Lesvos, Jan 28: A team of scientists perchance discovered a 20-million-year-old, 62-feet tall, fossilised tree with intact branches and roots, in a near perfect condition, on the eastern Mediterranean island of Lesvos, Greece. The tree was found during roadwork and was transported using a special crane fitted with a metal platform and a special splint (a rigid device used to keep something in place).
The petrified forest of Lesvos is a unique UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation) protected site. The petrified forest is a result of the volcanic activity that ossified the entire subtropical forest ecosystem some 20 million years ago. Excavation at the site started in 1995 to uncover the various forests that existed between 17 and 20 million years ago.
Image Credits: Twitter@Lesvospetrified