HorribleImmortal Posted September 18 Share Posted September 18 Found this a couple years back as well, have never figured out what it could be. Found in Nova Scotia, Canada. It’s about 2.4 inches long and 1.8 inches at its widest. It’s stumped a lot of my friends too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted September 18 Share Posted September 18 Any idea where in Nova Scotia? It's a pretty big island. If this was found near other plant fossils, I would hazard a guess at some sort of Calamites fossil imprint. If found near marine fossils, I would posit some sort of bivalve or brachiopod shell imprint. 1 Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 IPFOTM -- MAY - 2024 _________________________________________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HorribleImmortal Posted September 18 Author Share Posted September 18 7 minutes ago, Fossildude19 said: Any idea where in Nova Scotia? It's a pretty big island. If this was found near other plant fossils, I would hazard a guess at some sort of Calamites fossil imprint. If found near marine fossils, I would posit some sort of bivalve or brachiopod shell imprint. I’m not sure where honestly, it was a couple years ago Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TqB Posted September 18 Share Posted September 18 Looks like a Calamites node. 3 Tarquin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted September 18 Share Posted September 18 Location found is important in the identification process, as we infer the geologic setting and stratigraphy (formation, and age of strata) present in an area wherever the fossils are found. It is always a good idea to make note of where things were picked up or found. 3 Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 IPFOTM -- MAY - 2024 _________________________________________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HorribleImmortal Posted September 18 Author Share Posted September 18 3 hours ago, Fossildude19 said: Location found is important in the identification process, as we infer the geologic setting and stratigraphy (formation, and age of strata) present in an area wherever the fossils are found. It is always a good idea to make note of where things were picked up or found. Because I normally roam beaches and the distance I am willing to drive, it could either be from the Northumberland Strait or St George’s Bay. But then again, this could be a piece I found while out with friends who have taken me to Halifax area and Windsor area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted September 18 Share Posted September 18 3 hours ago, TqB said: Looks like a Calamites node. I can see it being a partial pith cast. Isn't the feature oriented wrong to be a node though? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TqB Posted September 18 Share Posted September 18 (edited) 30 minutes ago, Rockwood said: I can see it being a partial pith cast. Isn't the feature oriented wrong to be a node though? I think it's just a fragment on a projecting bit of matrix, the rest broken away to the left and right.. Edited September 18 by TqB 1 Tarquin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted September 18 Share Posted September 18 1 Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 IPFOTM -- MAY - 2024 _________________________________________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted September 18 Share Posted September 18 1 hour ago, TqB said: I think it's just a fragment on a projecting bit of matrix, the rest broken away to the left and right.. It's that broken look that keeps me from being convinced that this isn't just a crack in the casting. The separation should be a straight line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted September 18 Share Posted September 18 Oops. Ready fire aim. I see it often doesn't look straight in a pith cast. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TqB Posted September 19 Share Posted September 19 9 hours ago, Rockwood said: It's that broken look that keeps me from being convinced that this isn't just a crack in the casting. The separation should be a straight line. This sort of thing? From: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/calamites 1 Tarquin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted September 19 Share Posted September 19 It just happens that most of the examples in my collection have much cleaner lines, and I look at them straight on. I did an image search and quickly noticed that it's actually the exception. Especially a larger diameter cast viewed from an angle. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HorribleImmortal Posted September 19 Author Share Posted September 19 23 minutes ago, Rockwood said: It just happens that most of the examples in my collection have much cleaner lines, and I look at them straight on. I did an image search and quickly noticed that it's actually the exception. Especially a larger diameter cast viewed from an angle. So for someone who’s only just waking up from a 12 hour shift, what are we looking at here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted September 19 Share Posted September 19 Subject in a sleep study? It's a cast of the inside of a tree like horsetail ancestor from the Carboniferous period known as Calamites. The cavity is filled with pith in life. The feature seen here represents the tissue that divided segments of the stem. The growth habit had the selective advantage in that sections would separate before the plant was uprooted. The same habit can make weeding horsetails from a garden a perpetual chore. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HorribleImmortal Posted September 19 Author Share Posted September 19 13 hours ago, Rockwood said: Subject in a sleep study? It's a cast of the inside of a tree like horsetail ancestor from the Carboniferous period known as Calamites. The cavity is filled with pith in life. The feature seen here represents the tissue that divided segments of the stem. The growth habit had the selective advantage in that sections would separate before the plant was uprooted. The same habit can make weeding horsetails from a garden a perpetual chore. Oh thats nifty! You sure do know your stuff. Thank you very much! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diggumdave Posted September 21 Share Posted September 21 perhaps early hominid stepped in mud with these shoes on 😂 …but i’ve been wrong before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kmiecik Posted September 21 Share Posted September 21 On 9/18/2024 at 2:29 PM, Rockwood said: Isn't the feature oriented wrong to be a node though? Many Calamites nodes are larger in diameter than the stalk. 1 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...
Plantguy Posted September 22 Share Posted September 22 19 hours ago, Mark Kmiecik said: Many Calamites nodes are larger in diameter than the stalk. For comparison sake this is one of my 3d favorites that I have showing some extra distortion/distinction of some nodes and internodes... I'm not sure if this is pre-burial/post-burial and compaction or maybe a little of each... Regards, Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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