Maine, Kennebec River Glacial Moraine, River Eroded Plant Fossil? No Idea?

[kennebecriver]

Greetings. This is my first post, and I have a real puzzle for you folks to look at. Let me preface by say that I usually research any question I have as much as I can before seeking assistance by asking for help through forums online. This time, however, I have absolutely no idea where to start. I understand most of the basics about geology and fossil formation, from stellar formation right up through tectonics, volcanism, and the development of life and how it ends up dead in the mud and eventually on display in a museum somewhere.

Unfortunately, I live in the Kennebec River valley in Central Maine at the falls in Madison, near the marine limit of the last ice age and countless before. Our farm is on a silty clay deposit sitting upon gravel moraine and ancient riverbed and bedrock, all of it gouged, cut-up, stirred, covered over, stirred again, turned up, covered, washed over, spit on and ground up by and finally given a goodnight kiss from the meandering Kennebec River and what I understand was the occasional 5-mile thick wall of ice and rock. So, really, I have no idea, at all, geologically, what the heck is going on. I have glacial erratics on the property so big they look like bedrock outcroppings, but they are really like little tiny parts of Canada.

So when I found a well-eroded river rock with a crazy mish-mash fossil well-packed with what look like seaweed or ferns and a bulbous eye-like feature I can't help but wonder what it is, and when it is from, but I have no idea where to start. The rock itself came from inside a tall moraine being harvested for gravel, pretty much exactly above the last ice age's marine limit. The stone itself is eroded enough to make me think it must have spent some time in a riverbed after having fossilized, so that must be some sort of clue to its age. It also has spent at least the last 12,000 years in that ridge, of course.

The other bizarre thing about the fossil is that in the days after I cracked it open, it changed color. I had suspected there was something inside because of the odd characteristics of the rock, so I gave it a couple good whacks with another rock and when it opened it was pretty even colored, but a few days later, it had taken on the richer colors you can see in the photos below. I hope that it isn't some deadly ancient mold spore which is actually responsible for the devonian extinction.

Anyways, if anyone has any insight, please, I'm so curious I could burst.

[Carcharodontosaurus]

Those are not fossils. They are dendrites, a type of crystal that forms a tree-like shape. Dendrites are often mistaken for plant fossils.

[kennebecriver]

My god, it is so misleading. I feel like a fool for posting it but, it looks so organic that I would never in a million years (no pun intended) have thought it was anything but some sort of organic remnant. How fascinating. It is so packed with complexity, thank you very much for the reply.

[jgcox]

agree Dendrites

[elcoincoin]

Hi there,

Dentrites are maybe the things that are the most often mistaken for fossils (well that and iron nodules). I even saw at least twice fossils shops selling those for fossil ferns. (not saying they DONT know its no fossils ....).

Nevertheless, if u ask me, rather ask than remain in the dark.

[penobscotriver]

You might find the L.C. Bates Museum at Good Will Hinckley (rt. 201) just outside Skowhegan a good resource.

[Plantguy]

My god, it is so misleading. I feel like a fool for posting it but, it looks so organic that I would never in a million years (no pun intended) have thought it was anything but some sort of organic remnant. How fascinating. It is so packed with complexity, thank you very much for the reply.

Hey Kennebecriver, nice specimen! Half the fun of finding stuff is trying to figure out what the heck we've brought home so dont worry about your initial ID! I've liked dendrites alot for a long time and they sure do resemble plants. If I had more room I'd probably be collecting them as well as fossil plants! Here's a sample I have from the Solnhofen of Germany showing Jurassic plant remains along with dendrites developing around the outline of the plant.

Thanks for the post and welcome to the forum. Keep part or all of that sample! Regards, Chris

[Indy]

Agree ... Dendrites (mineral) Link

The first time I saw these features ... I swore they were plant fossils.

So ... don't feel bad ... Many of us originally thought they were plant fossils

when we first noticed them when fossil hunting.

There's something called Moss Agates

which are really Dendrites ... Link