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Oligocene Epoch: 33.9-23 Million Years Ago
Gallery: Louisiana
 Palmoxylon Cenozoic; Paleogene; Oligocene Catahoula Formation Louisiana, USA 19 cm x 13 cm x 1.3 cm thick The Shreveport Collection |
 Palmoxylon Cenozoic; Paleogene; Oligocene Catahoula Formation Louisiana, USA 22.5 cm x 13 cm x 1 cm thick |
| The
two specimens above are similar in size and color. However, at higher
magnifications the second specimen offers larger vascular bundles
with microstructure that is easier to see and more varied. Exploring
microstructure opens up a whole new dimension to selecting and collecting
fossil specimens. The
following images of the specimen above zoom in on the vascular
bundles shown in cross-section. The first three images were taken
with a Canon PowerShot SD770 IS Digital ELPH 10.0 MEGA PIXELS,
cropped and resized in Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0. The images
were taken in sunlight outside. Colors in the dark area
change when viewed at different levels of magnification |
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The close-ups below were taken at 10x, 30x, and 40x using a Swift M29TZ Zoom Stereo Trinocular Microscope and a Moticam 2500. The microscopes upper halogen light was used for illumination. The images were cropped and resized using Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0. The contrast in color combined with illumination from the microsocpe's halogen light produces an interesting image of these vascular bundles in the charcoal colored area. The sclerenchyma fibers of the bundle cap seem to light up. The image reminds one of a firefly or perhaps Starry Night. |
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| The vascular bundle pictured above measures 1 mm across. The vessels (eyes) measure 150 microns in diameter. |