This is the “Fossil Friday” post #113.  Expect this to be a somewhat regular feature of the website.  We will post any fossil pictures you send in to esconi.info@gmail.com.  Please include a short description or story.  Check the #FossilFriday Twitter hash tag for contributions from around the world!

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Alethopteris, in its many forms, is a popular favorite among the many Mazon Creek fossil plants.  They belong to a group called Pteridospermatophyta, which are commonly called seed ferns.  Seed ferns evolved way back during the Devonian Period.  Unfortunately, they had largely gone extinct by the late Cretaceous Period with just a few species surviving into the Eocene (fossils from Tasmania).  These plants made up part of the forest understory during the Carboniferous.  See our Mazon Monday #57 post for more information.

Today’s fossil specimen of Alethopteris serlii is one of the best examples I’ve ever seen.  It is stunning!  And, yes… that is a quarter for size.  It’s preserved in the classic Alethopteris 3 dimensional detail.  Collected in either Pit 1 or 2 way back in the day, this contribution comes from ESCONI member Jeremy Zimmerman.  Thanks for sharing the beauty of this truly extraordinary specimen!