4.6" Fossil Pennsylvanian Horsetail (Asterophyllites) Plate - France

These are Pennsylvanian age fossil horsetail (Asterophyllites equisetiformis) stalks, collected from Graissessac, France. The largest stalk measures 4.6" long and the specimens are nicely positioned 4.6 x 4" slab of rock. The black fossils stand out nicely against the grey rock.

This is a carbon film fossil, a two dimensional image of an organism. Unlike impression fossils, carbon film fossils show no evidence other than a color change in the rock. All of the original organism has disappeared with the exception of the carbon contained with in it. This is deposited on the rock and forms the image we call the fossil. This usually occurs when a soft bodied organism is buried in multiple layers of sediment underwater, and is slowly dissolved until it has disappeared. This leaves only a microscopically thin layer of carbon in the shape of the original organism.

Comes with an acrylic stand.