An ancient volcanic eruption preserved a rare, 62-foot-tall, eight-million-year-old petrified tree discovered in Greece with intact branches and roots.
- A 62-foot petrified tree was discovered during roadworks west of 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 real that the bark and cellular structures are visible
Scientists in Greece have discovered a rare fossilized tree with its branches and roots intact after millions of years.
The 62-foot tree was found during roadworks near an ancient forest on the island of Lesbos that was petrified by a volcanic eruption about 20 million years ago.
Petrified wood is actually a fossil formed when a tree is covered in 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 displayed in the coming months.
This is the first time a tree has been preserved in such good condition in the area since excavations began in 1995.
Scroll down to see the video
A 62-foot-long petrified tree was discovered on the Greek island of Lesbos with its branches and roots intact. Scientists linked the fossil to a volcanic eruption about 20 million years ago
Nikos Zouros, a geomorphologist at the Museum of Natural History of the Petrified Forest of Lesbos, described it as a “unique find”.
“So far no corresponding trunk of a fossilized tree with intact branches has been found, which has remained in good condition to this day,” Zouros said.
“It is preserved in excellent condition and by studying fossilized wood we will be able to identify the type of plant it comes from.”
Protected by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the 37,000-acre petrified forest of Lesbos is the result of a volcanic eruption 20 million years ago that suffocated the ‘Lesbian subtropical lava ecosystem.
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 fruit tree leaves were found in the same place, as well as several animal bones.
“During the excavations the various forests that existed about 17 and 20 million years ago on Lesbos are being discovered and we can rebuild the ecosystem that existed during that period,” Zouros said.
The well-preserved trunk was discovered during asphalt demolition work along the Kalloni-Sigri road, west of Lesbos.
This is the first time a tree has been preserved in such good condition in the area since excavations began in 1995.
“It is preserved in excellent condition and by studying fossilized wood we will be able to identify the type of plant it comes from,” say the researchers.
“The tree is in its original growing position and it looks like the force of the volcanic eruption put it in 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 decay caused by microorganisms.
The original substance of the plant is eventually replaced by minerals such as silica, pyrite, calcite, according to Geology.com, resulting in a fossil that can preserve details of the tree’s bark and even details of its cell structures. lulars.
Petrified wood is created when plant material is so buried by sediment that it is protected from decay caused by microorganisms.
Another petrified tree in Lesbos Petrified Forest National Park. Some trees are so well preserved that even the cell structure and bark are still visible
Some petrified wood is so “realistic,” it’s not obvious they’re fossils until someone tries to pick it up.
Petrified trees can provide rare information about ecosystems millions of years ago: in August, Peruvian scientists discovered a petrified tree dating back about ten million years ago, indicating how the environment of the Andes mountain has changed drastically over time.
Although the fossil was found more than 13,000 feet above sea level, its anatomy was very similar to that of wood found in low-altitude tropical forests.