Help me identify a fossil?

Daisy 55

Hi everyone!
This was recently found in a school collection of rocks. Haven’t been able to figure it out! Would love some help!

Wibbs

Looks like a fossil of tree bark from the Carboniferous period, which was around 350 million years ago. Usually found in areas with coal deposits(west of Ireland?). Species? I'd reckon at a guess something like Lepidodendron, actually IIRC that bark pattern is more Sigilaria?(spelling). One of the tree sized Lycophytes anyway.

In life.



They could reach over a hundred feet in height, 30 metres plus in new money. They're actually related to mosses, rather than modern trees. Very cool find D.

In the Carboniferous period Ireland was closer to the equator and all that heat and humidity gave rise to huge forests of trees mostly on coastal areas(kinda like mangrove swamps of today). Filled with amphibians and other life, including dragonflies with wingspans near a metre across.



These forest were so lush and productive that many metres of dead trees would be laid down and compressed over centuries which eventually gave us coal.

Daisy 55

Ah, that looks a lot like ours when I look on google! We weren’t finding anything similar On our own!

Wibbs

Yeah my mistake D, its defo more Sigillaria



Though yours is a much better preserved example. I could be wrong, but yours could be part of the root system. Like I said great and very cool find. A large enough example too.

Daisy 55

It is quite big! We have no idea if it’s Irish. Lots of the other bits and bobs aren’t.
Looks a bit like a car tyre!!

Wibbs

Daisy 55 wrote: »

Looks a bit like a car tyre!!

You might be onto something there D...