This is a series of contributions mainly based
on own finds of Rhynie chert,
every one of them reporting some
observation, interpretation, or discovery
apparently not yet published in the scientific literature
and occasionally contradicting
established wisdom.
The first contributions were published since
2004 at
www.kieseltorf.de, a website launched by Ralph Kretzschmar
(Chemnitz)
and deplorably shut down in 2017. This series of numbered issues had
begun as paper prints
distributed in very small numbers since 2005,
with every issue composed of text, pictures, and references being
confined to one or two pages. This concise format differing much from
the lengthy
papers in scientific journals has been applied here, too. It is meant
to be a means of
spreading information quickly in easily comprehensible quanta, which
would be virtually
impossible with the conventional ways of publication. When
www.chertnews.de started in 2010, the 35 issues
available then were put in. Their number is climbing beyond 156 in
2020, and there will be more to come. They are supposed to make up the
main part of this
website.
Contributions with a mainly introductory or explanatory character are
not listed here. They are
accessible via Site
map.
List of issues
numbered according to their sequence of release. Click on
the number.
Looking for particular
subjects is easier in
the
list with thematically sorted
issues.
1.
Enigmatic little sphere
[Pachytheca] 2.
A rare aspect of Aglaophyton 3.Ventarura
taking shape 4.
A pattern of questionable origin
[fungus action] 5.
Twisted evidence
[Aglaophyton
sporangia] 6.Aglaophyton
epidermis outlined 7.
The work of spore eaters
[Aglaophyton
sporangia] 8. Re-interpretation of detail on Aglaophyton
gametophyte 9.
Trigonotarbids: known for a long while but still
surprising 10.
Is there more than one charophyte alga in the Rhynie chert ? 11.
Size matters – Aglaophyton
sporangia bigger than expected 12.Ebullitiocaris
– a slothful little creature that comes in flocks 13. Another
weft of tubes – another nematophyte ? 14. A
peculiar way of creeping – Aglaophyton
reconsidered 15.Horneophyton
sporangia as odd-shaped bags 16.
Zosterophylls with peculiar branching mode ? 17.
Erroneous and other views on a Rhynie chert plant
[Aglaophyton] 18.
Another type of Rhynia
gametophyte ? 19.
Less-common fungus in the Rhynie chert 20.
Horizontal layers and plates in chert 21.
Twin patterns – a clue to void formation in Rhynie chert plants 22.
Cluster of Trichopherophyton
sporangia 23.
Spoilt attack in the Lower Devonian
[rotifer and alga] 24.
What did Castracollis
look like ? 25.
Seedling in the Rhynie chert – a less-common sight 26.
A faint glimpse of another Rhynie chert plant ? 27.Horneophyton
tubers – a preferred site for level bands in chalcedony 28.
Fungus from Rhynie chert helps to refute Permian /Triassic mites
hypothesis 29.
New finds of Nematoplexus
in the Rhynie chert 30.
On the origin of the cellular pattern on the surface of nematophytes 31.Rhynia
sections indicating steps of silicification in Rhynie chert 32.
Same symbiotic fungus in Aglaophyton
and Rhynia
? 33.Nothia
sporangium close-up 34.
Close look at Castracollis 35.
A flat nematophyte from Rhynie 36.
Uncommon aspect of Pachytheca 37.
Hole repair in Rhynie chert plants 38.
Nematophytes vs. liverworts
[Prototaxites] 39.Nematoplexus
with a wry twist ? 40.
Wilting nematophytes in Rhynie chert 41.Prototaxites
and Cosmochlaina:
no liverwort connection 42.
Sociable trigonotarbids 43.Castracollis
hair tufts 44.Pachytheca –
a nematophyte propagule ? 45.Horneophyton
spores differently arranged 46. Flat nematophyte – Details
and reconstruction 47.
Dainty meshwork aspect of Aglaophyton
epidermis 48.
Devonian alga mimicking Coleochaete 49.Trichopherophyton
aspects 50.
A Devonian plant that would not fit in 51.Nematoplexus
aspects 52.Aglaophyton
branching 53.Asteroxylon
sporangia of questionable shape 54.
Voids in the tissue of early land plants 55.
Funny fossil fungus formations 56.Croftalania
venusta and other Devonian
microbes 57. Nothia
sporangia and their peculiar wall structure 58.Ventarura with
less-common features 59.
Sequence of silicification stages deduced from plant sections in chert 60.
Selective decay resistance of soft tissue in early land plants (1) 61. A
rare sight of Ventarura
tissue (1) 62.
Spirally splitting Aglaophyton
sporangia 63.
A look at Devonian fungi 64.
An uncommon variety of Rhynie
chert 65. Broken
symmetry of Aglaophyton
sporangia 66.
Selective decay resistance of soft tissue in
early land plants (2) 67.
Funny fossil microbes 68.
Enigmatic cm-size blobs in Rhynie chert 69.
A Lower Devonian alga resembling the xanthophyte Botrydium 70.
Enigmatic black deposit in Rhynie chert 71.Nematoplexus
- more details, more questions (1) 72. Croftalania
images 73.
A Devonian alga with peculiar features (Part 1) 74.
Window into the distant past - Palaeonitella 75.
Level fills in hollow Aglaophyton 76. Symbiotic fungus in Trichopherophyton
? 77.
Silicification steps in chert deduced from fossil fungus
hyphae 78.
The enigma of perfectly straight
fungus hyphae 79.Horneophyton
rhizome 80.
Swamp gas bubbles traversing microbial layers in Rhynie chert 81.Horneophyton
detail 82.Ventarura
- peculiar and confusing 83. Black
stains, coatings, and linings in Rhynie chert 84.
Miniature fossil sewage tank 85.
A dark side of palaeobotany 86.
More nematophytes in the Rhynie chert 87.
Microbial debris in Rhynie chert 88.
Early land plant seedlings 89.
A Devonian alga with peculiar features (Part 2) 90. A Devonian alga with
peculiar features (Part 3) 91.
A rare sight of Ventarura
tissue (2) 92.
Glades in the nematophyte jungle 93. A Devonian alga with
peculiar features (Part 4) 94.
Asteroxylon
aspects 95.Trichopherophyton and Ventarura in one
chert sample 96.Ventarura performing
as a flower 97.
Selective decay resistance of soft tissue in
early land plants (3) 98.
Nematophytes in gel 99.
Another new nematophyte in the Rhynie
chert
100. 101.Castracollis
eye ? 102.Nematoplexus
- more details, more questions (2) 103.
Black shards in decayed tissue 104.
Observations on fungus resting spores 105.
Selective decay resistance of soft tissue in
early land plants (4) 106.
Strange fossil assemblage in a chert sample 107.
Another tangle of tubes in chert 108.
An uncommon fossil fungus 109.
Fossil mycoparasite like extant Trichoderma 110.
Scary Nothia 111. Fossil
mycoparasite like
extant Trichoderma (2) 112.
Pseudocells in Rhynie chert 113.
Microbial
reefs in the Devonian
swamps at Rhynie 114. Rhynie chert sample with
peculiar details 115.
Devonian fungus globules densely
clustered 116.
Fossil fungus-related
spheres that come in pairs 117.
Enigmatic voids in the tissue of early land plants 118.
Damage control in an early land plant 119. Fossil
fungus-related
spheres with fancy fills 120.
Fossil fungus-related
spheres with alga connection 121. Aspects
of Devonian
microbes 122.Nematoplexus
- enigmatic ever
more 123.
Water turned into Devonian chert 124. Asteroxylon
tissue affected by fungi
125.Croftalania
upgrowth shaped by grazing creatures ? 126.
Enigmatic knots of an enigmatic organism
[Nematoplexus] 127.Rhynia
aspects 128.
A particular connection of alga tubes 129.
A miniature football from the Rhynie
chert 130.
Hollow
straws in pairs 131.
Peculiar cracks in Rhynie chert 132.
Persistent "palisade wall" of Aglaophyton
sporangia 133.Nematoplexus
branch knot close-up 134.Nematoplexus
- Where the spirals come from 135.Nematoplexus
- thrice enigmatic 136.Nematoplexus
with controversial aspects 137. Nematoplexus
surprisingly polymorphic 138.
Questionable Devonian charophyte Palaeonitella 139.
Peculiar charophyte alga in
the Rhynie chert 140.
Another filamentous alga in the Rhynie chert 141.
Devonian charophyte alga forming lumps 142.
Agates and fossils from watery habitat (1) 143.Agate
and fossil from watery habitat (2) - Eerie glow 144. Agate and fossil from watery
habitat (3) - Enigmatic trough 145.
Agate and fossils from watery habitat (4) 146.
Microbial emergences in Devonian and Permian cherts 147.
Crustacean and crystal 148.
Fossil mycoparasite like extant Trichoderma
(3) 149.
Spore clots in Rhynie chert 150.Horneophyton
sporangia 151.Nematothallus
and Nematoplexus
in one chert sample 152.
Tubes at Nematoplexus
branch-knots 153.
Nematophyte or fungus ? 154.
Nematophyte big tubes with precipitate 155.
Nematophyte twice protected 156.
Varied nematophytes in Rhynie chert 157.
Tracheid-like tubes in Rhynie chert 158.
Nematophyte tubes and "branch knots" 159. Rhynia
enigmas old and new 160.
Common fossils with uncommon aspect in
the Rhynie chert 161.
Trigonotarbid hiding places 162.
Hairs on trigonotarbid mouth parts 163.
Conspicuous spheres in Rhynie chert 164.
An uncommon chert sample
with Rhynia 165.
Parasite scabs on Rhynie chert plants 166.
Enigma inside Aglaophyton
spores 167. Silica
gel boundaries in chert 168.
Scalariform tube wall patterns 169.
Devonian charophyte whorls of branches 170.
Herbivore deterrence by early land plants 171.Ventarura xylem 172.
Black coatings on cell walls of early land plants 173.
Surprising aspects of Devonian fungus hyphae 174.Ventarura with
enigmatic tube inside 175.Trichopherophyton
sporangia 176.Nothia
sporangia aspects 177.
Devonian gloss 178.Aglaophyton
spores
decayed inside sporangia 179.
Well-known creatures and enigmatic formations in one piece of chert 180. Holes
gnawed
into early land plants by
elusive creatures 181.
Enigmatic hollow straws of early land plants 182.
Early land plant aging 183.
Charophyte lacking gyrogonites --- Palaeonitella
centenary 184. Devonian
creature or random
assemblage ? 185.Palaeonitella
whorls -- young and old
186. Conspicuous fungus chlamydospores in
the Rhynie chert 187. Symbiotic fungus
Glomites in
the early land plant Aglaophyton