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Conifer (Pinales Order)
Wilkes Formation, Miocene Silver Lake, near Mount St Helens, Cowlitz county, Washington ** Do new and/or unusual localities get your immediate attention (like they do for us)? If so, read on! Silver Lake is on the Toutle River just a few miles from Mount St. Helens which had that really big explosive eruption in May of 1980. This wood is not from the 1980 event but the volcanoes in the Cascade Range of Washington have been active for much of the late Tertiary period and this specimen would have been alive to see a similar event in Miocene time. Oddly, much of the fossil wood in the Wilkes formation is carbonized along with small lenses of coal which also contain fragments of wood. But, at the very base of the Wilkes, silicified wood has been found and is reported in the literature in the USGS Bulletin 1062. This specimen came out of an old collection for which the collector had exacting details in his catalog. We were fortunate to get this piece and other "locality enthusiasts" will feel the same way. This specimen was a river cobble - the exterior rind shows obvious transport and resultant weathering by running water. As a result, it is not a "full round" but is approximately 60% of a full round and it does have an excellent center. 3" x 2" on polished face, cobble is 2.25" in length $55 |
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Alangium sp.
Fleming Formation, Miocene near Huntsville, Walker County, Texas ** You have undoubtedly heard the expression that the pattern "pops" out. Well, here is a pattern that "explodes" out visually. It is absolutely stunning. This genus does not have a common name in English of which we are aware. A lot of the Fleming Formation has wood without well-preserved anatomy and while this one fits into that category as well, we also must say that the sacrifice of anatomy in favor of a superlative pattern seems to be a good trade. The only region on this beauty that has easy to see, good preservation of wood anatomy is on the edge of the slab - check out our photomicrograph. There is remarkable similarity between this Miocene Alangium and the Alangium orogonensis which is described in the literature from the Eocene nut beds of Oregon. However, the two species are far too separated by geologic time to be able to assign this slab also to the species A. Orogonensis. So, we will have to settle for the specific epitaph of O. sp. which is an abbreviation for saying it is not yet described in the literature. It is worth noting that we are unable to determine if the really interesting pattern that pops out on this slab is the result of fungal attack or if it is simply the result of hydrolization of the dead and down log in a very wet environment. Alangium is another one of those subtropical, humid and wet-climate taxons that no longer exist in Texas (despite the subtropical, warm and wet climate around Huntsville). While the genus is still living on all continents except Antarctica, the fossils of the Miocene Fleming are most likely related to the ancestors of those now living in Asia and Southeast Asia (where the genus has a long fossil history as well). If you value aesthetics and appreciate having a display piece with maximum visual impact and good identification, then this is a slab for you as a serious collector consider. 8” x 8” on polished face, 1/2” thick slab $120 |
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Primitive Conifer (Araucarioxylon arizonicum)
Chinle Formation, Triassic Patton Ranch, near Holbrook, Arizona ** They just don’t come prettier than this. Of course, that is our opinion – which we have confirmed by retaining the “kissing slab” from this log in our personal collection. This spectacular slab comes from the Patton Ranch which is located immediately adjacent to the west boundary of the Petrified Forest National Park. Consequently, it has exactly the same mineralization as the deposits in the park that are called “Rainbow Forest Beds,” an apt name for wood this colorful. Rich reds predominate and the black, white, purple and yellow accents make the whole thing truly a rainbow of color. Simply gorgeous piece of wood along with a story from America’s most classic locality. This is a medium-large specimen that deserves to be mounted on the wall or on a stand so that it can be enjoyed daily. You will never regret securing this special slab for your collection, we certainly don’t! In our small home, its cousin has secured a spot on our wall! 11" x 10” on polished face; 3/4” thick slab $325 (immediately qualifies for our 10% discount on orders over $200. Layaways are available!) |
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Opalized conifer (Pinales Order) Pannonian strata; Pliocene Megyaszo, southern Zemplen Mountains of Hungary ** A very nice end cut with excellent woody character along the exterior and some patches of excellent woody fine structure on the polished face (see our photomicrograph). The woods of Megyaszo are primarily those of temperate forests, a considerable change from earlier tropical and semi tropical woods of the Hungarian Middle Miocene. By this time in the Pliocene the climate had become much more similar to the temperate climate that characterizes Hungary and the southern foothills of the Zemplen Mountains today. 3.5" x 2" on polished face; end cut up to 2" thick $48 |
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