This is a gorgeous authentic fossil Tree Fern Pinna (leaves that make up a frond) and an Annularia leaf from the Pennsylvanian of the infamous Mazon Creek outcrop of Illinois! It has great preservation on both halves on the concretion and zero repair or restoration! The fern measures 2.1 inches (5.33 cm) and the Annularia measures .6 inches (1.52 cm)! A beautiful addition to any fossil collection!
Mazon Creek is a fossil site located in Illinois that dates to about 300 million years ago! It is world renowned for fossils of things that usually decompose quickly, like fern fronds, worms, jellyfish, and other soft tissue preserved in ironstone concretions in exquisite detail!
Ferns are one of the oldest groups of plants. They reproduce via spores instead of seeds like most other plants. The first ferns appeared on Earth 360 million years ago! Tree ferns are ferns with a trunk as their base like a tree. The tree ferns of Mazon Creek could grow to 30 feet in height!
Horsetails are vascular plants that are closely related to ferns. They typically look like tall stalks with leaves that radiate outwards. The horsetails of the Pennsylvanian were gargantuan with some species growing up to 30 feet! Different parts of the horsetail are actually classified as different fossils. Stalks are referred to under the genus Calamites, Leaves as Annularia or Asterophyllites, and cones with six different genera each with several different species. Which of these "species" of cone leaf and stalk formed a single species of plant seems to still be a mystery.
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Species: Tree Fern and Annularia
Size: fern measures 2.1 inches (5.33 cm) and the Annularia measures .6 inches (1.52 cm)
Found: Mazon Creek outcrop of Illinois
Age: 300 million years old
Repair: None