Description
Fossilised Wood (araucaria) Monkey Puzzle Tree Triassic, 245- 200 million years old
This section of fossilised wood is from a ‘monkey puzzle’ tree, araucaria from Madagascar. It has a highly polished top surface with the sides showing the actual fossilised bark. The back is in its natural state. This slice of fossilised wood is from the Triassic period and between 245 million to 200 million years old.
The Araucarias is commonly known as the Monkey Puzzle Tree. This was one of the very earliest species of tree, growing up to 60 metres tall. These ancient forests were growing at the same time the sauropod dinosaurs. These sauropods would have been a common sight feeding in these ancient forests. There is a convincing theory, that their long necks evolved to reach the upper branches of these araucaria trees. Fossilised wood from the Mahajanga region of Madagascar is famous for its stunning colours. These include reds and purples and also contrasting shades of brown and grey. The different minerals in the ground, iron or manganese for example during the fossilisation process, create these beautiful colours. Incredibly the araucaria trees still thrive in the area where this fossil came from. In Madagascar today its importance and history mean that it is now the country’s national tree.
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