Strange Fossil?

[Savage1!]

Hello all,
I spent a few hours walking a creek Saturday and I found what I think is a fossil. At first I thought it was a tool, but I believe it is a natural formation. The item shown was found in licking county, Ohio. All information would be highly appreciated.

[painshill]

Neat fossil. It’s one of what are collectively termed “Stigmaria” and usually from the Pennsylvanian period. Stigmaria is what is known as a “form genus”, where the assignation is largely based on the shape and appearance of what we find, rather than a true assignation to actual genera or species of plants. We don’t have nearly enough information for detailed assignment to individual plant species. Nevertheless, it’s pretty certain that they represent portions of “Lycopsid” trees such as Sigillaria and Lepidodendron.

These were tall trees, up to 50 meters in height, and given that they were growing in swampy and marshy environments they needed extensive root structures to anchor and stabilise them in an upright position. The Stigmaria grouping is generally regarded as representative of the highly-branched root systems of these trees and that the circular scars were the attachment points for rootlets.

[Savage1!]

Wow painshill that is really fascinating information you have. Thank you so much. I honestly didnt think I'd find out what it was. Its amazing it has survived all these years. The creek I found it in is located in a valley where glaciers came through. Very fascinating stuff. 280 to 320 million years old that is ming blowing.