Help identifying potential fossil

[LukeLovesPlants]

Hi all, I found this on a hike the other day and thought it looks interesting. The rock formation in the area is The peninsula formation in South Africa. New to fossils so any help identifying would be great.

[Rockwood]

There may be a thin veneer of petrified wood here, but I think natural cast of wood may be a better way to describe it.  

[Harry Pristis]

Slickenside jumped to mind, but I'm not a geologist.

[Chalkdude]

3 minutes ago, Harry Pristis said:

Slickenside jumped to mind, but I'm not a geologist.

Looks like it

Edited May 24 by Chalkdude

[Rockwood]

My experience with slickensides has been in slate, and with wood, rock that looks like this. I suppose I could be biased. 

[LukeLovesPlants]

Thanks for the help. I've attached some better photos that might help.

 

 

(Picture A)

What I find interesting is horizontal line at the top creating a separation can this form as a result of slickenside?. Its not clear in the photos but the top "half" is slightly more protruding than the bottom "half". Also at the top left there is one part that's sort of at a 45 degree angle as apposed to the rest. What would cause that, especially in the context of a slickenside. The area I found it in has a lot of Sandstone

 

 

B

C

D

 

Regards

[Rockwood]

Slickensides form in active faults. They are quite capable of having these features. I'm really not sure which this is. 

[Mark Kmiecik]

I don't think slickensides can exhibit a stepped structure. I'm with Rockwood, leaning towards wood imprint.

[Fossildude19]

4 hours ago, LukeLovesPlants said:

Hi all, I found this on a hike the other day and thought it looks interesting. The rock formation in the area is The peninsula formation in South Africa. New to fossils so any help identifying would be great.

 

 

Not seeing any information on a Peninsula Formation in South Africa. 

 

 

Are you sure that is what it is called?

 

Is the area known for plant fossils?

[LukeLovesPlants]

@Fossildude19 It used to be called Table Mountain Sandstone (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_Mountain_Sandstone). No the area isn't known for fossils. I get the impression many areas in the country are kept rather on the down low so I struggle to find much info.

 

[DPS Ammonite]

Hard to tell if this is slickensides or more likely a layered rock with varying hardnesses. What is clear is that there are faults in this rock.

 

 

[Fossildude19]

48 minutes ago, LukeLovesPlants said:

@Fossildude19 It used to be called Table Mountain Sandstone (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_Mountain_Sandstone). No the area isn't known for fossils. I get the impression many areas in the country are kept rather on the down low so I struggle to find much info.

 

 

Makes sense, since fossil collecting is illegal in that country. 

[Rockwood]

9 minutes ago, DPS Ammonite said:

more likely a layered rock with varying hardnesses.

If that were the case how is the surface texture explained. Without causing Occam to get out his razor that is. 

[LukeLovesPlants]

26 minutes ago, Fossildude19 said:

 

Makes sense, since fossil collecting is illegal in that country. 

Highly doubt they will come arrest me for what may most likely be a rock

[DPS Ammonite]

17 minutes ago, Rockwood said:

If that were the case how is the surface texture explained. Without causing Occam to get out his razor that is. 

The rock layers may have varying amounts of minerals, clay, silt and sand. Weathering and erosion can cause individual layers to stand out in positive relief or recede in negative relief.

 

Do you think that I should start a new brand of razors for earth and other scientists, “Occam’s Razors: the first choice”.

[Rockwood]

14 minutes ago, DPS Ammonite said:

Do you think that I should start a new brand of razors for earth and other scientists, “Occam’s Razors: the first choice”.

 Capital idea. 

Somehow the surface just doesn't look like the result of differential erosion to me. Too shiny and glazed looking. 

[Rockwood]

20 minutes ago, DPS Ammonite said:

Do you think that I should start a new brand of razors for earth and other scientists, “Occam’s Razors: the first choice”.

Oh oh! Too late.  Occam's razors 

[Fossildude19]

26 minutes ago, LukeLovesPlants said:

Highly doubt they will come arrest me for what may most likely be a rock

 

I don't think so, either, but we need to put these things into context.

South Africa has strict laws concerning fossil collecting.

[LukeLovesPlants]

19 minutes ago, Fossildude19 said:

 

I don't think so, either, but we need to put these things into context.

South Africa has strict laws concerning fossil collecting.

Probably to prevent people from destroying valuable sites in search of things to sell, we already struggle with poaching so not a far step away.

[Harry Pristis]

It seems easy to visualize a slickenside, a fault with say vertical displacement, and a fault in the same rock with lateral displacement.  I think that's what is represented here -- a nice little teaching specimen!

 

[Rockwood]

1 hour ago, Harry Pristis said:

It seems easy to visualize a slickenside, a fault with say vertical displacement, and a fault in the same rock with lateral displacement.  I think that's what is represented here -- a nice little teaching specimen!

 

I see a problem though. It was once pointed out to me that cracks in wood are caused by settling of the sediments it's been buried in as well as shrinkage. Wouldn't there be potential for offsetting in the cracks by that process as well? 

[DPS Ammonite]

Here is what to look for to see if the striations are rock layers or a slickenside. If the striations wrap around the sides of the rock and thus exist in 3 dimensions, then the layers are not a slickensides. I think that I see the layers wrapping around one of the sides.

Can the poster see if the layers wrap around one or more sides.

[Rockwood]

A fault block slipping out of place could do that. 

[Rockwood]

Seems like wood could look like that too. 

[LukeLovesPlants]

10 hours ago, DPS Ammonite said:

Here is what to look for to see if the striations are rock layers or a slickenside. If the striations wrap around the sides of the rock and thus exist in 3 dimensions, then the layers are not a slickensides. I think that I see the layers wrapping around one of the sides.

Can the poster see if the layers wrap around one or more sides.

I don't see any wrapping