This is the "Fossil Friday" post #258. This is a 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 hash tag #FossilFriday on Twitter/X and Bluesky for contributions from around the world!
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We have another Calamites related specimen for this week's Fossil Friday. Asterophyllites equisetiformis was part of the foliage for Calamites. Remember Calamites is an extinct species of modern day horsetails, which belong to the genus Equisetum. During the Carboniferous, they were quite diverse, with some forms growing very tall, reaching 30 meters (98 feet!). They made up a large part of Carboniferous coal deposits. Modern horsetails can be found in wet swampy environments. They rarely grow taller than a few feet.
A. equisetiformis was described in 1829 by Alexandre Brongniart, a French chemist, mineralogist, geologist, paleontologist, and zoologist. He described many of the species of Mazon Creek plants from specimens found in France in the early 1800's. He is probably most known for his work that classified reptiles into four different groups, one of which eventually became Amphibia. Later he collaborated with Georges Cuvier to study the geology of the region around Paris, France. To learn more see Mazon Monday #103.
This gorgeous specimen of Asterophyllites equisetiformis was found in September of 2024 at the Braceville spoil pile by member Jeff Allen. It recently via freeze/thaw. While plants are rarely found at Braceville, "Worm Hill" occasionally yields beautiful plant treasures. Thanks for sharing photos of this beautiful fossil, Jeff!
