18.6" Petrified Wood (Woodworthia) Slab With Preserved Fungal Rot

This is a very interesting, 18.6" wide, polished round of petrified wood (Woodworthia) from the Chinle Formation of Arizona. Woodworthia is one of the more uncommon types of petrified wood within the petrified forests of Arizona. The polishing work on this piece is fabulous and it comes with a display stand.

What makes this piece so special is that it show signs of preserved fungal rot in the wood. You
will notice a number of circular areas near the outer edge of the round. This is where the wood was rotten and the rotten areas were filled in differently when the wood fossilized.

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
Woodworthia (Primitive Conifer)
LOCATION
Arizona
FORMATION
Chinle Formation, Painted Desert Member
SIZE
18.6 x 12.7", .8" thick
CATEGORY
SUB CATEGORY
ITEM
#64740
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