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Rare 20 million year old petrified tree measuring 62 feet tall discovered in Greece with branches and roots still intact has been preserved by ancient volcanic eruption
- 62ft petrified tree discovered during roadworks in western Lesbos
- It is the first fossil tree in the region to still have branches in good condition
- The orientation of the tree confirms that there is a second volcano on the island
- Some petrified trees are so realistic that bark and cell structures are visible
Greek scientists have discovered a rare fossilized tree with its branches and roots still intact after millions of years.
The 62-foot tree was found during roadwork near an ancient forest on the island of Lesvos that was petrified by a volcanic eruption around 20 million years ago.
Petrified wood is actually a fossil formed when a tree is covered with volcanic ash and its organic remains are slowly replaced by minerals.
The tree was removed from the road using a special splint and a metal platform and will be on display in the coming months.
This is the first time that a preserved tree has been found in such good condition in the region since excavations began in 1995.
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A 62-foot-long petrified tree has been discovered on the Greek island of Lesvos with its branches and roots still intact. Scientists associate the fossil with a volcanic eruption around 20 million years ago
Nikos Zouros, a geomorphologist at the Natural History Museum of the Petrified Forest of Lesvos, called it a “unique discovery”.
“To date, no fossilized tree trunk with intact branches has been found, which has been kept in good condition until today,” Zouros said.
“It is kept in excellent condition and by studying the fossilized wood, we will be able to identify the type of plant from which it comes.
Protected by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Lesvos’ 37,000-acre petrified forest is the result of a volcanic eruption 20 million years ago that choked the subtropical ecosystem of Lesbos in lava.
According to researchers, the orientation of the trunk confirms the existence of a second volcano on Lesbos
After its fall, the tree was preserved by a thick layer of volcanic ash.
A large number of leaves of fruit trees have been found in one place, as have various animal bones.
“During the excavations, the different forests that existed between 17 and 20 million years ago in Lesvos are discovered and we can reconstruct the ecosystem that existed at that time,” Zouros said.
The well-preserved trunk was discovered during demolition work on the asphalt along the Kalloni-Sigri road in western Lesbos.
This is the first time that a preserved tree has been found in such good condition in the region since excavations began in 1995
“ It is kept in excellent condition and by studying the fossilized wood, we will be able to identify the type of plant it comes from, ” the researchers say.
“The tree is in its original position of growth and it appears that the force of the volcanic eruption has put it down on the ground where it was found,” Zouros said.
The orientation of the trunk confirms the existence of a second volcano on the island, he added.
Petrified wood is created when plant material is so buried by sediment that it is protected from rotting caused by microorganisms.
The original substance of the plant is eventually replaced by minerals like silica, pyrite, calcite, according to Geology.com, resulting in a fossil that can retain details of the tree’s bark and even details of its cellular structures.
Petrified wood is created when plant material is so buried by sediment that it is protected from rotting caused by microorganisms.
Another petrified tree in the Lesvos Petrified Forest National Park. Some trees are so well preserved that even the bark and cell structures are still visible
Some petrified woods are so ‘realistic’ that it’s not obvious they’re fossil until someone tries to pick them up.
Petrified trees may offer rare information about ecosystems from millions of years ago: In August, Peruvian scientists discovered a petrified tree that is around 10 million years old, indicating how the environment of the Andean mountain has changed dramatically over time.
Although the fossil was found over 13,000 feet above sea level, its anatomy closely resembled that of wood found in lowland tropical forests.
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