Fossilized Drift Wood

[futzman]

I found this intriguing piece of petrified wood this past weekend in a gravel bar on the Arkansas River:

It appears to be a piece of ancient driftwood that fossilized AFTER being well water-logged and worn by river action. It's indistinguishable from real driftwood, even on close inspection which is probably why no one had picked it up. I was quite frankly amazed by it!

Richard
http://www.bapaleo.org

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Upgraded Night Vision Monocular Digital Infrared Monocular Telescope for 100% Darkness with 8X Zoom - Grab it through Amazon!

[Snee]

Awesome find!! It even has the rings!

 

[bakergeol]

Yes that is a great specimen. I don't think I have ever come across a specimen that that. Usually those logs to be preserved were quickly buried. I can see how you would have been amazed at finding it.

Well done Richard
George

 

[beeper]

how old would that be?

 

[futzman]

It's hard to say how old it is since I don't know the type of tree nor what strata it came from (found it in a river gravel bar). But, I'd guess it's several million years old although fossils can form in as little as a few thousand years. If I could determine the type of tree I could probably pin it down better.

Richard