Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Petrified Palm Root Cross-Section Image
Just recently, I uploaded to
http://salinevalley.topcities.com/pa...otsection.html an image of a natural cross-section of a petrified palm root from the late Miocene Dove Spring Formation (roughly 10 million years old), California, a silicified specimen that reveals excellent preservation of the epidermis, cortex and vascular cylinder (stele). For perspective, the actual size of the specimen in the image is 5mm in diameter. It's a species of palm, called scientifically, Palmoxylodon mohavensis--named by Irma E. Webber in 1933; Webber compared the fossil roots with those produced by the living Washingtonia and made the following observation: "Since the Pliocene palm root differs somewhat from that of Washingtonia, and since it was associated with palm stems that differ markedly from those of Washingtonia, it is referred to Palmoxylodon mohavensis, the species of palm represented by wood in the deposits." Not every piece of petrified palm root from the Dove Spring Formation fossil locality revealed exquisite internal structure (the process of silicification in many instances obliterated the finer details), but occasionally one came across a natural cross-section that appeared almost lifelike in its well-preserved fossil state. What's also interesting is that Webber, in her scientific report regarding the Dove Spring petrified palm locality, mentioned that fossil fungal fruiting bodies had also been preserved in a number of petrified palm roots. (By the way, if you have trouble getting into the page, please try again later. Sometimes I exceed my daily allotted bandwidth and my server simply shuts me down for a short spell.) Paleobotanical Field Trip To The Sailor Flat Hydraulic Gold Mine, California http://esmeralda.topcities.com/sf/sailorflat.html |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
Petrified Palm Root Cross-Section Image
Very nice image! Do you know if anyone has ever done x-ray
microanalysis across the section (or a similar section)?? That would tell you if there were different elements preserved in different parts of the root. I ask because I used to do this sort of thing on roots of living plants (see my web site below for details). A lot of monocots deposit Si to very high concentrations in the walls of the endodermis, just outside the stele, and this and other elemental differences MIGHT still be apparent! Best Wishes, Martin Dr Martin J. Hodson, Principal Lecturer in Environmental Biology, School of Biological and Molecular Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Headington, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK Tel.: ++44 (0)1865 483954 Fax: ++44 (0)1865 483242 Email: Web: http://www.hodsons.org/MartinHodson/ |
Reply |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Forum | |||
Supply Sago Palm (Cycas revolute), Finger Palm (Rhapis ,Windmill palm (Trachycarpus | Marketplace | |||
Petrified Wood And Desert Wildflowers | Plant Science | |||
Petrified Palm Root Cross-Section Image | Plant Science | |||
Petrified Wood And Desert Wildflowers | Plant Science | |||
Petrified Palm Root Cross-Section Image | Plant Science |