New Members ingrid Posted August 18, 2008 New Members Share Posted August 18, 2008 My husband brought this home from work in Logan county. It looks to be a petrified tree. We would love to know more about it. We would let people see it if they think they could help us to figure this one out. It is here at the house at Borderland, WV. It took a backhoe to lift it onto his truck as it weighs probably about 900 pounds.It is about 4'8" around and 1'6" tall. We do want to know more about it. Please let me know if these pictures are not good enough or you would want to take your own. You may even want to come to see it. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gatorman Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 It does seem tree like to me. Try polishing one end see what colors you get. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metopocetus Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 It does seem tree like to me. Try polishing one end see what colors you get. Do you think cutting a slab from the top would reveal rings? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gatorman Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 I'm not sure you get rings from petrified wood, I just know its always very pretty colors I don't really know how to tell if it is wood for sure but it does look like a section of a tree to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metopocetus Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 I agree it definitely looks like tree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 I wouldn't hold out a lot of hope for growth rings; it looks like a cast, which is the norm from the Carboniferous coal swamps. Awsome piece! The biggest I ever found was a root; about 10" in dia. and 26" long. "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karnuvore Posted August 19, 2008 Share Posted August 19, 2008 That is awesome. I dont know anything about anything, but it looks like a tree to me. I'd have it next to my fireplace. Good find. Dave 1.0 Winter Haven, FL I hunt the peace river. I Love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest N.AL.hunter Posted August 19, 2008 Share Posted August 19, 2008 I would not cut it or waste your time trying to polish it. While it is a fossil tree/tree fern trunk, it is most likely not agatized so would not be colorful. As already said, it most likely is a cast (original material dissolved away leaving a hollow area that later gets filled with silt/clay to preserve the shape of the original's exterior), so no rings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted August 19, 2008 Share Posted August 19, 2008 It is a piece of petrified wood. There is petrified tree stump with roots at the University of Kentucky in one of the courtyards. Can't remember near what building (been a long time). It is that same color and came from a coal mine somewhere in Kentucky. Solius could probably elaborate on it and maybe post a picture when he gets back. Anson, you can sometimes get rings in petrified wood, depending upon the preservation. I'll post a picture later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Murphy Posted August 19, 2008 Share Posted August 19, 2008 I agree that cutting and polishing some of the log would not be useful since it does appear that the log is a cast (sandstone?) of the original plant. There is no evidence of any wood structure on the upper surface. It would probably be best to leave the log as is. As MikeD stated, there are petrified woods that preserve many of the plant structures, especially silicified. Woods that are silicifed will commonly preserve growth rings and other plant structures in fine detail, even down to individual cells in some cases. One of the most famous of the Paleozoic silicifed preservations that I know of is the late Devonian progymnosperm Callixylon (now identified as the stem of Lepidodendron). Well preserved Callixylon wood and logs are known from the late Devonian of Indiana, New York, Ohio, Michigan, Virginia, Oklahoma, Ontario and Morocco. In Oklahoma, the silicified logs are known as Callixylon whiteanum Arnold, 1934 from the late Devonian Woodford Shale. The wood is highly silicifed and many times preserves ring-like patterns and various other internal structures. The bark, however, is not preserved. Attached are pictures of the large base of a Callixylon whiteanum tree from the Woodford Shale located on the campus of East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma and a cross-section of Callixylon whiteanumwood demonstrating some of the stem details (specimen on Primigenius website). Also attached is a group of photographs demonstrating some of the fine details of the wood. I have several longitudinal pieces of the silicifed wood that I have collected from Murray and Pontotoc County, OK, but they do not preserve the internal structures. Regards, Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gatorman Posted August 19, 2008 Share Posted August 19, 2008 Very Nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest solius symbiosus Posted August 20, 2008 Share Posted August 20, 2008 It is a cast of a lycopod. "Petrified" by definition infers replacement on a molecular level. Mike, I'll be on campus next week, and will get a pic of the "stump". It is in the court yard by the old King Library and White Hall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Nicholas Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 I can't wait to see it. I love the colors of those other specimens... anything tree like for me is Black. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New Members ingrid Posted August 29, 2008 Author New Members Share Posted August 29, 2008 Thanks to all for the information. I will put it in my flowerbed since it is not so important. I had really hoped to get a pretty slice of wood out of it. Again thanks everyone for being so helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worthy 55 Posted August 29, 2008 Share Posted August 29, 2008 That is very cool! It does look like a tree stump. It's my bone!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurtdog Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 That is awesome! Do you have any idea what it weighs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oh-Man Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 I agree that cutting and polishing some of the log would not be useful since it does appear that the log is a cast (sandstone?) of the original plant. There is no evidence of any wood structure on the upper surface. It would probably be best to leave the log as is.As MikeD stated, there are petrified woods that preserve many of the plant structures, especially silicified. Woods that are silicifed will commonly preserve growth rings and other plant structures in fine detail, even down to individual cells in some cases. One of the most famous of the Paleozoic silicifed preservations that I know of is the late Devonian progymnosperm Callixylon (now identified as the stem of Lepidodendron). Well preserved Callixylon wood and logs are known from the late Devonian of Indiana, New York, Ohio, Michigan, Virginia, Oklahoma, Ontario and Morocco. In Oklahoma, the silicified logs are known as Callixylon whiteanum Arnold, 1934 from the late Devonian Woodford Shale. The wood is highly silicifed and many times preserves ring-like patterns and various other internal structures. The bark, however, is not preserved. Attached are pictures of the large base of a Callixylon whiteanum tree from the Woodford Shale located on the campus of East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma and a cross-section of Callixylon whiteanumwood demonstrating some of the stem details (specimen on Primigenius website). Also attached is a group of photographs demonstrating some of the fine details of the wood. I have several longitudinal pieces of the silicifed wood that I have collected from Murray and Pontotoc County, OK, but they do not preserve the internal structures. Regards, Mike Thanks Mike - good info. MikeD and I have collected several petwood pieces of various levels of silicification that are with growth rings. Most are smaller pieces, but there are a few small "rounds" that are interesting. Owen What is geology? "Rocks for Jocks!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docdutronc Posted November 16, 2008 Share Posted November 16, 2008 My husband brought this home from work in Logan county. It looks to be a petrified tree. We would love to know more about it. We would let people see it if they think they could help us to figure this one out. It is here at the house at Borderland, WV. It took a backhoe to lift it onto his truck as it weighs probably about 900 pounds.It is about 4'8" around and 1'6" tall. We do want to know more about it. Please let me know if these pictures are not good enough or you would want to take your own. You may even want to come to see it. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Hi Ingrid I see your stump,it probably the basal part of a lycophyta ,likely Sigillaria ,we can see ribs ,it an old sample ,your find it in carboniferous level ,pennsylvanian ??? In north of france we found similar stumps ,who are decortiqued ,there names are :syringodendron ....,generaly internal structures are not conserved ...... best regards bruno Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommabetts Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 Very nice finds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 Hi IngridI see your stump,it probably the basal part of a lycophyta ,likely Sigillaria ,we can see ribs ,it an old sample ,your find it in carboniferous level ,pennsylvanian ??? In north of france we found similar stumps ,who are decortiqued ,there names are :syringodendron ....,generaly internal structures are not conserved ...... best regards bruno Bruno, what do you suppose made the hole in that specimen? "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docdutronc Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Bruno, what do you suppose made the hole in that specimen? Hi Auspex yes very curious this hole,nobody has asked the question ....,so it is a drilling hole who has been bored by colliers ,the stump was in gallery underground and upright in "life position" ....in french : "en position de vie ,debout " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RomanK Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Hi IngridI see your stump,it probably the basal part of a lycophyta ,likely Sigillaria ,we can see ribs ,it an old sample ,your find it in carboniferous level ,pennsylvanian ??? In north of france we found similar stumps ,who are decortiqued ,there names are :syringodendron ....,generaly internal structures are not conserved ...... best regards bruno Bruno, it can be a Devonian plant fossil, look at the colour ot the attached picture Roman http://s1143.photobu.../donbassfossil/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now