13.5" Polished, Petrified Wood (Metasequoia) Slab - Oregon

This is a beautiful, 13.5" wide, polished slab of petrified wood of the genus Metasequoia (Dawn Redwood) from Oregon. It is polished to a glossy, mirror-like finish on one side and backed with fiberglass for stability. Comes with a display stand.

The Metasequoia genus was considered extinct until a living population was discovered in China in 1941. This makes the dawn redwood a classic example of a living fossil.

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.

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DETAILS
SPECIES
Metasequoia sp.
LOCATION
Central Oregon
SIZE
13.5 x 5.8", .7" thick
CATEGORY
SUB CATEGORY
ITEM
#244630
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