3.1" Fossil Horsetail (Annularia) Nodule - Mazon Creek

This is a beautiful specimen of Annularia stellata from the famous Mazon Creek Lagerstatten of Illinois. Annularia is a plant fossil from the Carboniferous period. They are the leaf whorls of an extinct horsetail. These horsetails grew to a height of 30 feet in a tree-like form. They were indicative of a humid, wet habitat such as a lake shore. This finely preserved specimen was found inside of an ironstone nodule. Only the pictured half of the nodule is included.

It comes with an acrylic display stand.

The Mazon Creek fossil beds are a deposit with exceptional fossil preservation, known as a conservation lagerstätte, located in Illinois. This location of late Paleozoic (~307 million years old) biota ranks among the great fossil sites around the world. The large variety of fossils collected here vary between plants and animals, including soft-bodied and insect preservations. Fossils from this site are often quite detailed and are preserved within siderite (iron carbonate) nodules.

Over 500 animal and 200 flora species have been described from Mazon Creek. The event that caused this die-off and preservation is believed to have started with a catastrophic flood event that buried the biota of the modern day Mazon Creek area. The deposition of river-borne silt and clay, brought on by upland erosion and delta progradation, contributed to the incredible preservation of one of the most complete records of Paleozoic biota.

This site has been collected for more than 100 years, and likely will continue to be collected by both professionals and amateurs for many years to come.


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DETAILS
SPECIES
Annularia stellata
LOCATION
Coal City, Illinois
FORMATION
Carbondale Formation
SIZE
3.1 x 2" nodule
ITEM
#134864
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