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My 7 yr old was poking around for fossils on the beach and managed to split a rock (ok he lobbed it in the car park - no cars were harmed). Inside we found this feathered-edged thing in amongst the layers which whilst isn't a T-rex I assume is some foliage. Can anyone confirm?
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dont thinks so
just looks like staining to me
A fossilised stain though
That's just different coloured sediments that make up the rock, looks like a form of sandstone or limestone, a sedimentary rock, at any rate.
Actual fossils will have a clearly defined shape, like ammonites, ferns, belemnites, fish, trilobites, etc, do.
Ammonites in sedimentary rocks at Kilve beach, Somerset:
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I don't think it's different coloured sediments as the dark patch overprints the bedding of the host rock. It could be the trace fossil of a leaf, but there doesn't appear to be any leaf-like structure to it. My guess is staining.
Generally speaking, it's a fine-grained sedimentary rock, indicating it's environment of deposition was one of low energy. The scale isn't 100% clear but I'd say maybe a coarse siltstone, or a very fine grained sandstone.