Unexpected Fossils

Fossil leaves/needles, Owyhee country

Sometimes, when I am in serious rock-collecting mode, I am picking things up on a whim - a flash of color or pattern might catch my eye. But I generally don't spend a lot of time inspecting each one. Often they just go into the bag for future study. Maybe this is why my car rides so slow when I come home from a trip!

As I have mentioned in previous posts, I was recently collecting in one of my favorite areas, the Owyhee mountains on eastern Oregon. I have been sorting through the specimens I collated, tossing out some, and polishing those that are worth the effort, especially picture jaspers. (see earlier blog post)

But this one was a surprise, different from anything else I saw, and with a pale purple that caught my eye. I tossed it in the bag and only took a closer look today. Breaking off a piece revealed an inner layer  crammed with leaf fossils. I haven't identified them, but they look like conifer needles, twigs etc. strewn throughout a single layer in what I am guessing is rhyolite tuff. A nice surprise!