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Fossils of the Pennsylvanian
Fossils are the
preserved remains of organisms. The Pennsylvanian-aged fossils found in the
Pittsburgh area contain remains of parts of plants and animals. The most
advanced land animals at this time were Amphibians, with reptiles emerging in
the Middle Pennsylvanian. However, few fossils of these vertebrate animals are
found around here. The most abundant fossils in the Pittsburgh area are the
shells of marine invertebrates ("sea shells") and tree ferns. Trace fossils, the tracks and
imprints left from the movement of organisms (burrows and trails) are also
common.
Examples of fossils found in the Pittsburgh
area.
A fossil tree fern (Pecopteris) frond found in Moon Township (site 1 on
the map).
A fossil Calamites, a large plant similar to modern horsetails, found in
Etna on route 28 (site 5 on the map).
The fern-like fossils are from
Pecopteris and Alethopteris (site 5 on the map).
These are fossils of Cordaites, a
tree (site 5 on the map).
LINKS:
PLANT FOSSILS OF WEST VIRGINIA
PTERIDOSPERMS
HIST
ORY OF PALAEOZOIC FORESTS
BRACHIOPODA:FOS
SIL RECORD
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