Hoffasaurus Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 The pics below are from a fossil I found (and brought in to school for show & tell) when I was about 10 yrs old in Lehigh or Northampton County, PA (I can't remember where exactly, I was so young though I do remember how excited I was). I think it's a tree trunk, but couldn't find any positive ids online. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashcraft Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Looks like a calamites to me. "Primitive" plants that still live today, known around here as scouring rushes. Brent Ashcraft ashcraft, brent allen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest N.AL.hunter Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 I agree with calamites. Living ones today are known as Horse tails and indeed were used to scrub pots clean by the early settlers cause they have so much silica in them that they are abrasive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Menser Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Got to go with that. That's one impressive fossil Be true to the reality you create. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Not only is it Calamites, but it looks to be the terminal end. Very nice! "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...
Shamalama Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Very nice find, good diameter and thickness and if that is the growing tip... WOW! The segments look very closely spaced so it's entirely possible this was a new branch or maybe the tip of a much taller stem. That is a keeper! -Dave __________________________________________________ Geologists on the whole are inconsistent drivers. When a roadcut presents itself, they tend to lurch and weave. To them, the roadcut is a portal, a fragment of a regional story, a proscenium arch that leads their imaginations into the earth and through the surrounding terrain. - John McPheeIf I'm going to drive safely, I can't do geology. - John McPheeCheck out my Blog for more fossils I've found: http://viewsofthemahantango.blogspot.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest solius symbiosus Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 While, granted, not much on Pennsylvanian flora, this does not appear to be Calamites... the proportions seem to be off, and where are those longitudinal grooves? Can someone provide a link to a pic? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Menser Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Gotta add to this that when I first looked at this- before I looked closely I immediately thought "what a cool trilobite." Love the detail. Definitely a display shelf prize! Be true to the reality you create. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashcraft Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 While, granted, not much on Pennsylvanian flora, this does not appear to be Calamites... the proportions seem to be off, and where are those longitudinal grooves? Can someone provide a link to a pic? The longitudinal grooves are visible in the last pic on the right side. Brent Ashcraft ashcraft, brent allen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CreekCrawler Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Very nice find and an interesting piece. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest solius symbiosus Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Gotta add to this that when I first looked at this- before I looked closely I immediately thought "what a cool trilobite." Love the detail.Definitely a display shelf prize! I don't see it; and even if i did, the proportions are off. Can you provide a link to something similar? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamalama Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 While, granted, not much on Pennsylvanian flora, this does not appear to be Calamites... the proportions seem to be off, and where are those longitudinal grooves? This is why we are thinking it's a different part of the trunk. The pics are not the best but maybe Hoffasaurus will post better closeups. Do you have any other ideas? I thought at first it was part of a very large cephalopod but I think it's more plant like now. -Dave __________________________________________________ Geologists on the whole are inconsistent drivers. When a roadcut presents itself, they tend to lurch and weave. To them, the roadcut is a portal, a fragment of a regional story, a proscenium arch that leads their imaginations into the earth and through the surrounding terrain. - John McPheeIf I'm going to drive safely, I can't do geology. - John McPheeCheck out my Blog for more fossils I've found: http://viewsofthemahantango.blogspot.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Bowen Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 The last picture does have the longitudinal grooves, but the picture is a bit blurry and they are hard to see. Honestly, I looked at lots of pictures of Calamostachys and can't find one that resembles this one. The way it's shaped, it could be a bud or new growth that's rarely captured in the fossil record. At first glance, I thought it was a lobster. Either way, it's a very nice specimen of whatever it turns out to be. Dave Bowen Collin County, Texas. Paleontology: The next best thing to time travel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest N.AL.hunter Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Admitted not the best source, but http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calamites It is a calamites fossil. No doubt about it. It is correctly IDed. End of story. Done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Bowen Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Admitted not the best source, buthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calamites It is a calamites fossil. No doubt about it. It is correctly IDed. End of story. Done. It can't be done yet. Not enough people have argued about it. Just kidding, that last picture is a great match. Dave Bowen Collin County, Texas. Paleontology: The next best thing to time travel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicholas Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Definitely a Calamites, the ones with the tighter smaller sections tend to be harder to find in my experience. It is my favorite plant fossil... excellent find. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daveallen10 Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Id love to find something like that, I love plant fossils Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Dactyll Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Very nice find...... thanks for showing it...... Cheers Steve... And Welcome if your a New Member... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grandpa Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Are we sure it's not a slickenside? Sorry, couldn't resist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 I like it. Very cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoffasaurus Posted July 24, 2009 Author Share Posted July 24, 2009 I really appreciate everyone's posts. And I apologize for my terrible photos...my wife's cool pix camera is certainly not the highest of quality for closeups and detail! I'm working on getting something a bit better. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erose Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 I really appreciate everyone's posts. And I apologize for my terrible photos...my wife's cool pix camera is certainly not the highest of quality for closeups and detail! I'm working on getting something a bit better.Chris Never seen a Cool Pix without macro. It's the setting with the little flower and ma be under "scene"n the main menu. Also more light equals faster shutter and sharper pic. Go out in the sun to shoot. That is an awesome specimen and maybe worthy of a museum. I'd take it to a DVPS meeting and get let a few folks take a gander. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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