What Kind of Fossil Did the Hiker Find?

[lookingdown]

I recently found this while taking a hike and was wondering what kind of fossil it was? It is roughly 11"-12" long and about 3" in diameter..

 

[Evo]

Please make sure that you pay attention to which forum you post in, I have moved this to earth. Those pictures are too tiny. Do you have any larger pictures you can post?

 

[lookingdown]

I will be going back to location over the weekend. I will be getting larger and better quality pictures. Thank you for redirecting me to the correct forum.

 

[matthyaouw]

Looks a bit like part of a lepidodendron or similar. Some kind of carboniferous age 'tree'.

I can't be certain at all without bigger pictures. Do you know the age of the rock it was found in?

 

[Dadface]

It looks a bit like a belemnite.

 

[Evo]

Where did you find it? That might help.

 

[lookingdown]

Im not sure how old the rock is, but i can tell you it is found in Ohio around a stream..

 

[Evo]

Do you have a University nearby? You could take it in and have someone in paleontology look at it.

 

[matthyaouw]

What section of this map was it found in? http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/images/naturalHistory/rocks/geosystems.gif

 

[baywax]

Very cool find! Excellent eyeball action!

To me this looks like an oversized, petrified horse tail plant.

here's a petrified chunk of tree... compared to what you've found this looks pretty complex so what you have there could be pretty primitive and old.

http://z.about.com/d/geology/1/0/v/D/1/woodfossilmt.jpg

Also, what you have could also be a piece of culturally modified stone so it could be an archaeological/anthropological find. Transport it carefully in any case!

 

[Xnn]

What section of this map was it found in? http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/images/naturalHistory/rocks/geosystems.gif

Interesting link:

The surface rocks of Ohio span the time periods from the Ordovicain to the Permian.
That is between 488 to 251 million years ago.

During most of that time, Ohio was underwater in a shallow sea or part of a large swamp.
That's because sea levels were as much as 180 meters higher than they are now.

As ice ages came and went, sea levels fluctuated.
Eventually, sea level reached 20 meters lower than it is currently and the stratia of eastern Ohio was above water for an exteneded period.

 

[lookingdown]

See the problem with taking it anywhere, is that it's on state park property so I wanted to get some opinions on the object before I informed them of it. I have always been looking down at rocks and fossil hunting so I was sure that it was a fossil, but didn't know if it was a bone structure or a that of a tree. I will be going this weekend to take more photos.

 

[Evo]

See the problem with taking it anywhere, is that it's on state park property so I wanted to get some opinions on the object before I informed them of it. I have always been looking down at rocks and fossil hunting so I was sure that it was a fossil, but didn't know if it was a bone structure or a that of a tree. I will be going this weekend to take more photos.

That's awesome lookingdown. Get more pictures!

There is a young guy that has made significant dinosaur fossil finds and there was a Discovery Channel documentary about him.

 

[lookingdown]

here are some more pictures

 

[lookingdown]

Here is just one of the many things I found hiking in the same area. The rock that all the subject matter is in, is sandstone.

 

[geologyrocks]

here are some more pictures

It's some kind of fossil tree branch or root by the look of it. A specialist could tell you more though!

 

[baywax]

Looks like one heck of a nice specimen!
Your park officials need to know about this to protect it or remove it.
You wouldn't want to see it chiseled out of situ and sold at the pawn shop.