(ORDO NEWS) — In Greece, when conducting exploration work on the island of Lemnos, an interagency team of researchers discovered a giant fossilized tree trunk, whose age is about 20 million years.
A brief report on the discovery appeared on the site of the Museum of Natural History of the project “Petrified Forest on Lesbos”. Previously, scientists on the island of Lesbos in Greece found numerous remains of a petrified forest. However, a new find was made on the neighboring island of Lemnos.
Excavations were carried out in the village of Varos. Experts from the museum acted as scientific consultants. Currently, only the first stage of excavation has been completed. However, even he allowed to dig a section of a fossilized trunk more than eight meters long.
It is reported that the trunk still retains woody characteristics, and the ends of its branches are in excellent condition. It was a giant conifer that grew in the forest about 20 million years ago. Scientists suggest that this was the ancestor of modern sequoia.
They note that the external morphological features of the trunk were preserved in excellent condition, for example, bark. Intrastem rings have also survived. In the near future it is planned to study the internal structure of the fossilized tree using an electron microscope. This will help determine the genus and type of plant.
The petrified forest on the islands of Lesvos and Lemnos is well preserved for natural reasons. It is believed that about 20 million years ago active volcanic activity took place in this region. Eruptions helped to “conserve” forests, hiding them under volcanic sediments.
By the way, most of the petrified trees are located on the seabed between the two islands. Therefore, this find was a great success for scientists. In the second stage, they plan to completely dig out a giant tree.
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