philip. He was named Alexander Pockanoket by the court at Plymouth, June 10, 1660. The term is used by Dr. Foerste in his thesis on this field, a manuscript report now in the library of Harvard University."

 

Shaler, N.S., Woodworth, J.B., Foerste, A.F. 1899

Geology of the Narragansett Basin.
United States Geological Survey, 33:1-402

[Pagurus]

Impressive finds!  

[jpc]

27 minutes ago, piranha said:

 

You nailed it!

 

"Wamsutta, a name proposed, but not actually adopted, for North Attleboro. The "Wamsutta Mills" are situated within this town. Wamsutta was the oldest son of Massaaoit, chief sachem of Pockanoket, brother and predecessor of King Philip. He was named Alexander Pockanoket by the court at Plymouth, June 10, 1660. The term is used by Dr. Foerste in his thesis on this field, a manuscript report now in the library of Harvard University."

 

Shaler, N.S., Woodworth, J.B., Foerste, A.F. 1899

Geology of the Narragansett Basin.
United States Geological Survey, 33:1-402

This makes me want to look into the etymology of Wamsutter, Wyoming.

 

from Wikipedia:

"Confusion with nearby Fort Washakie prompted an 1884 name change to Wamsutter, after a Union Pacific bridge engineer".

 

But I don't mean to take away form the original thread...

I do love the footprint you found.  

[Isotelus2883]

2 hours ago, piranha said:

"Wamsutta, a name proposed, but not actually adopted, for North Attleboro. The "Wamsutta Mills" are situated within this town. Wamsutta was the oldest son of Massaaoit, chief sachem of Pockanoket, brother and predecessor of King Philip. He was named Alexander Pockanoket by the court at Plymouth, June 10, 1660. The term is used by Dr. Foerste in his thesis on this field, a manuscript report now in the library of Harvard University."

Very interesting to learn about the origins of the name. 

[Darktooth]

Thanks for the report and pics. Very interesting finds.