This is the "Fossil Friday" post #61. Expect this to be a somewhat regular feature of the website. We will post any fossil pictures you send in to [email protected]. Please include a short description or story. Check the #FossilFriday Twitter hash tag for contributions from around the world!
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The field trip to the Danville area to collect fossils from a coal mine spoil pile was very productive. There was quite a bit of variety available, most of it plant material. Joe Vitosky joined us for his first ESCONI field trip. And, wouldn't you know it.... he had the find of the day! It was a large, beautiful, and detailed Calamostachys cone, which is the fairly rarely found reproductive organ of Calamites. In the Mazon Creek biota, these structures are at most a couple of inches long. Joe's cone is a couple inches wide, which means it was probably 4 to 5 times larger than the specimens found in Mazon Creek. Congratulations on the extraordinary find, Joe! And, thanks for sharing these pictures with everyone!
