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Posted on 08/02/2007 8:29:50 PM PDT by Fred Nerks
BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungarian scientists said on Tuesday they have discovered a group of fossilized swamp cypress trees preserved from 8 million years ago which could provide clues about the climate of pre-historic times.
Instead of petrifying -- turning to stone -- the wood of 16 Taxodium trees was preserved in an open-cast coal mine allowing geologists to study samples as if they were sections cut from a piece of living wood.
"The importance of the findings is that so many trees got preserved in their original position in one place," Alfred Dulai, geologist at the Hungarian Natural History Museum said.
"But the real rarity about these trees is that ... their original wood got preserved ... they did not turn into stone."
The trees, which stand 4-6 meters tall and 1.5-3 meters in diameter, were found when miners started to remove a deep layer of sand at a mine in the north-eastern village of Bukkabrany to get at deposits of lignite.
The trees date back to the late Miocene geological period at a time when the Carpathian basin -- present day Hungary -- was a freshwater lake surrounded by swamps.
The trees were found on top of the lignite, capturing one of the last moments of these swamps, Dulai said.
Thanks for the link; I remember going to the "petrified forest" in SD as a kid. Our area was apparently once covered by glaciers; then was a marshy area; until it was drained and became farmland.
As for the "treasure-trove"...we are in a very rare drought...we may have to start "farming" for petrified wood; as the corn crop is looking particularly hideous.
I Googled ‘buy petrified wood’ and look what came up:
OTOH, he may decide to spend the winter excavating. Ours really looks like those in the photos; a little more worn around the edges, as though by water over the years.
When he told me he found a large petrified log, I admit to being a bit skeptical. But, when I saw it...it's there bark, tree rings and all...it's just gorgeous.
Would it not mean that 8 million years ago the climate their was much warmer....does that mean we are actually in the midst of global cooling??????
OH NO, WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE....
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