Two Genus West Virginia Fossil Fern Collection

Description: During most of the Pennsylvanian (325 to 286 million years ago), long before the dinosaurs, a large portion of North America supported lush, swampy forests. Lycopods made up the largest component of these forests and achieved gigantic size, growing to heights of more than 130 feet with supporting trunks measuring up to 6 feet or more in diameter. These plants are also called "scale trees" because of the distintive diamond-shaped leaf scars that cover their outer bark midsection. Neuropteris, Sphenopteris, and Lyginopteris were three of the many of genus of pteridosperms or seed ferns. The seed ferns had undergone a large radiation, and many, many species existed, most of which have not been scientifically described in the fossil record. Now extinct, these diverse plants had foliage closely resembling that of modern ferns, but they reproduced by means of seeds rather than spores as modern ferns do today. Some grew to be 50 feet tall. The period from the Mississippian through the Pennsylvanian is often called the Age of Ferns.

The fern fossils here are from a new locality, recently determined by scientists to be part of the Fire Creek Formation, located in Southeastern West Virginia (the formation overlays the Pocahontas Formation that also contains a prominent coal seam). Another striking aspect of these fossil ferns is the coloration, and their contrast with the muddy shale, making for a beautiful display in earth tone colors. Another aspect is the detailed articulation of the venation of the delicate ferns.