Rhynie chert

57°20′12″N 002°50′29″W / 57.33667°N 2.84139°W / 57.33667; -2.84139

The Rhynie chert is a Lower Devonian^[1] sedimentary deposit exhibiting extraordinary fossil detail or completeness (a Lagerstätte).^[2] It is exposed near the village of Rhynie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland; a second unit, the Windyfield chert, is located some 700 m away. The Rhynie chert contains exceptionally preserved plant, fungus, lichen and animal material^[1] preserved in place by an overlying volcanic deposit. The bulk of the Devonian fossil bed consists of primitive plants (which had water-conducting cells and sporangia, but no true leaves), along with arthropods, lichens, algae and fungi.

This fossil bed is remarkable for two reasons. First, the age of the site (Pragian, Early Devonian, formed about 410 million years ago)^[3]^[4] places it at an early stage in the colonisation of land. Second, these cherts are famous for their exceptional state of ultrastructural preservation, with individual cell walls easily visible in polished specimens. Stomata have been counted and lignin remnants detected in the plant material, and the breathing apparatus of trigonotarbids—of the class Arachnida—(known as book lungs) can be seen in cross-sections. Fungal hyphae can be seen entering plant material, acting as decomposers and mycorrhizal symbionts.

^ ^a ^b Garwood, Russell J; Oliver, Heather; Spencer, Alan R T (2019). "An introduction to the Rhynie chert". Geological Magazine. 157 (1): 47–64. doi:10.1017/S0016756819000670. ISSN 0016-7568. S2CID 182210855.
^ Nunn, Elizabeth. "The Rhynie Chert". Fossil Lagerstätten. Department of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 23 November 2017.
^ Rice, C. M., Ashcroft, W. A., Batten, D. J., Boyce, A. J., Caulfield, J. B. D., Fallick, A. E., Hole, M. J., Jones, E., Pearson, M. J., Rogers, G., Saxton, J. M., Stuart, F. M., Trewin, N. H. & Turner, G. (1995). "A Devonian auriferous hot spring system, Rhynie, Scotland". Journal of the Geological Society, London. 152 (2): 229–250. Bibcode:1995JGSoc.152..229R. doi:10.1144/gsjgs.152.2.0229. S2CID 128977213.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ Parry, S.F.; Noble S.R.; Crowley Q.G.; Wellman C.H. (2011). "A high-precision U–Pb age constraint on the Rhynie Chert Konservat-Lagerstätte: time scale and other implications". Journal of the Geological Society. 168 (4): 863–872. Bibcode:2011JGSoc.168..863P. doi:10.1144/0016-76492010-043. S2CID 128679831.

[GarwoodOliver2019-1] Garwood, Russell J; Oliver, Heather; Spencer, Alan R T (2019). "An introduction to the Rhynie chert". Geological Magazine. 157 (1): 47–64. doi:10.1017/S0016756819000670. ISSN 0016-7568. S2CID 182210855.

[Rhynie_BristolUni-2] Nunn, Elizabeth. "The Rhynie Chert". Fossil Lagerstätten. Department of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 23 November 2017.

[3] Rice, C. M., Ashcroft, W. A., Batten, D. J., Boyce, A. J., Caulfield, J. B. D., Fallick, A. E., Hole, M. J., Jones, E., Pearson, M. J., Rogers, G., Saxton, J. M., Stuart, F. M., Trewin, N. H. & Turner, G. (1995). "A Devonian auriferous hot spring system, Rhynie, Scotland". Journal of the Geological Society, London. 152 (2): 229–250. Bibcode:1995JGSoc.152..229R. doi:10.1144/gsjgs.152.2.0229. S2CID 128977213.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[Parry-4] Parry, S.F.; Noble S.R.; Crowley Q.G.; Wellman C.H. (2011). "A high-precision U–Pb age constraint on the Rhynie Chert Konservat-Lagerstätte: time scale and other implications". Journal of the Geological Society. 168 (4): 863–872. Bibcode:2011JGSoc.168..863P. doi:10.1144/0016-76492010-043. S2CID 128679831.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]