Rhynie Chert News
   sorted according to subjects:
        Higher Plants,
Algae, Fungi, Nematophytes, Cyanobacteria and Microbes, Crawling creatures, Non-biological phenomena
deutsche Version
For the convenience of the reader less acquainted with the plants in the chert, catchy labels, set apart by colour, have been put on some of them.
    This is to indicate the diversity of the inhabitants of this Lower Devonian terrestrial ecosystem liable to occasional flooding.
Issues covering more than one subject are listed accordingly.
  
Higher Plants  

arching creeper
Aglaophyton (former Rhynia major)
  2. A rare aspect of Aglaophyton
  4. A pattern of questionable origin  
  5. Twisted evidence
  6. Aglaophyton epidermis outlined  
  7. The work of spore eaters  
  8. Re-interpretation of detail on Aglaophyton gametophyte
11. Size matters – Aglaophyton sporangia bigger than expected
14. A peculiar way of creeping – Aglaophyton reconsidered
17. Erroneous and other views on a Rhynie chert plant

21. Twin patterns – a clue to void formation in Rhynie chert plants
32. Same symbiotic fungus in Aglaophyton and Rhynia ?
37. Hole repair in Rhynie chert plants
47. Dainty meshwork aspect of Aglaophyton epidermis
52. Aglaophyton branching
54. Voids in the tissue of early land plants
55. Funny fossil fungus formations
60. Selective decay resistance of soft tissue in early land plants (1)
62. Spirally splitting Aglaophyton sporangia

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)
75.  Level fills in hollow Aglaophyton

85. A dark side of palaeobotany
88.  Early land plant seedlings
97.  Selective decay resistance of soft tissue in early land plants (3)
105. Selective decay resistance of soft tissue in early land plants (4)

117. Enigmatic voids in the tissue of early land plants
118. Damage control in an early land plant
130. Hollow straws in pairs
131. Peculiar cracks 
132. Persistent "palisade wall" of Aglaophyton sporangia
142. Agates and fossils from watery habitat (1)
145. Agate and fossils from watery habitat (4)
149. Spore clots in Rhynie chert
160. Common fossils with uncommon aspect in the Rhynie chert
165. Parasite scabs on Rhynie chert plants
166. Enigma inside Aglaophyton spores
172. Black coatings on cell walls of early land plants
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
187. Symbiotic fungus Glomites in the early land plant Aglaophyton
189. "Snowing" siliceous flakes preserved in Rhynie chert

neat and small:  Rhynia gwynne-vaughani
18. Another type of Rhynia gametophyte ?
19. Less-common fungus in the Rhynie chert
25. Seedling in the Rhynie chert – a less-common sight
31. Rhynia sections indicating steps of silicification in Rhynie chert
32. Same symbiotic fungus in Aglaophyton and Rhynia ?

88.  Early land plant seedlings
114. Rhynie chert sample with peculiar details
127. Rhynia aspects
159. Rhynia enigmas old and new
164. An uncommon chert sample with Rhynia
165. Parasite scabs on Rhynie chert plants
188. Rhynia twice affected

tubers and odd bags: Horneophyton
15. Horneophyton sporangia as odd-shaped bags
27. Horneophyton tubers – a preferred site for level bands in chalcedony
45. Horneophyton spores differently arranged

79.  Horneophyton rhizome
81.  Horneophyton detail

150. Horneophyton sporangia

advanced and complex: Asteroxylon
28. Fungus from Rhynie chert helps to refute Permian /Triassic mites hypothesis
53. Asteroxylon sporangia of questionable shape
94.  Asteroxylon aspects
124. Asteroxylon tissue affected by fungi
160. Common fossils with uncommon aspect in the Rhynie chert

deterring: Nothia
33. Nothia sporangium close-up
57. Nothia sporangia and their peculiar wall structure
110. Scary Nothia
170. Herbivore deterrence by early land plants
176. Nothia sporangia aspects
191. Croftalania aspects

prickly: Trichopherophyton
16. Zosterophylls with peculiar branching mode ?
22. Cluster of Trichopherophyton sporangia
49. Trichopherophyton aspects
76.  Symbiotic fungus in Trichopherophyton ?
95. Trichopherophyton and Ventarura in one chert sample
170. Herbivore deterrence by early land plants
172. Black coatings on cell walls of early land plants
175. Trichopherophyton sporangia


enigmatic: Ventarura
3.  Ventarura taking shape
16. Zosterophylls with peculiar branching mode ?

58. 
Ventarura with less-common features
60. Selective decay resistance of soft tissue in early land plants (1)
61. A rare sight of Ventarura tissue
66. Selective decay resistance of soft tissue in early land plants (2)
82.  Ventarura - peculiar and confusing
91.  A rare sight of Ventarura tissue (2)
95. Trichopherophyton and Ventarura in one chert sample
96.  Ventarura performing as a flower
171. Ventarura xylem
174. Ventarura with enigmatic tube inside

elusive:
26. A faint glimpse of another Rhynie chert plant ?


Algae
                         Blue-Green Algae see under Cyanobacteria
Green Algae:
10. Is there more than one charophyte alga in the Rhynie chert ?
48. Devonian alga mimicking Coleochaete
73. A Devonian alga with peculiar features   (Part 1)
74. Window into the distant past - Palaeonitella
89.  A Devonian alga with peculiar features (Part 2)
90.  A Devonian alga with peculiar features (Part 3)
93.  A Devonian alga with peculiar features (Part 4)
106. Strange fossil assemblage in a chert sample
120. Fossil fungus-related spheres with alga connection 
123. Water turned into Devonian chert
128. A particular connection of alga tubes
129. A miniature football from the Rhynie chert
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
163. Conspicuous spheres in Rhynie chert
169. Devonian charophyte whorls of branches
177. Devonian gloss
183. Charophyte lacking gyrogonites ---  Palaeonitella centenary
185. Palaeonitella whorls -- young and old
190. 
Fungus-related fossil spheres in Rhynie chert

Yellow-Green Algae
69. A Lower Devonian alga resembling the xanthophyte Botrydium

dubious algae
50. A Devonian plant that would not fit in 


Fungi

  4. A pattern of questionable origin     
19. Less-common fungus in the Rhynie chert
21. Twin patterns – a clue to void formation in Rhynie chert plants
28. Fungus from Rhynie chert helps to refute Permian /Triassic mites hypothesis
32. Same symbiotic fungus in Aglaophyton and Rhynia ?
54. Voids in the tissue of early land plants
55. Funny fossil fungus formations
63. A look at Devonian fungi
64. An uncommon variety of Rhynie chert 
68. Enigmatic cm-size blobs in Rhynie chert
76.  Symbiotic fungus in Trichopherophyton ?
77.  Silicification steps in chert deduced from fossil fungus hyphae
78.
 The enigma of perfectly straight fungus hyphae
84.  Miniature fossil sewage tank
85.  A dark side of palaeobotany
104. Observations on fungus resting spores
108. An uncommon fossil fungus
109. Fossil mycoparasite like extant Trichoderma
111. 
Fossil mycoparasite like extant Trichoderma (2)
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
119. Fossil fungus-related spheres with fancy fills   
120. Fossil fungus-related spheres with alga connection 
124. Asteroxylon tissue affected by fungi
130. Hollow straws in pairs
142. Agates and fossils from watery habitat (1)
143. Agate and fossil from watery habitat (2)
145. Agate and fossils from watery habitat (4)
148. Fossil mycoparasite like extant Trichoderma (3)
153. Nematophyte or fungus ?
160. Common fossils with uncommon aspect in the Rhynie chert
163. Conspicuous spheres in Rhynie chert
165. Parasite scabs on Aglaophyton and Rhynia
173. Surprising aspects of Devonian fungus hyphae
177. Devonian gloss
179. Well-known creatures and enigmatic formations in one piece of chert
186. Conspicuous fungus chlamydospores in the Rhynie chert
187. Symbiotic fungus Glomites in the early land plant Aglaophyton
188. Rhynia twice affected
190. Fungus-related fossil spheres in Rhynie chert

Nematophytes

spherical
:  Pachytheca 
1.   Enigmatic little sphere                 
36. Uncommon aspect of Pachytheca
44. Pachytheca – a nematophyte propagule ?
 
flat
35. A flat nematophyte from Rhynie
46. 
Flat nematophyte   Details and reconstruction
99. Another new nematophyte in the Rhynie chert
153. Nematophyte or fungus ?

of uncertain shape
13. Another weft of tubes – another nematophyte ?
29. New finds of Nematoplexus in the Rhynie chert
30. On the origin of the cellular pattern on the surface of nematophytes
38. Nematophytes vs. liverworts
39. Nematoplexus with a wry twist ?
40. Wilting nematophytes in Rhynie chert
41. Prototaxites and Cosmochlaina: no liverwort connection
51. Nematoplexus aspects
71. Nematoplexus - more details, more questions (1)
86.  More nematophytes in the Rhynie chert 
92.  Glades in the nematophyte jungle
98.  Nematophytes in gel
99.  
Another new nematophyte in the Rhynie chert
102.
Nematoplexus - more details, more questions (2)
106. Strange fossil assemblage in a chert sample
107. Another tangle of tubes in chert
122. Nematoplexus - enigmatic ever more
123. Water turned into Devonian chert
126. Enigmatic knots of an enigmatic organism        [
Nematoplexus]
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

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"
168. Scalariform tube wall patterns


Cyanobacteria and Microbes

23. Spoilt attack in the Lower Devonian
56. Croftalania venusta and other Devonian microbes
64.
An uncommon variety of Rhynie chert 
67. Funny fossil microbes
68. Enigmatic cm-size blobs in Rhynie chert

72. Croftalania images
112. Pseudocells in Rhynie chert
113. Microbial reefs in the Devonian swamps at Rhynie
121.
Aspects of Devonian microbes
125. Croftalania upgrowth shaped by grazing creatures ?
131. Peculiar cracks in Rhynie chert
144. Agate and fossil from watery habitat (3) - Enigmatic trough
146. Microbial emergences in Devonian and Permian cherts
160. Common fossils with uncommon aspect in the Rhynie chert
167. Silica gel boundaries in chert
172. Black coatings on cell walls of early land plants
173. Surprising aspects of Devonian fungus hyphae
174. Ventarura with enigmatic tube inside
191. Croftalania aspects

Crawling creatures

early multicellular creature : Rotifer

23. Spoilt attack in the Lower Devonian   

shrimp relatives: Crustaceans
12. Ebullitiocaris – a slothful little creature that comes in flocks
24. What did Castracollis look like ?
34. Close look at Castracollis
43.  Castracollis hair tufts
101. Castracollis eye ?
106. Strange fossil assemblage in a chert sample
125. Croftalania upgrowth shaped by grazing creatures ?
147. Crustacean and crystal
179. Well-known creatures and enigmatic formations in one piece of chert

spider relatives:  Trigonotarbids
 9. Trigonotarbids: known for a long while but still surprising
42.
Sociable trigonotarbids
161. Trigonotarbid hiding places
162. Hairs on trigonotarbid mouth parts
179. Well-known creatures and enigmatic formations in one piece of chert

elusive ones:
 7.  The work of spore eaters
37. Hole repair in Rhynie chert plants
26. A faint glimpse of another Rhynie chert plant ?
118. Damage control in an early land plant
149. Spore clots in Rhynie chert
159. Rhynia enigmas old and new
164. An uncommon chert sample with Rhynia
180. Holes in early land plants gnawed by elusive creatures
184. Devonian creature or random assemblage ?

Non-biological phenomena    

Silicification  
31. Rhynia sections indicating steps of silicification in Rhynie chert

59. Sequence of silicification stages deduced from plant sections in chert
64. An uncommon variety of Rhynie chert
75.  Level fills in hollow Aglaophyton
114. Rhynie chert sample with peculiar details
123. Water turned into Devonian chert  
127. Rhynia aspects
131. Peculiar cracks 
142. Agates and fossils from watery habitat (1)
143. Agate and fossil from watery habitat (2)
144. Agate and fossil from watery habitat (3) - Enigmatic trough
147. Crustacean and crystal
160. Common fossils with uncommon aspect in the Rhynie chert
167. Silica gel boundaries in chert
173. Surprising aspects of Devonian fungus hyphae
189. "Snowing" siliceous flakes preserved in Rhynie chert


Level bands
20. Horizontal layers and plates in chert
27. Horneophyton tubers – a preferred site for level bands in chalcedony
59. Sequence of silicification stages deduced from plant sections in chert
75. Level fills in hollow Aglaophyton
142. Agates and fossils from watery habitat (1)
143. Agate and fossil from watery habitat (2)
144. Agate and fossil from watery habitat (3) - Enigmatic trough
160. Common fossils with uncommon aspect in the Rhynie chert


Cracks  
  8. Re-interpretation of detail on Aglaophyton gametophyte
114. Rhynie chert sample with peculiar details
131. Peculiar cracks 
167. Silica gel boundaries in chert

Tar, Minerals
70.  Enigmatic black deposit in Rhynie chert

114. Rhynie chert sample with peculiar details


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