Rock hounding along beaches and shorelines can be very relaxing when the weather is beautiful, especially in areas where the waves push new rocks to the beach in large concentrations. These piles of stones are a treasure trove of history and it's easy to spend hours on end sifting through for interesting specimens. This is exactly the case from a trip to Lake Michigan. We spent hours walking along the Eastern shoreline looking to find what the lake might have to offer, and we were not disappointed.
Two notable specimens found, pictured side by side on different angles, are filled with ancient plant matter in fossilized form of very porous material. The dark rocks have several white bands embedded throughout with distinct features and pits that resemble leaves compressed together or balls of leafy organic matter collected together before frozen in time. We found many rocks similar in shape, density, and plant matter concentration. It's likely to be a common fossil for this area.
The third specimen features a different type of plant with a more preserved structure when compared to the first two. For the number of rocks scanned during the trip, this fossil proved to be far less common and perhaps even a rare find; The only one from an eight hour exploration. Detail in the rock appears to be fossilized shells at first glance, yet the node spacing has us thinking it is more likely a plant fossil. The splitting between elongated sections is frequent and creates a definite fan shape.
Other unidentified details are present in this specimen, as evident on the backside, which could possibly be additional bits of plant matter. Part of the fun is finding fossils and the other part is sharing the finds with others. It's not always easy to identify a specimen, so it's helpful to get input from fellow rock hounds, plus sharing excitement seems to make it that much more exciting!
The third specimen features a different type of plant with a more preserved structure when compared to the first two. For the number of rocks scanned during the trip, this fossil proved to be far less common and perhaps even a rare find; The only one from an eight hour exploration. Detail in the rock appears to be fossilized shells at first glance, yet the node spacing has us thinking it is more likely a plant fossil. The splitting between elongated sections is frequent and creates a definite fan shape.
Other unidentified details are present in this specimen, as evident on the backside, which could possibly be additional bits of plant matter. Part of the fun is finding fossils and the other part is sharing the finds with others. It's not always easy to identify a specimen, so it's helpful to get input from fellow rock hounds, plus sharing excitement seems to make it that much more exciting!
