This is the “Fossil Friday” post #272.  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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Crenulopteris acadica is one of the most common flora fossils found in the Mazon Creek biota.  Some of the localities are absolutely full of it.  C. acadica fossils can range in size from a few inches to over a foot.  It is a true fern belonging to the group Filicopsida, which is a subdivision of Pteridophyta.  Pteridophyta includes all extant and extinct ferns and first appears in the fossil record during the Devonian Period.  To learn more, see Mazon Monday #115.

This particular specimen of C. acadica measures just shy of 9 inches.