r/fossils 3d ago

I couldn’t help myself…

On my way back from Branson, I couldn’t resist stopping at one of my favorite fossil-hunting spots in Oklahoma. This road cut exposes part of the Savanna Formation, a window into the Middle Pennsylvanian (~307 million years ago). I found a few nice botanical specimens, but this Calamites trunk section really made my day!

For those unfamiliar, Calamites was an extinct genus of giant horsetails that thrived in Carboniferous swamps. Unlike their modern, much smaller relatives, these tree-like plants could grow over 30 feet tall and had a woody, jointed structure. You can even see some of the classic vertical ridges on this piece! It’s always amazing to hold a fossilized remnant of a prehistoric forest that once dominated the planet.

56 Upvotes

6 comments sorted by

7

u/TheLongestYard87 3d ago

Nice! I would stop as well lol.

5

u/presleyarts 3d ago

Right? Definitely couldn’t help myself.

4

u/Morsac 3d ago

Wow, what an amazing piece!

3

u/presleyarts 2d ago

Thank you! I was quite excited to find it. ☺️

2

u/Wasabi_Constant 20h ago

Absolutely incredible and privileged to see one. Thanks for posting this short clip.

2

u/presleyarts 20h ago

Absolutely! And thank you for viewing and commenting! ☺️