Fern Fossils
By PaleoScene www.paleo.cc

Glen J. Kuban
4726 Grayton Rd
Cleveland, OH 44135
Phone 832-647-7933
E-mail: gkpaleo@yahoo.com


Fossil Seed Ferns

The Pennsylvanian Period seed ferns shown here lived over 300 million years ago-- long before dinosaurs roamed the earth. They are the type of plants that compressed into coal over time. The site from which these ferns were collected is the only area in the world where the fossils show dramatic white to yellow-orange colors, as opposed to brown or black compressions at other sites. The colors are entirely natural--the result of a unique preservational environment. The plants lived in a swampy, oxygen poor habitat. When they died, a combination of low temperature, pressure, and oxygen allowed the plant tissues to be replaced by pyrite (iron sulphides). Pyrophyllite (aluminum silicate, a whitish mineral) is believed to have replaced the pyrite later, as the sediments piled up and the temperature and pressure increased. Several different plant species are found at the site; the most common are seed ferns called Alethopteris, Neuropteris, Pecopteris, with Alethopteris by far the most common.

(Click on images for larger views)


Front
Back 		ID: F07
Alethopteris
Pennsylvanian Period, Central Penn.
$14.00


Front
Back 		ID: F08 Alethopteris
Pennsylvanian Period, Central Penn.
$16.00


Front
Back 		ID: F09 Alethopteris
Pennsylvanian Period, Central Penn.
$22.00


Front
Back 		ID: F10 Alethopteris
Pennsylvanian Period, Central Penn.
$16.00
SOLD

ID: F11 Alethopteris
Pennsylvanian Period, Central Penn.
$14.00

ID: F12 Alethopteris
Pennsylvanian Period, Central Penn.
$14.00

Front
Back 		ID: F13 Alethopteris
Pennsylvanian Period, Central Penn.
$15.00
ID: F14 Alethopteris
Pennsylvanian Period, Central Penn.
$15.00

Front
Back 		ID: F15 Alethopteris
Pennsylvanian Period, Central Penn.
$16.00
ID: F16 Alethopteris
Pennsylvanian Period, Central Penn.
$20.00

Front
Back 		ID: F17 Alethopteris
Pennsylvanian Period, Central Penn.
$20.00
ID: F18 Alethopteris
Pennsylvanian Period, Central Penn.
$20.00

Front
Back 		ID: F19 Alethopteris
Pennsylvanian Period, Central Penn.
$18.00