This is the “Fossil Friday” post #271.  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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This week we have a breathtaking specimen of Laveiniopteris rarinervis from Mazon Creek.  L. rarinervis was described by Charles James Fox Bunbury in 1847.  Bunbury (1809-1886) was the leading paleobotanist in Britain in the 1850’s.  He published a series of papers on the fossil floras of the Carboniferous, Jurassic, and Neogene.  Remember, many of the flora species found in Mazon Creek can also be found in deposits in Europe.  There is a book on Bunbury’s life and contributions to paleobotany.  See more in Mazon Monday #81.

This beautiful fossil comes from Jeremy Zimmerman.  Thanks for sharing, Jeremy!