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set: fossils // series: coal // picture: Cupressinoxylon vectense

Cupressinoxylon vectense continued.

The single size class of cells (tracheids) shows that this is coniferous wood (flowering plant wood would contain larger cells called vessels) named Cupressinoxylon vectense Barber 1898. The rings in the wood show that growth was interrupted periodically (probably annually) in a seasonal climate. There are also false rings (which cannot be traced right around the branch) which indicate short lived interruptions (probably water deficit) during otherwise favourable growing conditions. Finally, the peel shows that there are borings in the wood. These were made by a marine bivalve and show that the wood must have floated in the sea prior to fossilisation so that the growing conditions just described may not necessarily represent those where the wood was found. As always, degree of transportation must be carefully assessed before any fossil is applied to interpret the palaeoenvironment of the area under study. This type of material is studied in our first year course on palaeoenvironmental analysis.

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