4.8" Colorful Petrified Wood (Araucaria) Slab - Madagascar

Colorful Petrified Wood (Araucaria) Slab - Madagascar #304946

This is a colorful 4.8" wide slab of petrified wood (Araucaria sp.) from Ambilobe, Madagascar. This slab has been sliced and polished on both sides, revealing stunning details in the interior patterns and grain structure.

This specimen is from the early Triassic period at approximately 220 million years old, close to the time the first dinosaurs appeared on the planet. It is from a genus of conifer called Araucaria: they used to dominate forests during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, but now are limited to a handful of species across the southern hemisphere. The most recognized species of Araucaria today are the monkey puzzle, or pehuen, trees, native to Chile and Argentina.

This specimen comes with an acrylic display stand.

What Is Petrified Wood

Petrified wood is the name given to wood that has been turned into stone (fossilized) through the process of permineralization. In this process, all of the organic matter becomes replaced by minerals, while much of the original structure, such as tree rings, is retained. For this to happen, the wood needs to be buried in an environment low in oxygen to prevent decomposition and with flowing, mineral-laden water, so minerals may replace structures. The coloration is caused by various minerals that present in that water during fossilization. For example, red colors are due to iron compounds, greens due to copper, and so on.