Life-Like Fossil Leaves Preserved In Travertine - Austria

This is a really unique specimen from Austria. It contains very detailed fossil leaves preserved in travertine, collected in the Tirol region on Austria. These leaves are 3D in a very life-life state, and the largest leaf is 3.4" long.

Travertine is a form of limestone deposited by mineral springs, especially hot springs. Basically hot springs deposited layer upon layer of limestone on the leaves, preserving them as fossils. The deposits have been dated to 13,500 years ago.

A paper on the travertine deposits of this region can be found at:

http://www.univie.ac.at/ajes/archive/volume_98/boch_et_al_ajes_v98.pdf