Fossil wood,also known asfossilized tree,iswoodthat is preserved in thefossil record.Over time the wood will usually be the part of a plant that is best preserved (and most easily found). Fossil wood may or may not bepetrified,in which case it is known aspetrified woodorpetrified tree.The study of fossil wood is sometimes calledpalaeoxylology,with a "palaeoxylologist" somebody who studies fossil wood.
The fossil wood may be the only part of the plant that has been preserved, with the rest of the plant completely unknown:[1]therefore such wood may get a special kind ofbotanical name.This will usually include "xylon" and a term indicating its presumed (not necessarily certain) affinity, such asAraucarioxylon(wood similar to that of extantAraucariaor some related genus likeAgathisorWollemia),Palmoxylon(wood similar to that of modernArecaeae), orCastanoxylon(wood similar to that of modernchinkapinorchestnut tree).[2]
Types
editPetrified wood
editPetrified woodare fossils of wood that have turned to stone through the process ofpermineralization.[3]All organic materials are replaced with minerals while maintaining the original structure of the wood.
The most notable example is thepetrified forestinArizona.[4]
Mummified wood
editMummified woodare fossils of wood that have not permineralized.[5]They are formed when trees are buried rapidly in dry cold or hot environments. They are valued in paleobotany because they retain original cells and tissues capable of being examined with the same techniques used with extant plants indendrology.[6]
Notable examples include the mummified forests inEllesmere Island[7]andAxel Heiberg Island.[8]
Submerged forests
editSubmerged forestsare remains of trees submerged bymarine transgression.They are important in determiningsea level risesince thelast glacial period.[9]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^Ed Strauss (2001)."Petrified Wood from Western Washington".Archived fromthe originalon December 11, 2010.RetrievedApril 8,2011.
- ^Wilson Nichols Stewart; Gar W. Rothwell (1993).Paleobotany and the evolution of plants(2 ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 31.ISBN978-0-521-38294-6.
- ^Bersama, CV Karya (5 June 2023)."Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Petrified Wood".Retrieved2023-12-11.
- ^"Petrified Forest National Park".National Park Service, US Department of the Interior.RetrievedApril 8,2011.
- ^Kelly Greig (January 17, 2011)."Mummified Forest Shows Effect of Changing Climate".Canadian Geographic. Archived fromthe originalon February 5, 2011.RetrievedApril 8,2011.
- ^Thomas N. Taylor; Edith L. Taylor; Michael Krings (2009).Paleobotany: the biology and evolution of fossil plants.Academic Press. p.33.ISBN978-0-12-373972-8.
- ^Michael D. Lemonick; Courtney Tower; Diane Webster (September 22, 1986)."Science: Unearthing a Frozen Forest".Time. Archived fromthe originalon November 27, 2010.RetrievedApril 8,2011.
- ^Jeremy Hsu (December 16, 2010)."2-million-year-old 'mummy trees' reveal harsh climate".Live Science.Retrieved7 August2024.
- ^Eric Charles Frederick Bird (2008).Coastal geomorphology: an introduction.John Wiley and Sons. p. 52.ISBN978-0-470-51729-1.