This is Mazon Monday post #250. What's your favorite Mazon Creek fossil? Tell us at email:[email protected].
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After Lesquereux (1879)
Neuropteris jacksonii was named by William Culp Darrah (1909-1989) in 1969, who was an educator, paleontologist, geologist, botanist, and historian. His "A Critical Review of the Upper Carboniferous Floras of the Eastern United States" and many, many professional paper made his name familiar to paleobotanists and paleontologists in general. There is a very detailed portrait of his life by his daugher Elsie Darrah Morey of the Morey Paleobotanical Laboratory and Paul C. Lyons of the U.S. Geological Survey. It appears in Historical Perspective of Early Twentieth Century Carboniferous Paleobotany in North America: In Memory of William Culp Darrah.
N. jacksonii was originally named Neuropteris crenulata by Leo Lesquereux in 1879-1880. It is quite rare. George Langord had three different names for it, one being Neuropteris eveni, which is most likely a reference to Joseph Even a early collected of Mazon Creek in the 1850s, who emigrated to the Morris area from Luxembourg. Even was an art dealer and photographer. He was a collector in the vein of the early gentleman naturalists and caused much excitement in Germany when he sent back specimens.
Neuropteris jacksonii is described on page 206 of Jack Wittry's "A Comprehesive Guide to the Fossil Flora of Mazon Creek".
1879-80. Neuropteris crenulata(?) Lesquereux: p. 116, pl. 16, figs. 9-11
1925. Neuropteris crenulata (non Brongniart), Noé: p. 61, fig. 5
1958. Neuropteris eveni (non Lesquereux); Langford: p. 211, fig. 368 (re-figured here as Fig. 2)
1958. Neuropteris crenulata (non Brongniart); Langford: p. 211, fig. 367
1958. Neuropteris auriculata (non Brongniart); Langford: p. 201, fig. 352
1969. Neuropteris jacksonii Darrah: p. 110, pl. 6, fig. 1DESCRIPTION: The pinnae are linear and gradually taper toward a large terminal pinnule. The pinnules are distant, more so when small, and constricted in each case at the base. They are ovate, cordate, sessile, and have margins that are lax, crenulate, or occasionally dentate. The rachis is thin and flexuous. The venation consists of a midvein composed of a confluence of lateral veins at its base. The midvein disappears before the middle of the pinnule. The lateral veins are thin, well marked, arch gradually to the margin, and fork once or twice.
REMARKS: Neuropteris jacksonii is rare. Despite what the older, now obsolete name implies, the margins appear weakly crenulated at best; some- times they have a slightly wavy appearance.
Specimens
ISM 15720, The Illinois State Museum refers to N. jacksonii by its original name Neuropteris crenulata. This specimen also appears in Wittry's "A Comprehesive Guide to the Fossil Flora of Mazon Creek"
From George's Basement, as Neuropteris eveni.
ESCONI member Phil Anderson