Posted: Sun May 08, 2011 10:20 pm
Ed/James-
If I've already made note here of my fern tree fossil, I apologize for the replication. But one of the more exciting finds for me while wandering the highly dissected Cumberland Plateau (within boundaries of Redbird Ranger District in Daniel Boone NF), were two 'sand cast' fossils, one a giant horsetail (8" in diameter, 12" in length, finely detailed plant features) and a smaller tree fern (four inches diameter and 8" in length). The giant horsetail I found on along a ridgetop, at interface between a limestone cap and underlying coal seam. The fern tree I found at the edge of a forest haul road, mid-slope). Both had amazing detail.
They're still around I think, I left them with one of the forestry profs at UMASS when I left for Alaska...name was Bill Wilson, probably long retired by now.
-Don
If I've already made note here of my fern tree fossil, I apologize for the replication. But one of the more exciting finds for me while wandering the highly dissected Cumberland Plateau (within boundaries of Redbird Ranger District in Daniel Boone NF), were two 'sand cast' fossils, one a giant horsetail (8" in diameter, 12" in length, finely detailed plant features) and a smaller tree fern (four inches diameter and 8" in length). The giant horsetail I found on along a ridgetop, at interface between a limestone cap and underlying coal seam. The fern tree I found at the edge of a forest haul road, mid-slope). Both had amazing detail.
They're still around I think, I left them with one of the forestry profs at UMASS when I left for Alaska...name was Bill Wilson, probably long retired by now.
-Don