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Show Discovery of Rare Fossil Leads To Honors for Mo ah Couple Two Moab rockhojnds, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Wade have recently had the hon or of having a type of rat petrified fern named after -fjhem. The Wades found the fern in 19G8 while awaiting rescuers while stuck in -a sand wash near Moab in an area known as Little Valley. The specimens, totally totaling 90 pounds. arc cone shaped and are unique (because of their distinctive distinc-tive cell structure whic' is clearly visible. This find was made only two years after the Wadeii : moved to Moab and became be-came novice rock hunters. While displaying their find '; at a rock show in Pro .'o, the fern was observed by Dr. J. Jensen of Brigham Young University, who bf came interested in the ; find, and he, along with 1 Dr. W. T. Tidwell and Dr. ; Dan Sampler made posi- tive identification of the ivood which .is estimated to be about 145 mill ion years old. Some of the larger lar-ger piecc-s of the wood were donated by the Wadti to BYU for further stud. j . Although the wood dis- j covered by the Wades ; : similar to a number of other Osmundaculis whi:!i are known to exist, it exhibits ex-hibits some difference::, j and is therefore classed m a species in and of itscJi. ; The other Osmunaa f.re ; found thoughout the woi Id. The find by the Wades is considered to be one of th largest of its kind ever found. Although some of tht rock is red in color, most is black and this is the i reason given by the Wades for its discovery being de- ; layed for so long even though the area in which j the fern was found has i been covered by rock hunters hun-ters for many years. Th.i Wades are members of the Moab Points and Pebbles Club. Mr. Wade is a retired re-tired employee of Kenno-cott Kenno-cott Copper Corp., and moved to Moab for health reasons. 'fsh1 tA ' ' ? ; Mr. and Mrs. Ed Wade recently found some 90 pounds of a rare fern which was named after them, Osmundacaulis wadei. The fern is found in the Morrison Mor-rison formation of Utah. |