Alloiopteris sp. (Fossil fern)
DatePennsylvanian Period (318 to 299 mya)
Place MadeWest Virginia, United States, North America
Dimensions8 x 12 1/4 x 1 1/2 in., 5.05 lb. (20.3 x 31.1 x 3.8 cm, 2.3 kg)
ClassificationsNatural History
Credit LineMuseum purchase
Object numberR0000.042.08
Curator NotesNature's Forms: Pattern Texture, and Rhythm in Natural Objects from the Collection
July 26, 2010 to June 29, 2012
Ferns display fractal patterns because their fronds are small replicas of the whole fern itself. Unlike mathematical fractals, which can break down infinitely into progressively smaller scales, fractals in nature have finite levels of self-similarity. This fern contains four levels: the whole fern branches into sub-fronds, which branch into leaflets, which feature similarly-shaped notches.
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Traces of Time: Fossils from the Collection
July 25, 2009 to October 24, 2010
Alloiopteris is a genus of herbaceous fern that resembles Pecopteris, except that its leaflets are lobe-shaped rather than straight and smooth. Herbaceous ferns were less abundant during the Pennsylvanian Period than the now-extinct seed ferns.
July 26, 2010 to June 29, 2012
Ferns display fractal patterns because their fronds are small replicas of the whole fern itself. Unlike mathematical fractals, which can break down infinitely into progressively smaller scales, fractals in nature have finite levels of self-similarity. This fern contains four levels: the whole fern branches into sub-fronds, which branch into leaflets, which feature similarly-shaped notches.
----
Traces of Time: Fossils from the Collection
July 25, 2009 to October 24, 2010
Alloiopteris is a genus of herbaceous fern that resembles Pecopteris, except that its leaflets are lobe-shaped rather than straight and smooth. Herbaceous ferns were less abundant during the Pennsylvanian Period than the now-extinct seed ferns.
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- Fossils